by Betina Krahn
“Some warning would have been nice.”
“What? That I’d lost a young python in my house and had no idea where or when it might show up?” It sounded even worse when she said it aloud. She looked a little sheepish. “It never occurred to me that it might reappear tonight. Okay, maybe it crossed my mind...once. Anyway, Ben seemed to love it.”
“Yeah, well, about Ben—” he avoided her eyes “—I don’t like him being exposed to dangerous things. It’s my job to protect him.”
“Protect him? Did you see him tonight? He was charged up and loving it. He wasn’t one bit afraid of a seven-foot python.”
“That’s what bothers me. He’s too young to realize true danger. He just charged in to get his hands on the thing. He needs to learn control, and until he does, I have to exercise it for him.”
“He’s your son—you have to do what you think is right,” she said, wishing she could reach out and draw him back across the distance spreading between them. “But he’s a bright, curious, gutsy kid. He has to try new things and learn by doing. It’s in his bones. Surely you can see that.”
His head came up and his eyes darkened.
“What I can see is that he needs a firm hand. And limits.”
He held her gaze for a moment, and she had no clue where to go from there. Try for another platitude on child rearing? Plead for another chance? Or just be honest.
“I care about him, too, Nick. He’s an amazing kid,” she said, wishing he could somehow see the depth of feeling in her heart. “I would never do anything to hurt him. And I would never let him get hurt by an animal in my care. I want to protect him, too.”
He was silent and motionless for a heart-stopping minute, searching her, then he leaned in...to plant a kiss on her cheek.
“Good night, Kate.”
He was halfway down the sidewalk to his vehicle before she realized what had happened. Her cheek burned where his lips had brushed it, and for a moment she held her breath. That dry, infuriatingly proper little kiss took more feeling than it gave.
No matter what he had said, it didn’t feel like good-night...it felt like goodbye.
As she stood there, feeling drained and boneless, her heart sank into an old emptiness she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Memories surfaced from the bottom of her consciousness, potent and unwelcome...another time she’d watched someone she loved walk away.
She didn’t notice when he stopped on the sidewalk or that he just stood there with his back to her, legs braced, fists clenched and shoulders rounding. She couldn’t see the muscle in his jaw flex or cords become visible in his neck.
She couldn’t move. Every bit of energy she possessed was required to keep her upright and breathing.
Inside. Now. Do not let him see you dissolving into—
The sound of footsteps brought her gaze up. He was coming back up the walk, moving fast, filling her vision and jolting her heart into a quick, erratic beat.
He didn’t hesitate or pause to gauge her reaction. He didn’t explain, negotiate or make excuses. He clamped his arms around her waist, covered her lips with his and in a heartbeat was breathing warmth and feeling back into her.
With him against her, around her, caressing her, her shock quickly melted. His long, thorough kiss worked magic in her, and she responded with an embrace that contained all the joy she could summon. Instinct took over, guiding her response, and for a small eternity there was nothing but him and her—lips to lips, body to body—and this eruption of need and longing. And loving.
Sometime in that earth-shattering kiss, she realized she was falling in love with Nick Stanton.
By the time the kiss ended, his cheeks were flushed and his breathing was ragged. Cradling her face between his hands, he ran his thumbs over her lips and said, “Kate...my Kate...my beautiful Kate,” and she realized—even if he didn’t know it yet—that he might be coming to love her, too.
Moisture rimmed her eyes, and her lips felt thick and conspicuous as she looked up into his eyes and read in them the same things she was feeling...desire, certainty and the promise of more. Boyish giggles reached them, making him draw back a few inches, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he gave her a hot, reckless, very untrooper-like grin. On the side of her body away from Ben’s notice, he ran a hand down her hip.
“Soccer, Kate. Tomorrow at ten?”
She nodded.
His grin was as broad as his face as he strode out to his SUV. When he opened the door to climb in, she could hear Ben taunting his dad about “...kissing Dr. Kate!”
She managed to close the front door behind her before sliding down it to land on the floor on her butt.
“Oh, hell, yeah. Tomorrow.” She grinned, feeling more than a little intoxicated. “I frickin’ love soccer.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
KATE LEFT WORK the next morning with a story about needing a dental cleaning and only being able to schedule on a Saturday. Jess scowled, clearly suspicious, but in the end agreed to see Kate’s last few patients to allow her to leave in time for the “appointment.”
She arrived at an athletic complex she had driven by a thousand times and found herself in a maze of fields, bleachers, and rows of folding chairs, coolers and strollers. It took a while to find where Ben was playing—it would have to be the field farthest from the parking lot.
Sarah Stanton spotted her as she arrived, waving and gesturing to an empty folding chair beside her. As Kate sat down, a cheer burst from the crowd and Sarah explained that Ben’s team had just scored. Moments later Nick was at her side, crouching on one knee as he watched the boys on the field and tutored Kate in all things soccer. When he slipped his hand over hers on the arm of the chair, she melted inside.
During halftime, as the boys were fed oranges and Gatorade, Nick introduced Kate to several other parents, who were surprised to learn she was one of the vets at the new Lakeview Animal Clinic. As they talked, she caught some of the moms eyeing Nick’s impressive physique and smiled. She thought he was pretty darned spectacular, too. But when Ben threw his arms around her, she hugged him back and didn’t bother to check the moms’ reactions. Nick’s broad smile at seeing it was all that mattered.
Ben’s happiness had evaporated by the time the game was over. They had lost by one goal. On the walk back to the SUV he kicked at gravel with his cleats and growled, “I stunk. I’m a crummy player. We all stunk—except Koshi.” Koshi was the kid who scored both of their goals. Nick grabbed Ben’s hand to slow him and talked in solemn tones about “playing classy.”
“Every player has good games and tough games—times that you play like a champ and times you stumble around on the field like a chump. That’s all part of learning and training your growing body. But the important thing is that you do your best. You play hard and then you learn to accept the outcome—win or lose—with good sportsmanship. That’s why you line up and shake hands at the end of the game...learning to be a good sport.”
It was a hard lesson for an eight-year-old to understand, and the loss seemed to matter more to Ben because Kate had been there to see it.
Knowing he was looking to her for a reaction, she nodded firmly to underscore Nick’s words about winning and losing. It sounded like well-worn “guy-speak” to her, but it was probably also a rite of passage for boys Ben’s age. Learning to take your lumps on a sports field taught self-control but just as importantly, it taught hope. There would be another try, a next game, a second chance...if not on the sports field, somewhere else in life.
“Determination and hard work,” she heard Nick say, “are worth more than talent any day. And you’ve got plenty of both, kiddo.” She took a satisfied breath as Nick squeezed Ben against his side. Her prediction that he would know the best way to steer his son had been right on target.
At the mention of his favorite Mexican restaurant
, Ben’s spirits rebounded, and soon they were seated in a booth at Acapulco, talking about soccer and the possibility of basketball in the coming winter season. Ben wasn’t keen on signing up; he said he’d rather take bike hikes with his dad, use his telescope to chart more stars at night and try fishing. Plus, he had to help with the dogs.
“Can we go to Gran Everly’s farm and see Goldie and Soldier after lunch?” He cocked his head like a curious puppy. “Puleeeze.”
“Mrs. Everly may not want visitors this afternoon—she may not even be home,” Nick said, frowning.
“No, remember, she said we could come anytime. Right, Dr. Kate?”
Kate stalled for a minute, trying to decide which one to disappoint, Ben or Nick. “That’s right. She did say that.”
“Are you going?” Nick asked, tossing the decision into her lap.
“I have to stop at the shelter first to check on a couple of animals, then I could swing by the farm.”
“Well, I have a ton of things to do at home,” Sarah said to Nick. “Can you drop me off before you go?”
“No problem.” He turned to Kate. “How about if we meet at the shelter and go out there together?”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, remembering their last visit to the farm and the way they had been together. Her body warmed in anticipation of a repeat engagement. “I don’t think it will take me long. And you know, I’m kind of looking forward to seeing Goldie and Soldier.”
“Can I ride with you, Dr. Kate?” Ben asked, catching her off guard.
“It’s fine with me, if—” She looked to Nick, who gave in to his son’s eagerness and nodded.
* * *
THE PARKING LOT at Harbor had a few more cars than usual for a Saturday afternoon. “Must be a carryover from last week.” Kate parked on the grass near the office and Ben hopped out, saying he wanted to see the puppies in the main kennel. “Okay, but check in with me in the surgery in a few minutes. Your dad will be here soon.”
Before she reached the front door, it opened.
“There you are.” Nance dragged Kate inside. “We got him.”
“Got who?” Kate pulled back to slow her down.
“The schnauzer kid. Caught him red-handed this time.”
“The boy who dropped off the schnauzer puppies?” It took a moment for that to sink in. She followed her grandmother into the kitchen-surgery where she found Isabelle, Hines Jackson and volunteers Harry Mueller and Linda Hoskins gathered around a small figure seated on a straight-backed wooden chair.
As she got closer, the boy’s head came up, his big brown eyes filled with fear, distrust, and worst of all, resignation. That helplessness struck Kate harder than his thatch of unkempt hair or rail-thin body or the worn clothes that looked like two or three generations already had passed through them. His bony shoulders and scrawny legs said he seldom had enough to eat, and his calloused hands spoke of hard labor, both of which made it difficult to tell his age. He could be anywhere from eleven to fourteen.
“Who is he?” She looked from one member of the group to another.
“He don’t say,” Hines answered, frowning. “Maybe he don’t speak English.”
“Habla inglese?” she asked in her limited Spanish. He lowered his head and stared at his hands as they ran nervously up and down his thighs.
To the group she said, “How did you find him?”
“Hines and Harry caught him sneaking around the back of the kennel, trying to get into the puppy runs,” Nance supplied.
“Why would he do that?” Kate said, studying the boy. “If he brought them here, why would he try to steal them back?”
“We don’t know. He refuses to tell us what he’s doing here or where he got the puppies he brought us,” Isabelle put in.
“He tried to run at first, but we caught him,” Harry added with a grin. “Hines is a heckuva lot quicker than he looks.”
Kate crossed her arms, thinking of a way to get the boy to open up to them. “He looks like he needs a good meal. Maybe if we got him some food and gave him a chance to get used to us, he’d open up.”
Harry and Linda went for some food, Isabelle got him a soda from the fridge and Hines pushed his chair up to the table in the surgery. Kate dragged another chair from Isabelle’s office and sat down with him, smiling sympathetically, giving the tension in him a chance to unwind.
He wouldn’t touch the soda at first; he just stared at it. But after a few moments, he licked his dry lips. He was thirsty and probably desperate for a jolt of energy. Kate nudged it closer to him on the tabletop.
“It’s all right. It’s yours. Nobody is going to hurt you here. But I think you already know that. It’s why you brought us the puppies, right?” She nudged the soda can still closer. “We don’t want to hurt you or make you stay here. We just want to know where the puppies came from.”
Minutes later, he surrendered the last of his resistance to her soft approach and reached for the soda. He drank eagerly, as if he were starved for liquid and energy. At Kate’s suggestion, Isabelle brought a second can, and then she and Hines left Kate and Nance alone with the boy.
“What is your name, son?” Nance said quietly. “I’m Nance Everly and this is Kate Everly. She’s the veterinarian who takes care of the animals here.”
The boy looked at Kate with surprise, and Kate knew that he understood what her gran had said.
“You do speak English, don’t you? You know what we’re saying.” She moved a little nearer to him. “What is your name? You’re not in trouble here, I promise.” She touched her heart to show she meant it. “We just need to find the place those puppies come from. I bet there are more puppies there who need help.” Her smile took on a tinge of sadness. “Am I right?”
The boy set the soda back on the table and pushed it away.
One minute, then two passed as Kate searched for another approach. Footsteps sounded and she turned to the door just as Ben burst into the room, red-faced and little out of breath. “The puppies are sleeping—all in piles—so I didn’t—”
His gaze fixed on the boy and then moved to Kate and Nance.
“Who’s he?”
“We don’t know,” Kate said, extending her arm in an invitation Ben accepted. He came to her side, and she wrapped that arm around his shoulders. “Maybe you could ask him.”
Ben studied the boy and took a deep breath.
“I’m Ben. What’s your name?” It was said with openness and simple curiosity that worked on the boy’s defenses. His eyes flitted between Ben and Kate, observing the bond between them, and finally surrendered.
“Miguel,” he said softly. “I am Miguel.”
“Good to meet you, Miguel,” Kate said, breaking into a smile. “Ben, here, is a good friend of mine.” Ben said hello and waved awkwardly, looking a little uncertain. “Do you live around here?”
“Not so near.”
“With your family?”
The boy shrank back against the chair, and she sensed he was afraid to reveal his circumstances.
“Okay, you don’t have to say. But you brought puppies to us...more than once. That was you, wasn’t it?” When he nodded, she continued, “Why did you do that, Miguel?”
He looked at Ben, who was watching eagerly for the answer.
“I hurt for little ones. No mama. No food.” The boy reached for the can he had given up earlier and gulped the soda until it was drained.
“How did you know about the puppies?”
He thought about it as he rubbed his stomach under his shirt.
“My uncle. He work for a old woman. He make me work, too.” His big eyes lost something as he remembered. “Old woman, she don’t feed dogs good. Once, she sell little dogs.” He waved a hand past his shoulder indicating a time gone by. “No más.”
Kat
e and Nance exchanged glances.
“How old are you, Miguel?” Kate asked, and he lowered his eyes.
He shrugged. “Mama, she die and my uncle...um...took me.”
“So you live with your uncle and work sometimes for this woman who has the puppies,” Kate summarized, and he nodded. “Who else knows that you’re here? Who drove the truck last week when you brought the puppies?”
“Alejandro. My cousin. He drive us to work. He say it not good, what she do. My uncle work on houses today, so Alejandro help me get puppies to bring.”
That explained how he’d escaped the day Nick chased them. “Are there more puppies and dogs there?” He nodded again. “Where is this place? Is it near here?”
Once again he hesitated, and at that moment Harry arrived with a burger, fries and a huge chocolate milk shake. Miguel’s eyes bulged as the meal was placed before him, and when he realized it was meant for him, he looked to Ben, who grinned. Miguel attacked it like he was starving.
Nance left to tell Isabelle and the others what was happening.
“Miguel, you don’t like what they’re doing, do you?” Kate asked as he finished his food. He shook his head and swallowed hard. “We don’t, either. It’s wrong, and we’d like to stop it. Would you help us? Will you tell us where this place is?”
It took a while for him to reply. He wrung his hands, clearly afraid of the consequences should he be caught helping them. Kate thought he was probably in trouble already, since he’d been caught and his cousin probably knew it. He seemed to be coming to a decision as he looked at Ben’s friendly face and watched Kate’s gentle treatment of him.
“I cannot tell where, but—” he chewed his lip “—I show you.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HINES KNEW THE rural roads of the county better than anyone else, but Kate argued that her Jeep would take back roads better, and he grudgingly agreed to let her drive. Isabelle started to make phone calls, while Harry and Linda headed for a storage shed to check on equipment for securing and transporting the animals they would find.
