CHAPTER TWO

      THE following week Brady got some good news. At his doctor’s visit the day before, he learned his fracture was healing well. Well enough that the bulkier cast had been replaced with a walking cast, so he could finally put weight on his leg. That meant he could get rid of the crutches and use a cane. And start more-intense therapy.

      Finally it was time to get back in shape so he could get back into the cockpit.

      Brady had also succumbed to Luke’s badgering and gone along as he toured the construction site. He cursed as the golf cart bounced over the uneven ground. He grabbed the frame as he nearly flew out of his seat. “Hey, do you think you could have missed a few potholes back there?”

      Luke grinned as he continued to maneuver the vehicle along the ridge. “Just wanted to make sure you haven’t fallen asleep.”

      “Not the way you drive.” Brady zipped up his flight jacket to help ward off the morning chill. “Besides, I don’t need any more injuries added to my list.”

      His brother gave him a sideways glance. “I might have to call on the pretty veterinarian to come by. Seems she’s the only one who can handle you.”

      Brady tensed. Not one of his proudest moments. “I didn’t need to be handled by anyone. I was fine then and I’m fine now.” He hadn’t seen the hot redhead since that day. Probably a good thing. If he let her, Lindsey Stafford could be a powerful distraction.

      Luke stopped the cart, then he sat back with a sigh. “Now, is this a view or what?” He motioned with his hand. “What do you think?”

      Brady looked through the grove of ancient oak trees that shaded part of the valley below. A creek flowed around the sturdy trunks and through high, golden meadow grass.

      In the peaceful silence, Brady felt a calm come over him. “Not a bad view.” His gaze went to the other side of the rise where a small cabin nestled on the hillside. Farther on was another log structure, and another nearly hidden from view. “Who lives up there?”

      “That’s the Mustang Valley Nature Retreat. It’s part of our holdings, too. There are about a dozen cabins that are rented out through the summer months. Some of the construction staff is living there now. And also your Dr. Stafford.”

      Brady refused to take the bait. “Why? Can’t she afford to rent her own place?”

      “Since she’s here temporarily, Hank offered her one of the cabins for her stay.”

      “How temporary?”

      “Just until Doc Hillman is able to handle his practice again.” Luke stole a glance at his brother. “Tess would love for Lindsey to stay on permanently. Maybe it’s because she’s a woman, but she likes how Lindsey seems to take extra time with Whiskey.”

      “I take it the stallion’s leg is healed, since I saw Tess working him yesterday. Is he okay to compete?”

      Luke nodded. “We’re headed to Fort Worth this next weekend. Tess is entering Whiskey in the nonpro NCHA Futurity. But don’t worry, Bernice will be here if you need anything.”

      Brady hated everyone hovering over him. “I’ve managed to take care of myself most of my life, and I can handle it now.”

      Luke glanced down at Brady’s new cast. “Seems you can get around better, too. How is the leg? Giving you any trouble since you’ve been walking on it?”

      Sometimes it hurt like hell. “No. Between Dr. Pahl and the therapist conferring, I haven’t been allowed to do much. But I get to start real therapy next week.” His therapist, Brenna, was Dylan’s wife, another cousin. She hadn’t been easy on him so far, but he liked that about her. She’d warned him about starting out slow. He wasn’t good at slow. He needed to get back into shape again, and fast. Granted, the wide-open beauty of Mustang Valley was peaceful, but he needed the vast sky through the cockpit of his F-16 to feed his soul.

      “Is everyone around here related to us?” Brady asked.

      Luke leaned back. “Just about. It takes getting used to, having all this family.”

      If he and Brady had anything in common, it was that they were both only children. “Being in the military, we moved around a lot. I didn’t have a chance to make friends, so most of the time it was just the three of us.”

      “You had plenty of family—Uncle Jack’s family—our dad just chose not to come back here.”

      Brady knew that he and Luke would never agree about Sam Randell. He’d abandoned his oldest son, but in truth, he wasn’t around much to be a father to his second boy, either.

      “So Dad chose a military career over ranching. I bet that didn’t make a lot of people happy,” Brady said.

      “And he chose your mother over mine.”

      And me over you, Brady thought as his anger started to build. In truth, Sam had chosen his career over everyone. “Look, Luke, I thought you and I were okay with this. Whatever happened between our parents didn’t have anything to do with us.”

      Luke stared out into the valley. “I’m okay with you, and our partnership. It’s still hard sometimes.” He let go of a long breath. “But like Tess said, I’m back home now.” He turned to Brady. “And I finally got to meet my brother.”

      Brady wasn’t about to get all mushy over the reunion. “And about a million cousins. Man, is there something about this valley that causes all these kids?”

      Luke arched an eyebrow. “You got something against kids?”

      “I don’t mind one or two, but a squadron is a bit much.”

      Luke laughed. “I thought the same thing when I first came here. But they’re all great kids, and our cousins are good parents. I believe it’s because of their foster parent, Hank Barrett, who was a big influence on them. A lot more so than Jack Randell.”

      Brady smiled. “Oh, yeah, our uncle, the famous cattle rustler.”

      They both remained silent, reflecting on the past, when they spotted two riders. Brady recognized Tess on Lady and beside her another woman. A redhead with a familiar black hat.

      “Looks like we have company.” Luke leaned forward. “My Tess and your favorite doctor.”

      Brady groaned, but he found his pulse racing as he watched the two approach. Luke got out of the cart and went to his wife as she jumped down from her horse. Tess smiled at her husband, but when Brady turned his attention to Lindsey, she didn’t show him any kind of special feminine greeting.

      Good. He wasn’t going to be here long enough to get tangled up with a woman. She wasn’t his type, anyway. But as the redhead started toward him in her form-fitting jeans, cream-colored sweater and black nylon vest, his body suddenly called him a liar.

      “Good morning, Mr. Randell.”

      Okay, he liked her a little, especially her attitude. “Since you’ve had your hands all over my body, don’t you think you could call me Brady?”

      She stopped next to the golf cart. “And since you’re not that familiar with mine, you may call me Dr. Stafford.”

      He arched an eyebrow, letting his gaze speak for him. “The day isn’t over yet.”

      She finally smiled. “How about Lindsey?”

      “Oh, I don’t know, I’m kind of leaning toward sexy doc.”

      She frowned.