Free The Cowboy Soldier by Roz Denny Fox

Goodman’s. It was awkward as hell, and both men muttered a passable “Pleased to meet’cha.” Rafe attempted to disengage fast, but Alexa held his arm in a strong grip.
    “Rafe’s a former national bronc riding champion,” she said. “More recently he’s served with the army.”
    Paul hesitated too long. Rafe was acutely aware of the moment the guy realized Rafe couldn’t see a lick.
    “I’m Alexa’s patient,” Rafe snapped crossly. The SOB proceeded to pat Rafe’s shoulder and ramp up the pity.
    “Bummer, dude. But this is the first I’ve heard Alexa doctors two-legged critters.” At once Goodman’s tone turned flirtatious. “If I had known that, love,” he said, addressing Alexa, “I’d have come a month ago to see if you had a potion for mendin’ a broken heart.” The ranger’s attention was now totally on Alexa as he lowered his voice. “I s’pose you heard Jill left the area for the bright lights of the city over the summer.”
    “No,” Alexa said, her surprise sounding genuine. “That’s too bad, Paul. Now, what have got for me here?”
    “First things first, darlin’. You just hafta come to the lodge Saturday night as my date for the rangers’ fall charity dance.”
    Rafe had heard enough. He set off in what, if there was a God, would be the right direction to the house. Without the dog or Alexa to guide him, he might walk straight into the corral fence. Focused on his getaway, he couldn’t hear if Alexa accepted Paul’s invitation. No reason she shouldn’t. She was a free agent.
    The burning in his gut was his own problem, and something Rafe had no explanation for.

    A LEXA FROWNED AFTER Rafe. She went so far as to skirt the back of the pickup for a clearer view of his zigzaggy march to the house. She wondered what he was using for reference points. He should have asked her to get Compadre. Taking off alone like that was reckless, and it bothered her. He could fall or smack into something.
    “I brought you a pair of fox kits,” Paul said. He took her hand and led her back to the pickup. “The ranger who found ’em figured a bobcat got Mama.”
    Relieved to see Rafe mount the steps to the back porch, Alexa finally peered into the cage. “What kind of injuries do they have?”
    “None. They just need to be bottle-fed until they grow some.”
    “Don’t you have someone skilled in being a surrogate to orphaned animals?”
    “Shirl Scofield up in Marathon. Here’s the real skinny, babe. Red Jones and some other guys bet me I couldn’t get you to come to the dance with me…. Only you and I know you’ve always secretly had a crush on me,” he concluded.
    “Pardon?” Her mind back on Rafe, Alexa missed all but the last part of Paul’s ludicrous statement. She gaped at him, open-mouthed.
    “The kits gave me an excuse to come see you, as well as get the state to pay for my gas. I said to myself, one woman can mother these little guys as easily as another. After all, it’s in a woman’s genes. What say we meet at the lodge Saturday night, seven o’clock? I’ll win enough off the guys to buy you dinner.” Paul slid out the cage with the fox kits and strode off toward the small barn where she housed the wildlife.
    Alexa couldn’t believe his massive ego. She could easily see why Jill Harper, who clerked at the park general store, had ended their engagement. She’d like to kick Paul in the pants herself. Keeping step with him, she drawled sarcastically, “Gee, Paul. With kits to feed by hand three or four times a day, I can’t possibly go off for an entire evening.”
    “Have your flunky feed ’em.”
    “Excuse me?” Alexa, who’d darted ahead to open the barn door, stopped dead.
    “The blind dude. Have him feed the kits. Unless there’s something more goin’ on between you two besides him training your horses,” Paul added snidely.
    “Get lost, Paul,” Alexa said icily. “I can’t imagine what gave you the idea I treated you any differently than I treat