Page 39 of Talk About… Trouble

Tires on the gravel road sounded before he could answer and he chuckled again, the sound rich and warm. He had a slight rasp to his voice that sent shivers down my spine from time to time.

Pining for my boss was a new low for me.

He gestured for me to follow and I tucked my pen in the chart before following him out. I needed a moment to mentally prepare for the battle ahead anyway.

This would be the fight of the century. I honestly wished someone was here to record, it’d be hilarious to watch back later as long as no one got hurt.

“God, is something in the water in this town?” I muttered under my breath as the beta closed his door and headed our way. He was wearing scrubs, too, a black pullover on top with his clinic’s name embroidered on the front.

His smile was warm and wide, cute round glasses resting on his face and his hair was short, just long enough he had it brushed to the side in an artful swoop. It was a dark brown streaked with chestnut, giving it a cool two-tone effect.

He was strong and sexy, a little nerdy, and had a great smile.

I was a mess. Was I simply desperate now, or were the guys around here just sexy as hell in general? It felt safer to assume that I wasn’t the mess.

My therapist said be kind to myself, right?

“You must be the alpaca whisperer I’ve heard about,” he called out, offering a wink. “I’m Brax, is this grumpy guy being good to you?”

“He’s probably the best boss I’ve ever had,” I admitted truthfully, taking them both by surprise. I rolled my eyes. “Oh don’t act shocked. What other boss makes sure you’re hydrated and reminds you to take breaks?”

Braxton shook his head, a soft crinkling between his eyes as he looked at me like something was off. Now that he was close I could scent him. Just like the others it was amazing, just not ‘drop me to my knees’ incredible. Fluffy, warm pancakes, maple syrup, and the rich bits of chocolate. Like chocolate chip pancakes.

They smelled like a delicious bakery together, warm, buttery, sweet, and delicious.

You hear that, omega? You’re missing out on some incredible scents, I tried to taunt her internally but like usual there wasn’t even a stir of recognition.

Biting back a disappointed sigh, I plastered a smile on my face and gestured to the pasture.

“What are we doing?”

“She has frequent respiratory issues,” Braxton explained, giving me a quick rundown of her past ailments before popping two syringes from his pocket. “I have her steroid shot here and a dose of vitamins I think might help. She doesn’t like shots and I’d really rather not sedate her for something so simple.”

“How does it usually go?” I asked, unable to stop myself. They both shared a look and groaned.

“She headbutted me, spit on me, and kicked the shot out of his hand,” Shepherd admitted, then frowned, shaking his head. “Actually, on second thought. I don’t want you hurt.”

“Oh, stop. I’m trained for this, remember? Don’t worry about me. Plus, if you let me distract her, maybe he can do it before she notices. I’ve been in her face all week. Be stealthy and we might be okay,” I suggested. “Have faith in me, boss. You hired me for a reason.”

“I brought out some new greens for her,” Shepherd said reluctantly. He looked like he’d rather not risk it still but didn’t fight me, which I appreciated. I’d been written off too much in my life and his trust meant a lot.

“Okay then. Plan of action: I distract. Boss, you can pretend to be spreading some hay or something you normally do, while Brax hides out of view. When her back is to you, try her back end. I’ll try to get her near the fence so you can reach through.”

He raised his eyebrows but didn’t argue. “If this works, I owe you one hell of an appreciation gift.”

I beamed, already knowing damn well it would work. Or at least, I was trying for optimism regardless.

Not letting them take time to back out of it, I snagged the bag of greens where it was leaning against the supply shed and ducked between the slats in the fence to join the animals. More than just Astrid took notice and I didn’t turn the goats away, giving everyone a little nibble before focusing on Astrid.

“There’s my girl,” I cooed. “Did you know that our big, old softy Shepherd got you a new treat? I think he puts on a big front because you give him trouble, but I know your secret, don’t I? You’re a perfect, sweet baby, aren’t you?”

With one hand I stroked her face and gave her scratches while the other held her bundle of greens, not letting go so she could only yank off a bite at a time.

“Now,” I said, not looking away and trusting that Brax understood. She had half to go and if he didn’t time it right, she’d run out and be more likely to notice. “A few more bites, right?”

She munched happily as I gave her even more scratches, never breaking eye contact with her. My face was set in a bright, warm smile as I kept up our one-sided conversation.

I knew when the first shot hit because she shuffled unhappily but I distracted her with a fresh bite and more scratches.

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