Josh's Challenge Read online

  “Oh, thank you,” she said when he handed her the box. With gentle precision, she secured the mangy creature inside the container and then gracefully stood up, looking up at him expectantly.

  “Where are we taking him?” he asked as he helped her out of the ditch and to his waiting pickup.

  “Uh,” she began, looking unsure, “I already called Doc Brown. I start work at the clinic tomorrow morning, but until then I’d like to take it home, if it’s all right with you? I’ll pay an extra pet deposit…”

  “Don’t give it another thought,” he reassured her. “This little guy needs our help. Besides, I trust you.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a relieved smile. “I have a feeling the poor thing has been out here alone for quite some time. I don’t know how it’s managed to survive with that hind leg twisted so badly.” She murmured the last part to herself.

  Josh nodded while assisting her into the passenger seat and then placing the box on her lap. She seemed uncharacteristically confident. She’d always been shy, but it seemed that animals were the key to her heart. He made a mental note of that as he closed her door and headed for the driver’s side of his pickup.

  “Excited about working with Doc?” he asked once they were on their way back home.

  “Yeah. Doc’s the reason I wanted to be a veterinarian,” she said a bit wistfully.

  “Wanted? I thought you came back to work with him.”

  She hesitated a moment, making him wonder again about the box of chocolates, before she smiled, “Yes, that’s what I meant. Of course, that’s why I’m here.”

  Hmmm. She had a secret that she didn’t want to tell. Josh could spot a fibber a mile away, and now his curiosity was piqued. “Are you sure? Because there for a second it sounded like you weren’t,” he teased.

  When she glanced his way, he saw her guard come up, and the awkwardness returned in a flash. He felt it like a slap. She was shutting him out again.

  “Melissa,” he began, but she ended the conversation before he could finish.

  “Thank you for the help.”

  She quickly opened the door and jumped out, barely waiting for him to shift into park. Without a backward glance, she darted for her townhouse, keeping a tight hold on the box. She was inside before he could say goodbye.

  Damn it. He’d felt the beginnings of a connection when she was helping the animal, but as soon as he turned on the charm she bolted.

  He hoped to figure her out soon because now that she was back—all grown up and living two doors down—he wanted to get to know her a whole lot better.

  He knew women better than either of his brothers. Grim determination took hold as he plotted his strategy. If he couldn’t get past her skittish ways, no one else could.

  He’d get her to go out with him by the end of the week or his name wasn’t Josh King.

  Missy’s mind had run on a continuous loop all night, leaving her without a good night’s rest. Dreams of orange Oompa Loompas with deformed legs injecting poison into candy intermingled with the vision of Josh in his running gear flitted from frame to frame. His skintight sleeveless tank showed off washboard abs. She’d counted eight through the white moisture-wicking material. She sighed heavily as she stared into her closet while trying to decide which color scrubs to put on for her first day of work.

  A rustling caught her attention. Two amber eyes were blinking at Missy from under the covers. The orange kitten had finally settled in after singing the song of its people until three in the morning. Missy had given in to her guest’s needs by letting it sleep with her on the bed. Now, a loud purr ground through the bedroom, sounding like a Harley engine trying to turn over in the dead of winter.

  “You’re quite the personality, aren’t you, Ginger?”

  The kitten answered by licking its front paw in preparation for a leisurely grooming, even though Missy had given her a bath the night before.

  Just as Missy pulled her shirt over her head, the doorbell rang. Wondering whom it could be so early in the morning, she jogged down the stairs to the front door. A glance through the peephole revealed Josh standing expectantly on her front porch, lady-killer smile in place. Though it thrilled her to see him, she was already running late for her first day of work because of the kitten’s shenanigans the evening before.

  Taking a deep breath to still her shaking hands, she opened her front door, leaving the outer glass door locked in place. “Good morning, Josh.” In her head she sounded sure of herself, but in reality it came out a whisper.

  Stupid nerves.

  “Hey, Melissa. Just wanted to see how you and the kitten are doing. Everything okay? You didn’t jog this morning.”

  How could a man be so handsome? she thought to herself. And kind? She had little experience with men, other than Harold, and he was neither thoughtful nor kind. Just annoying.

  “Everything is great.” There, that sounded more confident.

  “You’re the first renter that I’ve had, and, well, with everything that happened yesterday, I thought I should check in with you.” He wore a concerned expression that reminded her of Marguerite.

  The thumping in her chest preceded the flush crawling up her neck. Mustering up as much confidence as she could, she primly replied, “Thank you for helping out with everything yesterday.” She swallowed thickly before saying, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to run. I’m late for my first day at the clinic.” She mentally patted herself on the back. Most of the words coming out of her mouth actually had some voice to them instead of a mere whisper.

  A crinkle hung over those gorgeous blue eyes. “Oh, sorry! I’d better let you get going then. But don’t forget to call me if you need me for anything.” He gave a weak smile and sauntered back to his townhouse.

  Missy let her eyes linger on his behind, which was ensconced in a pair of well-worn jeans, before she closed the door, turned the deadbolt, and let out the breath she’d been holding. Josh King was a player. Her experience with Harold had left her on guard against certain types of men. Time would tell if Josh proved to be someone she should avoid.

  She returned upstairs to finish getting ready, trying to still her nerves, which were frayed over her first day. Doc had hired her on the spot after graduation. Lucky to have an in with the local vet in her hometown, she found that working with animals, even large beasts with terrible attitudes, were a lot safer than some humans. It wasn’t the animals that had her on edge but the people she’d need to interact with in order to help the animals that would need her care.

  It was times like these that she really envied her vivacious big sister. Marguerite could handle herself in any social situation with grace and confidence, whereas Missy would rather stick her head in the sand.

  Pushing aside her personal issues, she finished braiding her hair and wrapped the end in a cloth-covered hair tie, the ends barely touching the waistband of her jeans. She didn’t wear makeup — that was more her sister’s style — but today she wanted to show an effort in her appearance. She quickly drew a thin, dark line on her upper lid at her eyelash border and then brushed a few strokes of mascara over her lashes. It wasn’t much, but it made her strange violet eyes seem more normal.

  Satisfied with the purple scrubs she’d picked out for the day and double-checking that nothing was out of place, she picked up the box containing the kitten, grabbed her keys, and headed for the garage. She’d chosen this rental complex because each unit came with a single-car garage, which was rare in a small town. The rent was low, but, in truth, it was her uncle who had negotiated a great deal on the unit. He was the head of security for King Construction and James King’s personal bodyguard. When she’d announced that she was coming back to Timbisha, Uncle Dane had worked out a deal with Josh, and all she’d had to do was sign the contract.

  It was a beautiful June day as she drove through town to the small veterinary clinic where she would make her career. The trees were green, and the spring bulbs had now made way for roses, petunias, and marigolds t
o decorate window boxes in the town square. The sky was a clear blue and the sun would be hot, close to ninety degrees by midday. She rolled her window down, letting a smile play on her lips as the warm, fresh air blew her braid back and forth. The kitten was sitting in the box on the passenger seat, enjoying the sunshine as well, with sleepy eyes and a contented look on its brow.

  Dr. Abner Brown ran the Timbisha Veterinary Clinic located in a small building on the other side of the fairgrounds. It was a square, plain building that offered small-animal care in the hospital and on-call services to the local ranchers and farmers in the area who kept cattle, horses, and other livestock. Abner Brown, better known as Doc (because the familiarized version of his name was Abby, and he’d just as soon shoot you as be called by a woman’s name), was nearing retirement age and looking for someone from the area to take his place when the time came.

  For now, Missy would be working in the office helping with…well, everything. If she was apprenticing to eventually take over the hospital, Doc had reckoned that she should know all of the ins and outs of the business, and she had agreed with him. Today she would be working with the office staff, establishing a rapport with his clients, hence her nervousness.

  People just weren’t her thing.

  She parked in the back parking lot, as instructed prior to coming to work, and entered through the back door, which put her in the middle of the kennels. There was barking from one of the cages and some rustling from another, but, other than that, it was mostly quiet. Her current patient, whom she now cuddled in her arms, looked around warily but otherwise made no complaints.

  She peeked in on the barking dog, which turned out to be a young pup of neutering age. His tongue lolled to one side, and he whined his greeting when she showed him her face. He thumped his tail a few times before she headed toward the front of the hospital. It was early; the doors to the public wouldn’t open for another hour, but the staff had already gathered.

  “Ah, here she is,” Doc said as Missy made her way to the staff gathered in a semicircle behind the client counter. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce our new veterinarian, Melissa Theroux. As you know, she’ll be shadowing you this morning before we ease her into the exam rooms. And I see she’s already brought us some business.”

  There was a round of hellos from the group, but when Doc eyed the kitten with a raised eyebrow, Missy was reminded that she had the first patient of the day. She squared her shoulders and explained the situation as professionally as possible.

  Doc gave a cursory exam of the kitten before determining that it should be placed in the back. “Any empty kennel will do, and then I can give you a full tour of the facilities.”

  Missy hurried to find an open kennel. It was hard to leave the kitten in a cold, steel cage, and she was given baleful eyes and a defiant meow for her effort. Once the kitten had burrowed into the towel that had been in the carrier, Missy felt marginally better leaving her alone. When she returned to the front office, an older woman roughly the same age as Doc stood up to shake her hand. “Hi, I’m Doc’s wife, Gale. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Melissa.” Doc had been a widower and remarried while Missy had been away at college.

  Missy automatically took Gale’s hand, surprising herself. A relieved smile split her face as she spoke. “Nice to meet you, Gale.”

  She was introduced to everyone in the room, and by the time the office doors opened for the public, she felt a little more confident. She made a note to herself to get her sister a gift for all of her coaching the past few months. Being socially awkward in a small town was an inconvenience at best and a curse at worst, but Missy was determined to overcome her anxiety once and for all. Her career depended on it.

  JOSH TURNED DOWN the dirt road that led up to Jason’s property. Each of the King brothers had been given a section of their family estate to be used as a homestead when he was ready to settle down. The oldest brother, Jarod, had no plans to use his plot of land, preferring to stay in the estate house. He lived in the newly renovated penthouse suite with his wife, Lauren, and their five-year-old daughter, Jessica. Lauren was expecting a baby in the fall. Josh had made sure that there was plenty of room in the new suite for the growing family to live in comfortably. Construction was the family business; making renovations and additions to the estate were a dime a dozen.

  Jason, on the other hand, was the middle King brother and married to Josh’s longtime friend Julie. They were expecting their first baby in July, and Jason was eager to get the house finished before their little King was born. Much to the family’s chagrin, they’d opted to find out the sex of the baby but not reveal it to the family until the birth. Their mother, Camille, was having a fit over that decision, which only appealed to Josh’s impish sense of humor.

  He stopped at the fence, got out, and swung the heavy metal gate open before returning to the pickup to move through. He would have to talk to his father about replacing the gate with a cattle guard. He couldn’t see Julie, once the baby was born, having to fight with it while taking care of an infant.

  After he wrestled the gate closed and resumed his trek up the gentle slope to Jason’s home, some purple prairie flax caught his eye. The color immediately reminded him of Missy’s amazing eyes. They weren’t technically purple but more of a violet hue. He’d be damned, though, if there weren’t days when they were as purple as that summer prairie flax. Maybe her eyes changed with her moods? Or the color of her clothes? The seasons? He didn’t know about such things, but what he did know was that her eyes were strange and beautiful and just another mystery that made Melissa unique.

  He rolled to a stop at the log used as a parking block and shut off the engine. Jason yelled from somewhere in the house, and his voice carried into the cab of the now quiet truck. Apparently, he was already on site terrorizing the crew. Josh tapped on the front door’s frame before he stepped into the great room of the newly constructed house. Jason was mean-mugging the electrician, who was stubbornly sticking to his story. Josh could see the sparks begin to fly before he stepped between the two men.

  “Jason, we’ve got it covered. Matt, make sure your men have the plans for the outlets. If they don’t, I’ve got another copy with me.”

  “Fine, Josh. Tell your brother that we are on schedule and keep him out of my hair.”

  Jason moved forward. “Why I ought to . . .”

  But once again, Josh blocked his brother’s progress. “Back off, Jason. Come with me. Now.” He kept eye contact with Jason, knowing that backing down from him would be a mistake. When Jason finally met his stare with a stony one of his own, he relaxed his shoulders and said, “Yeah, fine. What do you have for me, Josh?”

  He drew Jason to the other side of the house and smiled. “Nothing. I just don’t want you to kill the only electrician around for a hundred miles.”

  “I’m not going to kill him, Josh. I’m trying to motivate him into finishing before my kids are born.”

  Josh laughed. “He’ll be finished before Julie gives birth to this one, Jason, let alone to your future kids. No need to exaggerate.”

  His crazy brother grunted before they heard a loud crash.

  “Oh, what now?” Jason groaned. Josh followed him outside where a delivery truck hauling windows was parked. Broken shards of glass glinted everywhere in the bright sunshine, and a man was bleeding from his forearm.

  “What happened?” Jason snapped as Josh pulled his cell phone from his pocket. The blood gushing from the man’s arm was no little thing, and he’d need to go to the emergency room. Josh wanted to make sure the hospital knew he was coming. Jason helped them get the injured worker into a vehicle, griping the whole time about incompetence and the lack of work ethics in America, before it sped away for the hospital. Josh was sure that the men were more afraid of Jason’s mood than the blood gushing all over the cab of the work truck.

  “I think I hired the Keystone Cops to build my house instead of professionals,” Jason muttered.

  “They aren’t that
bad, you’re just a prickly ass these days. How’s Julie doing?”

  “She’s tired. She can barely fit in that damn food truck that she insists on working in every day.”

  “And you’re letting her?” Josh had known Julie forever. She could be reasonable most of the time. Then again, she was pretty damn stubborn, just like Jason.

  “I have to. If I say anything, she bursts into tears. I’m kind of done with the baby hormones. They’ve taken over my Jujyfruit. I want my wife back.”

  Josh could only grin. Julie had been increasingly difficult lately due to the size of her belly and the swelling of her ankles, which he’d heard her complain about for the last two weeks.

  “Let’s go over these plans so you can get home to her. I need to meet up with Dad in thirty minutes anyway.”

  Josh explained his recent ideas to make things easier for Julie and the baby, including the installation of a cattle guard. The conversation took longer than either of them had hoped, but when they were finally done, Josh had to roll the windows up in his truck so that the dirt from Jason’s own speeding truck didn’t choke him to death on the way back to the main road.

  AT NOON, MARGUERITE breezed into the veterinary hospital looking overdressed in her red blazer and pencil skirt with matching stilettos. Thankfully, her poster girl smile was enough to wash away Missy’s embarrassment over what had occurred earlier in the office.

  After taking a new patient’s information for a sick cat, Missy had unintentionally mentioned to the pet’s owner that the cat may need to be put to sleep. The woman had proceeded to cry, which also put the animal in additional distress. Gale had quickly taken both the client and the cat into an examination room to wait for Doc, who later lectured Missy on the importance of keeping her medical opinions to herself before performing a thorough examination. He’d then sent her out to walk the puppy that had been neutered the night before. That should’ve bolstered her spirits, except she’d ended up fighting with the waste baggies, spilling them to the ground and accidentally stepping in the puppy’s deposit.