In this excerpt, TJ Meridian is waiting in her ranch office for Erin and Paula to report to her.

The sound of voices in the hallway drew her attention. Erin was trying to stop someone from doing something, but the voice she didn't recognize wasn't having any of it and quite vocally stated that she was going to give "Miss Meridian" a piece of her mind. The door to her office was flung open, and in charged the owner of the unknown voice. TJ watched as the intruder hurried toward her, pulling up short several feet from the desk.

A woman with long blonde hair stood there, her face flushed and her breath coming in uneven gasps. Erin rushed in through the door a second later, a pleading look on her face. TJ's mood darkened further. Erin could have physically stopped the smaller woman or even called the police, but apparently she had resorted to fruitless argument.

The visitor took two deep breaths, and her breathing calmed. "Are you T. J. Meridian?" she asked.

"I am."

The woman put her hands on her hips and stared hard, looking like she was struggling to quiet her anger.

"You and your family have some nerve coming back here. Don't you think you've done enough damage to this town?" She strode forward and placed her palms flat on the edge of the desk. "Ten years ago, your father destroyed this town, destroyed the livelihood of everyone in it. These people made your father and his company a fortune, then he upped and left. Hell, he wouldn't even sell the land to them so they could work it themselves, and now you've come back? Just what do you hope to achieve here?"

TJ listened as the woman vented her tirade against her and her family. How was she supposed to respond? Everything was true. If the woman had known that her father had pulled out from the ranch to prevent TJ, herself, from becoming obsessed with it, no doubt she would have had more choice words to say.

TJ knew that coming back here to put things right would be difficult. That was why she had planned to appoint a manager to oversee the project, but the injury changed all that. She had hoped to keep her presence here quiet. Obviously, that wouldn't work. The young woman's words hurt. TJ wasn't her father. But nobody seemed to remember that. They always tarred her with the same brush. Even in death, he still ruled her life, and it looked like she would spend what was left of that life repaying his considerable debts.

She felt her anger build: anger at her situation, anger that Erin and Paula were being stubborn about her seeing Flag, anger at the world in general for not letting her lie down and die like she wanted to. "Have you finished?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"For now."

"Good. And you are?"

"Mare Gillespie. Dr. Mare Gillespie. I'm the local vet who just looked after your precious horse."

TJ flicked a glance toward Erin, who had the grace to blush, then looked like she wanted to hide. TJ bet Flag was ill and they kept it from her, probably thinking it would upset her.

"I see," TJ said. "And do you make a habit of bursting into people's houses? That doesn't seem like a good way to attract business, if you ask me. As for your opinions on my family, they're neither wanted nor appreciated. I suggest you leave quietly, before I have you thrown out."

Mare's lip curled. "I come here to treat a sick horse, and I discover the return of a sick family." TJ opened her mouth to respond, but just then Paula came running into the office. She stopped abruptly and ran a hand through short, dark brown hair as she looked toward TJ.

Instead of speaking, TJ's glance went from Paula to the vet, then back to Paula, and with a jerk of her head, she signaled dismissal. Thankfully, Paula recognized TJ's intention. Without question, she grasped the woman's arm and tightened her grip when she scowled.

Erin spoke up with an urgent tone in her voice, "Dr. Gillespie, Miss Meridian has asked you to leave, and I think it might be wise for you to do so."

Mare's gaze had been locked on TJ's during this whole exchange. "I'll be back tomorrow to check on your sick horse." Her voice flattened, giving a false sense of spent anger. Her gaze switched toward Paula. Slightly taller than Erin and solidly muscular, Paula showed a look of confident strength in her dark-brown eyes. Mare spoke firmly. "I would like to suggest that you take your hand off of me. I'm leaving."

Paula hesitated and looked at TJ. TJ's eyes were narrowed and her jaw set, but she nodded and Paula released her hold.

Erin jumped in. "I'll show you out, Doctor." She walked toward the door, then looked back. The vet hadn't moved. She stood where she was until TJ's gaze swept back to her. With one last challenging look, she turned and followed Erin out.


Paula nervously watched TJ. She could see the anger building in her eyes and knew if TJ didn't say something soon it was going to be hell on earth around the ranch for the next few days. TJ was used to fending off insults aimed at her family, but illness for her horse was another matter. Maybe Erin should have told her Flag was ill. These days the animal was the only thing that kept TJ going. She took a deep breath as she anticipated that TJ was about to start a tirade.

"Why did we require a vet for one of the horses?" TJ's voice sounded normal.

Paula frowned. This was much worse than she had thought. If TJ wasn't shouting, she was furious. "Erin went to the barn early this morning and thought one of them looked a little distressed. She decided it would be wise to err on the side of caution and have the vet check it out." It was unlikely that TJ would let her get away with not naming the horse involved, but it was worth a try.

"Was it Flag?" TJ asked softly.

"Yeah, it was."

"What was wrong? Is she going to be okay?" Paula noticed that TJ had picked up a pencil and was twirling it through her fingers, another bad sign.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to Erin yet."

"Fine. We'll wait for her to come back then." The motion of the pencil quickened in her hand.

Paula took a deep breath and tried to still her nervousness. Oh yeah. Hell was about to materialize on a little-known ranch in Nowheresville, Texas.