19

Brett stopped in front of Foster’s saddle shop and stooped to pet Ringo. Tied to a post, the dog greeted him with a wagging tail. Warding off the dog’s licking tongue, Brett stood and braced himself with an intake of breath.

If everything had gone as planned, Foster should be one happy man. He and Kate might have even settled on a wedding date.

It’s what Brett wanted; it’s how things were meant to be. Getting the two of them back together had been the right thing to do. It was the only way to make up for stopping their wedding.

Oh sure, he was attracted to Kate, but that’s all it was. It couldn’t be love. Blast Foster for putting the thought of love in his head in the first place. Once planted, it had been nearly impossible not to imagine such a thing true. Fortunately, he’d had time to think about it and had come to his senses.

Love would only complicate his life. That he knew from experience. He’d been burned once, and once was enough. More than enough. In addition, look what love had done to his sister. To Foster. The poor man had been a wreck these last few weeks.

Nope, love wasn’t for him. Brett was perfectly content with his life as a Texas Ranger and had no desire to disrupt it for a woman. What he felt for Kate was simply a case of attraction. Yep, that was it. Attraction.

It hadn’t been the first time he’d been drawn to a woman, and he sure in heck hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

Now that the couple was back together, he could pour all his energy into doing what he had come to Haywire to do—concentrate on tracking down the Ghost Riders. As soon as Foster One was behind bars, Brett could finally put the past behind him. It wouldn’t bring his sister back, nor would it alleviate his guilt for not protecting her, but at least he could rest knowing that justice had been served. If he was lucky, Kate and Frank’s wedding would take place after he had finished his business and left town.

He flung the door open and stepped inside the shop. Lucky Lou greeted him with a nod, but it was Foster who made Brett’s jaw drop. “What happened to you?”

If the bloated face did indeed belong to Foster, he looked like he’d been run over by a herd of cattle. If that wasn’t shocking enough, Foster’s eyes were practically swollen shut and resembled two narrow buttonholes.

Foster looked and sounded fit to be tied, but the only words Brett could make out were pickles and cow.

Cow?

Standing in front of the counter, Lucky Lou shrugged. “That’s all I’ve been able to get out of him.” He tossed a nod at his dog, who was peering through the shop’s glass door. “Dang dog keeps chewing through his collar. This is the third one I’ve purchased this year.” He paid Foster and left just as Kate entered the shop.

With a quick glance at Brett, she greeted her fiancé with a worried expression and set a basket on the counter.

“Aunt Letty sent more vinegar,” she said, pulling a bottle out of the basket. “And here’s some licorice. It’s supposed to help with the swelling.” She placed both on the counter.

Foster made a funny sound. “Grg go, blok, grin.”

“What happened to him?” Brett asked.

Kate’s large, liquid eyes met his, forcing him to remind himself that it wasn’t love. Mustn’t be love. Couldn’t be love.

“We pulled a calf out of a buffalo wallow,” she said. “And you know how he is around animals.”

Brett scratched his temple. “I don’t understand. I thought you and he… What were you doing at a buffalo wallow?”

She quickly explained. “We couldn’t let the poor thing die.” She pressed her hands to her chest. “He helped me save that little calf’s life.”

“That’s…that’s great to hear,” Brett said. “Does that mean that you and he…?”

“What?”

Brett’s gaze dropped to the hand at her chest. She wasn’t wearing Frank’s engagement ring. Not knowing what to think, he stared at her bare finger. He’d hoped that seeing a band on her finger would erase any lingering doubts about his true feelings. It was the only way he could think to put Kate out of his mind and concentrate on the job at hand.

Helping the couple reconcile was the right thing to do. No question. Yet he couldn’t deny that a small—okay, large—traitorous part of himself took pleasure in seeing her finger bare. It wasn’t something he was proud of. It wasn’t even a part he could control. But it was there nonetheless, and for that, he felt guilty.

He met her blue-eyed gaze. “Can we safely assume you are now in the cow-rescuing business?”

She tried to suppress a giggle, but that only made her laugh more. “I hardly think so,” she said.

Her infectious laughter brought a grin to his face, and for a moment—a very brief moment—it felt as if only the two of them existed.

Brett didn’t realize he was staring until he heard a strange sound coming from the other side of the counter. A quick glance told him that Foster was trying to whistle.

Brett’s smile wavered. “I’m just glad it was a calf the two of you saved and not a bear or wolf.”

Foster’s face grew even redder around his puckered lips, but Kate didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy describing all that had happened. “You should have seen it,” she said, her face aglow. “The sweet little thing looked like he was covered in chocolate.”

She giggled, and Brett’s heart jolted. Held captive by the play of emotions on her face, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Sounds like that calf was lucky you happened to be in the area,” he said, adding in a louder voice, “you and Foster.”

She smiled up at him, and it was as if there wasn’t enough air in the room. “Frank wanted to take a ride by the river.”

Forcing himself to breathe, Brett glanced at Foster. The man had managed a low hissing sound in place of a whistle. He looked so bad that it was hard not to feel sorry for him. This time, he had every right to be jealous, and for that, Brett felt bad.

Kate lifted her shoulders in a regretful shrug. “I’m afraid we never made it there.”

“There’ll be another time,” he said, as much for Foster’s sake as for hers.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She brightened. “Oh, by the way, I thought of a couple more names to add to the list of peppermint buyers.”

“That’s…that’s good. I’ll stop by later, if that’s okay.” After a beat, he asked, “How’s your aunt? Has she fully recovered from her ordeal?”

“Yes, she has. Nothing’s gonna keep Aunt Letty down for long. Did you find what you were looking for from the names I gave you?”

“No,” he said. “But I’ve only interviewed half the people on it.”

“No suspects, then?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Grip a con a maya.”

This time, Kate turned to Frank, her expression soft and tender. “What did you say, dear?”

Brett felt something snap inside, like someone had torn away a piece of his heart. She’d called Foster dear. But that was the least of it. Her gentle voice and the concern on her face made one thing abundantly clear: no matter the difficulties between them, Kate still cared deeply for Frank.

Brett cleared his throat. “I-I better get a move on.”

Kate’s eyes rounded. “I hope you’re not leaving on my account.”

“No, no. I just stopped by to say…hello.” Touching his finger to the brim of his hat, he spun around and quickly left the shop.