Page 27 of Hot Summer's Prey

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Page 27 of Hot Summer's Prey

Her body couldn’t make up its mind. But between Ledger breathing down her neck for answers he deserved and her workload, she couldn’t afford to sit on her decision for very long.

Quickly, she stabilized the cow and administered an injection of antibiotics to combat any infection contracted from the bite wounds. In all her years as a vet operating out of Eden, she hadn’t encountered an attack of this magnitude.

With her box now lighter by a few supplies, she returned to her vehicle. Dean trailed behind her, discussing the cow’s care.

“I’ll check in on her tomorrow. If anything worsens in the meantime, call the office. My receptionist will find me.”

The lines carved in his forehead looked like fissures in the granite of a mountain. “I hope you don’t get any more calls like this. Ranchers struggle enough to scrape out a living without losing our cattle to wolves.”

Or to attacks from humans, like Meadow’s horse.

She had no choice but to make that call to the local forest ranger about the wolves. Demi had worked with Opal Vale before. Her father owned the Springvale Ranch. As his daughter, the woman came with a levelheaded calm and no-nonsense attitude Demi could appreciate. If either of them had free time, they might be friends.

She placed the call, and they agreed to meet at Dilly’s. The idea of the diner and its menu left Demi with mixed feelings, but she could sip on lemon water if nothing else.

She also didn’t relish the thought of what the staff at the local joint must think about a muscled military man walking into the place and demanding to know Demi’s favorite breakfast food. There would surely be questions that—again—she wasn’t prepared to answer.

She rubbed the spot on her arm where Ledger had touched her. The feel of his warm fingers wrapped around her skin raised a shiver of desire inside her.

When it came to the few men she did bring to her bed, she rarely had more than a few encounters. After only once with Ledger, her body remembered him. His touch, the way he sounded when he reached completion…

“Demi?” She realized she’d been standing in front of Dilly’s, staring off into space.

A heated flush stole over her, which didn’t help the warmth low in her core.

She swung toward Opal and slapped a bright smile on her face. “Hi. Thanks for meeting me. Should we go inside?”

Opal’s smile and nod of agreement made Demi reach for the door, and they walked inside.

The ranger was what people referred to as a dark horse. There was something earthy about her, while her dark eyes and hair gave her the appearance of a woodland Disney princess. In uniform, a lot of women would look formal and stiff, but Opal wore the khaki top and dark green pants with a feminine grace, making her look like a famous actress who visited the military camps during World War II.

The smell of food was just as she feared—her stomach both cramped in hunger while a bit of nausea lingered.

Water it is.

They were greeted warmly by the staff and selected a booth in the back where their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. As soon as they sat, a waitress bustled over to take their drink orders.

When they were finally alone, Demi got straight to the point. “We might have a problem.”

Opal’s shapely brows arched. “What’s going on?”

She took out her phone and located the photos she’d snapped of the wolf attack.

She made a noise in her throat. “That doesn’t look good, does it? Can I have a closer look?”

She passed the phone to Opal, who leaned over the device and expanded the image to get a better look.

“It’s wolves, isn’t it?” Demi asked.

“I’ve seen similar marks on deer and elk I’ve found on the mountain. I’d say wolves are responsible.” She looked up at Demi. “Whose ranch?”

“Dean Davidson.”

She groaned. “It’s too far from the mountain for wolves to come looking for food. It could mean that their food sources are running out up there.”

“What’s our move?” She took the phone from Opal and set it aside.

The waitress brought their drinks—water for her and coffee for Opal. When the scent of the brew hit Demi, her stomach turned. She felt the blood drain from her face.