Animal Instincts [The Andersons 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Marie Jermy

share to her, and if he was going to move out. He continued to give the same answer on both—an unequivocal no.
    Sharing the same house as Ramona had its plus and minus points. More minus than plus, but then again what did he expect when she continued to leave the bathroom looking like a bomb site?
    Another minus was her apparent refusal to even consider his idea of turning the smallest bedroom into another bathroom. Another was her fluctuating moods. One day, she was sweetness and light and an outrageous flirt. The next, she was as cranky as hell. He just didn ’ t get her, not that he was an expert at understanding women.
    But the biggest minus of them all had to be Bud Watson. While they shared the patients who attended the surgery and took any weekend emergency callouts in turn, Ramona consistently left him to deal with Watson. He thought that was unfair. They should share the pain in the ass.
    And last night, finally, Rex thought she had conceded.
    Watson had telephoned asking for assistance with his foaling mare. Ramona had taken the call and agreed to attend. But halfway through the evening, he’d received a call from her asking him—no, ordering him—to go to the Watson ranch and deliver the foal himself. Her reason? She was needed elsewhere. Other than that lame excuse, he hadn’t been able to demand a proper explanation because she hadn’t returned home.
    And that was why Rex was waiting in reception, not for Mimi and her peanut butter cookies, but for Ramona.
    “ So what the hell was the emergency last night?” he demanded the moment she stepped across the threshold. She looked pale and drawn, her usually sparkling eyes dull and lifeless. He didn’t care. “I’d made dinner plans, and I wasn ’ t too impressed about having to cancel them to go and deliver a foal because you were needed elsewhere.” He hadn ’ t really had any dinner plans but, frankly, was too pissed to let her know that.
    A warning light blinked in her eyes. “ Oh, I ’ m dreadfully sorry,” she purred, her tone dripping with scorn. “But I think the rape of my sister was more important than worrying about your guts. ”
    “Samantha’s been r aped? ” He immediately cooled off. “ I ’ m sorry. I didn ’ t know. ”
    “ Why should you? It ’ s none of your business. ”
    “ If there ’ s anything I can do, then— ”
    “ Yeah, there is, ” she interrupted. “ You can stay the hell out of my way. ”
    Nice one, Latimer, Rex berated himself when Ramona flounced into the office and treatment room and slammed the door. He should really apologize for being a jerk. Though knowing what kind of a mood she was in, would she accept it? Deciding he had to at least try, he knocked and entered the room.
    Her back to him, Ramona was standing by the window. He approached and felt certain he saw her shoulders shuddering. He reached out to touch her, but then thought better of it. Andy Ward, his meteorologist friend from Kansas, was a twin, and Rex had experienced and understood the bond that twins shared when Andy’s brother had been seriously hurt in a motorbike accident. Ramona was probably feeling just as hurt and upset as her sister, and the last thing she’d want was to be touched by a man.
    Since the night of the centennial celebrations, and because she visited Ramona almost every night, he’d seen a lot more of Samantha. Though shy, she was a really nice, kind-hearted woman, who didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone. Sure, he was opposed to violence, but at that moment, Rex decided whoever had hurt Samantha needed to be strung up by his balls from the nearest tree. And he would gladly do the deed himself.
    “ I thought I told you to stay out of my way. ”
    Ramona’s tone, although harsh, cracked with what sounded like a sob. He definitely needed to apologize. “ I know, but I wanted to say sorry for being a jerk. ”
    “ Apology accepted. ”
    “ Oh. ” Rex frowned. That was too easy. Ramona turned to face