by Mia Ross
“But that kitten needs you.”
“So do you.”
After a few moments, that precious little face brightened. “I could come with you. That way, you can take care of us both.”
“I don’t know,” she hedged, glancing at Erin for some kind of direction. “Kids don’t usually go to work like that.”
“It’s not a problem,” Erin assured her, winking at Bailey. “We’ll call it Take Your Niece to Work Day.”
Her boss was being so understanding, Heather couldn’t quite believe it. During her last assignment, her new status as Bailey’s parent had caused her no end of problems at work. It seemed that for the Kinleys, family came first. What a refreshing change. After agreeing to the arrangement, she realized something. “My car’s at the clinic.”
“Mine’s not,” Josh reminded her with a broad grin. “I’m going out there, anyway.”
“Do you just go around town looking for damsels in distress?”
The teasing was very unlike her, and Heather felt her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Fortunately, he either didn’t notice or was so accustomed to making women blush that it didn’t faze him.
“Not hardly,” he replied easily as he strolled over to open the door. “But I don’t leave ’em standing in the road, either. Shall we?”
“Yes,” Bailey answered for them both, hurrying out of the store. “That little baby needs our help.”
“I guess we’re going now,” Heather told Erin with a laugh. “I’ll check in with you later.”
“Sounds good. By the way, that lease you signed allows pets, in case you were wondering.”
“We’re not adopting any.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Erin said with a knowing smile. “I’ll be praying for that poor little thing. I’ve got a soft spot for lost critters.”
“And they’re all better off for it,” Josh commented proudly.
“Get out before I put you to work, Kinley boy,” she shot back with a fond smile.
He took the ribbing in stride, grinning back before motioning Heather out the door in front of him. The gallant gesture seemed at odds with his shredded jeans and battered work boots, but somehow it worked for him. Between the country boy clothes and those warm blue eyes and strong build, there was a lot about Josh Kinley for a girl to admire.
Not that she should be thinking of him as anything other than her boss’s brother, she reminded herself sternly. Josh had made it clear that he adored his hometown, but Heather would go bonkers spending the rest of her life in such a quiet place. Impossible as it might seem to someone else, she already missed the excitement of living in a large city. She had fond memories of everything from cute boutiques to the endless array of restaurants and entertainment that could be found everywhere you looked.
Heather had chosen to relocate to this sleepy town because she believed it would be a good environment for Bailey, and she’d simply have to make the best of it. As she went out to his truck, she knew that recognizing those very fundamental differences between Josh and her should have made her feel more confident about remaining strictly friends with the engaging farmer.
Instead, it made her wonder if she and Bailey would be missing out on something. What exactly, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that if she decided to take that detour, it just might be worth the risk.
* * *
It didn’t look good to him.
Josh stood in the doorway of the exam room, frustrated that there was nothing he could do for the sick kitten. He marveled at the way Heather went about her business, thorough but gentle while she assessed the tiny cat’s condition. She cradled the filthy ball of fur against her chest, heedless of the grime left behind on her pretty blouse.
The pathetic little thing opened its mouth in a meek attempt to cry, but she was so weak that nothing came out. Josh had a soft heart, and it was killing him to watch the helpless animal suffer this way. He couldn’t imagine how it would be to do this job, day after day, knowing full well that some you could save and some you couldn’t. He didn’t know how Heather did it, and his respect for the empathetic young vet rose several notches.
“That’s a girl,” she cooed, gently dabbing disinfectant over eyes that were sealed shut by what seemed to be an infection. “These are looking better already.”
Josh wasn’t convinced of that, but he opted not to say so. When Bailey crept in for a closer look, he was glad he’d kept his opinion to himself.
“What a sweetie pie. Can I hold her?”
Heather hesitated, for obvious reasons. With everything Bailey had been through, he could easily understand why her aunt wouldn’t want to risk her getting attached to something else she could lose. But then, she surprised him. “That’s a good idea. You can keep her warm while I get some more medicine for her.”
Once the kitten was settled in Bailey’s arms, the shy smile he’d seen earlier blossomed into one that would rival a sunny summer day. “Don’t worry, baby. We’re going to take good care of you, and you’ll be good as new.”
Josh could see that Heather didn’t share her niece’s optimism, but to her credit she kept up a positive front. “Absolutely. We Fitzgeralds don’t give up that easily.”
She went over to a tall cabinet and stood on tiptoe to reach something on the highest shelf. Finally seeing a way he could be useful, Josh stepped in to help.
“What do you need?” She rattled off a word that sounded like Greek to him, and he chuckled. “What color is it?”
“Light green.”
He plucked it off the shelf and handed it to her, and she thanked him with a wan smile. “I hope this does the trick.”
“Can’t hurt to try, right?” When she shook her head, he took the opening to bolster her spirits. “You’ve had a killer day, and you’ve handled it like a champ. No reason for that to change now.”
A slow, dawning smile worked its way across her features, and the cool blue eyes warmed with gratitude. “Thank you, Josh. That’s sweet of you to say.”
“Sweet, nothin’. Erin’s as tough as they come, and she thinks you’re perfect for this job. From what I’ve seen, she’s right. Again,” he added with a mock groan.
“Does that happen often?” Heather asked while she mixed a foul-smelling concoction for her patient.
“Yeah, but don’t tell her I said so. She’ll never let me live it down.”
“My lips are sealed.” She ripped open a packet of sugar substitute and added a dab of it to the medicine, stirring it in before pulling a dose into the smallest eyedropper he’d ever seen. Holding it within the kitten’s reach, she dabbed a drop onto the withered lips. “Come on, now. Just a little.”
Most of it went down the cat’s chin, but she managed to swallow enough to satisfy her doctor. After coaxing her to drink some formula, Heather stood back and folded her arms in a thoughtful pose. “That’s all we can do for now. In about an hour, Sierra will be able to see if it helped.”
The scrap of fur rested her head on Bailey’s chest and let out a pitiful whimper before falling into an exhausted sleep. Cuddling her close, the girl dropped a kiss between her ears. “Sweet dreams, little baby.”
Bailey leaned down to put the kitten back into its blanket-lined box, but the motion woke her up and she let out a strangled, desperate cry that would have gotten sympathy from even the most dedicated cat hater.
“We have to stay here with her, Aunt Heather,” the girl announced firmly, quickly scooping up her new friend. “She needs me.”
Heather glanced at him, but Josh knew it wasn’t his place to interfere and kept his expression as neutral as he could manage. This perplexing woman and her adorable niece had started getting to him already, and he didn’t trust himself to do anything more than maintain his helpful attitude. His impulsive heart had been shattered w
hen the girl he’d loved more than anything had refused a future with him and walked out of his life, and he wasn’t eager to go through that again.
After Cindy left him with his pride in tatters, he’d been careful to keep his head around women. If he put that aside and got involved in the Fitzgeralds’ family business, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to back away from them afterward.
“You know this is my job.” Hunkering down to the girl’s level, Heather stroked Bailey’s hair in a maternal gesture. “I love animals very much, and I do all I can to make them better. But we can’t adopt every sick kitten that comes in here.”
“Not every one. This one.”
Bailey rubbed cheeks with the pitiful stray, and Josh could sense Heather’s professional demeanor wavering in the face of her niece’s plea. Finally, the tension left her face, replaced by an indulgent smile.
“Okay,” she finally agreed, “but it’s a big responsibility taking care of a sick animal. And I’m going to be honest with you—no matter what we do, she might not make it. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Eyes large and way too serious for a five-year-old, Bailey nodded somberly. “I understand.”
“All right, then,” Heather said as she stood. “First things first. She needs a name.”
“Annabelle.”
“That was fast,” Josh teased with a chuckle. “How’d you come up with that?”
“Easy,” Bailey replied airily. “She looks like an Annabelle.”
“Well, you know that once you name ’em, they own you.” Angling a look over at Heather, he was pleased to hear her laugh.
“Is that right? Isn’t it the other way around?”
“I guess you’ll find out.”
“Yes,” she agreed, giving him a heartwarming smile. “I guess we will.”
Chapter Five
She’d never been more grateful to whoever had discovered the energizing benefits of coffee.
After a long night of watching over Bailey and tending to Annabelle, when Friday morning rolled around, Heather was exhausted. A steamy hot shower hadn’t helped very much, but now that she was bringing in some caffeine, she could feel her brain starting to wake up one synapse at a time. It was hardly the gourmet coffee she’d been so fond of in Detroit, but it was doing the job, and right now that was good enough.
She idly picked up her charging cell phone and glanced at a text from Tammy Sheppard that had come in while she was getting ready.
Hope Bailey is feeling better. Day care will be housed in church basement rooms until further notice. Looking forward to seeing both of you again soon.
Overall, Bailey had held up yesterday like a trouper, but once they’d gotten home and cued up her favorite movie, she’d crashed on the couch with Annabelle snoozing contentedly in her arms. Even picking her up and moving her to her room hadn’t wakened her, so Heather thought the best course was to let the exhausted child sleep as long as she wanted and then go from there.
After checking the time, she knew that someone would be at the clinic for early animal care by now. When she dialed the main number, Bekah answered on the first ring.
“Good morning,” she all but sang. “How are you and your girl doing today?”
“Everything’s quiet so far. I hate to do this to you my first week, but I might not be at the clinic until later, if at all.”
“Don’t even think about it. Family comes first, and Bailey needs you. How’s our furry little patient doing?”
“Stable,” Heather replied around a yawn. “I was up every four hours with her, but she’s been holding her own. How are the others?”
“Listen for yourself.”
A chorus of demanding mewls drifted over the line, and Heather smiled. “They sound healthy enough.”
“And hungry. There’s nothing going on here that Sierra and I can’t manage, so don’t worry. If we need you, we know how to reach you.”
“If there are any emergencies, consider me on call.”
“Will do. Have a good day, and give Bailey a hug from us.”
Touched by the young mother-to-be’s thoughtfulness, Heather thanked her then hung up and set her phone down on the breakfast bar. She was accustomed to being on the lowest rung of the ladder, and this was the first time she’d taken a day off from work for anything other than a debilitating bout of pneumonia she’d developed one frigid winter. But she was a parent now, she reminded herself. The staff at the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center seemed to be on board with what that kind of commitment entailed, but when she negotiated with future employers, she’d have to make sure to clearly address personal time in any long-term arrangement.
Her life had changed, and while she was still getting used to what that meant, she was savvy enough to realize that there would be times when Bailey’s needs would trump everything else.
Moving as quietly as she could, she took advantage of her unexpected free time to finish loading their kitchenware into the cupboards and drawers. She was almost done when she heard the padding of bare feet in the hallway.
Looking up from where she was sliding pots and pans onto a shelf, she smiled at the sight of her tousled niece carefully holding her new friend. “Good morning, bean. Did you sleep well?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She lifted the kitten and rubbed cheeks with her. “Annabelle did, too. She keeps squeaking, though, so I think she’s hungry.”
“I’ve got formula in the fridge, all ready to go. How ’bout you? I’m sure that sugar crunch cereal you like is around here somewhere.”
“Okay.”
Bailey clambered up on one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar and set Annabelle down on the other. The kitten blinked her rheumy eyes in confusion, but her ears perked up when Heather walked around the counter with a cup of warm formula and a dropper. More of the food went down her throat this time, a sign that the tiny cat was gaining some desperately needed strength. The two girls finished their meal at the same time, and Heather counted the morning as a success.
Simple pleasures, she thought. They really were the most precious.
Then, to her surprise, Bailey asked, “Are they having day care today?”
“Yes, at the church. Miss Tammy texted to let us know they’re going to be meeting there until the house is fixed.” Gazing down at her plucky niece, she went on. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to go, so I called work and told them I’d be staying here with you. It’s your call, though.”
“The teachers are fun, and everyone’s really nice,” Bailey explained. “My friend Cara started this week, too, so if I don’t go, she’ll be the only new kid in the class. She’s kind of shy, and I don’t want her to be lonely.”
Heather’s heart swelled with emotion, and she felt tears of pride stinging her eyes. After all she’d endured since her father’s death, Bailey’s sympathy for her timid classmate was incredible.
Putting aside emotions that would only upset her brave girl, Heather gave her a quick hug. “You’re a very good friend to Cara, and I’m sure everyone else will be happy to see you, too. Why don’t you go get ready, and Annabelle and I will drop you off at the church on our way to the clinic. She can rest in my office when I’m working, and I’ll make sure she gets her food and medicine during the day.”
“Maybe she’ll be strong enough to play with her brothers and sisters soon,” Bailey suggested hopefully, then went into her room to get dressed. A quick braiding and teeth brushing later, the three of them went down the stairs and into the pet store, which had just opened for business.
There, of all people, stood Josh Kinley.
“Mornin’, ladies,” he drawled, one cheek dimpling as he grinned. “How’s everyone doing today?”
“Great!” Bailey replied, all but skipping over to join Erin and him near the cash register and holding up her charge. “Ann
abelle’s eyes are much better. See? They’re blue, just like mine and Aunt Heather’s.”
Very carefully, he took the kitten from her. Big as he was, Heather marveled at how gently he handled the tiny creature. “They sure are. I didn’t know she was so many different colors.”
“We gave her a bath when we got home last night,” Bailey informed him proudly. “She’s much fluffier now.”
Handing her back, Josh said, “I don’t know, sweetness. She looks like trouble to me.”
He added a mischievous grin, then angled a look over at Heather that made her heart stutter in a way that was exciting and alarming all at the same time. She’d received that kind of glance from men more times than she cared to count, but none of them had ever affected her like this. Apparently, there was something different about the tall country boy with the warm eyes and quick smile. Maybe it was his caring nature, or the way he spoke so respectfully to Bailey, rather than dismissing her as a child.
Or maybe it was something else completely. But right now Heather didn’t have the energy to ponder anything beyond how to get through the day and fall into bed at the end of it. So she switched tracks to something that would be safer than flirting with the very charming Josh Kinley. “It’s nice to see you again. The weather’s so good today, I assumed you’d be busy at the farm getting caught up on your plowing. What brings you into town?”
In answer, he tapped the top of what appeared to be an oversize condiment jar. “I picked this up from Cam. Erin’s gonna set it on the counter here to collect donations from her customers to rebuild the playground.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “And I just finished telling him that we need something nicer than this. He and Cam think all we have to do is cut a hole in the top and slap a sign on the front, and folks will drop their money in.”
“Is that safe?” Heather asked, stunned by what they had in mind. “I mean, won’t people just reach in and help themselves to whatever’s inside when you’re not at the counter?”
“Steal money from a bunch of kids?” Josh scoffed. “Are you serious?”
