c million dollar bimbo

7/30/2019 c Million Dollar Bimbo

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Million Dollar Bimbo, a love story by Sky

Taylor

Zane Armstrong was the worst bossthat Willow had ever worked for hands

down. If she hadnt desperatelyneeded the job she would have quit herfirst day.

At least the foreman named Duke hadbeen very kind toher, offering hersupport and advising her to ignoreZanes rude remarks and open candor.

There was no pleasing the cowboy.

According to him, he was perfect inevery way and he had the stats to backhis convictions. Devilishly handsome,

broad shoulders, rippling muscles,bronzed hide and he could fill-out a pairof jeans like nobodys business.

He was only five years older than heryet he had carvedout a dynasty usingboth brains and brawn while she wasstill wobbling, trying to get her life intofirst gear.


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Nonetheless, the devilishly handsomecowboys orders were not to bequestioned shed found that out thehard way her first day on the job.

When shed arrived, the main office hadappeared as if it had been attacked by aTexas-size tornado papers stuffed inevery corner of the room, piled on top of

Zanes large oak desk and even stackedon the floor. She had spent the entireday organizing the stacks with a filingsystem which had been met with thecowboys thundering displeasure.

She was instructed to do only as shewas told and to not touch anything goingforward unless it was on her desk, a

rather small pathetic desk in comparisonto his own deskzilla.

The next few days had been spentdisorganizing the papers, placing them

back where she had originally foundthem which had been a miracle initself.


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Then there was the offhanded remarkshe had made to him which he hadtaken issue with. If a cattle rancher wascalled a cattle baron she had assumedthat a sheep rancher was called a

sheep baron. No that had not goneover well at all and neither had herattempt to remedy the tense situationwhen shed offered, I suppose that was

a sheep joke. The glance hed given hercould have moved mountains nodoubt.

And now there was the current dilemma

at hand.

All morning she had attempted to reachhim; hed been with the crew of cowboys

working the Armstrong Ranch abouttwenty of them in all. Her dilemmainvolved a million dollar property dealwhich she now knew had gone sour asituation which would not only cost theranch a lot of money and wasted time,

but also embarrassment.

The situation had started earlier thatmorning. Ignoring Zanes


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orders Willow had went out on a limb,doing a bit of research. Due to the smallworkload the cowboy was allowing her toperform, most days were rather boring.And whenever he walked into the office

unexpectedly, he would give her the evileye as if she were wasting companytime when in fact, she had nothing towork on - her menial desk so.menial.

If only she could have pursued herdream of becoming a veterinarian adream that was currently on-hold. Therewas nothing she loved more in life than

animals. Shed had very high marks incollege and had earned the necessaryscience degrees. She only needed fouryears of veterinary college, then three tofour more years of residency.

Unfortunately it was the four years ofveterinary college that was standing inher way. The local veterinarian, DocHughes had extracted a promise from

her that she would do her residency here in Springfield. After completion of herresidency, they had decided that shewould take over the practice while Doc


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Hughes spent the rest of his days doingwhat he loved best fishing with hisbest friend, Hal.

She had expected to be accepted tothe veterinarian college where she hadapplied last spring but things had notpanned out, her choice of collegeexperiencing a mix-up with

her application. By the time she hadreapplied, the classes were full. At leastthe college had offered her an apologybut unfortunately could not fit her in thisyear as their student criteria had been

met.

Next year next year for certain shekept telling herself. Thats all the time

she needed to last under ZaneArmstrongs employment.

Her thoughts spiraled back to hercurrent dilemma which involved twenty-

five thousand acres of prime ranchlandthat Zane intended to purchase for onemillion dollars. The ranch in question

was well known for its cattle operation prime stock; there was a huge mansion


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on the property giving wide berth forexpansion. All in all, the deal was worthtwice Zanes offer, but given the limpingeconomy and his expertise innegotiations the property was selling for

far below market value.

Attorney Morgan in Springfield washandling the transaction for his client,

Ms. Violet Sanders who had married therecently-deceased rancher whod beenthree times her age - young enough tobe his granddaughter.

Violet was not only young she wasbuilt like an iron grill, tough andenduring determined to get what shewanted, regardless of the consequences.

Old man Sanders hadnt even knownwhat had hit him when hed married thesiren a dear in headlights. Adesperate dear concerned more aboutSanders financial status than the manhimself.

And Violet was itching to have the

money in hand a cool one milliondollars minus attorney fees, agreeing to


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a short sale with a deadline of twelvenoon today. After that, the offer was offthe table and the property would beoffered to the next bidder, local rancherMister Brannigan who was chomping at

the bits to get his hands on the primestock, the mansion and the propertyitself.

Willow had started her investigation byreviewing Mister Sanders obituary. Shehad been shocked to discover that hehad two grown children who lived a stateaway. It hadnt taken her much effort to

reach his son who of course had theSanders surname; the obit had listedhis first name as well as his sisters fullname.

The young Sanders had been ratherappalled to learn that the property wasup for sale as he and his sister werefiling a protest against their step-mother, contesting the validity of the

will she held in hand. It appeared thatthe elder Mister Sanders had the senseto draw-up a new will towards the end of


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his life listing his children as his solebeneficiaries.

As the situation expanded, Willow was

stunned to discover that Violet hadntshared the knowledge of this new willwith Attorney Morgan. Having foresightshe also took the liberty of contactingMister Brannigan to apprise him of the

situation; his response had been one ofgreat relief. It had been an effort to endthe conversation because he keptthanking her again and again.

She jerked her blue eyes to the door asZane thundered into the office, tossinghis cowboy hat onto an empty chair.

Do you realize that youre interruptingsomething vital, Ms. Heartland? Ive an

injured cowboy in the coral-

Mister Armstrong, its important. Itsabout the Sanders deal. Ive performedsome research-


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You what! he practically yelled, hisdark eyes snapping like a mud turtle.

Oh dear. He wasnt happy not in the

least Willow decided as she swallowedwith difficultly and attempted to speakwith him in a civilized manner. Rightnow though, there wasnt a blame thingthat was civilized about the tall,

handsome cowboy before her.

Have you called and verified thetransaction with Attorney Morgan? he

wanted to know, glancing at his

expensive timepiece before his eyesresettled onto her rather pale lookingface.

Not yet, she managed, her throatsuddenly feeling tight. The idiot was

giving her a panic attack. Thats what Ineeded to talk with you about-

Madam, the deadline is twelve noon ten minutes from now, he lashed out,one index finger encased in a leather

glove pointing to his timepiece. If we


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dont cinch the deal, the offer will go toBrannigan. I suggest you make that callpronto - or youll be looking forwork elsewhere! And if I didnt have aninjured cowboy sitting in the coral, Id

take the task to hand myself.

But-

No buts! Just do it, he grated out,storming over to the empty chair andgrabbing his hat as he marched stifflyfrom the room, mumbling something

about blond bimbos under his breath.

Willow squared her tiny shoulders andshook her head, her long blond hair

moving with her.

She didnt care what hed said she

wasnt going to make the call. Besides,she felt it was Zane Armstrongs

responsibility to apprise AttorneyMorgan of the potentially criminalsituation.


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Furthermore, she had already spokenwith the kind foreman Duke two hoursago regarding the issue and her findings just before she had contacted MisterBrannigan. In fact, like Brannigan - Duke

had complimented her investigativework, saying it was great to finally havea secretary who had a brain.Unfortunately, the only person Zane felt

had a brain at the Armstrong Ranch washimself.

At five passed noon she was preparingto grab her sandwich from the office

fridge when Zane huffed into the room,getting straight to the point.

Did you make the call and verify the

transaction?

No, I didnt, she informed, her blueeyes looking into his dark ones whichgrew even darker over her

announcement.

She held her hands to her ears as he

delivered a line of purple language.


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Then he asked, Do you realize whatyour foolish antics have cost the ranch?Ill be lucky to manage the purchaseafter this idiotic blunder! That is, ifBrannigan hasnt already snapped up the

deal.

Mister Armstrong, about MisterBrannigan-

Get out! he ordered, pointing to thedoor as the room suddenly went deadlysilent.

Willow parted her perfectly painted pinklips then clamped them shut again. Itwas useless he was useless. If anyone

was wasting anyones time, he waswasting hers.

He mistook her silence for defiance asshe was just standing there in front of

him, giving him a harsh, raking glance.

Before she realized what was happeninghe had taken herby the elbow and was

steering her gingerly to the door. She


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was at the coral where the horses werestabled before she realized what hadhappened.

What an ogre! He hadnt even allowedher to collect her personal belongings her sandwich and a kitty knick-knackwhich had belonged to herbeloved grandmother, God rest her dear

soul. Thankfully her car keys andidentification were tucked into thekangaroo pockets of her oversizedblouse.

She was still steaming when she saw thetall, lean cowboy anchored bythe fence palings nursing his right handwhich was covered in bright red blood.

Obviously, he was the injured cowboywhom Zane had referenced onlymoments ago.

Let me see, she told him and he

sighed deeply, giving her his hand asshed requested.


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Hurts like the devil, he managed, hisvoice edged with pain, his handtrembling.

Its a nasty zinger and may requirestitches, she told him.

No way. Not seeing any sawbones, he

assured her.

Stay here; let me get my medical bag.

Medical bag? You some sort of nurse aswell as a secretary, pretty lady?

She turned and walked backwards to herbright yellow car parked in the neardistance, telling him, Nope Im awanna-be vet.

By the time she was finishing bandaginghis hand she had discovered thecowboys name was Grant and she wasaware that they had a one-manaudience observing them in the

background Zane Armstrong.


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His long form was reclined againstanother section of wooden fencing,locked in silence.

Zane observed the little filly nursingGrant back to good health. Based on herdelicate manner with him, a strangermight have assumed she was a cracker-jack doctor. In truth, she was simply a

cracker. A cracker who had cost theranch a pretty penny and one heck ofa bargain.

As for the lost real estate deal, he was

certain that Brannigan had wasted notime in securing it for himself at aslightly lower offer than Zane had madeto Violet Sanders yet another cracker.

As to Willow Heartland - good riddance

but of course there wasnt any harm inher patching up his cowboy before shesailed off into the golden sunset. Grant

had been adamant about not seekingproper medical attention. It was hishand, after all and right now, Zane

wasnt in a mood to argue with the fool.


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Even so, there was nothing he hatedworse than interviewing potential newhires. It was a living shame thatMs. Willow Heartland hadnt worked out.She was simply too stubborn and

insubordinate. Obviously, she had apersonal agenda. Too bad she waslacking a few brain cells, albeit he hadliked her impromptu filing system shed

set up in the office but he wasnt foolenough to let her know that. She wasthe give an inch, take a mile type ofperson.

But she wasnt hard on the eyes,although far too nervous for his liking. Infact, he had rather enjoyed intimidatingher over the last two weeks.

Unfortunately, today she had masteredthe art of ignoring him; she hadcompletely disregarded his ordersregarding the property transaction andshe was ignoring him now.

Gee thanks, Ms. Willow, Grant was

telling her. It doesnt hurt anything likeit did.


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Good. Now keep it elevated and take apain tablet, she reminded him, tuckingher medical supplies back into the deepblack bag and snapping it shut.

I will, he promised. Boss said to headto the bunkhouse earlier. Ill do thatnow. Just need to take care of the lamb.Dread doing that.

Willow gazed up, her blue eyes collidingwith Zanes dark ones and she pursedher pink lips at him.

Grant whirled around as his bossunexpectedly drawled, Ill take care ofthe lamb. Get to the bunkhouse, Grant.

Thanks boss, hemanaged, Willow detecting a weak bleat

of a lamb as the injured Grant staggeredoff towards the bunkhouse.

Her attention was drawn to the jeeppulling into the parking area in frontof the office. Duke had returned.


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Willow suddenly wished she could stickaround to see the shocked look onZanes face after Duke explained theproperty incident to him. He would bebegging her to stay at that point.

But there was nothing Zane could say tomake her reconsider working here. Hewas too volatile, too smug and too

unpredictable. And he wasnt halfas smart as he thought hewas, Willow tacked on for goodmeasure.

Zane turned and she noticedthe pistol strapped around his hips forthe first time, the sound of thebleating lamb reaching her ears again.

Without giving it thought she followed

him and as they rounded the cornera little lamb lay nestled on the hay. Itwas smeared with blood and was having

issue rising from the hay.


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Zane pulled out the gun and when hewould have taken aim, she rushed infront of him.

What do you think youre doing! sherushed out, her eyes going from him tothe injured lamb.

Go home, Ms. Heartland. You wouldntunderstand these things and its nothingyoull want stuck in your mind-

Youre an idiot, she managed, Zaneshandsome head darting back as if shed

slapped him and slapped him hard.

While he struggled to recover shegrabbed a checkered horse blanketdraped over the fence, wrapped itaround the lamb and was walking out of

the stables.

Hey! Come back here! he yelled ather, re-pocketing the pistol into theholster and following her, taking twobooted steps to her one. What do you


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think youre doing! he demanded, onher heels now.

She abruptly turned, Zane almost

ramming into her,the little lamb bleating from beneath thecheckered blanket.

Hes mine now. You were going to killhim anyway, she told him in a stifftone, lifting her chin in a defiant stance.

Zane rolled his lips into a bow then toldher, Hes injured too badly to survive.

Youre only going to linger his pain.Dont be a fool. Again, he tacked on forgood measure, Willow seeming to grow

two feet in the process.

Fool? Youre the fool, Mister Armstrong.

Youre a-a big dumb dodo bird a giantdodo bird who is too stubborn and set in

his ways for his own good!

Now look, lady-


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Lady? Huh! Im possibly the only ladythat youve met in a long time given theline of-of sultry ditzoids youre so fond ofdating! They arent dating you for yourbrain, dear rather your fortune but of

course, youre too dense to see that too.Mark my word, theres a Violet out therewhos going to nail you one day beforeyou realize your idiocy, and Zane had a

strong feeling that she wasnt referringto any type of flower rather VioletSanders, the cracker-slash-gold-digger.

He placed his hands on lean hips and for

a moment she considered he mightredraw his pistol and shoot her. Beforeshe totally lost every ounce of herdignity she grabbed her medical bag andquickly made tracks to her brightyellow car in the distance, holding the

bleating lamb close to her.

Zane remained where he was, studyingher as she and Duke shared a rather

feisty conversation in the short distance,the cowboy assisting her with loadingthe bleating lamb into the car.


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Dukes face was redder than a Detroitbeet by the time he joined him a fewminutes later, Ms. Willow Heartlandleaving the ranch rather briskly, a largecloud of dust masking her exit.

The million dollar bimbo, Zanedrawled, shoving back the Stetsonas the car disappeared from sight. It

was so yellow that it had hurt his eyes tolook at it, and he suddenly recollected amoment last week when shed told himthat it was her favorite color.

Duke was shaking his head negativelyand when Zane looked at him, henarrowed his dark eyes in confusion theninformed, Dont be in a mood with me.

I dont like shifting through newhires any better than you do. Long storyshort, the fool girl didnt complete theproperty deal with Attorney Morgan.Shes cost the ranch a good penny, aswell as time and trouble-

Youre an idiot! Duke told him,

narrowing the gray eyes at him. And if I


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wasnt your uncle, Id be quitting boutnow.

Me? Zane practically squeaked.

For your information big fellow, thatlittle lady just saved the ranch a milliondollars, a sack full of headaches and

embarrassment. She called me a fewhours ago because she couldnt reachyou in the field. Fortunately for you, shetook time to delve into the matter anddiscovered that old man Sanders left a

revised will just before his death

leaving everything to his twogrown children in Arkansas. They arepreparing a lawsuit to contest VioletSanders claim to her late husbands

fortune as we speak.

Good grief, Zane managed, looking abit sick now his tanned hide revertingto a shade of pale.

You study on that and if you have halfthe sense that you think that you do,

youll go after her, Duke told him,


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walking away his spurs jingling as heheaded towards the bunkhouse to checkon Grant mumbling something abouthardheads.

CHAPTER TWO

Zane pulled in front of the three

story apartment complex, narrowing hisdark eyes over the area. It wasnt thebest part of town, nor the worst. Evenso, not a proper place for ayoung woman.

He exited the pickup with a bouquetof yellow roses planted in his hands, thekitty trinket in the other. He hoped that

his notation of her fondness for thecolor yellow went to his favor. Maybe heshould have purchased a box of

chocolates. Women liked chocolates hetacked onto his whirling thoughts.

Then again, most of the womenhe dated tended to prefer diamonds.And that thought caused a bit of

personal pain due to Willows insulting


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comments less than an hour ago. And itpained him further still to acknowledgethat her comments had been quiteaccurate.

Maybe he should have skipped theflowers as well as thoughts ofchocolates and moved to the diamondphase. It was going to take a lot of

dancing to get her back. He owed herbig time; perhaps the debt was toosteep to ever repay.

There was a wild party going on, a group

of young men standing outside the opendoor of an apartment located on the firstfloor, the smell of weed reaching Zanesnostrils.

Lookin for someone? the guy with

the orange Mohawk inquired beforetaking a long drag on his smoke.

Willow Heartland, he managed in adeadpan tone of voice.


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Third floor, number two-ten, the guysupplied, Zane nodding in the process.He flinched when the guy added, Shesa looker. Ive asked her out five timesmyself. Always a no. Good luck with

that. But Ive a feeling youll need morethan flowers.

Zane nodded again as thoughts of

diamonds filled his head, the strangerbeing rather vocal in front of his friends.He added, Shes babysittin right now.Kid wont shut up either. Stick a bottle inits mouth while youre there, why dont

ya?

Great. Just what he needed having toapologize in front of a kid.

As he made his way to the door

of apartment two ten he realized thatthere wasnt a baby inWillows apartment, rather that darn

lamb she had been so intent on saving.Sounded terrible too like it wasexperiencing pain, bleating weakly now.


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Willow heard the knock on the door,grinding her teeth in the process. Thoseweed-smoking idiots had alreadyinterrupted her three times now tellingher to keep the baby quiet. They were

the ones making all the noise! If theywould leave her alone she could finishtreating Herbie and hed quit bleating.

She threw open the door and batted herblue eyes in shock as Zanes tall,handsome form came into view. Hisright fist held a wad of yellow roses, hisleft hand the kitty knick knack that had

belonged to her beloved grandmother.

Like some Kung Fu warrior she snatchedthe kitty out of his hand and slammed

the door in his face.

For the next ten minutes he banged onthe door until the party people yelled athim to keep it down then she heard him

walking away, the faint sound of spursjingling in the distance.


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Willow relaxed. Obviously, Duke hadexplained the entire property fiasco tohim. And she wasnt about to give himthe opportunity to apologize yellowroses or not. He would have to live with

it a lesson in manors she smiled toherself.

Even so, it didnt help her current

situation. She had enough savings tolast her a couple of months, so shewould need to secure employment veryquickly. Perhaps she should havefollowed her first instinct and pursued a

nursing career. Then again, she wasntfond of most people. At least animalsdidnt have a tongue that rippedsomeone to shreds.

Herbie was drifting off to sleep now,finally comfortable. She had set hisbroken leg and had fed him a bottle ofwarm milk. She had also warmed him afew blankets in the rickety

apartment dryer and he appeared verycontent.


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What she was going to do with a babylamb in her apartment she didntknow. Perhaps dear Doc Hughes couldassist. She hadnt spoken with him sinceshed shared the bad news that hed

have to put off his retirement plans foranother year down the road.

Sighing she sat down at her small

kitchen table. There was the mail to sortthrough and perhaps she could get someemployment leads in the newspaper.

The first piece of mail was junk but as

she moved to the second letter, herheart stopped. It was fromthe veterinarian college where she hadapplied - marked Urgent, Dated

Material.

A minute later she was crying tears ofjoy the college offering her a spot ifshe would arrive within the week.

The semester had just begun. The letterwent on to say that they had beencontacted by Doctor Vernon Hughes who

had convinced them to allow room forher enrollment.


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And when she opened the third lettershe was crying so hard that she couldbarely make out the twenty-fivethousand dollar check for the studentloan she had applied for.

ZANE WAS furious on the ride back tothe ranch. The least the little vixen couldhave done was to hear him out. She

knew he was there to apologize. Insteadshe had left him gazing at a dirty whitedoor.

Although he was grateful to her, he

wasnt about to eat crow for anyone,particularly dead crow.

Even so, he decided he would returntomorrow and attempt once more toclear the air between them. He would

even insist that she return to work witha substantial pay increase.

Duke had told him that shed had troublelanding a job that they were scarcegiven the economy. It was the least he

could do for her.


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But when he returned the followingevening he was told by the orange-headed kid that Willow had abruptlypacked her bags and left earlier thatmorning with her baby wrapped tightly

in a checkered blanket.

THREE YEARS LATER.

Go check out the sign outside, DocHughes suggested to Willow, his old facewrinkled compliments of the Hands ofTime.

She was smiling from ear to ear, excitedabout settling into her new position. DocHughes was anxious to begin his

retirement and was insistingthat Willow start treating his currentclientele. He was even further thrilled

that she had completed her requiredcourses a year sooner than projectedgiven her studious nature.

At this point, he thought she knew morethan he did about doctoring animals.

She was smarter than a whip, and


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so beautiful. The townspeople ofSpringfield would love her. And she hadthe most wonderful nature about her; agood spirit a kind spirit.

Willow gazed at the new sign with her

name embossed in huge letters,scrawled across the top of the building.It looked wonderful. She felt wonderful -and so excited about beginning her

new job.

After all she had waited a long time forthis opportunity. She had thought this

time would never arrive this space intime. And now that it had, the time hadseemed to fly by.

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Green arrived

at the office with her poodle Cherish,

Doc Hughes going over the patient filewith Willow.

The dog is healthier than a horse, hetold her. But Mrs. Green insists it hashidden ills. Im perplexed as what to do.

I mean.I cant order medication for


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something that isnt there. So do whatyou will. Take note that Mrs. Green hasa nasty temper when it comes to herprecious poodle. Its more child than pet much like your Herbie.

Thats just lovely, Willow mocked,Doctor Hughes chuckling over hercomment. First patient too.

Once Cherish was onthe examination table, Willow began byexamining the poodles teeth, Mrs.

Green already fretting and working up a

storm given the new vet.

I know that Doctor Hughes doesnt

think my baby has a problem but Imthe mommy, and the mommy alwaysknows when there is a problem, she

told Willow.

Youre right, she told Mrs. Green whowidened her grey eyes in shock eyeswhich matched the mat of short hair to atee.


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I am? she managed, bringing up ahand to her throat.

Yes. Cherish is in need of massage

therapy. I can show you how to dosuch-

Oh my! I knew she had an issue. Is-is it

serious?

No, not at all, Willow assured with acomforting smile. Just rub her like this

in this spot andhere.

Cherish stuck her neck out as well as herback legs, enjoying the massage

immensely.

Oh my, she looks quite content, Mrs.Green noted. Dear, would you mind

terribly if I brought her in regularly forone of your professional massages? Idprefer that you do the magic as I mightinjure something important.

Id be happy to do that forCherish, Willow smiledagain.


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Mrs. Green left in high spirits,purchasing a rhinestone collar and fourdoggy outfits on her way out.

See? Youre already making the clientsvery happy, Doctor Hughes smiled. Adarn massage; why didnt I think ofthat? If Cherish had been human, Idhave recommended sugar pills.

Willow giggled with him and they bothwalked back into the lobby together, hishand clasped around her shoulder.

A cowboy entered the frontdoor, Willow instantly recognizing him.Grant from the Armstrong Ranch. And

his face looked rather pinched.

Ms. Willow? he asked, closing the

distance. Why Ill declare. Fancy seeingyou here. Im guessing youre taking

over Docs place based on the sign outfront?


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I am, she assured with a smile. Howhave you been, Grant? I take it thatyour hand healed nicely?

Just like new thanks to you. When Iread the sign out front, Id hoped thatyoud be the same Willow. Sure gladthat you are.

Is everything alright at the ranch? DocHughes asked.

Thats the main reason I bolted inhere, Grant informed. I was in town

collecting feed and got a call from theboss man. One of the horses is birthingand it aint going well. Boss said to drop

over here and get you outto the ranch ASAP.

Doc Hughes nodded, turning to Willow.This is more your expertise. Im best

with smaller animals as you know,Cherish aside. If youll go with Grant, Illhold down the fort here.


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She grabbed her medical bag, checked itfor the proper tools then headed out thedoor with Grant having mixed feelingsabout seeing the owner of Armstrong Ranch again.

Out of curiosity she pried to Grant asthey made tracks in the red pickup, IsZane Armstrong still your boss?

Sure is, Ms. Willow, he nodded. Andwont he be surprised to see you.

She swallowed the lump in her throat

as the ranch came into view.

CHAPTER THREE

The mare was in a stall lying on theground, breathing heavily.

As soon as Willow entered the areawith Grant her blue eyes locked withZanes dark ones. Other than amomentary flicker, she couldnt see any

other evidence of surprise.


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When she went to enter the stall, hewarned her, Dont go in there shedoesnt take to strangers.

Willow ignored him, Zane drawing hismouth into a bow. He didnt knowwhether to be relieved that the horsehad accepted her presence ordisappointed that she hadnt been

attacked. For some unexplainablereason, this woman did her darnedest todefy him.

Duke and Grant stood outside the stall

with him, watching her work her tinyhands moving so quickly that they weredifficult to follow. Amid her deftmovements she spoke softly to the mare

which appeared to settle her some.

Whats her name? she wanted toknow.

Lisa, Zane eased out, then he tensedas Grant added with a wide grin,Named after one of his wild girlfriends.


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The grin immediately fizzled when Zanetossed him a warning look and hestiffened further when Willow drawled ina mocking tone, Even so, I wouldnthave named my beloved horse after a

gold-digger. Forgive me if I choose toassociate her name with my dearlydeparted grandmother, Lisa.

He was still trying to recover from hertart comments when she instructed,Zane, come hold her steady while I turnthe foal-

Are you sure it needs to be turned? heasked, Willow narrowing her blue eyesat him aggravated that he was second-guessing her - again. But due to the

mares current level of pain she chose toignore him, concentrating her efforts onDuke.

Duke, will you please assist? she had

asked.

Sorry, but Lisa doesnt take kindly to

anyone here except Zane, little lady, he


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told her,Willow stiffening in the process.Dont know why she took so kindly toyou. Then again, who wouldnt? Youre apretty little thing.

Willow delivered a deep sigh and wasrelieved when Zane relented and did asshe instructed. Ten minutes later thefoal was out, Lisa standing and cleaning

her baby.

Willow rose to stand beside Zane, easingout, Congratulations. Youre the parent

of a brand new filly.

She melted as he smiled at herunexpectedly, the smile suddenly

transforming him. She had almostforgotten how handsome this cowboywas. Almostbut not quite.

Hed remained in her thoughts almost

continually when she had attended thevet college. At the time, she hadassumed he had emotionally scarredher. But now, she wasnt so sure of that

assumption. And why was her heart


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virtually beating out of her chest rightnow?

Duke and Grant were suddenly

complimenting her hard work, both ofthem telling her how happy they were tosee her back in Springfield again. Andthen they quickly vanished to resumetheir various responsibilities associated

with the ranch. It was only the mare,the filly, Zane and herself now.

You exceeded my expectations, he

managed, not knowing where or how to

begin.

He did know that hed missed her like all

get-out. After she had basicallyvanished into thin air he had searchedfor answers, finally learning the truth

from Doc Hughes. Hed actually beenrelieved to discover that she would bereturning after her courses were

completed at the vet college to serve herresidency in Springfield.


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Oddly enough, the few words that shehad spoken to him when shed exited hislife that day had played feverishly on hismind, particularly her commentsregarding his love life. Shed been spot-

on. The moment hed stopped lavishinghis romantic interest at the time, thingshad plummeted downhill. It was true the truth hurt.

So, Ive finally did something to pleaseyou, she told him, unable to resist thejab.

He flinched then recovered quite swiftly.I tried to apologize to you but youslammed the door in my face.

I remember the moment quite well.

When I returned the next day todiscover youd disappeared into thin air,

it was very concerned. I searched likethe devil to locate you. Finally, DocHughes provided the necessaryanswers.


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What happened with VioletSanders? Willow asked, shifting hergaze from Zanes disturbing glance toLisa. The foals hair was beginning tofluff out.

She was fortunate in that Sanders kidsdidnt press charges on her, Zaneinformed in a deep tone, Willow not

missing the irritation laced within.Violet had a one-way plane ticket toBelize where she planned to live out herdays quite comfortably.with mymoney. As we both are aware, she had

at least a million good reasons to dosuch.

That was good of Sanders kids to let

her off; Im uncertain if I would havebeen so understanding, Willow told him,Zane a little stunned by her words ashed considered her a cupcake withvanilla icing.

My thoughts exactly. Ill tell you this; ifshe had wound up with a million dollars

from the Armstrong Ranch she would


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have been lucky to see forty. Do youremember Brannigan?

Oh yes; I remember everything, she

assured, Zane eyes lighting over hercomments. The woman had grit sassyand a bit too sure of herself. And thesudden discovery of such reminded hima bit of himself. Why if the two of them

ever had kids together.

Whoa! What tree did that thought sproutfrom? Obviously, it had been too long in-between girlfriends. Why he wouldnt

marry Willow Heartland if she were thelast available woman on earth.

Wrestling with his private thoughts hemanaged, Hes still singing praises

about you. I would imagine hell open

your services to his ranch with openarms.

She jerked her blond head back to himwhen he added, Three years too late but thank you for rescuing a deal gone

sour. The ranch would still be feeling the


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repercussions if youd tied up the dealwith Attorney Morgan that day.

Thanks, she managed. I did get

your foremans input before chargingforward. Dukes such a nice man.

Old enough to be your father.

That didnt stop Violet, Willow toyed,not knowing why. It was a sillystatement to make. She wasnt the least

interested in Duke. However, she tookgreat pleasure in Zanes look of

dissatisfaction over her remarks.

My uncle wasnt too happy with myactions in firing you that day.

Your uncle? she pried, suddenly

confused.

Zane drew his eyebrows together. Youdo realize that Dukes my uncle?

Actually no. I didnt have any idea.


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He came down on me like white on riceafter you peeled out that day. When hetold me the details surrounding Violetsscheme, I could have been knocked overwith a feather.

Well, things ended very well.Thankfully, Doc Hughes had beenworking behind the scenes - putting in a

good word for me at the vet college andinsisting that they find a spot for me.The rest is history.

Through the sudden silence her cell rang

and she answered directly.

Doc Hughes, good to hear from you.

Everything went exceptionally well afterthe foal was turned. A filly healthy andfit.

Zanes ears flared when Willow eased

out after a sudden burst of silence, Imworried about Herbie. What? Oh thankyou, Doc Hughes. I would reallyappreciate that, as will Herbie. Tell him

that I love him and that Ill be home


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soon. Right. Goodbye and yes, Ill seeyou in the morning.

Zane felt as if someone had smashed

him in the guts. Herbie? Obviously amale love interest. He had assumed shewas still single. Surely Herbie wasnt herhusband?

As soon as she pocketed the phone heconveniently asked, Im not sure whatto call you these days. Willow? DocHeartland?

Either will do but I prefer Willow. If youchoose to call me Doc Heartland, thenIll have to revert to calling you Mister

Armstrong again, right?

She smiled at him and he felt as if he

were a melting snowman. Obviously,this Herbie was her live-in lover.

So, you live alone? he pried, unable tohelp himself.


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Just me and my darling Herbie, shetold him and when she would havecontinued to update him on Herbiesrecovery as well as brag about his stintas temporary mascot at the vet college,

Duke called out from the distance.

Got some coffee on the stove! Comeand get it, Zane!

He looked at her for verification and shenodded.

Sounds lovely. Ill be here a few more

hours monitoring Lisa and her filly. Ifyou have things to do, please dont feelobligated to stay with me.

But he planned to do just that until amatter popped up that couldnt be

handled without his expert attention. Hehad wanted to discuss her

relationship with this Herbie in detail butby the time he returned to thestables Willow was gone, a note in herplace:


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Ill drop by early in the a.m. to checkon Lisa and her foal. Sincerely, Willow

CHAPTER FOUR

Zane rose early five a.m. He arrived atthe stables by five-thirty only to find yetanother note from Willow. Good grief!

The woman was quicker than liquor andtwo images flew before his eyes thefirst of her snatching the trinket from hishands, the second of those tiny handstending so aptly to Lisa yesterday.

Abandoning his thoughts he turned hisattention to her note.

Sorry to have missed you. If youd liketo drop by the office later today or giveme a call to discuss Lisas progress, feel

free to do such. Shes doingexceptionally well with no foreseeable

issues. I would also like to ask you tomy house soon for dinner so that youcan visit with my darling Herbie. I thinkthe two of you would get along swell.

Sincerely, Willow


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But she was only fooling herself. Factwas, she realized last night that she hadfallen in love with the man three-plusyears ago. Even the separation of timehadnt erased such.

Zane Armstrong was maddening addictive; she rather enjoyed puttinghim in his place, yet would never go as

far as to attack his dignity.again.

And the way hed looked at her lastevening. It was more than curiosity.

Perhaps admiration? Noit was even

more than that. Surely, not love?

ZANE ENTERED Doc Hughes office and

settled into the plush chair opposite hisdesk.

Willow should be back shortly. Justtending Brannigans prize bull who had a

run-in with some barbed wire, DocHughes informed.


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They were interrupted by thereceptionist Connie who entered with atray of coffee.

One day Im going to steal you awayfrom here and talk you into working atmy ranch, Zane toldher, Connie beaming a smile in theprocess.

Sorry cowboy but my heart is here withDoc Hughes. And Willows a lovelyperson. We clicked right off.

Like sisters, Connie informed, Doc

Hughes beaming a smile now.

I thought that Widow Hanes was

working for you now, he pliedas Connie exited the room.

She does. Actually does very nicework, Zane relayed, taking a long sip of

the hot coffee. Cantmake coffee like Connie though. And if Ihadnt organized the ranchs filingsystem, I daresay the woman could

locate the time of day.


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That was Willows brainchild if Imcorrectly recalling, Doc Hughesreminded with another smile, Zanetensing in the process. Then he teased,Ive got you in the hot

seat, young man. Doesnt happen oftenso I have to take full advantage surelyyou understand. Then, By the way, Itake it that you and Willow have

mended fences over the Sandersincident?

Zane nodded. If anyone would knowabout this Herbie fellow, Doc Hughes

would. He seemed to be a fountain ofknowledge where town gossip wasconcerned. Then again, his fishing buddyHal was the original source; Doc wasonly getting second-hand information.

Doc, Ill be frank with you, Zanedrawled in a cautious tone.If Willow wasnt already involved withthis.Herbie fellow, Id be asking her

out. Instead, she invited me over tomeet him. Thinks wed hit it off-


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He cut off his comments as he heardConnie going into a fit of laughter fromthe lobby area, Doc Hughes suddenlyjoining her. What was so funny? Werethese two mocking him?

And when he demanded to know whatwas so funny the two of them laughedeven harder. He heard a loud thump

from the lobby and when he rose tocheck it out he found Connie on thefloor, doubled over with laughter.

She managed, Good grief I-I

laughed so hard that I fell out of mychair, and then she doubled over again.

Doc Hughes was suddenly standingbeside of him and put an arm aroundZanes shoulders leading him to the back

door which exited into the holding pensof the clinic.

No need to wait, son Herbies outback waiting on Willow. Let me introducethe two of you, he told him, Zane

starting to balk now Connie still


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overcome with laughter. The only soundcoming out of her now was a shrillsqueak.

Theres no need, Zane managed,still locked in confusion. Im sure thatHerbies busy.

Yes, hes having lunch in fact, DocHughes assured him, his wrinkled faceetched with a mischievous smile.Actually, he stays here during the daywhile Willow works, then goes home

with her on the weekends.

They paused at a stall and Doc Hughespointed and said, Zane - Herbie. Herbie

Zane.

Zanes dark eyes widened as a

magnificent looking ram came into view.

I-I dont get it, he managed. But hewasnt confused as to what hed like todo with the ram that being, introducehim to his best ewes.


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Doc Hughes leaned on the fence gaugingZanes reaction. This is the baby lambthat Willow took from the ArmstrongRanch the day you fired her.

Youre kidding, Zane managed, then No, youre not.

Herbie served as a temporary mascotwhere Willow attended vet college. Hewas all the rage voted most popularmale last year.

I can see why, Zane mused aloud,

relieved to find that he had been jealousof a ram. I had all but forgotten aboutthe lamb. Willow, she was so feisty that

day charged in front of me, scoopedup the lamb and whisked him away.There was no talking her out of it.

They both whirled around as Willows

voice floated to them through the shortdistance.


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Ah, my surprise is spoiled, she laughedas she closed the distance. Connie filledme in.

On everything? Zane wanted to know,suddenly feeling so.vulnerable, soembarrassed.

On everything, Willow informed, herface lighting with another smile as Zaneonce again considered how beautiful shewas.

Doc Hughes was sneaking away now

that the dirty work was over, mumblingsomething about a fishing date with hisbuddy Hal.

As soon as he vanished from the crimescene, Willow challenged, Connie seems

to think that youre interested in me.

Connie thinks too much, Zanemanaged.


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Oh, so its not true, Willow eased out,feeling disappointed but she wasntabout to let him see her true emotions.

I didnt say that, he toldher, Willow feeling all warm and fuzzyagain.

And suddenly she was pulled into Zaneswarm embrace, his lips meeting her ownin a passionate kiss.

A few months later

THE WEDDING was scheduled forValentines Day and Willow couldnt be

happier. There were bushels of roses tobe ordered, all yellow as well as thecakes, punch and other goodies.

Mister Brannigan had arranged to bookthe Sanders mansion for the eventand Willow had decided that he alongwith Widow Hanes, Connie, Hal and DocHughes had invited every citizen ofSpringfield. The wedding promised to be


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the event of the year if not thedecade.

There was only one slight issue;

where Willow was going to locate abright yellow wedding gown wascertainly a challenge.

A penny for your thoughts, Zane toldher as he entered the stables to findhis bride-to-be petting Lisa and her filly.It was late evening and they had justbeen placed into their protective stall.

Im wondering about my weddinggown. Again, she teased him, Zanesilencing her with a passionate kiss.

You know that I adore you, he toldher, pulling her away to gaze into her

lovely face. And yes, I know that Ivenot been pleased over your decision to

wear a yellow wedding gown, but withyour beautiful skin tone and those brightblue eyes of yours youd look amazingin anything ornothing at all.


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Im so pleased to have finally won youover, she teased with a smile, dustinghis firm lips with another kiss. Nowthats settled, I was thinking aboutchanging your white tux into a yellow

one-

No way! he protested, inwardlygrimacing because he knew in the end

hed do most anything Willow desired ofhim including wearing a yellow tux.And before this was over, shed probablymake Herbie the official flower boy.

Finally, although zany at times, his lifewas complete.

THE END

c million dollar bimbo

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