Teasing Annie: The Temptation Saga: Book Two (9 page)

D
allas stood
, mouth agape.

“I’ll need to run some tests, but I’m pretty sure these cattle have been poisoned.”

“How?” Dallas asked.

“Any number of ways. Sometimes from the grass they eat.”

“Cattle have been eating this grass for decades,” Dallas said.

“True, but you’re coming out of a drought,” Annie said.

“So?”

“So, Dallas,” Chad said, “drought puts stress on the plants, particularly sorghum grass, which produces cyanide. This is re-growth, too.”

“Which increases the risk,” Annie said. “We’ll need to test these grasses, but honestly, I don’t think that’s the problem.”

“Why?” Chad asked.

“You’ve been coming out of a drought for several years,” Annie said. “If these grasses were producing cyanide, you would have seen evidence of it before now.”

“Makes sense,” Chad agreed.

“What else do you feed them?” Annie asked.

“We use a special mixture of corn and other grains that Chad came up with,” Dallas said. “He just mixed up a new batch a few days ago.”

“Yep, I sure did,” Chad said.

“Is it possible that someone could have poisoned the grain?” Annie asked.

“No,” Dallas said. “Absolutely not. All my men have been with me for years.”

“Hmm.” Annie looked around at the dying animals. “When were they last fed the grain?”

“This morning.”

“What time this morning?”

“I don’t know. We don’t keep to an exact schedule.”

“A steer can die within minutes if he eats a lethal dose,” Annie said. “It’s taking these guys longer, if the grain is the culprit.”

“Can you treat the ones that haven’t died?”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for some of them. The ones that are staggering along, though, we can drench in sodium thiosulphate. They should recover. I have enough for about ten head in my bag. I’ll have to return to town for more, and I’ll order a huge supply first thing in the morning. You may need it if we can’t find the source of the cyanide.”

“You really think it’s the grain, Annie?” Dusty asked.

“Seems more likely than the grass, even considering the drought. I’ll take a sample with me and have it analyzed. In the meantime, Dallas, don’t feed them any more of the grain. Let them live on the grass for a few days. If more get sick, we’ll know it’s the grass and not the grain.”

She pulled some packages out of her bag and handed them to Chad. “Sixty grams of this in six hundred milliliters of water. Give it to any that are staggering and looking ill. Don’t bother with the ones who are already comatose. It’s too late.”

Annie pulled a syringe out of her bag and took a sample of the dead steer’s blood. She petted him gently on his bristly head. “I’m sure sorry, fella,” she said under her breath.

Dallas knelt down beside her.

“You love them all, don’t you?”

She nodded, unable to speak for a minute. She hated suffering, especially of innocents. To her, animals were as innocent as newborn babies.

“Animals can’t help themselves. I became a vet so I could help them. When I can’t…” She blinked back a few tears and took a deep breath. “Well, there’s no use crying over it, is there?” She stood up. “Get me a sample of the grain.”

Dallas nodded, reached toward her, and caressed her forearm with his thumb. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Annie brushed the dirt off her knees. “I wish I could have done more.”

“You did your best, which is better than any of us could have done.” Dallas rose and stood next to her. His fingers grazed hers, and a spark shot through her.

Damn chemistry.

“If you could get me the grain sample…”

“In a minute.” He took her hand. The ranch hands were still busy herding the cattle, and Dusty and Chad were dispensing the medication. “Thank you, Annie.”

“It’s my job, Dallas.” She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he held on tight and lowered his head.

“Don’t,” she said.

“Just one. Please.” He released her hand, cupped her face, and brushed his lips lightly over hers.

The sparks rippled across her skin, tightening her nipples and landing between her legs.

“Damn it,” she said, shaking loose from his grasp. “Damn you, Dallas McCray. You’re not playing fair.”

“I’m not playing, Doc.”

“It’s just chemistry, remember?”

“Yeah. Right.” He backed away from her. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries. I’ll go help Dusty and Chad with the drenching. I’ll come around first thing in the morning to check on them.”

“Will you have any results on the blood or the grain by then?”

“Probably not. I’ll get them as soon as I can though.”

“Okay. Thanks, Annie. Thanks an awful lot.”

She tried to force a smile, but wasn’t sure she was successful. “Like I said, Cowboy, it’s my job.”

T
he knife again
, piercing his flesh, straight to his marrow. Dallas watched Annie walk away, toward Dusty, Chad, and the struggling steers.

Chemistry? Sure, they had that. But this gut twisting dagger and the sadness in his heart had nothing to do with chemistry.

Dallas was in love. For the first time in his life.

He was in love with Annalisa DeSimone. But he couldn’t be with her. He wouldn’t allow himself. The fucking knife—it twisted into his flesh with a piercing pain.

Now he only had to figure out what to do about it.

A
nnie helped Dusty prepare dinner
. Because Annie had broken her date to cook with Seraphina, the housekeeper had decided to visit her daughter in town.

After they had fed Zach and Sean, Dusty poured two glasses of Chardonnay, and led Annie to her cozy study. She sat down on a brocade sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Girl talk,” she said.

Annie sat down and took a sip of her wine. “I don’t know where to start.”

“At the beginning. Or not at all. It’s up to you.”

“No, I want to talk. I… I really appreciate your friendship. It’s hard, coming to a new place where you don’t know anyone.”

“I know. I felt the same way. But at least I had Zach.”

“He’s great, by the way.”

“Yeah, he is. And so’s Chad. And even Dallas.”

Annie nodded.

“So is it Chad?”

Annie shook her head. “No. He’s wonderful, a lot of fun. But he’s not for me.”

“Dallas then.”

She nodded. “But he doesn’t want me.”

“I think you’re wrong. What happened?”

“This is hard for me to say. I don’t want you to think I’m some slut from New Jersey.”

Dusty giggled. “Are there a lot of sluts in New Jersey?”

“More than a few.”

“I think you can say that about anywhere. But you’re not a slut, Annie. I assume it went pretty far then?”

“You could say that.”

“Last weekend?”

“Yeah.” She took another sip of wine. “He stayed with me Friday night, just holding me. I actually intended to sleep with him. It was heading in that direction, but we started talking about our divorces, and…”

“Yeah?”

“Well, let’s just say the thought of my ex kills the mood for me.”

“I see.”

“But I didn’t want to be alone. I was feeling kind of needy and pathetic. So he stayed. He held me in his arms all night. Then he brought me herb tea in the morning.”

“Dallas? Really?” Dusty shook her head. “I always knew he was a nice guy, but that’s really sweet.”

“Yeah, it was. He took me back to his place that evening, and guess who showed up?”

“Who?”

“His ex-wife.”

“Chelsea? You’re kidding. Dallas paid her a mint to get rid of her.”

“So I’ve heard. Anyway, after he got rid of her, we had our dinner and then… Well, I don’t need to spell it out for you.”

“How was it?” Dusty giggled, her eyebrows arched.

“Amazing. The best. We couldn’t get enough of each other.”

“So what happened?”

“That’s what I can’t figure out. Everything was great. We made plans to see each other the next night. Then all of a sudden, he backs out.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It didn’t to me either.”

“Maybe he’s a little skittish because of the divorce.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Everything seemed fine until I asked him for my pocketbook.”

“What for?”

“To take my birth control pill.” Annie widened her eyes, recalling the conversation. “That was it. The pills.”

“What about them?”

“He asked about my marriage, whether we wanted kids. I said my ex did, and so did I, but not with him, so I had stayed on the pill.”

“Without his knowledge?”

“Yeah. But I had good reason.”

“I’m sure you did. But I think I may see the problem.”

“What?”

“I think I need to tell you a little about Dallas’s marriage.”

“It’s not really any of my business.”

“I’m thinking it is. This is all starting to make sense, as you’ll see in a minute.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

“Dallas and Chelsea were together for about ten years.”

“Really? That long?”

“Yeah. Dallas was never happy, but didn’t want to admit failure and end the marriage. At least that’s my take on it.”

“He tried to be gentlemanly.”

“Exactly. You do know him, don’t you?”

“Yeah. It’s annoying, to tell you the truth.”

“A little.” Dusty laughed. “Anyway, the straw that broke the camel’s back came when he found out Chelsea had been deceiving him.”

“How?”

“Well, Dallas wanted kids, and Chelsea said she did, too. According to Zach, they didn’t have much of a sex life, so I guess Dallas just thought they hadn’t hit the right time yet. Until he found Chelsea’s stash.”

“Stash of what?”

“Birth control pills. She had been taking them throughout their entire marriage. Turns out she really didn’t want kids. Was afraid pregnancy would taint her perfect body, or something like that.”

“Oh, God…”

“So you see, when you told Dallas you were on the pill without your husband’s knowledge, that probably brought back the whole ugly mess with Chelsea.”

“But, Dusty, I had good reason for not wanting to get pregnant. It had nothing to do with some sainted image of my body.”

“Did you tell Dallas that?”

“He didn’t ask.”

“Do you want to tell me?”

Annie cleared her throat. “I’m not sure.”

“You don’t have to. But I’m here if you change your mind.”

“Thanks. And I do want kids someday.”

“They’re the best,” Dusty said. “I can’t imagine my life without Sean. And I may not get the chance to have another.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a long story.”

“You can tell me if you want.”

“I don’t mind talking about it. I had leukemia when I was eighteen. The chemo affected my fertility. I only menstruate once a year or so, which means I don’t ovulate very often. We got lucky with Sean.”

“Wow. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I have Sean. I have Zach. I’m as happy as I could ever imagine being.” She beamed. “And we do our best to hit that once a year jackpot.”

“Can’t say I blame you. Your husband’s a stud.” Annie turned serious. “And your illness?”

“It’s been nearly seven years now. I’m considered cured.”

“Thank God.”

“I do. Every morning and every night.”

“I can’t imagine going through something like that.”

“Do you think it’s worse than what you went through in your first marriage?”

Annie warmed. Redness seared her chest. “How did you know?”

“We’re kindred spirits, Annie. Animal lovers always are. I’ve seen you with your patients. I know how much you care. I know what a good mother you’d be. If you kept yourself from becoming one, you had a good reason.”

“I did.”

“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. But I think you should tell Dallas.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t. He… He won’t want me anymore. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”

“Of course he’ll want you. Why wouldn’t he?”

“Because…when I think about it… When I think about what I let happen to me… I… Well, I don’t really want myself.”

“Oh, Annie.”

“He went to prison for what he did to me. And now—” Annie gulped back a sob. “Now he’s out. That’s why my mother flew out unannounced yesterday. She didn’t want to tell me over the phone. He’s been released on parole.”

“Annie, honey, come here.” Dusty opened her arms.

“I’m all right. Really.” Unshed tears stung her eyelids. She wasn’t used to kindness. She loved her family, but they weren’t touchers. People in Jersey didn’t share their feelings. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

But she found herself in the arms of her first real friend in a long time, crying her heart out.

L
ogan Riggs needed money
. He could make a bundle in the casinos, but he needed some starting cash. The few friends he had were all tapped out. At least that’s what they said. His other contacts… ell, he’d lost them when he’d fingered them to the cops to help move his parole date along.

Nark. Canary. Squealer. That’s what he was. But a free nark. He could live with that.

Now he had to find the only source of green he knew of. His sweet little ex-wife. She had received an inheritance from some old biddy aunt in Italy before he was arrested. Now it was time to collect.

Of course, there was a little problem. He had no idea where she was, and no one was talking. She and her family had a restraining order against him. He’d stay away from her family. They wouldn’t tell him anything anyway. They’d die first, all of them.

She, however, was another story. He could control the little bitch. He just had to find her.

He fired up the Internet to have a look, but was temporarily interrupted by his cell phone.

“Riggs,” he said roughly.

“Logan Riggs?”

“Yeah. I don’t recognize your number. Who is this?”

“I’m a friend. I have some information for you.”

“I don’t have time for games. I’m on parole, and I need to find someone.”

“I’m aware of your situation, Mr. Riggs. I think we can help each other.”

“How’s that,
friend
?”