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No golden band, but unless looks were deceiving she was much too young to engage in a tryst with a jaded, approaching-forty attorney like himself.
Not that he was interested in a new relationship. He hadn’t cleared the breakup hurdle of the one he was in yet.
“Even if you get the truck started, the battery is likely to give out on you again,” Leif said. “I don’t think you should try to drive it.”
“I don’t have a lot of choice. Sam Loden and his ailing mare are expecting me in about twenty minutes.”
“Don’t you go worrying,” R.J. said. “I’ll get you to Sam’s, but first we need some introductions.” He rested a thin, wrinkled hand on Effie’s shoulder. “This is my granddaughter Effie Dalton, the one I told you about.”
The woman wiped her hands on her jeans. “You must be the California granddaughter who loves horses?”
Effie smiled. “That’s me.”
“Then we have something in common. I love horses, too. And your grandfather has some of the most beautiful and spirited ones in the county.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” Effie said.
“You won’t have to wait long,” R.J. assured her. He turned back to the woman. “This is Joni Griffin, the best vet in six counties—the prettiest, too.”
A blush reddened Joni’s cheeks. “There you go again. Flattery will not lower your bill.”
“It’s not flattery when it’s true,” R.J. said.
Leif extended a hand to the woman. “I’m Leif Dalton, Effie’s father.”
“And R.J.’s son,” she acknowledged. “R.J.’s told me all about you.”
He wouldn’t begin to guess what that might include, since he figured R.J. knew very little about him except his name. And that he had a daughter who R.J. figured he could manipulate.
R.J. put out a hand to him. Leif had no choice but to take it or be seen as a total ass.
R.J.’s grip was much stronger than expected.
“Glad you and Effie are here?” R.J. said.
Leif only nodded. It was better than an outright lie. He turned back to the woman. “Can I give you a ride somewhere or take you to get a new battery?”
“You just got here,” she said. “You’ve hardly had a chance to say hello to your dad.”
An added benefit. “I’m sure he and Effie can find plenty to talk about until I get back.”
“Actually, that’s a dang good idea,” R.J. said. “You drive the doc to Sam’s place and I’ll have my wrangler Corky take her truck into Oak Grove so that Abe can install a new battery.”
Leif turned back to Joni. “I’m game if you are.”
“Sam’s ranch is off a dirt road. You’ll get your sports car layered in mud from last night’s rain.”
“Mud I can handle. Not too keen on driving through whatever made all those scratches on your truck, though.”
“You won’t. Those are from a few of my more adventuresome trips.”
“Through an Amazon jungle?”
“Close. Through Texas brush.”
“So that’s settled,” R.J. said. “You two go heal animals and get to know each other. Corky will get a replacement battery, and Effie and me will check out the horses and try out the cookies Mattie Mae baked this morning.”
Leif turned to his daughter. “Is that arrangement okay with you, Effie?”
“It’s better than okay. I can’t wait to see the horses.”
“Call me if you need me for any reason,” he said.
“Dad. I’m fifteen, not two.”
“She’ll be fine,” R.J. assured him, as if he knew the first thing about parenting.
Leif was relieved for the chance to escape R.J.’s company, but as soon as they started walking toward his car, he had second thoughts about driving off and leaving his daughter alone with his so-called father.
“Be sure Effie meets the twins,” Joni called back to R.J. as she stopped at the door to Leif’s car.
“Absolutely,” R.J. agreed. “I’ll give Hadley a call now.”
“The twins?” Leif questioned as he climbed behind the steering wheel.
“Lila and Lacy, your half brother Adam’s daughters,” Joni answered. “They’re three and too adorable for words.”
So Joni wasn’t the only grandchild to be welcomed into the fold. Leif had received word from R.J.’s lawyer that Adam Dalton had been the first offspring to move onto the ranch. He hadn’t realized Adam was married or had children, but then he hadn’t really given it much thought.
His hand rested on the gearshift, but he made no move to shove it into Reverse.
“You don’t have to do this if you’d rather stay here with Effie and R.J. I can find someone to give me a lift,” Joni offered, obviously misreading his hesitation.
“Driving you to Sam’s isn’t a problem. I’m just not sure about leaving Effie here with my infamous father. Effie probably isn’t as competent on a horse as she’d like everyone to believe. R.J. is liable to put her on some wild horse she can’t control.”
“R.J. would never do that.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I know him. He’ll watch over her like a mother hen. Hadley fully trusts him with the twins, and they’re only three years old.”
“Okay, so I’m overreacting a bit, but you can’t be too careful these days.”
“Are you sure it’s just that you’re being careful? It sounds more like vindictive.”
“Trust me—I have good reason for the way I feel about R.J.”
“I know he wasn’t much of a father to you or any of his children. He admits that. But people can change. You might even like R.J. if you gave him a chance.”
“He had lots of chances. He blew them. Case closed.”
She honored that request, and a few minutes later they were on a back road, his sleek sports car hugging the curves as they made their way to Joni’s next four-legged patient.
Leif turned and studied Joni’s profile. He’d always liked long hair on women, but Joni’s short, shiny hair looked great on her. The bouncy locks hugged her cheeks and highlighted her long, dark eyelashes.
Even without makeup, her skin was flawless, so smooth it almost begged to be touched. Her lips were soft and inviting, her smile a killer. But it was the cute, slightly turned-up nose that added the final seductive touch.
Cute, casual, no apparent pretense, outspoken. She could definitely spell trouble.
But not for him.
The sooner he got out of Oak Grove, the better. He wanted no part of any attachment that would bring him back into R.J.’s world.
* * *
JONI GAVE LEIF directions to Sam Loden’s ranch and then leaned back with her eyes straight ahead. The car, with its soft leather seats, had that invigorating new-car smell. She felt as though she were riding on a cloud. So why was she so uncomfortable?
Because R.J. had practically forced her on the man, that’s why. Driving a vet around who smelled of horseflesh and antibiotic ointment was probably the last thing Leif wanted to be doing today.
Worse,