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Moving around the table, she indicated each of her friends as she told Caleb about them. “This is Ginger Monroe. She owns the lingerie shop I mentioned.” Naturally, heat crept up on her, flushing her face. She tried to ignore it. “And this is Wilder’s newest deputy and the reverend’s nephew, Ryan Bain. They’re soon to be Mr. and Mrs.” Ignoring the sting of envy at the marital bliss currently consuming the town, she circled the table. “Jack Wade, who owns Wade’s Saloon, and Liza, his wife. She works with Jess at the flower shop. And Jess is married to George Mills, our favorite dentist.”
“Handy man to know,” Caleb said.
Returning to her spot next to him, Reese muttered, “And then there’s me.”
“Not to be overlooked,” he told her with a wink and a smile.
Her heart fluttered and her breath caught in her throat. He was highly disarming. It was more than charisma that seemed to ooze from his every pore. His casual demeanor and sexy grin were showstoppers, no doubt about it. The face and body weren’t to be dismissed, but his genuine, friendly disposition truly made him handsome in her eyes.
To her friends Caleb said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for letting me have dinner with you.”
Everyone shook his hand and then they sat.
Ruby swooped in again, a server accompanying her to set out eight wineglasses. She placed two uncorked bottles of Chianti on the table and said, “These are on the house. Happy birthday, George. And congratulations on your new business venture, Caleb.”
So he’d already endeared himself to Ruby. No easy feat. He’d probably set a record for winning her over. She didn’t even seem to mind he hadn’t requested a menu.
Eyeing him as though he were the Last Supper, Ruby said, “I put your order in for the special. It’ll be up at the same time as everyone else’s.”
“Thanks, that’s kind of you.” He smiled at her and Reese could have sworn the other woman nearly swooned.
Sheesh. The man was a sexual force with which to be reckoned. A dangerous notion for Reese. Although she longed for a little charm in her life, she couldn’t afford to fall for his sweet-as-honey words and the sparkle in his eyes.
Luckily Jack distracted her. He asked Caleb, “So what are your plans for the Painted Horse?”
“Nonprofit organization,” he said as he reached for his roll-up and tore the white band from it to unravel his napkin and silverware. “I’m going to rescue horses. Ones that have been malnourished, abused, neglected or abandoned. Most of them are in pretty bad shape. I’m hoping to house about twenty of them at a time, depending on what kind of support staff I end up with.”
Reese stared at him, dumbfounded. Seriously? The man was too damn good to be true. “You save horses?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a smile. “I’m a large-animal vet.”
“You didn’t tell me that yesterday.”
“Didn’t come up.” To the others, he said, “I visited a rescue operation in Kentucky a few years ago. They take on retired or injured Derby horses so they’re not euthanized or turned over to slaughterhouses when they’re no longer considered an asset or used for breeding. That’s where I got the idea.”
Reese’s heart melted. “Oh come on,” she said on a breathless whisper. “Could you be any nicer?”
“I think that’s wonderful,” Jess added in a dreamy tone.
He had that effect on every woman, it seemed, because even Liza and Ginger looked smitten. Relatively speaking of course, because all three of the women were completely taken by the men in their lives.
“Damn, and all I do is serve beers to the locals,” Jack said, clearly noting the women’s reaction to Caleb. But in a very earnest tone, he added, “You probably need volunteers to supplement the medical staff, since you’re a nonprofit. I know a thing or two about horses and would be happy to lend a hand.”
“Me too,” George concurred. “In fact, Jess had horses growing up. What do you say?”
“Oh I’d definitely pitch in,” she said enthusiastically. “In fact, I’ve tried for years to convince George to move to a property with acreage so I could have horses again. But he fell in love with our Tudor on the edge of town and refuses to sell it.”
“I did remodel the damn thing.”
“You?” she jerked an eyebrow at him.
With a smirk, George said, “All right, I oversaw the remodel. Hey, Caleb. If you need a good construction and design crew, I’ve got recommendations.”
“Thanks, I’ll gladly take the names. I need a team dedicated to the house. I’ve already hired specialists to update the current stable and construct the med facility and an additional stable. And I’ll be repairing all the fencing myself, so getting the house renovations underway would be a huge help.”
George jotted down several names and numbers on a napkin and
handed it over.
