Vetting the Cowboy Read online

  Table of Contents

  Books by J.P. Bowie

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Read more from J.P. Bowie

  More exciting books!

  About the Author

  Pride Publishing books by J.P. Bowie

  Single Books

  The Set Up

  Ride ‘em Cowboy

  Ride ‘em Again Cowboy

  Personal Trainers

  Halloween Angel

  The Officer and the Gentleman

  With a Little Help from My Friends

  Blood Relations

  Nowhere to Hide

  Trip of a Lifetime

  A Ghost Story

  Happy Ending

  A Highlander in LA

  Journey to Hope

  Paris Connection

  All I’ll Ever Need

  Every Breath I Take

  Highland Hearts

  Evan Sent

  Fear and Loving in Las Vegas

  Breaking the Habit

  Fear of Flying

  Love on the Rocks

  Murder by Design

  My Vampire and I

  My Vampire and I

  My Vampire Lover

  Duet in Blood

  Blood Resurrection

  Bound in Blood

  Blood Lure

  Blood Lust

  Blood Talisman

  Blood Vigilance

  The Journeyer

  The Journey Begins

  The New World

  The Fight for Freedom

  Into the West

  Anthologies

  Fabulous Brits: Under the Law

  Naughty Nooners: Lunches in Laguna

  Friction: Cruising

  Saddle Up ‘N’ Ride: Ride ‘em Hard Cowboy

  Promoted by the Billionaire: Fly to Him

  Heatwave: Summer Bliss

  Collections

  Christmas Spirits: A Present Christmas

  Homecoming: Blueprint for Love

  Yule Be Mine: A Special Christmas

  Immortal Love: Night Wing

  Hot in the Saddle

  VETTING THE COWBOY

  J.P. BOWIE

  Vetting the Cowboy

  ISBN # 978-1-913186-52-4

  ©Copyright J.P. Bowie 2019

  Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright December 2019

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Pride Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Pride Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2019 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Book one in the

  Hot in the Saddle series

  When Mike Henry, the new veterinarian in town, meets cowboy Seth Archer, it could be good times ahead—but Mike’s ex isn’t about to let him go without a fight.

  Seth Archer, working cowboy on a dude ranch in Northern California, is thrown for a loop when he meets Mike Henry, the new veterinarian in town. The five-foot-eight bespectacled Mike isn’t Seth’s type, but the blue eyes behind the glasses are something Seth can’t seem to get past or forget.

  Mike’s on the run. Well, not exactly, but he left Seattle to get away from Victor Torrens, a dominating boyfriend who turned abusive when Mike told him he wouldn’t be his submissive. Mike hasn’t worked with horses before, but it’s not long before his natural love of animals—and cowboys—makes him decide to call the small town of Denton home.

  Seth and Mike bond, but their love affair might just be doomed before it truly begins when Victor sends Alex Brand, a celebrity bodyguard, to strongarm Mike back to Seattle.

  In order to protect Seth and his new friends from Alex’s big fists, Mike may be forced to make a decision he’ll regret for the rest of his life.

  Dedication

  Once again, my thanks to all at Pride Publishing for their encouragement and support especially my superwoman editor Rebecca who makes my stories just that much better. Thanks to my readers who love a good cowboy tale and to my hubby, Phil, who’s still standing after all these years!

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Beauty and the Beast: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

  Bluetooth: Bluetooth Special Interest Group

  Budweiser: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

  Joiners: Founders Brewing Company

  Mustang: Ford Motor Company

  Rogue: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

  Old Tawny: Founders Brewing Company

  Range Rover: Tata Motors Limited

  Camry: Toyota Motor Corporation

  Chapter One

  Parker Jones stared at the empty stalls in the stable with a look of disgust. “Randy? You in here somewhere? Randy?”

  No reply came from anywhere in the large horse barn. Eight stalls stood empty, which was just as well—they were in dire need of mucking out. Horse manure and dirty straw had been trampled into the ground. Fortunately, the horses were either out in the pasture or being ridden by at least two new customers to Parker’s dude ranch, the Seven Plus Ranch.

  “What’s up, boss?” It wasn’t Randy answering, but Bob, one of Parker’s older hands.

  “You seen Randy?”

  “No, I haven’t. I thought maybe he’d called you, sayin’ he was sick or somethin’.”

  “No, he didn’t, but I’ve been on the phone for the last coupla hours with the bank, so he maybe couldn’t get through.” At least I hope that’s what it was. If he starts sneakin’ out on me again… Last week Randy had been a no-show two days running, and when Parker had asked him for an explanation, he’d become belligerent. He hadn’t gone so far as telling Parker it was none of his business, but Parker had guessed from his expression that it was foremost in his mind.

  “Trouble?” Bob gave him a worried look. “About the bank, I mean.”

  “No, just some new stuff they want to throw my way. A lot of perks if I invest some
more money. The usual.”

  Bob chuckled. “I wouldn’t know about that.”

  “Right…well, those stalls need mucking out pronto, before the stink becomes obnoxious. I know the customers expect a ranch to smell like horses, but not that much horseshit.”

  “I’ll get one of the guys to help me.”

  “No, I need them tending to the horses out on the pasture. I’ll give you a hand.”

  “You, boss?”

  “Yes, me boss. The day I think I’m too good to muck out a stall is the day I’ll call it quits. Now, let’s get on with it before they bring any of the horses back. There’s a good two or three hours of work here.”

  Parker had a feeling Randy was on his way out but didn’t have the guts to say so. He’d been surly the last couple of days and had shown up late without much of an apology. In Parker’s opinion, Randy had a bunch of anger issues and needed counseling. Parker considered himself a laidback kind of guy and didn’t ask his men to do anything he wouldn’t do himself, but he did require a certain amount of diligence, and he absolutely hated tardiness and no-shows.

  Running a dude ranch hadn’t been Parker’s burning ambition. It had been Royce’s idea in the beginning, but his enthusiasm had won Parker over and, since they’d opened it six years ago, they’d had their share of success. Guys—and some women too—came from all over for a taste of the old west, chaperoned by Parker’s experienced cowboys, who made sure nobody did anything rash or hurt any of the horses. In the early days, there had been one or two incidents that had made Parker glad Royce had insisted on really good insurance. But Royce was an attorney and clever as all get-out, so Parker was in good hands there.

  Really good hands, it so happened, and had been for the past ten years. Parker smiled to himself, recalling how much his life had changed since he and Royce had hooked up, moved in together and finally bought their own home and ranch. They’d had their ups and downs, just like most everyone, but they had figured out early on that the way to harmony was to talk out their differences of opinion before they became major problems.

  His cell phone chiming in his jeans’ back pocket had him grinning. Bound to be Royce. It was that time of the day.

  “Hi, handsome.”

  “You sound chipper,” Royce teased.

  “Must be the sound of your voice. Right now I’m muckin’ out the stalls ’cause some lazy fucker didn’t show…again.”

  “Would that lazy fucker be Randy?”

  “Right first time.” Parker sighed. “Gotta feelin’ I’m gonna have to show him the gate.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Not really, but I’ll have to find a replacement. This old back of mine isn’t taking kindly to physical labor, I don’t mind telling you.”

  “Thirty-eight is not old, Parker. If you didn’t go around falling off horses all the time, your back would be just dandy.”

  “All the time? I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been thrown, and one of them was your fault.”

  Royce laughed. “Oh, not that old story again.”

  “Well, it’s true. You strutting around with your cute little ass in those tight, tight jeans and pretending to be so high and mighty put me in a mood, so I wasn’t paying attention to what I should’ve been doing!”

  “Excuses, excuses. Anyway, how bad is your back? Can’t you get one of the guys to take over?”

  “Bob’s helping, but I want to keep the other guys with the horses and there’s two customers getting riding lessons. We’re almost done anyway. I’ll have Bob hose down then we can get the clean straw laid.”

  “Well, take it easy after. Remember, you still have your husbandly duties to take care of when I get home.”

  Parker groaned. “Again?”

  “Yes, again…and again.”

  “You are insatiable,” Parker said through his laughter.

  “And you are one lucky man. Okay, I’ll let you get back to your mucking.”

  “Ciao, baby.”

  “Ciao, daddy.”

  Parker was still grinning when he shut his phone off. “That Royce?” Bob asked.

  “Yessir. Checkin’ up on me, making sure I’m workin’ hard.”

  “No doubt of that.” Bob leaned on his rake for a moment. “For a man that owns and runs this place, never saw anyone work harder than you.”

  “Lookin’ for a raise, Bob?”

  “No, sir…but if you’re offerin’…”

  “Not the right time of year, Bob,” Parker said grinning at the older man. “’N’other coupla months.” He turned at the clatter of hooves behind him. “Hold up, Seth. We’re not done with all the stalls yet.”

  “Bonney’s limping some,” tall, blond Seth Archer told him. “Thought I’d bring her in for a looksee.”

  “Oh, okay, let me do that.”

  “Left foreleg, I think—seems to be favoring it a bit.”

  Parker knelt in front of the mare and ran his hands up and down her leg. Bonney, one of their calmer horses, and popular with newbies, stood patiently while Parker did a quick examination. She whinnied softly when Parker lifted her hoof off the ground to take a look.

  “Here’s the problem. Looks like an abscess. Better call Doc. Walker, have him give us an opinion. Don’t want to mess with something like this…might be nasty.” Parker frowned. “We better check all the horses, limping or not, just in case.”

  “Okay, boss.” Seth paused then asked, “Why are you cleaning out the stalls? Where’s Randy?”

  Parker straightened and gave the handsome cowboy a rueful look. “No-show, so Bob and me took over. Place was a pigsty. Seems like he’s been neglecting his duties lately.”

  “Yeah, he’s a bit slapdash at times.”

  Parker grunted. “Well, my fault too. I usually come around at the end of the day to make sure they’re all bedded down nice, but the last couple of nights we’ve been busy entertaining some maybe investors. Bad excuse, and one I won’t be using again.”

  “Well, if you’re busy any time, just give me a call and I’ll stop by and check up on them. I live nearby.”

  “Thanks, Seth, appreciate it. Call Doc. Walker for me while I clean up here, and have him come over soon as he can.”

  “Will do.” Seth pulled his cell from his back pocket and punched in the doctor’s number. All the hands had the vet’s contact programmed into their phones for emergencies. “Hey, Doc, Seth over at Seven Plus Ranch. Parker asked if you come check up on one of the horses. Bonney…she’s limping and Parker think it might be an abscess. Oh, right…that’s good, see you later.”

  Seth walked over to where Parker was throwing fresh straw into one of the stalls. He knew he shouldn’t, but he just couldn’t avoid admiring his boss’s bubble butt, showcased like it was so well in his tight jeans. He’d heard through the gay-vine that Parker was gay, one of the reasons Seth had applied for a job at the Seven Plus. He’d wanted a liberal atmosphere in which to work—not an easy thing to find in rural areas, even in California, but he loved working with horses and had wanted a job on a ranch so much he’d been willing to take on anything. Lucky for him, two years ago he’d seen an ad for a hand needed on a working dude ranch just outside Sacramento.

  He almost hadn’t believed it when the hot-looking man interviewing him had told him he had the job. Parker Jones was everything Seth liked in a man. Just under six feet tall, lean and wiry, with broad shoulders and compact muscles and the cutest ass he’d seen in a long time. The fact that he was a good ten years older than Seth made him all the more attractive. Too bad his dreams of getting closer to his new boss—probably not a good idea anyway—had been squished when Parker had mentioned his husband was the other owner of the Seven Plus Ranch. Well, there’d gone that fantasy, but when he’d met Royce Chandler, he could see why Parker was so in love with him. The man was a charmer, and without a doubt kept Parker the happy guy he was. A happy boss meant a good environment to work in, and that Seth and the other hands had in spades.
r />   Not all the other men were gay, but the straight guys were easy to get along with. In the two years Seth had worked at the Seven Plus, he could remember only a couple of instances when there had been conflict. Both times it had been caused by too much drinking and after Parker had yelled at them for being dumbasses, it hadn’t happened again.

  “Uh, boss…” He averted his gaze from Parker’s butt. “Doc. Walker said he’d be over in about an hour.”

  “Great.” Parker smiled at him and Seth’s stomach wobbled a little. The guy had the greatest smile of any man he’d ever known. Even though he was aware it meant nothing more than a ‘thank you’ or whatever, Seth loved it when the smile was directed at him. So okay, he still had a bit of a crush on the boss. There was no law against it far as he knew, and he needed somewhere to direct his constrained libido. Three years ago he and his ex, Barney, had parted ways, and Seth had bid Eugene, Oregon, goodbye. Since then, the pickings had been mighty slim.

  “Bring Bonney over here. I got this one nice and clean for her.” Seth hurried to lead Bonney over to the stall and the two men got her settled, then Parker covered her hoof with a pad to take the pressure off.

  “I can help Bob finish up if you like,” Seth said.

  “Thanks, Seth. Call me when the doc gets here. I do have some paperwork that needs my attention.” He patted Seth on the shoulder then turned to yell at Bob, who was working at the far end of the stable. “Seth’s gonna help finish up, Bob.”

  Bob waved acknowledgment and Parker left the stable. Seth grabbed the rake Parker had been using and started cleaning out the dirty straw in the stall next to Bonney’s. He grinned, hearing her chomp down on the hay in her feed tray.

  Two hours later and there was no sign of the vet, and Seth was worried. He and Bob had finished cleaning out the stalls, refilling the feed trays where needed and had the stable looking pretty darn good, according to Bob.

  “Where’s the doc, d’you suppose?” Seth asked him.