To Love Someone (Baytown Boys #14) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,14

know for sure if the azaleas were the culprit.”

Scott stood and offered his hand. “Dr. Collins, we appreciate what you’ve done more than you can know.”

“I can’t say it was my pleasure but it was my job. I’m glad I could be here for you.” She had met Scott a couple of times and wanted to remove the formality. “Oh, and by the way, call me Sam… everyone does.”

He nodded and turned toward Lizzie, his face filled with concern. Sam watched as he enveloped Lizzie in his embrace, and her heart squeezed with the exhibition of raw emotion between Scott and Lizzie. She turned away, placing her cup into the sink, a sense of loneliness threatening to overtake her. Clearing her throat, she offered a small smile before nodding goodbye.

Heading to her truck, her feet felt heavier as she forced her mind to the next part of her day. Planning to back up as close to the deceased animals as possible so that someone could help her move them into the bed of her truck, she climbed behind the steering wheel. The engine grinded and clunked over and over but didn’t start. Dropping her chin to her chest, she sighed. Damn, can this day get any worse?

She started to pull out her phone, but Colt waved her off, already on his. It was a simple gesture, but she was grateful for any help. Thirty minutes later, she was leaning against her truck with her eyes closed when the rumble of a diesel engine and the crunch of gravel had her look up to see a tow truck pulling into Lizzie’s drive. The door to the large truck opened, and a booted foot emerged. As the man climbed down, Sam’s gaze strayed from the foot up to a muscular, jean-clad thigh, up to a fabulous ass, and continued to wide, thick shoulders. By the time he turned around to face them, she kept staring, realizing that the front was every bit as glorious as the back.

He was a big man, and that was saying something considering that many of the men she knew were big. His dark hair was wavy and long, pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. What captured her attention was the blonde streak near the front. On any other man, that could look ridiculous, but on him? Pure hot.

His jeans were worn, his black T-shirt was tight across his chest, and his arms were a sleeve of tattoos. Not one to give in to flights of fancy, something about this man instantly sent vibrations straight through her body, waking up the reminder she’d had a long dry spell when it came to a roll in the hay for something more than trying to give an inoculation to a goat who’d headbutted her.

Scott tossed up his hand in greeting. “I see Jason has got you working in the garage today as well as the tattoo shop.”

“Yep.”

“We had a problem here this morning. I don’t know if Jason filled you in, but Dr. Collins, the veterinarian, needs to deal with two of Lizzie’s goats that were poisoned and killed.”

Her gaze was still pinned on the man’s face, noting his jaw tightened at Scott’s words. The large man simply nodded.

“I wasn’t sure if one of Jason’s mechanics could see if he could get Sam’s truck started now or if it was going to have to be towed. Since you’re here, I’m assuming all the mechanics are busy.”

The man simply nodded again, still holding Samantha’s attention as though he was a magnet and she was pure metal. She licked her dry lips and waited for him to look her way.

“Well, since it’s going to have to be towed into the shop, I’ll follow so that I can take Sam back to the vet’s practice to get another vehicle. We’ll still have to dispose of the goats.”

“Don’t worry about following,” the man said, his gaze shooting toward the pasture. “I can get the vet to the office and can also deal with the goats.” He walked straight past Samantha without looking down at her, instead turning around to Scott, and reached out his hand. “Keys?”

Surprised that he was asking Scott for her keys, Samantha stepped forward and pulled them out of her pocket, giving them a jingle as she held them out.

He jerked slightly as he looked down at her, seeming to notice her for the first time. His gaze raked up and down her before he asked,