Read Texas Hope: Sweetgrass Springs Stories (Texas Heroes Book 16) for Free Online

stranger.”
    “But I’m not just a stranger.”
    “You aren’t, are you? What, a cousin or…” Mackey scratched his head. “I don’t recall Gordon talking about having any siblings, though.”
    “I’m Ian’s brother.”
    Silence. “Brother? But how—” Mackey shook his head again. “His mother is still alive? You’re hers?”
    “Yeah.”
    “But not Gordon’s.” Mackey whistled. “Wow.”
    “Yeah. Only that’s not what Ian said, not that I blame him. I’m mad as hell at her myself. I only learned of his existence recently.”
    Another whistle.
    “Dad, you okay?” called out the boy.
    Mackey stirred and tore his gaze away. “Fine, son.”
    “Can I get out?”
    “Hold up, buddy, just for a second.” His green gaze shifted, all serious now. “So you’re just…leaving?”
    “He doesn’t want me here. I can’t really blame him.”
    “He’s the best man I know. He’ll get over it. He’s been through a lot, he and his dad. It was really hard for him to learn to trust Scarlett because of what—” He closed his mouth in chagrin.
    “What my mother did. I get it—or at least as well as I can. I don’t begin to understand what she was thinking. Maybe the best thing I can do is stay away from him, but…” He exhaled. “I always wanted a brother. A large family.”
    “No other siblings?”
    “Just me.”
    Mackey stared off in the distance, then, as if reaching a decision, clicked his gaze back to Michael’s. “Look, Ian is a thinker. He’s not impulsive. Give him a little bit of time—but not too much.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “What do you do for a living, anyway? Could you hang around and do some ranch work?”
    “Yeah, but I can do more. I’m a vet.”
    “What branch? I was in the SEAL Teams.”
    “Thank you for your service. No, I meant, I’m a veterinarian.”
    “No shit? Man, we could use a vet around here.” Mackey stared off again, his eyes calculating. “Large animals or small?”
    “All those plus exotics. I’ve traveled around.”
    “I don’t suppose you’d—” Mackey shook his head.
    “What?”
    “It’s just…my wife and I have a horse operation, and there’s this yearling I’m concerned about. He and another colt were rough housing in the pasture, and Blaze wound up with a bite in his chest that required five sutures. He won’t leave them alone, and they’re inflamed. Our vet had a heart attack and is being advised to shut down his practice. But I can call this vet in San Antonio.”
    “That’s a long way from here, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah. And Blaze has only been in a trailer once. He’s a little high-strung.”
    A glimmer of hope rose in Michael. It might lead to nothing, but regardless, having an ally in one of his brother’s friends couldn’t hurt. “He could do more damage to himself in a trailer. I’d be glad to take a look at him.”
    “Ian might want to kick my ass for telling you this, but you should know that though he raises cattle, horses are his first love. Having a vet who knows horses in the family couldn’t hurt.”
    “I don’t want to push him too hard. This was a big shock for him.” Michael made up his mind. “I’ll be coming back soon, anyway.”
    “Yeah?” Mackey’s brows rose. “For real?”
    “He doesn’t have to deal with me if he doesn’t want to, but I just finished running a practice for a buddy, and I have some offers but hadn’t accepted any of them.” Michael smiled. “It might be better for me not to spend much more time in Austin. There’s a stubborn as hell vixen back there who needs to miss me for a while, but I’d rather not go too far.”
    Mackey snorted. “Got one of those at home.”
    They shared a grin of commiseration.
    “It’s getting late.”
    “Then we’d better get started.”
    “You could stay the night at our place. The Star Bar G has a foreman’s cabin that just got vacated when my sister-in-law Penny and her husband moved into their new house.” He shook his head.