Sedona Surrender (Sedona Pack #4) - Lisa Kessler Page 0,3

to be expanding lately. Between the jaguar assassins up in Flagstaff, the Transparency Collective determined to expose our existence to the world, and the biochemists at Evolution Defense trying to power up super soldiers with werewolf DNA, Chandler’s sister would definitely be in danger if they found out she was related to one of our pack members.

“He’s probably right.” I mulled over the options. “Okay, so we tell her Wendy has gestational diabetes. I’m monitoring her closely, but the babies will be large and might be premature. A doctor would know they’re not months premature, but…” I lifted my gaze to her face. “Shit. Please tell me his sister isn’t a doctor.”

“Nah.” Piper laughed. “She’s not a doctor. I think he said she’s in sales and marketing.”

“Good.” I forced myself back to my feet to work on sterilizing the equipment. “That should get me a pass on the baby shower, right?”

“Wrong.” She came over to stand beside him. “We’ll see you Saturday at two o’clock at the pack ranch.”

“Fine.” I smirked.

She crossed to the lockers and took out her purse and keys. “’Night, Cole. Don’t forget to return that call to Serenity Farms.”

“I won’t.”

I waited for the door to close and then started scrubbing. Part of me still couldn’t believe I was going to a baby shower. Maybe I’d get an emergency ranch call and have to miss the afternoon get-together. Or…

I glanced over at the message from Serenity Farms on my desk.

If Madison needed help getting up to speed on the breeding program, I could schedule it for Saturday afternoon. It would give me an excuse to leave the shower early. Then I could just stop by and wouldn’t have to play games or whatever the hell you did at a baby shower.

Yeah, that could work. I wouldn’t be an asshole for not showing up, and I could help one of our long-time clients at the same time. It had nothing to do with seeing Madison again.

I dried my hands and headed for my desk.

CHAPTER 2

Madison

My cell rang, interrupting me as I was scrolling through Twitter. The number wasn’t in my contacts, but I recognized it anyway. I’d called the vet clinic earlier today, but it was almost eight o’clock. I hadn’t expected a call back this late.

“This is Madison,” I answered.

Cole cleared his throat on the other end of the line. “It’s Dr. Vega. I was returning your call.” His deep voice had a rough edge to it that made it instantly recognizable.

“Working late?”

He paused before responding. “Yeah. Long day. Am I interrupting? We can talk in the morning if that’s best.”

“No, this is good. I’m just having a glass of wine and thinking about heating up some leftovers.” I picked up my glass and swirled the pink Moscato.

Was I oversharing with a near stranger? Probably. Wine without food made me an open book. It didn’t matter. Even though he was good-looking and hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring, I’d decided long ago that dating was overrated. If love was in the cards for me, I’d stumble into it without trying. Otherwise, what was the point?

“Sounds like a great night.” He chuckled, the sound sending a ripple of heat through my bloodstream.

Had to be the wine.

I took another sip and rested the glass on the table. “I called earlier about the next shipment of bull semen. I have a notation down for your next ranch call, but we need to receive the shipment within twenty-four hours of your visit for it to still be viable, right?”

Okay, never in a million years would I have dreamed I’d be talking about bull semen with a sexy, rough-around-the-edges veterinarian. Life was full of surprises.

A chair squeaked in the background. “Jorge can check with Double S about the collection dates. It’s only viable for twenty-four hours once it’s thawed. If the dates don’t match up, just call the office in the morning and we can change the appointment.”

I jotted the information on a sticky note. “Perfect. Thanks, Cole.”

“You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat, his tone warming a bit. “It’s a big job managing a working cattle ranch.”

I laughed at the understatement of the day and picked up my wineglass again. “Where were you before I accepted this job?”

He lowered his voice. “I don’t remember anyone asking for my opinion.”

“I didn’t think to call a veterinarian for a rundown of how regimented and scientific artificially inseminating cattle would be.” I took another sip and smiled. “I’m pretty sure this is the most I’ve