Page 8 of Long Hard Fall

His broad shoulders tightened in his long sleeve shirt. “Yeah, we’re fine. Work keeps us busy, and I’ll take slinging cows around over humping seventy pounds of equipment through the desert any day.”

“Perry said he hated all the sand and heat, wished he’d never gone into the infantry.”

Cash grunted. “That makes two of us.”

“What happened?” Oops. She’d blurted it anyway.

He sighed and faced her. “Didn’t they tell you?”

“They told me you guys were clearing a building and he set off an IED.”

“Then you know what happened.”

“Do I?”

“I don’t know what you’re looking for, Abbi. I’m sorry. I relive it—”

A honk from outside cut him off.

“That’s the vet. I gotta go out and meet her.” He charged out the door. Abbi jumped up to chase after him. She was finally digging into what she was here for, and he was running away.

A cute woman who looked way too short to drive the size of pickup she did hopped down and greeted Cash with a big smile. He walked toward her with his arms wide, and the woman laughed and jumped into them.

Abbi refused to be jealous, especially after she’d run from a naked Cash hours ago. But she increased her pace out of curiosity.

The woman pounded Cash heartily on the back before releasing him. She was older than Abbi had previously thought. Somewhere in her thirties, but her curves couldn’t be denied. When her gaze landed on Abbi, she cut off mid-sentence.

Cash glanced at Abbi, exasperation in his eyes. “Doc, this is Abbi, the sister of an old army buddy. Abbi, this is Dr. Bonita Wilson.”

The vet’s expression grew serious and speculative. She stuck her hand out. “Nice to meet you. Just call me Bunny. I’ll even forgive you a giggle about the irony of a vet named Bunny.”

Abbi couldn’t help her smile as she shook hands.

Bunny switched her attention to Cash. “You said it was Patsy Cline. Afraid she has colic again?”

“I tried to ride her, but she wasn’t acting right. I hadn’t noticed when I was feeding her, but I should’ve.” He gave Abbi a sidelong look. “I was distracted.”

Bunny grinned and wiggled her brows as she turned to head to the barn.

Abbi kept up with them and crossed her fingers that her vomit mess had been cleaned away. She suppressed a sigh of relief. Cash had been true to his word.

“Oh my, poor girl.” Bunny crooned and comforted the horse as she inspected her.

Abbi jumped when Cash’s hot breath wafted over her earlobe. “You don’t have to wait here. This might take a while.”

The man could move with stealth. “I don’t mind. Or am I interrupting something?” Had that come out catty?

“You aren’t interrupting a thing,” Bunny piped up from in the stall. “He can tell you about all the times I almost swatted his bottom at the pranks he pulled.”

Cash chuckled and the low sound gave Abbi shivers. Oh yeah, there was another memory of last night.

“It was Mom’s fault for putting you in charge of me and Sissy when you were only six years older.”

“I didn’t even get paid. Your mom thought since I was family I should work for free. Those rules no longer apply, by the way.” Bunny went back to work.

“Doc is my second cousin. Our grams are sisters.” Cash opened the stall to enter. “Hey, uh, I can call you later if you want to go back into town. This might take a while, and I doubt your stomach will tolerate it.”

“I can wait.”

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