Wrangling His Sexy Assistant: Beckett Brothers Book Two Read online

  “Now, I know you haven’t had any residents before, so you’ll forgive an old teacher for lecturing at you.”

  “Of course. Let me have it.” Truly, Hunter thought. He deserved whatever Dr. Marshall threw at him. He was the worst residency supervisor in history.

  “Kit wants to get her credits in both large and small animals.”

  Hunter nodded even though Dr. Marshall couldn’t see him. He still didn’t understand why large animals were so important, but maybe Dr. Marshall knew something Hunter didn’t.

  “She’s a real natural with surgeries, so I want you to make sure she gets practice with…” At that point, Dr. Marshall launched into a list of surgeries a mile long—dogs, cats, horses, cattle. He even wanted Hunter to make sure she got experience with a canine disk fenestration, although how he was supposed to ensure a dog with disk disease walked through the door in the next three months, he really didn’t know.

  “Yes, sir, I’ll make sure she gets experience with those surgeries,” he said because it was simply easier and better to be agreeable at this point. “It’ll be a great addition to her resume. I’ll have her send you some pictures of it.”

  “Well, I’ll be looking forward to seeing them,” Dr. Marshall said. “I’m just tickled pink to have two of my favorite students working together.”

  Hunter looked to the ceiling as if he might find the inspiration he needed there to continue this farce. “Thanks so much, Doc Marshall. I’ll make sure Kit checks in with you to give you updates.” He twisted in his chair, hoping to find some inspiration in the photo of his brothers that sat on the bookshelves. “Good to talk to you. Bye now."

  Hunter set the phone down on his desk and rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. He’d been avoiding taking on a resident since he’d started his practice because he knew it would just be more work. But this year when Kit had contacted him, he’d known he might have to give in. Every vet in the state was required to supervise one resident every five years. The board had gone to the mandatory system when they’d run out of willing supervisors, and now it was part of the licensure requirements.

  As if supervising a sexy resident wasn’t punishment enough, he apparently also had to be accountable to his old professor at Texas A & M. Hunter had done a damn good job of keeping her tucked away in the office the first two weeks while he did the farm and ranch calls. What had happened at the sheep farm was proof of why that had been a good idea on his part. He’d gone and kissed the woman like she was the air he needed to live. It was hardly responsible supervisor behavior, and definitely not something he’d intended to do.

  The last thing he needed was a mess with a woman, resident or otherwise. He’d barely gotten his older brother Bran squared away with a full and happy life, and now he knew he had to focus on his younger brother, Scout. If it weren’t for Hunter, his brothers would have stopped talking to one another completely years ago. The fact was, Hunter was the only thing holding what was left of his family together.

  So here he was, with one too-sexy-for-her-own-damn-good resident, one completely forbidden kiss, one family with too many problems, and one mentor with high expectations of a residency supervisor.

  It was a small miracle Hunter didn’t just throw in the towel and start drinking even though it was nine a.m. on a Monday.

  Instead, he headed to his brother Bran’s ranch to check up on his nephew’s new pony that had a mild hoof infection. Cam and that little Shetland ought to help distract him some. There wasn’t anything cuter for miles than a little boy and a grumpy twenty-year-old pony.

  Except possibly a curvy blonde resident.

  * * *

  An hour later, Hunter watched as Bran set Cam up on the pony and sent the two of them off around the corral. The pony’s hoof was fine, but he still walked slower than a half-frozen snail.

  "Ava’s disappointed you didn’t send Kit out," Bran said as the pony lumbered off with Cam bouncing lightly on its back in excitement. "She has a deadline for her book and was hoping for someone to distract her."

  Hunter laughed. "She was hoping for someone to gossip with, not that finding people to chat to has ever been a problem for her."

  Bran grinned. "That’s true, and the closer she is to a deadline, the chattier she gets."

  Hunter leaned his forearms on the top rail of the corral. "And if someone had told me a few years ago that you’d end up with such a Chatty Cathy, I’d have never believed them. All those years you kept everything out here so controlled and sterile. I’d have thought Ava and Cam and the constant chaos would do you in." Hunter tried to smother the smile that worked its way across his cheeks. He’d known Ava was the one for Bran from day one, but he’d never rub that fact in his brother’s face.

  Bran shook his head, thoughtful. "Nah. Once I realized how much they mean to me, I knew the changes were worth it. She gets me to try things I wouldn’t otherwise, and it’s only made my life better."

  "Well, you know I couldn’t be happier for you."

  The two men watched Cam and the pony for a moment, then Bran shifted, turning so he could face Hunter.

  "So, you ever going to tell me how the date went?"

  "It wasn’t a date," Hunter snapped a little too quickly.

  Bran just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

  "It wasn’t. We went to the Andersons’ and vaccinated sheep. Then we ate some lunch, then that demon horse Lillith went into labor, and we delivered her foal. I can’t think of a day less date-like than that."

  Bran smirked. "You like her."

  Hunter resisted the urge to punch his brother. Bastard was old, after all. It wasn’t a fair fight. "What are we, twelve?"

  Bran persisted. "You know, my wife might accuse me of being an unfeeling jackass, but I’ve known you since the day you were born. You like Kit, and I don’t mean as a vet resident."

  Hunter sighed. Brothers. Who needed them? "Look, I’ll admit she’s attractive—"

  "And then some," Bran interrupted.

  Hunter glared at him. "But she’s also my resident—and, I’ve now discovered, the favorite student of my mentor, Dr. Marshall. It’s unethical to date your student. I’d disappoint a man I have a great deal of respect for, plus I don’t have time.” He stabbed a finger at Bran for emphasis. “I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m just not."

  "But." Bran stared hard at him, and Hunter crumbled just like he always had as a kid.

  "But I might have gotten carried away and kissed her after that damn horse finally foaled."

  "I knew it," Bran crowed in triumph, slapping his palm on the top rail.

  "What did you know?" Cam called from across the corral where the pony had stopped to eat from the feeder.

  "That Uncle Hunter is scared of ponies," Bran called back.

  Cam burst into laughter, "He is not, Dad, he’s a pony doctor. They can’t be 'fraid of their animals!"

  Hunter shook his head. "No," he muttered, "they’re just scared of their residents."

  Bran clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, I don’t think you need to be. Surely if you approached this like two adults, you could give it a go? Dr. Marshall doesn’t need to know unless it actually goes somewhere. Take her on a few dates. See what happens. You’ll recall that Ava was working for me when we got involved."

  Hunter scoffed. "Ava hung out here some and lived in my old bedroom. I have the state board watching over me, and I actually care about what Dr. Marshall thinks."

  Bran’s sympathetic gaze only served to irritate Hunter more. "I’m not going to date her—"

  "No risk, no reward," Bran taunted.

  Hunter flipped him off before climbing over the fence so he could go get the pony away from the feeder. Little thing was so fat already, he wouldn’t be able to roll out of the barn if he kept eating.

  "You ought to do it," Bran called behind him.

  Hell to the no, Hunter thought. What he ought to do is stay as far away from Kit as possible until her residency was done. But Dr. Marshall�
��s expectations were going to make that impossible. Two months and two weeks, he reminded himself. Just two months and two weeks.

  5

  Kit walked into the lobby of Hunter’s small veterinary clinic with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.

  "Well, look at you," Hunter’s receptionist, Henrietta, exclaimed. "If that ain’t the prettiest haircut I’ve ever seen."

  Kit smiled and put a hand to her dark blonde hair. She hadn’t paid any attention to her hair during her four years of vet school, but for some reason today she’d decided to get it done—over her lunch hour, no less. She’d had them cut four inches off of it, add layers, and even do a few highlights. She had to admit, it felt good—she felt good.

  "Thank you, Henny," she said. "Is the doctor in?" she added, trying to ignore the little butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t start until nine a.m. on Mondays, and Hunter had been gone by the time she got in and set up the exam rooms for the day. She’d spent her morning doing new puppy exams, but she wasn’t sure if Hunter would be around to help for the afternoon or not.

  "He’s holed up in his office, and y’all got fifteen minutes until your next appointment."

  Kit nodded and set off for the back of the building where Hunter kept his private office. In the forty-eight hours since he’d kissed her, Kit had tried her darnedest not to think about it. And the harder she tried, the harder it was. Because that had been one spectacular kiss. Hunter Beckett might not date much, but he sure knew what he was doing.

  Afterward, it had been all Kit could do to keep from grabbing him and asking for a repeat. But she knew she’d look desperate, and also that Hunter would never have kissed her if she hadn’t thrown herself in his arms after the successful foaling. So she’d avoided looking at him and fled at the first opportunity, instead.

  But in spite of all that, in spite of the fact she knew there could never be a repeat, Kit had been walking on sunshine ever since. And maybe, she thought as she knocked lightly on Hunter’s office door, then twisted the knob, maybe they could be friends. That would be nice, she thought. She could always use a friendly colleague when she started attending the annual state vet conferences.

  Her happy vision of a future friendship with Hunter was cut short when she walked into his office and was met with nothing more than a glance and a grunt.

  "Hi," she said, her entire mood deflating with one word. "I, uh, came to see how you want the afternoon to work?" Dammit, she hated women who ended every sentence as if there were a question mark. She was stronger than that, smarter too.

  Hunter continued alternating his gaze between the computer screen and a notepad, pausing occasionally to cross items off on the paper.

  "You did all the puppies this morning?" he asked, still avoiding her gaze.

  "Yep." She was now moving past the deflated stage into the angry stage. He wasn’t seriously going to punish her for a kiss he initiated?

  "Well, we can both take office visits this afternoon, and you can assist with a hip replacement I’m doing on an elderly German shepherd."

  She blinked in surprise. Really? He was going to let her help with a surgery? But why was he so angry about it?

  Her hand moved to her hair. Her soft, bouncy, sunny hair. It was good hair. She was having a good day, and she was going to assist with a surgery. To hell with Hunter Beckett and whatever was up his butt.

  "I appreciate the opportunity to help with the hip replacement," she began, walking the rest of the way into the room and sitting in one of the chairs facing Hunter’s desk. She heard him make a small sound. If she’d had to name it, she’d have said it sounded like despair. "But I’m wondering if we need to talk about what happened Saturday."

  Hunter finally looked up, his gaze locking on hers as his brow furrowed. "We do not," he said bluntly.

  "Then why are you so…" she waved her hand up and down in front of her as if Hunter was a prize on The Price Is Right.

  He sighed, tossed his pen onto the desk, and leaned back in his big leather chair. He looked tired and frustrated, and dammit all, he was still sexy.

  "Okay," he conceded, "maybe we do need to talk about Saturday." He paused, looking out the window for a moment. Kit could hear the voices of people passing by on the street outside, and there was a faint odor of antiseptic, even back here, away from the exam rooms.

  "I shouldn’t—"

  "It wasn’t—"

  They both spoke at the same time, then they both laughed self-consciously.

  "Normally, I’d say ladies first," Hunter told her, "but I really need to get this out there."

  She nodded in agreement.

  "I should never have kissed you.” He sounded so earnest. “It was unprofessional and inappropriate. I’m very sorry, and I promise it won’t happen again."

  Kit tried to ignore the slight disappointment that wedged itself into her chest. Friends, she reminded herself. It would be great to be friends, and that’s all either of them had time for, anyway. She would be heading back to Houston to run her dad’s practice in a few months, and Hunter would be staying here in Gopher Springs. Friends was all this was ever going to be.

  "It’s okay," she answered. "We both got caught up in the excitement of the moment. Honestly, it was nothing."

  Hunter’s brow furrowed harder for a moment, then his expression cleared. "Well, that’s good to hear. I appreciate your understanding."

  "But I do hope…" She sat up a little straighter, smile in place. "I hope we can be friends? I mean, I know you’re my supervisor, but we haven’t really spent any time together until the other day, and I thought we made a good team—you know, work team, not the other."

  Hunter grinned then, and her heart nearly beat right out of her chest. "Well, I’d have to say we made a good team all the way around." He stopped, rolled his eyes to the ceiling, then shook his head. "Fuck. I didn’t just say that."

  Kit laughed then, long and hard, until Hunter was chuckling along with her.

  When they’d both released some of the tension, he leaned forward, elbows on the desk, hands clasped in front of his lovely mouth. "But you’re right, we worked well together, and I think we can continue doing that. I spoke to Pete Marshall at A & M this morning."

  "Oh, Dr. Marshall was my favorite professor!" she exclaimed. "How is he?"

  "He’s riding my ass about the kind of training I’m giving you, and thus far he’s not impressed," Hunter answered.

  Kit tried not to grin. Praise be to Dr. Marshall. Maybe she’d get some large-animal training out of this after all.

  "I agree that I haven’t been the best supervisor, so I’m going to work on that. Starting tomorrow, we’re switching up the schedule so we’ll do surgeries on Mondays, office appointments every morning, and ranches and farms every afternoon. And you’ll assist in the surgeries and ride along on the visits. I’ve asked one of the vet techs to add an extra half day to her schedule so she can pick up the vaccines and well-checks."

  Kit’s eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, nearly vibrating out of her skin. "Surgeries and large animals? Every week?"

  Hunter nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Really. Lots of hours. Lots of experience. By the time you’re done, you should have enough hours for large animal cert along with small animal, and you will have logged about twice as many surgeries as most residents."

  "Thank you," she gushed. "Thank you so much."

  Hunter looked resigned—not unhappy, just resigned. "Sure thing. Pete Marshall wouldn’t accept anything less for you nor anything less from me. I owe him a lot, and you’re a good vet, Kit. You deserve a good residency."

  She nodded, so happy she could hardly contain it in Hunter’s dreary office.

  He looked down at the desk and picked up the pen to check off one more item on his list. "So you want to take exam one and I’ll take two? Then we’ll do the German shepherd at three o’clock."

  Hunter rose from his chair, and Kit followed his lead. As he walked around the desk and reached for the d
oorknob, something clicked in her head. "Wait. Isn’t Eunice McTeggert scheduled for exam one?"

  Hunter grinned as he gestured for her to go ahead out the door. "Yes, ma’am. You appear to be a female, so Barty the bulldog won’t be afraid of you."

  Kit narrowed her gaze at him, and he laughed as he followed her down the long hall. "I said I’d train you, but you’re still the resident. You gotta’ pay your dues."

  6

  Hunter paused outside the door to the little office he’d given Kit when she first started her residency. It was after seven p.m., and he thought she’d gone home at least an hour ago, but through the door, he could hear her voice, the pitch changing periodically, but the tension audible even through the layers of wood.

  "Yeah, Dad, I know, but this is the only chance I’ll have to…" Her voice faded again, and Hunter shamelessly leaned his head against the door.

  "I don’t know, I just find them fascinating. Their care is unique, and they have more day-to-day needs than small animals…Yes, of course I realize that…but I don’t want to cut my residency short. I know the cruise will be good for Mom, but she’s waited thirty some years. Surely she can wait a few more weeks? There’s another one the month after."

  Hunter frowned, tamping down the urge to open the door and take the phone from her hand. Kit’s father obviously needed a talking-to.

  Kit had handled the German shepherd’s operation nicely, asking good questions and helping with pre-op and post-op care without a complaint. She was going to be a great vet, of that Hunter had no doubt. No, the only thing he doubted was his own ability to stay professional around her. He’d had a taste of paradise, and now he wanted more. So much more.

  "Hi, Mom," Kit said on the other side of that very important door. "How are you today?"

  Hunter made a mental note to read up on multiple sclerosis. He wondered what kinds of symptoms Kit’s mother had. Was she in pain? Often in the hospital? What things worked for her? Exercise? Diet? Only medication?