“Oh, I blush.” Callie winked and lowered her hands.
Lauren smiled and bent forward. “I’d like to see that.”
Callie enjoyed the light banter, and she knew a little more about Lauren now, though not what she was really hoping for. She had so many questions. The question about why a woman snuck out of your bed and ran off without a word was a conversation to have in private. Callie sighed. If she wanted to hear about Lauren’s family, and why her kids didn’t live with her, she’d clearly have to be more direct.
After lunch, they argued politely over the bill. “I should pay because you drove,” Callie said.
“But I invited you. You bought last time. Lunch is my treat today.”
Callie leaned back in her chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an eyebrow. “I pay my way and I expect to do my share. Please, don’t assume I want somebody to look after me.”
Lauren blinked and retreated. “You win. No offense meant.” After Callie paid, they walked back through the mall.
“You heard anything more from Heinz or Kyle Kruger? I worry about you and Becky alone at Poplarcreek,” Lauren said.
“People have offered to stay with us, but I like my independence.” Callie wanted to scream as the dark cloud of Kruger settled over them. “Heinz phoned me Monday morning and said he was still working out how much he owed me for the two cows. Made some comment about impatient women who shouldn’t be in business.”
“And you said?”
“Told him I’d hired a lawyer to help us with the math.” Callie laughed, but it hadn’t been funny and Heinz’s condescending attitude had struck a nerve.
“Good for you. What can I do to help?”
“I’ve got it covered.” Callie stopped and squeezed Lauren’s forearm. “Just be careful around them.”
Lauren opened her mouth then closed it again.
“Lauren?”
“Nothing. Right. Watch out for the Krugers.”
Callie frowned and let the strange exchange go. They exited the mall, hurried to Lauren’s truck, and headed toward home.
Callie twisted in her seat to look at Lauren. There wasn’t a lot of time left before they got back. There would be no more talk of the weather, cattle, or the Krugers. “Thanks for helping me find clothes for Becky. You have amazing taste.” Callie waited for a response. “Lauren, will you tell me about yourself?”
“Now’s the time,” Lauren muttered.
Callie waited.
Lauren grimaced and shook her head. “You asked for it. The tragic saga of Lauren Cornish. T.J. and I met when we were students at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. T.J. is short for Tanya Jenkins. I’m not sure if it was love or lust at first sight. It no longer matters. Anyway, after graduation we moved to Toronto and worked every hour we could. After four years, we had a new house, a thriving practice with six office staff and technicians, and another veterinarian to share the work.”
“Impressive. Why’d you break up?”
Lauren shrugged and stared out the windshield. “We stopped sharing the same dreams and everything kind of faded away. T.J. loved the noisy city, with its busy streets and millions of people. I wanted something else, and we’d drifted too far apart to find a compromise.”
It was a common story, but Callie could see how sad it still made her. “It’s hard when relationships fade away.”
“In ten years, we went from meeting to married to divorced.” Lauren shook her head. “Our kids are just starting to understand. Wish I did.”
Callie held her breath, afraid the wrong words would spook Lauren and she’d stop sharing. “How old are they? And where are the children now?” This was the background Callie had been hoping for, but the sadness in Lauren’s eyes made her wonder if she was prying where she shouldn’t.
“In Ontario with T. J.”
Callie waited for more. The only sound in the truck was the rattle of something in the back. Why was Lauren living so far from her children? Had she run away? Did she still see them? She almost asked, but given Lauren’s pinched expression, she was hesitant to say anything more about it.
Lauren bit her lip. “I hope you don’t despise me for living so far from them.” She paused, then started talking again, her hands tight on the steering wheel. “William’s eighteen and Samantha’s twelve. When we met, William was six. T.J. had already divorced his father and she was pregnant by Sam’s father. William’s dad is a good guy and has always been active in his life. Sam’s father wasn’t around.” Lauren cleared her throat. “I held Sam first. I caught her when she was born.” Tears glistened in Lauren’s eyes behind her sunglasses.
“Sweet.” Callie smoothed her hand up and down Lauren’s arm to comfort her.
“I loved that time in my life, but are you sure you want to hear more?”
“Tell me whatever you wish. No pressure.”
“Life was great. I was a mom to those kids, and I love them. But eventually, T.J. and I had moved so far apart mentally and emotionally we couldn’t find our way back. When the business was thriving, we escaped to Cuba for a week in the winter. It was a treat for the first two years, but later we had nothing to talk about except the house, the kids, and the business. It was like we weren’t interested in each other as people anymore.”
“That’s sad.”
“I was a mess physically and not happy in Toronto. I don’t belong in the city. Never did. I should’ve told T.J. at the beginning, but I thought I could learn to like Toronto. The country and endless space suit me better.” Lauren scanned the fields and nodded.
“When did you last see William and Sam?”
Lauren stared through the windshield and took several deep breaths. “Eighteen months ago.” Callie gasped and Lauren glanced at her. “Not seeing them wasn’t my idea, but after I moved out, they refused to see me. They said I abandoned T.J. and them. It’s kind of dramatic, but I thought I deserved to be cut off. I thought they’d be better off without me, so I moved two provinces away.”
“What will you do now?”
“Recently, I’ve been Skyping with Sam and she told me it was William’s idea to cut me off. It was a cooperative divorce, but I still hurt T.J. He was pretty angry.”
“I’m so sorry. How is he now?”
Lauren gave a watery smile. “I don’t know if I’ll ever reconnect with him. We’ve only spoken a few times in the last month, but Sam’s considering visiting me this summer. T.J. and I are cordial. She’s encouraging them to talk to me.”
“I sure hope Sam visits.”
“Me too. I miss her. It tore me apart when she and William discarded me. It makes me…”
Lauren’s voice was toneless and filled with pain. Callie’s heart ached for her. “It makes you?”
“Leery of loving another woman’s children and risking the pain of that loss.” Lauren sighed and shook her head. “I can’t go through it again. My children barely talk to me, and all the pain I caused is something I live with every day. Relationships are hard enough, and I know that forever is just a word from romance novels. But add in kids, and you’re asking for devastation.”
Callie thought about that for a moment. “Even though Becky was born before I came into the picture, and I lost Liz shortly after, I wouldn’t trade my little girl for anything. I’d risk a world of hurt for a child.”
“You’re braver.”
“I don’t know.” Maybe she was braver and stronger. She wouldn’t have run away from Becky if she and Liz divorced. Callie shook her head at the instant judgmental thoughts. How could she know? She’d never been where Lauren was. She agreed it would be devastating to be rejected by your own child.
Callie shifted to stare out the side window. If Lauren was terrified of another relationship with a woman who already had children, she didn’t have to worry. And she didn’t have to worry about Becky getting too attached to Lauren. She’d keep Becky at arm’s length. The knowledge of all that distance between them made Callie’s heart ache.
Chapter Twenty-one
“Here we are.” Lauren slowed and turned into a property with a small white house and green barn. As soon as the truck stopped at the barn, Callie unlatched her seat belt and slid close. She brushed a tear off Lauren’s cheek and dropped a kiss in its place. “We can stop talking about your children for now. I never meant to upset you.”
Lauren nodded and wiped her eyes with a tissue. She missed her children and confessing to Callie that Sam and William had once rejected her was painful. It must make her look like a horrible mother, to have moved so far away from her kids just because the relationship broke down. And when put simply, that’s what it looked like. But it went deeper than that.
“My friend is at work. If I gave you rubber boots for the barn would you hold the mare’s head for a few minutes?” Lauren regained her composure and confidence and jumped out of the truck. She was in medical mode and that calmed her. Emotions, family, and relationships were confusing. Medicine was not.
Callie followed. “Sure, but size eleven, remember?”
“I borrowed Ian’s old boots. They’re a little big for you, but if you shuffle, they’ll stay on your feet.”
Lauren slipped on a pair of coveralls and lifted her medical kit from the truck. They switched boots and entered the barn. Lauren dropped their dress boots in the tack room. “I’ll leave our boots here to keep them warm.”
She led the way into the horse barn. There were four box stalls, and she unlatched the first door on the right. The mare was a bay with a white blaze and about the friendliest horse Lauren had ever met. She caught the horse, led her into the aisle, and handed the lead to Callie.
Callie caressed the mare between her eyes until the mare’s head drooped with pleasure. “Oh, you are a sweetheart.”
Lauren’s cheeks warmed at the soft words and she wished they were for her. She unwrapped the bandaged leg and glanced at Callie. “I’m surprised you don’t have horses. You have the barn and pasture.”
Callie’s eyes clouded, and she shrugged.
Lauren had the urge to punch herself. What stupid words had escaped from her mouth this time? Callie looked as if she were a kid who had lost her grip on a balloon and was watching it drift away.
After a moment of silence while Lauren worked on the horse’s leg, Callie said, “I love horses, but I never learned to ride. Duke and Jake, Doug’s horses, lived at Poplarcreek when Becky and I moved there. They were Liz’s horses when she was younger. Doug told us Jake was an amazing barrel racer and had a true competitive spirit.”
“Where’d they go?”
“Jake broke his leg while out on pasture. I don’t know what happened, but Doug found a ton of ATV tracks near Jake’s body. We knew it was something terrifying because Duke ran home alone. The poor guy was white with sweat and in a panic, so we went searching for Jake. Becky and I stayed with Jake. We did our best to keep him quiet and comfortable while we waited for the vet. I took Becky home when Doug arrived with Ian. If Jake were younger, surgery might have been an option. But, well, you know…”
“Somebody chased him on an ATV? People can be such jerks.” The mare flinched, startled by the angry tone of Lauren’s voice. She switched her tone to soothing. “Sorry, girl. You’re all right. Everything’s okay now.”
“After Jake died, Becky cried for days. Losing Liz and then losing Liz’s horse crushed her. Living with Doug and hearing about the adventures of Liz and Jake helped bring Becky closer to a mother she was desperate to know, but never would.”
Callie sniffled and Lauren’s eyes burned with unshed tears. She wished she could bring Liz home to Callie and fix her little family. Callie was a strong woman, but Lauren sensed the loneliness in her voice.
Callie shook her head. “Jake’s death was also hard on Duke. He stopped eating and lost fifty pounds, so Doug shipped him to live with his sister in Alberta. We visited her farm last summer.” Callie focused a watery smile on Lauren. “Duke has new horse friends. He’s gained his weight back and then some. He has a distinct belly now.”
“I’m glad he’s doing well.” Lauren returned the mare to her box stall. It was a sad story, and yet another reminder of the fact that Liz’s ghost was alive and well in Callie’s life. She couldn’t compete with a woman who wasn’t even there.
“She’s a sweet animal. How’s she doing?”
“Healing well, and no infection. She’ll have a jagged scar, but she’ll be fine other than that. Let’s go to the tack room and switch boots.”
Callie held Lauren’s hand as they walked, and she still looked lost in memories. “Becky loved both of the old horses. One day at dinner she said, ‘Now Mama can ride Jake again because he’s in heaven with her.’ Doug disappeared into his office and closed the door.” Callie ran a sleeve over her eyes. “A parent never expects to outlive their child.”
“I can’t imagine how that would feel and I don’t want to try.” Lauren shoved away the idea that if something happened to her kids, it would take her two days to get back to Ontario.
Callie squeezed Lauren’s forearm. “I apologize for upsetting you earlier.”
“You didn’t upset me. It was good to talk about it.” Lauren studied Callie. “But are you okay?”
Callie shrugged and busied herself with her boots, then she dug around in her pockets. “Why is there never a tissue when you need one?”
Lauren extracted a paper towel from her kit and handed it over with a shrug. “Will this work?”
Callie nodded and blew her nose. Then, with a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. “Nostalgic day for both of us.”
“Yeah.” Lauren stared at Callie and rubbed her palms nervously on her pants. Callie seemed like she needed a hug, but would she welcome one? There had been some great kissing a week ago, but then things had cooled considerably. She didn’t know where they stood. Her indecisiveness crippled her, and she stood like a statue.
Callie stepped forward, slipped her arms around Lauren’s neck, and rested her head on Lauren’s shoulder.
Lauren froze, startled at first, but then relaxed. Callie was naturally more relaxed about affection and it felt like heaven to hold her. She returned the hug and ran her hands in a soothing fashion up and down Callie’s back.
Callie broke the hug first and stepped back. “You give great hugs.”
Lauren blushed as she struggled for something meaningful to say. Defeated by her waffling, she picked up her gear with one hand and took Callie’s with the other and led them out of the barn. Every nerve in her body warred between the excitement of holding her and the peace of being held. Confused and frustrated, she loaded her gear and they headed for home.
It was a quiet trip back to Poplarcreek. The conversation had drained her. She’d revealed more to Callie than she had to Val. Callie was leaning against the door with her head on the headrest. Lauren admired her ability to relax. Then she leaned forward and looked again. Callie was asleep in the sun, her face sweet and tranquil.
Lauren turned the radio down and drove them to Poplarcreek. She wasn’t the only one drained.
Twenty minutes later, Lauren rubbed Callie’s arm gently. “Callie, you’re home. Callie?”
Callie stirred and stretched. “Did I fall asleep? What a lump I am. Sorry.”
“No problem. You obviously needed the nap.”
“Thanks for a great day. Do you want to come in and have dinner with us? Becky will be home soon and will have a million questions for you about the animals.”
“Thanks, but I should do laundry tonight.” The lamest reason in the world was all her head could muster and the confused expression on Callie’s face announced that she wasn’t buying it. The second-best escape route was diversion. “Max is ready to come home.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Callie nudged her with a shoulder. “Do you deliver?”
“Sure. I could do that.”
Callie climbed out of the truck. “Then bring him Friday after work and have dinner with us.”
Lauren could only nod. She’d been cleverly backed into a corner. Her brain fired off escape routes, but then she said, “Okay, thanks.”
As she drove home Lauren searched for a way to decline the invitation. Tonight, her tired brain only wanted the peace of her house. But maybe she did want to go to Poplarcreek? She most definitely wanted to see Callie again. She had two days to settle down and slot Callie into the friend zone.
* * *
On Friday night Lauren pulled into Poplarcreek and parked. She petted Max, who was curled on the seat beside her. “You’re home.” She was still embarrassed by the amount of personal detail she’d revealed, but Callie hadn’t seemed to judge her. The next ten minutes would tell her what Callie thought of her. She was prepared to leave Max and head immediately back to Thresherton if she wasn’t welcome at Poplarcreek.
Lauren exited the truck, carried Max to the door, and set him down. She knocked, then opened Callie’s door and entered the mudroom. She stuck her head into the kitchen. “Hello to the house. Anybody home?”
Callie rounded the corner into her kitchen and sashayed up to Lauren. Callie gave her a warm hug.
Lauren tucked a loose strand of hair behind Callie’s ear. “I enjoyed that welcome. What if I leave, then come back, and we do it again?”
Callie replied in a sultry voice. “I can’t guarantee the second welcome will be the same.”
“Is there a chance it might be warmer?” Lauren grinned. It was nice to flirt with Callie even if it went no further. There was no doubt that Callie wanted her there.
Becky bounded into the room like a rabbit on caffeine. Callie lowered her voice and backed away. “You’ll never know now.”
Becky bounced on her toes beside Callie. “Do you have our new puppy, Lauren?”
Lauren glanced at Callie. Becky was excited, but she didn’t have a puppy with her. Why hadn’t Callie prepared Becky? Max had healed, but he wasn’t pretty. The fur she’d shaved off for the surgery hadn’t grown back.
Callie rested her hands on Becky’s shoulders and Becky looked up. “Becky, honey, it’s not a puppy. Lauren brought Max home. He’s our dog now. He’s not a puppy, but he’s only two. I hope Max is a nice surprise.”
Veterinary Partner Page 17
