Page 37 of Red Hot Rancher

“She’s obsessed with you. Be careful.” Caleb tapped on the truck door and turned to his own.

Brigit was scrolling through her phone.

He opened the door. “Should we go through here first?”

“Sure.” Brigit hopped back out. “I have a specific brand in mind.”

No one gave them more than a second glance as they wandered through the store. He was in here enough and Brigit had been coming since she was a kid.

“While I’m in town, I should look at a new kind of colostrum replacer.” She pulled out her phone. “Justin said he just bought what they had on hand, but he’s had to use it more than he thought for multiples. He asked me to look into the best brand.”

“It’s probably the same department. I doubt they have much for sheep around here.” They both angled toward the back of the store where the displays for minerals and supplements were.

A man in a red frock turned the corner. Teddy. Caleb put a lot of his orders through the guy. “Can I help you with— Oh, Caleb. What can I do for you?”

“I’m thinking of changing up my mineral based on what she recommends.”

Teddy glanced at Brigit and right back to him. “Is there something wrong with what you’re using?”

Brigit rattled off the brand she’d mentioned earlier. “I think it’s better suited for this area.”

Teddy only spared her another brief look before turning back to Caleb. “The mineral you order through us is just fine. They’re all the same, really. Fourteen minerals.”

“They’re not all the same,” Brigit said tightly. “Do you carry it or not?”

Teddy eyed the bags piled on the pallets, each with their own labels claiming they were the best in the market. “We’ve never seen the need to. The ranchers in this area haven’t mentioned the name.” Extra stress on ranchers in the area. “But we have some fliers if you decide you need a change.” Teddy turned and plucked fliers from the front of each brand.

Caleb snuck a peek at Brigit. Her pinched features held back a maelstrom of emotion. Her ice mask had slid into place.

Teddy handed the papers to Caleb.

Brigit’s lips thinned. “Where’s your sheep colostrum?”

Teddy blinked. “Oh, uh, it’s around the corner. But Caleb raises cattle.”

Caleb chortled. “She’s well aware I raise cattle, Teddy.”

Brigit lifted a cool brow and stared Teddy down. “Sheep colostrum.”

“Oh yes. Yes, sorry.” Teddy rounded the endcap of the aisle. “Again, we don’t have much variety, but any of these will work for the occasional 4H project.”

“It’s not a 4H project,” she said tightly. “My brother’s a sheep rancher.”

“Oh, Justin Walker?” Teddy craned his neck around. “Is he here?”

“No.” She didn’t elaborate but stepped in front of Teddy to study the labels on the colostrum.

“O-Okay. Let Justin know he can talk to me anytime.”

Caleb didn’t have to see Brigit’s face to know she was rolling her eyes so hard her irises disappeared. But again, no drama.

Teddy left them, and Caleb leaned over to whisper, “How pissed are you?”

“I’ll have to have you or Justin talk to Teddy to find out for me.” She pivoted. “They could use some education on the products available out there.”

“Or you could give them a talking-to. Make them listen.”

She didn’t react. Did she think he wasn’t serious? “Let’s go to the vet clinic. Bunny’s clinic offers some of the specialty brands this store refuses to carry. If she has what I’m looking for, you’ll have to special order it through them, but you don’t pay shipping.”

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