The person headed for her shop was the former town bad boy who had ruined her prom, marred her good reputation and left her to listen to her mother’s constant carping about it for months afterward. None other than Tony Valdez!
Chapter Two
Tony checked the numbers over the door, then reached for the handle, wishing his caller had bothered to tell him he was going to a business rather than a private residence.
His icy fingers smarted when he twisted the knob.
As the door swung open he quickly ducked inside and pushed it shut behind him before pausing to stomp his wet boots on the mat and shake water off his coat.
“Man, it’s cold out there!”
The lack of a reply caused him to scowl and look around. His already labored breathing was not helped by the sight of the young woman who was staring back at him with wide, beautiful, hazel eyes.
He started to smile an instant before he realized he knew her. “Annette?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I got a call.” Tony held up the scrap of paper. “A man said there was a sick dog at this address.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
Ignoring her snappishness, Tony smiled and said, “I’m a veterinarian. Remember how I used to help out at the animal hospital when I was in high school? Well, that inspired me to eventually go to college and get my degree.”
“That’s mind-boggling.”
“I know. I didn’t show a lot of promise in my teens. Thankfully, I wised up.”
Shaking her head, she studied him. “College. My mother will never believe it. She was always sure you’d end up in jail. Or worse.”
“Yeah. Well, leaving Jasper Gulch for a fresh start turned out to be for the best.”
“It didn’t do much for me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You deserted me. I stood up for you against half the town and my own parents and friends, yet you packed up and left without even saying goodbye.”
“I wrote you a note.”
Tony began to frown when she fisted her hands on her jeans-clad hips and declared, “You did not.”
“I’m sure I did.”
“Think again.” Annette pointed to the door. “Now, go away.”
“Only if there’s no sick dog here. I did take an oath, you know.”
Watching changing emotions cross her pretty face, he waited. Maturity had brought a blossoming beyond anything he’d ever imagined. She’d strengthened her independence, too, judging by the streaks of neon colors in her lush, dark hair and her bright red T-shirt with a sparkly logo that read, Beauticians Never Run With Scissors.
He could tell the moment Annette made her decision about him because her shoulders relaxed noticeably.
“All right.” She gestured. “Go on. The dog’s that way. Just don’t get any funny ideas. My door’s not locked and Rusty will be back any minute.”
“Rusty Zidek? I thought I recognized the voice on the phone, but I never dreamed that old coot was still alive and kicking.” Tony started toward the rear of the salon. “Must be something about living in the wilds of Montana that’s good for his health.”
Although Annette was following him, he thought he heard a tinge of humor in her voice when she said, “He’s just too ornery to give in. When he passed ninety he said he was good for another ten years.”
“He well may be, God willing.” Tony scanned the cozy, combination living room and kitchenette they had entered. “You live here?”
“Yes. Since I had to rent the whole building anyway, I figured it made sense.”
“That, it does. I was fortunate to find a short-term rental on the Cosgrove place. It’s for sale and they figured it was better to have it occupied than sitting vacant.”
“Maybe they were afraid of vandalism,” Annette said cynically.
“Touché.”
“Yeah, well, that wasn’t very kind. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I was a pretty wild kid and my so-called friends were worse. Some of the stuff we were blamed for was actually true, at least in part.”
Tony heard her sigh as he turned his attention to his patient. Someone had placed a rumpled blanket in a corner and the damp, shivering animal was curled in the center. Kneeling and letting the dog sniff his fingers first, he asked, “What’s her name?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, we should call her something.”
“Okay, how about Stormy?” Annette said as Tony began a hands-on examination. “Is she going to be all right?”
“Once she warms up she should be. Do you have any chicken broth you could heat? Not too hot. Just take the chill off it for her.”
“Of course. Sorry. I should have thought of that. I’m not used to having a pet.”
Shifting position, Tony took a stethoscope from his pocket and used it to further assess the dog while he spoke soothingly. “Good girl, Stormy. That’s right. Take it easy. It won’t be long now.”
As he straightened, he glanced over at Annette. She was standing in front of the stove, stirring the broth he’d asked her to warm.
“This is almost ready,” she said, acting more relaxed now that she had a useful task.
“So is your furry friend,” he said with a lopsided grin.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Stormy’s not sick. She’s about to have puppies.”
If he hadn’t wanted to keep the woman as calm as possible, he would have laughed out loud at her expression of astonishment. It was followed closely by disbelief.
“Are you sure?”
Tony nodded, his smile broadening. “Positive. You and old Rusty are about to become grandparents.”
Annette’s forehead furrowed. “Oh, no!”
“Oh, yes. Settle down. It’s perfectly natural. You don’t have to worry about her.”
“Her? It’s not the dog I’m worried about, it’s my business. I can’t have a bunch of puppies running wild in here. What will my customers think? Not to mention inspectors from the state board if they get wind of it.”
“They’ll think you’re a kindhearted animal lover who did the right thing in an emergency.” Tony watched his words sink in and mellow her expression.
“That’s what this is? A real emergency? Can’t you take her with you? You’re the one with the diploma.”
“And you’re the one with the place she’s chosen as her nesting area. See how she’s piled up the blanket around her? That’s no accident. She’s happy here and getting ready for the big event.”
“But, but... I don’t know anything about birthing puppies.” Scowling at him, she added, “What’s so funny?”
“You are. What you just said sounds suspiciously like a line from the movie Gone With the Wind.”
It took Annette only a few heartbeats to come up with a snappy comeback. “My grammar is better.”
He smiled. “Is that broth about ready?”
“I’m afraid it may be a little too hot,” she admitted as she poured some of it into a soup bowl. “Think she’ll mind if I don’t serve her off my good china?”
Tony had to admire the way Annette had recovered from her snit so quickly. “That dish will be fine.” He took it from her and tested it with one finger before offering it to the dog.
“Okay, what now? Do I have to boil water or something?”
His chuckle was heartfelt. The longer he was around this woman, the
more he was reminded of why he’d had a crush on her as a teen. “I’ll need clean towels, preferably ones you won’t want to keep afterward, and a big pot of coffee.”
“I understand needing the towels,” Annette replied, “but what’s the coffee for?”
It was all Tony could do to keep from laughing as he answered. “Me.”
* * *
Rusty’s entrance upon his return was so noisy that Stormy startled and barked. Then she circled her nest twice and lay back down, much to Annette’s relief.
“I got some canned food, too,” the old man announced as he stomped his boots on the mat before starting for Annette’s apartment. “Any sign of the vet?”
Tony stood. “I’m here. Let me help you with that. What’d you do, buy out the store?”
“Pretty near. I figured it might be a while before Miss Annette had a chance to get more supplies.”
“There are stockpiles of kibble at the animal hospital, too. J.T. was always well prepared for anything.”
“That, he was,” Rusty said. “Where’d he go anyway? He never said a word to me about leavin’.”
Annette had the answer. “According to Mert, his mother has been under the weather. I know we’d been praying for her at church on Wednesday nights. I assume he felt she needed him with her.”
Tony was nodding. “That’s what he told me when he phoned and asked me to come help out.”
Annette’s stomach tightened when she remembered Mert mentioning a month’s rent and realized he was confirming his short-term plans. “Then you haven’t actually moved back to Jasper Gulch?”
“Not to stay, no. J.T. promised to get back as soon as possible. Since I was available, I agreed to sub for him.”
Rusty was frowning. “You’re a real vet, right?”
“Sure am. I did a short stint for a place in Michigan right after graduation and they’ve agreed to keep a part-time job open for me as long as they can. If this were summer I’d probably have been permanently replaced already.”
The mostly black dog whined, drawing everyone’s attention.
Annette crouched to stroke the animal’s damp fur and moved the empty dish out of the way. “It’s okay, Stormy. We’re right here.” She looked up at the two men. “You are going to stay, aren’t you? I really don’t know anything about how to help her if I need to.”
They both nodded after glancing soberly at each other. She suspected that Rusty was now more interested in defending her from Tony than in caring for the dog.
That was probably just as well, she told herself, particularly if the animal’s labor went on for a long time. Seeing Tony again had already unsettled her emotions and left her on edge. The necessity of spending a lot of private time with him would not be good.
Not good at all.
Chapter Three
Tony was in a tight spot. His medical training required that he stay, while basic survival instincts urged him to flee. Clearly, Annette had wanted Rusty around for her sake, but in Tony’s mind the protection factor worked both ways. He’d had enough experience with small-town gossip to anticipate plenty of problems. As soon as one of the local busybodies spotted him in this pretty woman’s apartment, rumors would begin to fly and squelching them would be as hard as trying to stuff an irate cougar into a limp gunnysack.
He accepted a mug of steaming coffee from Annette, then settled himself on a kitchen chair and crossed an ankle over his opposite knee, noting that his jeans were almost dry. “Thanks. This could be a long night.”
“I thought you said she was ready.”
Rusty sipped from his own mug, wiped his mustache on his sleeve and answered for Tony. “Can’t hurry Mother Nature, girl. These things take time.”
“He’s right,” Tony added. “There’s no point in giving her a shot to bring on harder contractions yet. It’s best we let her do this with as little intervention as possible. If she gets too tired or shuts down, then I’ll step in.”
“How long do you think it will be?” Annette asked.
Tony shrugged. “Can’t tell. Once she has the first pup the rest should follow pretty easily. The best thing we can all do is kick back and relax so we don’t make her more nervous.”
Watching Annette’s expression change, he assumed she was coming to terms with their touchy situation. When she finally spoke, he was certain.
“In that case, I suppose I’d better plan supper for three.” She smiled at the old man. “I know Rusty never got to the café this afternoon, and I assume you haven’t eaten recently, either.”
“It’s not necessary to feed me,” Tony said. “However, if you’re fixing something, I might be able to eat a bite or two.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Although there was no smile on Annette’s face right then, he was positive he heard suppressed humor in her tone.
Tony checked his patient once more, then rose. “Is there something I can do to lend a hand?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Can you cook?”
“Well enough. I roomed with a couple of guys in college and we took turns. What do you have in the fridge to work with?” Instead of waiting for her to reply, he took several steps to the side, opened the refrigerator door and leaned to peer in.
“Not a lot,” she said flatly.
Tony agreed. “You can say that again.”
“Okay, not a—”
He interrupted and grinned at her. “Never mind. I get the picture.” Inclining his head toward the other man, he asked, “How about takeout, Rusty? You game to go across the street and pick it up or do you want me to? My treat this time.”
Although the geriatric cowboy got to his feet, apparently eager to oblige, Tony heard Annette’s softly spoken “This time?”
“We may be done in a matter of hours,” Tony explained to her. “Or, we might be ordering breakfast tomorrow morning. Can’t tell yet.”
Rusty was smoothing his mustache and smiling enough to show his gold tooth. “Guess he does know his stuff, after all. Suppose we get three blue plate specials tonight and extra pie for a snack later?”
“Sounds good to me,” Tony said. He took out his wallet and handed several bills to the older man. “Will this cover it?”
“If it don’t, I’ll put the difference on my tab,” Rusty assured him. “That order all right with you, Miss Annette?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wondered when the two of you were going to remember to ask my opinion.”
Tony made a bowing gesture that he hoped would disarm her. Instead, it seemed to reinforce her already well-established contrariness.
She shooed Rusty toward the door. “Just go. If I don’t like the special I can always eat a carton of yogurt and a piece of fruit for supper, the way I usually do.”
The geriatric cowboy made eye contact with Tony and winked. “Good choice to order takeout, son. We’d likely have starved to death eating what Miss Annette has in her larder.”
“I’ve been too busy to shop,” she countered. “If I’d known to expect company I’d have planned ahead.”
“Not company,” Tony warned, as much to remind himself as his hostess. “This is strictly business. As soon as there’s no more need for me, I’ll be going.”
When she said, “Good,” he was surprised to note how much it bothered him.
* * *
As far as Annette was concerned, the idea of sharing a meal was a big mistake. Not only did the three of them gather around her kitchen table to eat, the me
n behaved as if they were lifelong buddies, leaving her feeling ill at ease in her own home.
“I thought I recognized your voice on the phone,” Tony told Rusty.
“Well, it has been a coon’s age since you hightailed it out of here.”
“Nearly ten years,” Tony replied.
Annette kept her eyes on the take-out container in front of her, poking a slab of lukewarm pot roast and watching the gravy pool.
Rusty kept talking, bringing up ancient history that she would just as soon have left buried. “I heard tell you were cleared of that barn burning back then. That true?”
“Yep.” Tony nodded. “I wasn’t a real delinquent, although I may have done some damage with spray paint and gone along when my friends pulled a few other pranks.”
“Boys will be boys,” Rusty remarked. “We have a whole new generation of rascals now. I don’t suppose you remember Pete Daniels. He’d have been much younger back in the day, when you were getting into trouble.”
“Nope. At least I never caused any real destruction.” Tony began to grin. “Not that my folks believed my alibis. They thought they were rescuing me when they packed up and moved.” He heaved a noisy sigh. “In a way, I suppose they were, since it also led me to eventually get right with God.”
It startled Annette to hear him confess his faith, and she was even more stunned when he swung his attention back to her and added, “I never meant to hurt you.”
“That was a long time ago,” she countered softly. “Forget it.”
“You haven’t forgotten.”
“When you’re right, you’re right. Seeing you again did remind me of a lot of things best forgotten.”
She watched as he nodded, took a bite of food and chewed slowly.
When he finally looked at her, she was surprised to note how subdued his demeanor had become. “There was a lot going on in my life back then, Annette. My parents were panicking about my future and positive they’d raised a budding criminal, my teachers were threatening to keep me from graduating because my grades had slipped so low and the school had given notice I might be expelled over my arrest. All in all, I think I did well to remember anything.”
Montana Reunion Page 2
