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Crap. What if Diane didn’t believe her? Reba didn’t want to get a reputation here, too, of being a snitch or a liar. Both of which she had been called when she had tried to report Dr. Kilgore.
His wife’s reaction had been the worst. She had shown up at Reba’s apartment with her two kids in tow.
“Tell them,” Jolene Kilgore had screeched. She had reeked of booze and her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. The kids were less than ten years old. “You tell them that you’re a lying whore.”
She had tried to talk with Jolene, but there was no reasoning with her.
“You’re trying to destroy my marriage and my husband’s reputation. He’s a good man. He’s a great vet. You’re just jealous because you don’t own your own practice.”
In the end, Reba couldn’t tell the kids that their father was an angry old letch who liked to intimidate everyone around him. But she wouldn’t lie to them either.
“No one believes you,” Jolene said, her voice hitched on a sob. “I’ll make sure you’ll never work in this town again.”
Reba had closed the door in her face. But she had underestimated Jolene’s vitriol. Reba’s car was keyed. She was shunned and gossiped about around their neighborhood. But when a dead armadillo appeared on her doorstep, that was the last straw. Could it have been hit by a car and wandered up there to die? Maybe. But Reba didn’t allow herself to dwell on the fact that the wounds were too specific for that. She just buried the poor thing and then made sure her own animals were safe at her parents’ house.
But Reba didn’t really have a doorstep anymore, not one that she had for more than a day or so anyway. And her boss, Diane, hated anyone who abused animals. If worst came to worst, Reba could even go right to the top to Shelby Miller, the co-CEO of the rodeo, if she had to.
What if they don’t believe you? a voice whispered in her head, and, for a moment, Reba was transported back three years, when one of Kilgore’s clients had literally spat at her in the sidewalk. Buffy the Pomeranian had been confused at her owner’s behavior and had barked at Reba as if she was the enemy. It had seemed like all of Paris, Texas had been against her.
Fuck it. It wouldn’t help Vidar, but if it could save the other animals, Reba would do anything in her power to make sure no one else got hurt. Maybe she was getting a little riled up, too.
“Glad to hear it.” Shane walked over to her. “Thank you.” He held out his hand to shake.
It was rough from working with rope and cattle, but then again so was hers. She appreciated the warmth, and that he didn’t squeeze too tight or too long. A rogue thought tickled up as to how his calloused hands would feel all over her body and she nearly choked on air.
She took her hand back and resisted the urge to shake it out because it felt all tingly and warm.
“Are you doing anything for dinner tonight?” he asked.
Reba was wearing overalls that had seen better days. She probably smelled like a barn. Her messy brown hair was pulled back in a ratty ponytail, and she didn’t have a bit of makeup on. Why on earth was this handsome devil asking her out for dinner?
“I’ve got plans.” She sighed regretfully. For a moment, she thought about inviting him along for her family dinner. But she couldn’t do that to a guy she’d just met. They would give him the third degree, and he’d run for the hills.
Reba realized that she didn’t want that to happen. Shane didn’t seem like the typical bull-rider womanizer that his reputation spoke of. She wanted to get to know him better. And if he was as good as he seemed to be, she was going to work on being more social. The thought of it cheered her up some. It would be good to have some nice kissing memories, especially with a handsome cowboy. She stared at Shane’s sensual mouth and felt a little thrill of excitement at the thought of going out on a real date. “I have a family obligation—family night. I’d love a rain check though. Are you going to be around next week for San Antonio?”
“I’ll be there late Wednesday night. Do you want to try for dinner on Thursday?”
“You bet,” she said before she could let her nerves change her mind. Even if nothing came of this, it would be good for her to get out with someone other than family. Someone who loved animals the way she did.
“You used to work around here, right?” he asked. “Do you know a good steakhouse I could go to tonight?”
“I do, but aren’t you sick of steak?”
“You’re not going to recommend a sushi place or something like that, are you?” he asked with a slight wince.
“No, I was going to recommend this Brazilian barbecue restaurant. It’s a meat marathon. They keep bringing you all sorts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, you name it, by the platter until you tell them you can’t eat any more.”
“That sounds like my kind of place.”
She gave him the address of Churrascaria and felt a pang of regret that she wasn’t going to be there with him to eat way too much picanha.
Shane tipped his hat to her again and her toes curled at the admiring twinkle in his eyes. He could be a pleasant way to put Dr. Kilgore’s asshattery out of her mind once and for all.
Chapter Four
Shane
Shane found Churrascaria easily enough and walked right in. When he saw who was at the big table, he almost turned around and walked back out again. But Abigail had zeroed in on him. His ex-wife lifted up her wine glass in a challenging toast. It was that extra half a second that he wasted that allowed the other guys at the table to turn around and spot him.
