3 - Wrangling a Texas Firecracker: Holiday Ranch by Katie Lane

Author:Katie Lane [Lane, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Holiday Ranch#3
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“Open up your mouth. I need to check your teeth and see if you have any tartar.”

Jesse opened his mouth wide and the little dark-haired girl in the white lab coat with Veterinarian Pippin embroidered on the pocket peeked into his mouth. Her entire face scrunched up in a serious, intent look. She’d been given the right nickname. The five-year-old was a pip.

“Yep, you have tartar, alright.” She leaned closer. “I can see it on your back tooths. And tartar can lead to heart failure.”

Jesse closed his mouth. “Really?”

Pip nodded sagely. “Especially in old dogs.”

Jesse stared at her. “Old dogs?”

“I can tell by your tooths that you are at least ten years old. Which makes you seventy in people years.”

“Hey, kid, I’m not seventy.”

Pip reached up and scratched the floppy ear that was attached to the dog costume Jesse wore. “It’s okay, boy. With a little tooth-cleaning, you’ll still have a few good years left.”

“That’s good to know,” he said dryly. “But if you think you’re cleaning my teeth, Doctor Pip, you got another think coming.”

“Of course I’m not cleaning your teeth.” She turned to the little freckled-face girl standing behind her. “My assistant, Didi, will do it.”

Didi shook her head. “My mama doesn’t like me sticking my hands in people’s germy mouths.”

“Smart mama,” Jesse said. “Now if you’re done with your examination, Doc.” He went to get up, but Pip pushed him right back down into the chair.

“Nope, I haven’t checked for worms.”

Jesse swallowed hard. “Worms?”

It wasn’t until much later that Jesse was able to escape Pip’s veterinarian chair of torture. But as soon as he did, he was bombarded with little five-year-old girls hugging his legs and pulling on his tail and pleading with “the big fuzzy dog” to give them piggyback rides. Jesse had always been a sucker for cute little girls. His sister Adeline had completely wrapped him around her little finger.

Thankfully, before his fur became too matted by sticky fingers and his back gave out, Liberty hollered.

“Birthday cake time!”

The little girls raced off, squealing with delight, while Jesse followed much more slowly. As he came around the corner of the blow-up bouncy house, he saw Liberty lighting the candles on a cake that was decorated with animal paw prints on the side and a toy stereoscope and shot syringe on top.

He should be pissed at her. She was the reason he was wearing a silly dog costume with floppy ears and a long tail he kept tripping over. Of course, it was his own fault. He shouldn’t have agreed to a bet where winner chooses the forfeit. Nor should he have gotten so distracted by the way Liberty’s wet swimming suit had ridden up one butt cheek that he didn’t care about winning the race to his truck and instead lagged behind enjoying the view.

He smiled. And damned if the view hadn’t been worth wearing a sweltering dog costume. That and the way she laughed every time she saw him in the costume. Even

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