by Kate Pearce
“I get it, and I’d be thrilled to have you when you qualify,” Faith said. “And, if you need a reference from me, Dave, or Dad, let me know.”
“Thanks, Faith.” Trina smiled. “I really appreciate that.” She checked the time and swiped right on her tablet. “Time for your first patient. Roman Taylor’s brought his new puppy, Splat, in for his shots. He’s here with Lizzie. I’ll put them in exam room one, okay?”
Faith sighed as she went to scrub her hands. A day without meeting at least one person associated with the Millers seemed to be an impossibility in Morgan Valley. She’d better just get used to it already.
* * *
Two hours later after checking in with the Millers, she managed to get home to eat some lunch. She’d promised to go back up to the ranch in the afternoon to take a look at the field the pregnant cows had been held in and check out the rest of the expectant mothers. She nuked a burrito straight out of the freezer and sat at the kitchen countertop in the blessedly quiet house to check what she’d missed in the news.
Her cell phone buzzed, and she picked it up.
“Hey Dad! Are you finally settled in?” Faith waved at her father who had finally mastered FaceTime.
“Yup! We’re in Scotland and I’m about to get my dream come true when I play St. Andrew’s golf course.” He smiled. “Your mom’s decided she’d rather go shopping.”
“Sensible woman. How’s the jet lag?” Faith asked.
“Not too bad. Neither of us are great sleepers anyway so we’re just powering through right now. How’s things at your end? Bankrupted the clinic yet?”
“Not quite, but I’m working on it,” Faith teased. “Just dealing with the regular calving season and an outbreak of scours up at the Miller place.”
Her father frowned. “I hope you’ve got Dave looking after that. I’m sure you don’t want anything to do with the Millers.”
“Dad, I’m practically falling over them every time I step out of my door. And, I definitely think it’s time to mend some fences, don’t you?” Faith countered.
An obstinate look descended over her father’s face. “I hope Jeff Miller is being civil or I’ll have a thing or two to say to him when I get back.”
“He said I was almost as good a veterinarian as you are.”
“Jeff said that?” He snorted. “High praise indeed. He always told me I was an incompetent butcher to my face.”
“Well, you two do have something of a history, don’t you?” Faith said. “And what happened between me and Danny certainly didn’t help.”
Her father smiled. “To his credit, Danny Miller has turned out to be nothing like his father.”
“He’s always been a good guy.” Faith hesitated. “That’s why I fell in love with him in the first place.”
“Honey, you weren’t in love.” Her dad chuckled. “You had a silly teenage crush on him that nearly destroyed your future.”
“It was hardly a crush,” Faith pointed out. “We were together for two years. That’s longer than some people stay married.”
“Don’t get all dramatic, sweetheart. You were just kids who eventually needed your parents to step in and sort things out for you.”
Something about her father’s tone made Faith sit up straight. “Did you threaten to prosecute Danny if he tried to contact me back then?”
Her father frowned. “Why are you bringing this up after all this time?”
“Because I’m living here now, and I need to know the truth,” Faith countered.
He shrugged. “I might have laid it on a bit heavy back then, but it was for your own good. The last thing any of us wanted was the two of you getting back together. You nearly died, Faith. We were terrified and having to deal with Danny and his father at that point wasn’t an option.”
“He didn’t even know how ill I was.”
“Good.” Her father nodded. “That was the point. We didn’t want him rushing back to Vegas thinking you needed saving or something. It was much better for you to regain your health while he remained in blissful ignorance in Morgan Valley.”
“Better for whom, Dad? You?”
He frowned. “That’s hardly fair, Faith. Everything we did was with your best interests at heart.”
“So poor Danny didn’t get to see his own child or have any say in what happened to him.”
“He was asked his opinion and he agreed to the adoption.” Her dad’s eyebrows rose. “You’re defending Danny now? Four weeks back and you’re completely under his spell again?”
“Of course I’m not,” Faith said impatiently. “It’s just that I was led to believe he abandoned me in Vegas and that wasn’t true, was it?”
“You were just kids.” His tone softened. “One day when you become a parent, you’ll understand why we did what we did.”
“Except that between you, Mom, and Jeff Miller I never got the opportunity to be a mother to my own child, did I?” Faith only realized how angry she was when her voice started to shake. “You made decisions that affected both Danny and me without consulting either of us!”
“Faith, this is ridiculous.” Her father’s cheeks went red. “And, if I might say, so very ungrateful. I’m surprised at you. I suggest we end this conversation right now. When you have calmed down and thought things through, maybe you’ll have the decency to call and apologize. Everything we did for you was done with love and with a care for your future.”
He abruptly ended the call leaving Faith clutching her phone so hard it was in danger of popping out of her grasp.
“Dammit!” she shouted, and burst into tears.
“Er, hello?”
She swung around hastily wiping tears off her cheeks to see Jenna frozen at the kitchen doorway.
“Sorry,” Faith managed to speak. “I didn’t realize anyone was here.”
Jenna came into the kitchen, her expression so full of sympathy that Faith immediately wanted to start bawling again.
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. Dave asked me to pop in and grab us some more coffee. I have a key and I just completely forgot to knock.”
“You’re family.” Faith tore off a wad of kitchen paper and dabbed at her face. “You don’t need to knock.”
Jenna took the seat next to Faith. “I’m not sure if I’m about to make things worse, but I overheard a little of what was going on.”
Faith winced. Both she and her dad hadn’t exactly been quiet. By the end they’d both been shouting.
“How much?” Faith asked.
“The bit about you not being allowed to be a mother to your child.” Jenna bit her lip. “You can tell me to mind my own business right now if you like, and I swear I’ll never mention this again. But if you need to talk about anything? I’m more than willing to listen.”
Faith studied her cousin’s earnest face. The urge to confide in someone who was close enough to keep her secrets but not directly involved in keeping them was very tempting.
“If it helps at all, I was adopted,” Jenna continued. “And, I’ll always be grateful to the McDonalds for taking me on when my own mom couldn’t care for me.”
“Marcus, my baby, was adopted right after he was born,” Faith said. “I didn’t get to meet his new parents because I was in a medically induced coma after suffering from eclampsia right after giving birth.”
“That must have been terrifying.” Jenna shuddered. “I can’t even imagine. . . .”
“They thought I was going to die and that making sure Marcus was in a safe and secure place was a priority.”
“Which makes sense,” Jenna said, nodding. “But it still doesn’t make it right.”
Faith sighed. “And I just had a godawful row with my dad about it all. I didn’t even realize how mad I was after all this time until he suggested that as a teenager, I hadn’t felt things deeply, or had the ability to love someone.”
Jenna reached out and grabbed her hand. “That not only sucks but it’s also not true.”
Faith’s eyes filled wi
th tears again. “Maybe coming back here and having to deal with the Millers every single day in some shape or form was a bad idea.”
“The Millers?” Jenna frowned and then stared at Faith as her mouth gaped open. “You had a kid with one of the Miller boys? Is that why you didn’t come back home after you graduated college?”
“That was the deal, yes.” Faith nodded.
“Which one?” Jenna asked, and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Wow, that was rude.”
Faith had to smile. “Danny.”
“Ah! That explains what Dave’s been ranting about for the last few days,” Jenna said. “I couldn’t work out why Danny had suddenly become the bad guy.” She paused. “You must have been at school together.”
“We dated from the age of fifteen and were pretty much inseparable,” Faith admitted. She generally avoided thinking about their years together because it had been so distorted by what came next. “He was such a sweetheart.”
“I bet.” Jenna nodded. “He still is, but there’s a lot of strength in him as well. He certainly doesn’t let his father bully him.” She hesitated. “If you want me to take over dealing with the Millers, I’m more than willing to do so. It can’t be comfortable for you up there.”
“Actually, Danny and I are fine,” Faith said. “We’ve talked and we’re definitely at peace. I’m madder with what our parents concealed from us.”
Jenna winced. “When I went to look for my birth parents, I discovered they were still married and had gone on to have and keep their other children.”
“Wow. That must have hurt.”
“It did.” Jenna gave a quick smile. “But Blue reminded me that my adoptive parents not only chose to adopt, but were thrilled to have me and love me one hundred percent.”
“That’s how I hope it’s been for Marcus,” Faith confessed. “I still think about him every day.”
“Does he know about you?” Jenna asked. “Was it an open adoption?”
“I’m not sure.” Faith frowned. “I suppose I should ask Dad, but as he’s currently furious with me I’ll probably have to wait awhile.”
Jenna patted her hand. “I’m sure he’ll get over being angry real quick. It doesn’t suit him.”
“I’m not sure this time.” Faith looked down at her half-eaten burrito. “I think I managed to get under his skin and he’s as stubborn as I am when it comes down to it.”
* * *
Danny came out of the post office with the mail stacked in a pile and took it over to his truck. He could already tell that it was going to be a hot day and had decided to come into town early to get things done before it became unbearable. From what he could see, most of the mail was agricultural supply catalogues and get-well cards for his father. He checked the list Adam had given him, relocked his truck, and headed toward Maureen’s, taking the time to nod and smile at any familiar faces along the way.
Evan had come with him and immediately disappeared murmuring vaguely about stuff he had to do, leaving Danny with all the tasks to complete. As his brother had been remarkably reliable as of late, Danny wasn’t too bothered by his desertion. If Evan didn’t turn up, he’d text him before he left and hope he made it back to the truck.
Faith was due at the ranch to check out the fields where they’d placed the pregnant cows. He and Adam had been over them already at dawn and seen nothing obvious, but Faith might notice something they’d missed. At this point, Danny didn’t care who found the answer as long as they put an end to the scours outbreak. There hadn’t been any more downed calves overnight, which was at least something.
Danny stepped into the feedstore, nodded to Fred the owner, and went on through to the back where he picked up the items on Adam’s very detailed list. Caring for the sick calves had made inroads into their supplies, which now needed to be replaced just in case things got worse.
“Hey Fred.” Danny walked back to the front. “Have you got any more collapsible feed pouches?”
“I thought we did.” Fred ambled out from behind the counter, his brow furrowed, and came to look. “I just got in. Azalea must have sold some this morning. I can check out back if you like?”
“That would be great.” Danny finished his shopping and brought everything to the counter.
Fred returned. “Nothing out there, but I can order some in for you. They’ll only take a day or two to get here.”
Danny tried to remember how many they already had. “If you could give me a call when they come in, I’d be grateful.”
“Will do.” Fred checked out his purchases. “How’s Jeff doing?”
“Getting better every day.”
“Give him my best, won’t you?” Fred sighed heavily. “I miss him coming in here and shouting at me for no reason at all. It used to brighten my days.”
“I’ll tell him.” Danny fought a smile as he picked up the box Fred had packed the supplies in. “Have a great day.”
Even though it was only just gone nine, the sun was already heating up the cloudless blue sky. As he walked back along the boardwalk Danny wished he’d brought his truck closer to the feedstore. Once he put this load in the back seat, he only had to go to Maureen’s to pick up some groceries and he was done.
“Hey Maureen.” He greeted the store owner, who was sitting at the front checkout desk. “What’s up?”
“Hey Danny.” She smiled at him. “How’s Jeff?”
“Definitely on the mend.” He picked up a wire basket. “Which is why I’m here buying his favorite sugar-and-dairy-free ice cream treats.”
Maureen chuckled. “I bet he hates them.”
“He does, but it’s that or organic fruit, and he hates that even more.”
Maureen was still smiling as she turned to help some customers, leaving Danny to shop in comparative peace. He rounded the back corner and almost bumped into Sue Ellen’s cart.
“Sorry, Danny!” She immediately backed up and put herself between him and the cart. “I didn’t see you there.”
“No harm done.” Danny indicated his cowboy boot. “My toes are so used to being stepped on I hardly felt a thing.”
Sue Ellen’s smile was constrained as she started to back up the aisle.
“Everything okay?” Danny asked as she was usually more than willing to chat. His gaze fell on her cart. “Looks like you’re planning on baking or preserving up a storm.”
“What if I am?” She raised her chin. “Some of us still value homemaker skills.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Aware that she was behaving really weirdly, Danny tried to throw her a softball. “Doug’s doing good?”
“Of course he is.” Sue Ellen’s color rose. “Just because he’s not all flashy like you Millers and Morgans doesn’t mean he isn’t just as hardworking and capable as you are.”
“I never said—”
Before he’d even finished the sentence, she was marching away toward the front of the store. He stared after her and slowly shook his head. Whatever was going on in her life she certainly wasn’t happy. He could only hope that she and Doug really were okay.
Even though he was keen to get out of town, he took his time to make sure Sue Ellen had left the premises before he went to pay. There was enough going on in his life without adding the Brysons to the pile.
He emerged into the simmering heat and quickly loaded up the back seat of his truck. Just as he was about to get into the driver’s seat, he heard his name being called and turned to see Sonali waving at him from across the street. She wore a green top and jeans that were covered by a black apron with The Red Dragon embroidered on the front.
He smiled as she came toward him, a sealed cup in her hand. “Hey! I thought you might like some coffee on the house.”
“That’s very kind of you.” He automatically took the cup. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take it and go.” He gestured at his truck. “I’ve got to get the shopping home before it melts.”
She fake pouted. “That’s a shame. I’m on my break. I was thinking
we could hang out for a few minutes and chat.”
“Maybe another time?” He searched her face. She was so damn pretty. “And next time, I’ll buy the coffee.”
“You don’t have to do that.” She smiled. “It’s not like I can’t get it for free.”
Danny chuckled. “Then I’ll have to be more creative. Maybe a slice of Gina’s pizza instead?”
“Like a real date?” Sonali visibly brightened. “I could do that.”
Inwardly Danny grimaced. “I hate to be the bad person here, but I’m not really in a good place for dating anyone right now.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip. “I thought we had something going before I went off on my culinary course, but obviously I got it wrong.”
“No, you didn’t.” Danny held her gaze. “It’s all on me.”
She stared right back at him. “I guess it must be difficult right now with Faith McDonald coming back to the valley.”
“Faith and I are cool. This doesn’t have anything to do with her.” He sighed. “I just think I’m too old and too boring for you. You deserve so much more.”
She studied him for a long moment and then her lips twitched. “I think you underestimate your appeal.”
He smiled. “Nah, you’d be bored silly in a week.”
“I doubt it.”
“A month, then.”
She laughed and Danny was so relieved he grinned back at her. “If I was ten years younger . . .”
“You’d be younger than me.” Sonali shook her head. “It’s okay, Danny. I really do appreciate you being straight with me. It’s a lost art among most of the guys my age.”
“Then they are all fools.” Danny held out the coffee. “Do you want this back now?”
“No, you keep it. I’ll add it to your next bill.”
“You do that.”
Sonali grinned. “With interest. Give my best to your dad and Evan, won’t you?”
“I sure will.”
As Sonali skipped back across the street, the passenger door of his truck slammed shut and Danny noticed Evan was now in his seat.
“Hey.” Danny got in and started the engine.
