Montana Vet

“I’m not married.” A couple times he’d come close, but nothing had worked out.

“Oh.” Emily brought her hand to her hair and fiddled with it. “I assumed— Never mind. I didn’t realize there were any ranches in San Diego.”

The comment puzzled him. “I’m sure there are, but I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been there once or twice, and not for long.”

Her turn to look confused. “I’m pretty sure Taylor said she was from San Diego.”

He nodded. “She is.”

“I don’t understand. Aren’t you her father?”

No one ever understood until he explained. Dani, Sly and their families knew the facts, as did the teachers and counselors at Taylor’s school. Now Emily would, too.

“It’s complicated,” he began, giving her an out if she didn’t want to know. She nodded, and he went on. “Taylor’s mother and I were involved. We moved in together when Taylor was about five. Four years later, Annabelle broke things off and kicked me out.”

She’d stuck with him while he finished college, assuming that eventually they’d marry. Then immediately after earning his undergrad degree, he’d started vet school. Annabelle had continually pushed him to propose, but between school and a part-time job, he’d been too busy to think about much else. That was his excuse, anyway. The truth was he hadn’t been ready for marriage. Hell, he’d never even told her he loved her. He’d liked her fine, but hadn’t been capable of taking the next step. Tired of waiting for that ring on her finger, Annabelle had ended the relationship.

Story of his life.

“I see.” Emily frowned. “If you don’t mind my asking, why is Taylor living with you now?”

“I’m getting to that. In the years we lived under the same roof, she and I grew close. Annabelle never knew who Taylor’s father was. Although it wasn’t me, Taylor considered me to be her father, and I loved her like a daughter.

“At the time, we lived in Sacramento,” he went on. “I moved out, and a few days after the breakup, Annabelle packed up and left. She didn’t tell me about that or say where she was going, just cut me out of Taylor’s life.” Not all that different from what Seth had done with Dani and Sly, he’d come to realize a few years later. Standing on the other side of the fence had sucked, big time. “I tried to find them, but never did,” he finished.

He’d missed the girl terribly and knew she was likely missing him, too. “Fast-forward six years. I was still in Sacramento, with my own veterinary practice.” A few months earlier, his mentor from his undergrad days, Professor Greenfield, had died of cancer. Like Seth, the professor had been estranged from his family. Filled with regret, he’d begged Seth to make up with Sly and Dani before it was too late.

Seth had been mulling that over, assuring himself that he had plenty of time to make amends with his siblings, when the bomb that had radically altered his life had dropped. “Annabelle’s attorney contacted me with the news that she’d been in an accident and had passed away,” he said. “There was no other family, and in her will, she’d named me to assume guardianship of Taylor.”

Annabelle’s passing at the young age of thirty-five, the same age Seth was, had added a sense of urgency to make up with Sly and Dani sooner, rather than later. You never knew when your time was up.

“What a shock that must have been for both you and Taylor,” Emily said. “Poor girl. It must be hard to lose your mother at such an early age.”

Seth knew way too much about that. He’d lost his own mother when he was ten. Less than a year later, his father had followed her. “I think her death knocked us both to our knees,” he said.

As bad as he’d felt for Taylor, at first he’d balked at the idea of assuming responsibility for the girl he hadn’t seen in six years. But if he didn’t step up, she would go into foster care. Seth couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let her go through that.

After both his parents died, Dani had been shuffled into foster care. She’d lucked out, though, when Big Mama, her foster mom, had adopted her. Meanwhile, Seth and Sly had been shipped off to Iowa to live with an uncle who never tired of reminding them that he hated kids. No child deserved to live with a man like that.

“No wonder,” Emily murmured.

“Pardon me?”

“Taylor seems to have a bit of an attitude.”

And then some. Seth nodded. “The adjustment has been rough on her. On both of us.”

He was at his wits’ end. In the weeks since they’d moved here, no matter what he did, Taylor had shown nothing but contempt and loathing for both him and Prosperity. She hadn’t made a single friend or become involved in any school activities.

This dog shelter was the first thing she’d expressed an interest in. Seth needed Emily to give her a chance. “Be honest with me,” he said. “Are you going to let Taylor work here?”

Emily caught her full lower lip between her teeth. “Before we talk about that, I’d like to show you around. It’ll only take a few minutes. We’ll go out through the front door, so you can let Taylor know. She can stay here and keep Susannah company.”

Curious to see the place that had finally piqued Taylor’s interest, Seth readily agreed. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Two (#ulink_b80b90e2-f86b-5998-905a-2d113a598e6b)

“Tell me about the dogs,” Seth said, as Emily led him toward the kennel.

At five feet ten in her bare feet and even taller in boots, she didn’t have to look up at people all that often. But Seth was several inches taller, and she had to do just that to meet his eyes. They were an unusual shade of silvery blue, and looked especially striking against the afternoon sky.

“I take in animals that have been abandoned and sometimes abused,” she said. “My job is to find them permanent homes with loving families.”

He absorbed her words with a somber expression. “You haven’t chosen easy work.”

“No, but it can be so rewarding.”

Seth listened thoughtfully. “Is that how you got Susannah?”

Emily nodded. “She was one of the first dogs to come here when I opened my doors.” The whippet, with her injured leg, malnourished body and trembling fear, had quickly wormed her way into Emily’s heart.

“How did you get into this work?” Seth asked.

“My very first job was with a woman who groomed and boarded dogs while their owners were out of town,” Emily said. She’d taken the job so that she could help her struggling mother make ends meet. “She had a soft place in her heart for abused dogs, and fostered and adopted a few while I worked for her. Like all living creatures, they need love and affection, along with a strong dose of patience. Give them those things, and they’re loyal friends for life.” Unlike people, who could walk away at any time and break your heart. “I’ve been in love with dogs ever since.”

“Running this place can’t be cheap. How do you fund it?”

“Through private donations, most of which I raise at an annual fund-raiser the first Saturday in November,” she said. “But I couldn’t do it without my volunteers.” Mentally, she crossed her fingers that she could persuade Seth to sign on as one of them. “The dog groomer I just told you about? She comes in a couple times a month to bathe and groom the dogs. The rest of the time, I get to do the job.” Emily wrinkled her nose.

“I’ll bet that gets messy.”

He flashed a smile she felt clear to her toes. It had been over a year since she’d even noticed a man, and Seth Pettit was a seriously attractive male, tall and solid, with a broad forehead and a strong jaw. She smiled back. “Even when I wear protective clothing, I usually end up a dripping mess. You don’t want to see me when I finish that job.”

He chuckled at that, and so did she.

“You do this full-time?” he asked.

She shook her head. “There isn’t enough money for that, so I double as a web designer—I create and maintain websites. I enjoy the work, plus I get to set my own hours.”

“I’ve been told I should put up a website, but I’m not sure I need one.”

“Can’t hurt,” Emily said. Wanting Seth to know more about the shelter, she gestured around. “Isn’t this a nice space? It used to be part of a ranch that was subdivided and sold off. I rent it from a couple who love animals. They even adopted one of our dogs. They didn’t mind when I turned the garage into a kennel. As long as I pay the rent on time, they’re happy.”

At the kennel, she opened the door and led Seth inside. He moved slowly and deliberately toward the cages, letting the dogs take him in.

“Hey, there,” he greeted them.

Each one took note of his low, soothing voice, and a few wagged their tails.