by Nancy M Bell
“At the clinic, I guess. The sooner we collect Storm and get her home, the sooner I can clean this place up before your mom gets here.”
“The puppies are quiet. Did you feed them already this morning?”
“This morning and three times last night,” she said wryly.
“Good. I’ll load them in the truck. You bring the eggs, and we’re off.”
“Huh, Mr. Cheerful. Where were you last night when they were squawking?”
“I’ll take puppy duty tonight if you want…or we could share it?” He waggled his eyebrows and gave her a seductive smile.
“Share it how?”
“You, me, the puppies, my room, one bed?”
The look on his face sent her into gales of laughter which only increased as it changed to one of affronted pride.
“My best line and you laugh? Who can resist an offer like that?”
Still laughing, she collected the eggs from the counter and went out to the truck, leaving him to trail behind and wrestle with the puppy crate and the door. He joined her in short order, grinning happily.
“What are you so happy about, Lothario?”
“You laughed, but you didn’t say no. Hope springs eternal…”
“You wish!”
* * * *
The kitchen door swung open while Michelle still had one foot on the step. Mary moved out of the way to allow entrance. Cale came in behind with the crate of puppies and placed it on the floor. Michelle gave Mary a quick hug and scanned the room for Doc. Not seeing him, she released the older woman and ventured into the living room.
“Doc’s over at Harvey’s. I told him he couldn’t go into the clinic, so he went to have coffee and complain about getting old.”
“Is he feeling better this morning?” Michelle came back into the kitchen.
“Some. Still a little grey around the gills, but not so tired.”
“I’m gonna go check on our patient and see if the locum needs anything,” Cale said before leaving the room.
The puppies set up a racket as the sound of the door closing woke them. Michelle moved to the crate and opened the hatch. Six bundles of black fur came scrambling out complaining loudly about the empty state of their bellies. Laughing, the two women each picked up a puppy and collected a bottle of supplement from the fridge. Mary warmed the milk, and soon the puppies were slurping happily. The remaining four continued to scream at the top of their lungs. Holding the puppy and bottle with one hand, Michelle poured some milk into a shallow bowl and set it on the floor. The little creatures converged on it, crawling through it and sneezing when it got up their noses. They ceased their shrill squealing as some of the milk got into their mouths, and they contented themselves with capturing as much of the fluid as they could from the floor and their fur.
Soon the puppies were all fed and after a short bout of playtime, fell asleep in a heap beside their kennel. The sound of footsteps in the hall leading to the clinic drew Michelle’s attention from the small dogs. She raised her gaze as the door swung open, and Storm hopped into view. The dog was a little wobbly on her three good legs although she moved with more ease than she had with her injured leg still present.
Slipping to her knees, Michelle held her arms out, and the black dog made her way across the floor and sat on her haunches in front of her. Gently, she stroked the soft black fur on the dog’s head. Storm rewarded her with a huge sloppy kiss before gingerly lying down with a sigh. Cale followed Storm into the kitchen and poured himself a mug of coffee.
“How does her stump look?” Michelle rose to her feet, careful not to disturb Storm.
“It looks good. We can take her home with us if you like.”
Before she could answer, the door swung open again, and a tall woman with flaming red hair entered the room. Michelle closed her mouth with a snap. This is the locum? The woman is drop dead gorgeous. I wonder if Doc or Cale hired her?
“Hey, Carrie. This is Michelle, a family friend of Doc and Mary’s. I don’t think you guys have met have you?” Cale introduced the woman without batting an eye.
“Hi, Michelle. I’ve heard lots of good things about you. I’m pleased to meet you.” Carrie crossed the room and held her hand out.
“Hi, Carrie. Nice to meet you, too.”
“Coffee?” Mary offered.
“Don’t mind if I do. I have a bit of a break before the next client is due.” The locum checked her watch before taking a chair at the table.
“Has it been busy?’ Michelle attempted to ignore the fact the woman was beautiful and should not be allowed anywhere near Cale. She would behave like a grownup, she promised herself. Cale is not Rob. He’s not going to go play with her and then come expecting me to act like nothing happened.
“Not too bad, no emergencies yet.” Carrie smiled over the rim of the coffee cup, the corners of her iridescent green eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Good to hear,” Cale remarked. He bent down and ruffled the top of Storm’s head. “We should get this girl home and settled. Are you ready to go, Michelle?”
“Sure, I’ll pack up the little mutts, and we’re ready to roll.”
In short order, the puppies were in the truck, and Michelle waited while Storm came carefully down the snowy walk. The dog paused periodically to lean a shoulder against Cale’s leg for support. Half way to the truck, the vet stooped down, gently gathered the dog into his arms and carried her the remainder of the way. Once in the cab, the big dog ensconced herself in the middle of the seat and leaned against the back rest looking very satisfied with herself. Michelle climbed in beside her and heard Cale laugh as he went around to the driver’s side and got in.
The ride home was quiet. Michelle forced the image of the locum’s face from her mind. Cale was here with her, and they were going home together. He hadn’t been more than friendly to the woman. Trust was a hard thing to believe in after the lessons Rob taught her, but her heart said Cale was different, and he certainly never behaved like Rob did.
“Did you know Carrie before she came here?” The words came out before she could stop them.
“She was three years behind me at WCVM. I knew who she was, but I’ve never really seen her much.” Cale shifted his gaze from the road to give her a puzzled look.
“So Doc hired her?”
“Yeah, he asked me what I knew about her, and everything I heard was good, so I told him that. Why, is it important?”
“I guess not, I don’t know…” Her voice trailed off, and she was annoyed to feel tears building in her eyes.
Cale stomped on the brake, stopping the truck in the middle of the range road near the ranch. He reached across the seat and took her chin in his fingers. He gently turned her face toward him, and she met his gaze. The tears in her eyes gave his features a blurry outline, and it was hard to read his expression.
“Michelle, look at me. I am not your stupid ex-whatever. I am not going to run off with any woman except you. Understand? Only you.”
His fingers tightened on her jaw for a moment and then released her. The vehicle moved forward, and she surreptitiously wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I don’t mean to keep comparing you to Rob. I really don’t. I guess I just don’t get why a guy would want to be with someone like me when there’s a gorgeous female around.”
“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, so I can’t agree with your logic.”
Although his tone was light, the knuckles on his hands were white as he gripped the wheel. She reached across Storm and covered his right hand with her own and squeezed gently.
“You’re pretty hot yourself, for a fancy horse vet.”
Cale rewarded her with a smile which took her breath away. She returned her hand to her lap and smiled.
Chapter Sixteen
Michelle finished chores and headed to the house, carefully tucking three eggs in her jacket pocket. There always seemed to be one or two hens who laid their eggs late in the day. The door to the mudroo
m burst open as she reached the porch, and Cale emerged shrugging into his coat.
“Emergency, gotta go. Storm and the crew are in the kitchen. Don’t know when I’ll be back.” He paused on the way past to plant a kiss on her nose. “Keep the home fires burning.” He grinned as he leaped into his vehicle and drove off kicking snowy gravel from his tires.
“Don’t forget to put your seat belt on,” she called after the departing truck. “God, I sound like his mother.”
Continuing into the house, she washed up, fed the puppies, checked on Storm, and spent the next three hours cleaning the house. It had been quite a while since the old house was given a good cleaning. Michelle wiped last summer’s fly blow off the window and door frames and polished the inside panes of the windows. Standing back to admire her hand work, she was only marginally pleased with the result of three hours of hard work. Nothing except a coat of fresh paint was going to help the woodwork, and there wasn’t anything she could do about the worn spots on the kitchen floor.
“Well, Storm, at least it looks better than when I started.”
The short late December daylight was fading, and she flicked on the overhead light in the room. A glance at the clock on the stove told her it was quarter to five in the afternoon. From the corner of her eye, Michelle caught the flash of headlights as a truck turned into the yard.
“Cale’s home,” she sang the words to Storm.
A truck door slammed followed by footsteps and a soft knock on the outer door. Frowning, Michelle crossed the room and stepped into the dark mudroom, turning on the light as she moved to the door. Pulling the door open, she controlled her surprise at the sight of Kayla standing in the illumination thrown by porch light.
“Hi, Kayla. What are you doing here? Oh, come on in, seeing as you’re here,” she said more than a little ungraciously.
“I don’t mean to bother you…I just didn’t know where else to go…” The woman’s voice trailed off before she burst into tears.
“Oh for mercy’s sake, come in and tell me what the jackass did this time.”
“It’s not his fault.” The anxious woman ventured carefully past Michelle, who took her coat and hung it on a peg, indicating she should leave her boots by the door.
“It never is,” Michelle said dryly.
Swiftly, she poured two cups of coffee and set them on the table. Kayla hovered just inside the kitchen door, looking like she was ready to bolt at any second. Storm hopped over and pushed her head into the distraught woman’s hand, either offering comfort or mooching for a pet, Michelle wasn’t sure which. The contact seemed to break the woman’s concentration on her thoughts, and she moved to sit across from Michelle. She was silent for a few moments, brushing the tears from her face before she looked at Michelle.
“I thought I’d find him here…” Kayla spoke so softly it was hard to understand the words.
“Find who, Cale? Is something wrong with one of the horses?”
“No, Rob. I thought Rob would be here.” Her face flamed bright red as she spoke.
“This is probably the last place he would come. Did you guys have a fight or something?”
“Sort of. He wants to start a family right away, and I want to wait until next year. I’ve already given up some valuable training time with my horse, and I need to start working to get ready for the spring shows. I didn’t go to Tucson so I could spend time with Rob and set up house, but all he wants to do is live in that old trailer and party.”
“Sounds like the Rob I know, well except for the babies part.”
“You didn’t talk about starting a family when you were…” Her voice trailed off, and if possible, the red in her cheeks deepened.
“Engaged, you mean. Like when you met him and married him.” Michelle fought to keep the angry edge from her tone.
“I didn’t know he was engaged. He never mentioned it until after we were married in Vegas. It was too late to have second thoughts by then and…besides I love him.” Kayla defended herself.
“So, you had a fight, you came looking for him here, and he’s obviously not here. Maybe you should leave now.” Michelle got to her feet abruptly and took her coffee cup to the sink.
“Michelle, I really need to talk to you. You’ve known him your whole life. I’m still trying to figure out what makes him tick.”
“When you find that out, let me know.”
“He didn’t want to have kids with you?” the woman persisted.
“No he didn’t.” The words exploded from her before she could stop them. “He wanted to rodeo and party, and he wanted a pretty fiancée on his arm when it was convenient, like when sponsors were around. Made him look stable and responsible and all that.”
“So why is he so insistent we start trying to get pregnant so quickly? I don’t understand.”
“Got me, maybe he really does love you and thinks it’s a good way to tie you to him. Don’t get me wrong, Rob loves kids, and he’s good with them. He just didn’t want any of ours running around.” To her surprise, the sharp knife of pain which usually accompanied this train of thought was curiously absent. Unbidden, Cale’s face flashed across her inner eye.
“I’m sorry, Michelle. I shouldn’t have come here. All I seem to do is cause you more pain and embarrassment.” Kayla got to her feet and moved toward the mud room.
“Wait, Kayla. It’s old news, water under the bridge. Rob made his choice, he married you. That’s something I could never get him to commit to. It took the combined efforts of me, his mom, and Mary, just to get him to propose to me. I guess I should have known better, but he was like a habit. For as long as I can remember, everyone assumed we would get married and combine the two properties. I think Rob was afraid to go against the grain and instead just kept procrastinating. There was always something. This rodeo, that rodeo, CFR, NFR, he couldn’t find the time.”
“Do you think he married me on an impulse and because he was drunk?” Tears threatened to spill from the luminous blue eyes.
Michelle took a minute to marshal her thoughts and choose the words carefully. The woman seemed to be sincere in her feelings for Rob. And for all the reasons she was angry with the man notwithstanding, he was still her friend, and she wanted him to be happy. Only it was supposed to be her he was happy with. A tiny smile crossed her face.
“Maybe a tiny bit, Kayla. Rob is no fool though. He can drink most cowboys under the table and still put in a good ride, so he knew what he was doing. The booze might have given him the courage to actually take the big step, but he must love you, or he would never have married you. He’s not an easy man to live with. His daddy expected a lot from him, and nothing he ever did was good enough. It’s almost like he’s punishing himself for not being some superman his dad wanted him to be. You know, I never actually figured that out until just now.”
“You think I should give in and give up my dreams to make him happy?” A single tear slid down her face.
“Not hardly! You go find the man, drag him out of whatever bar you find him in. Don’t listen to any excuses. Take him home, sit him down, and work it out between you. He has dreams, big deal, so do you. I gave up going to college because I didn’t want to be away from him, worst mistake of my life. Tell him your dreams are important, too, and if he loves you like he says he does, you’ll work it out.”
“Really? You think he’ll be willing to compromise?” The blonde’s expression brightened considerably.
“He will if you stand your ground. Rob’s as hard headed as the worst of them, but underneath, he’s a big old softie. Remember that when you’re so mad you could take a bull whip to him, and you’ll get your way every time. He never looked at me the way he looks at you. He thinks you hung the moon and the sun rises out of your backside. Go get him and drag him on home.”
“Thanks, Michelle. I’m sorry I bothered you with all this. I didn’t know who to talk to, and Mary suggested I come and see you. Oops, I promised not to tell you that part…” Kayla smothered a laugh with her
hand.
“Ah, Miss Mary. I should have seen her hand in this. Driving home the point you and Rob are married and talking about babies, hoping I’ll open my eyes and see the great guy who is interested in me.” Michelle let a giggle escape her lips and suddenly both women were laughing.
“Thank you so much. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Kayla surprised her by giving her a huge bear hug and a large smile. After a moment’s hesitation, she hugged her back and wiped the last of the tear smudges from the other woman’s cheeks.
“Go get Rob, woman, go.” She gave the blonde a gentle push toward the door.
She stood in the window and watched the truck lights bounce as the vehicle drove down the rutted land. Bye, Rob. The thought took her off guard, and suddenly, everything was okay in her world. Storm was alive and getting better, four puppies were spoken for, and Cale would be home when he finished at the clinic. She would never have to worry if he was in some bar with a buckle bunny on his lap, or off doing Lord only knew what stupid stunt because someone dared him. Idiot.
Michelle turned on the radio and sang along with The Travelling Mabels latest hit while she tidied the kitchen. The humour in Eva’s lyrics made her smile more than once before she was done with her tasks. A yawn made her wonder what time it was. It didn’t seem possible it was ten p.m. already. She carried the puppies into Cale’s bedroom after feeding them and laughed to find Storm already curled up on the bed where the puppies couldn’t reach her. The thought of traipsing up the cold stairs was uninviting, and she decided to keep Storm company and watch the early news.
Quickly stripping off her jeans and sweater, she deposited them on a chair and grabbed one of Cale’s thick flannel shirts. She found the remote under a pillow and settled under the warm duvet with the big black dog curled into her side. She lowered the volume to almost nothing so the sleeping babies would stay that way and snuggled deeper into the cozy nest of pillows and covers. Cale’s parents get here tomorrow. At least the house is clean. The thought was the last thing which drifted through her mind before the television screen blurred, and her eyes shut.
