by Mia Ross
“I’m not sure you know this, but Cindy’s not coming back here, after all. Cam heard that she snuck out of town early Saturday morning. Stood up the contractor she’d arranged to meet without even paying his consultation fee.”
“I heard. Several times.” Heather understood that people meant well, but having her personal life grinding around in the gossip mill didn’t exactly thrill her. In a bustling city, that kind of nonsense would never happen, because no one would care about what was going on with her, romantic or otherwise. Mostly because no one would know who she was. Regaining the anonymity she’d once enjoyed alternately appealed to her and dismayed her, until she felt lost in an endless loop of confusion.
“I wouldn’t dream of telling you what to do, but I hope you’ll take a couple more days to think it over. I’d hate for you to make a decision while you’re upset that you and Bailey might regret later.”
Mention of her niece made Heather’s stomach churn, and she felt a whine threatening to burst free of her control. She’d spent the entire weekend turning the options over in her mind, this way and that, until she was so tied up in knots, she couldn’t think straight anymore.
One minute, she was convinced that she could still make things work in Oaks Crossing. She and Bailey had been so happy here, she hated to uproot them both again to start over somewhere else. The next, she remembered that Josh was not only her boss’s brother, but he was a constant presence in the fields surrounding the rescue center, not to mention in town. Could she really forget about what had almost happened between them? Or would she think of those sweet stolen moments every time she saw him and be sad all over again?
Apparently, her silence inspired Erin, because she reached out to rub Heather’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “When do you have to give that Louisville clinic their answer?”
“They know I have Bailey and her school to consider, so they gave me a week to decide.”
“That’s good.”
Was it? Or was it better to make a clean break and move on? After all, Cindy had done it, and evidently was very successful now. The same approach could work for Heather, too. Unfortunately, as soon as the thought flitted through her mind, she recognized it for the false bravado that it was.
Surgical, clean breaks had been her style once, but not anymore. Her practical, uncomplicated life was now anything but, and there was more to the equation than there used to be. Out of necessity, the driven woman she’d been for so long had given way to someone who’d learned how to stop and listen to what her heart was telling her.
Bailey had begun teaching her how to do that, and Josh had deftly picked up the lesson, driving it home in a gentle, no-pressure way that only he could have managed. The idea of losing out on something so precious made her unspeakably sad, but she’d never been one to beg for a man’s attention, and she wasn’t about to start now. If he didn’t want her, she wouldn’t degrade herself by trying to convince him otherwise.
“Well, I’ll get out of your hair,” Erin said on her way to the lobby door. Turning back, she gave Heather a sympathetic smile. “If you decide you’d like someone to talk to, I’m a good listener who doesn’t repeat what she hears.”
“I’ll remember that. Thanks.”
With a quick wave, Erin left Heather alone in the cheerful reception area. Posters of adopted animals decorated the walls, chronicling the clinic’s success in placing abandoned pets with loving families. There were also photos of wild animals that ran the gamut from Teddy, the orphaned bear cub, to the family of otters they’d be releasing soon. Her favorite was a shot of Drew and Bekah near the woods behind the center, standing together hand in hand as they watched a beautiful red-tailed hawk circling in a clear autumn sky.
It reminded her of her first day at work, when Josh had dropped what he was doing to help them tend to Annabelle and her siblings. That morning, she’d had no clue just how important he would eventually become to both her and Bailey.
Then again, if he hadn’t proved to be so wonderful, the choice to take the higher-paying job she’d been offered in Louisville would be a no-brainer. Which left her back where she’d started.
Should she stay or should she go? It was the most straightforward decision anyone could make. She’d made many of them herself and had always been content with the results. She’d simply examined the alternatives and picked the best one for her—and later for Bailey. Easy.
This time, her heart wanted one thing while her brain was arguing for the opposite. In the past, she’d have followed the most logical path without reservation, confident that it would lead her to where she needed to be. But this time, she wasn’t so sure. The choices weren’t as clear-cut, and even her reliable pro-con lists had proved to be no help at all.
Hoping that might have changed, she pulled the folded-up sheet of paper from the pocket of her lab coat and smoothed it out on the counter. On one side was a long list of reasons to go, including more money, health care benefits and the excitement that came from living in a vibrant city. On the other was just one item: home. The single word looked lonely in its column, but the meaning of it resonated deeply.
Here in Oaks Crossing, she and Bailey had begun stitching together a life that included more new friends than she could have anticipated making. Not to mention Annabelle, who somehow became fluffier and more adorable every day. The kitten would come with them, of course, but what about the Kinleys and Bailey’s school friends, and everyone else?
What about Josh? Whatever was going on between the two of them, he’d kept his word to Bailey, and Heather couldn’t help admiring him for that. Erin seemed confident that Cindy had left town for good, which was positive news.
So why hadn’t he called her? Heather wondered for the hundredth time. She supposed he might be waiting for her to contact him, but she wasn’t the one who’d ignored him because an old flame showed up and rattled her cage. In her mind, it was up to him to make the effort to reconnect with her, difficult as that first step might be for him.
Her temper began simmering again, and she had to acknowledge that as rational as her argument sounded in her head, the upshot was that she was still mad about the whole messy situation. She was glad to know that Cindy was no longer in the picture, but that still left the issue of why Josh hadn’t spoken up at the dance about being involved with Heather. Quite honestly, the whole thing gave her a headache.
As the phone began to ring, she put aside her dilemma and focused on work, grateful for a distraction from the thorniest problem she’d ever had to solve.
* * *
Thursday morning, Josh stood back from the climbing rope he’d just finished installing at the playground, eyeballing the height of the large knot at the bottom from the ground to make sure kids could reach it easily. Satisfied with his handiwork, he stood at the base of it and looked up at the landing that branched off in both directions to either the original castle or the tower they’d be adding during the final phase of the reconstruction.
His tower, Erin had crowed proudly when she informed him that Cindy’s check for a dance with him had cleared and allowed the committee to purchase the materials for the addition. Abby and Parker were psyched about the change, and Cam’s design for the new section was almost done. The plan was to have it ready by the end of June, and Josh smiled when he imagined kids crawling all over it, laughing and yelling while they enjoyed a fresh challenge.
The voices weren’t only in his mind, he realized, turning to see that he was no longer alone at the playground. Running toward him, calling his name, was Bailey. Today her hair was in a ponytail, secured with a pink ribbon that was unraveling as she raced over and nearly bowled him over with an exuberant hug.
Tilting her head back, she grinned up at him. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself, sweetness,” he said, reaching out to retie and double-knot the ribbon. “What’s shakin’?”
“I won the art contest at school today,” she told him excitedly. “I entered a picture I drew of Gideon, the big beggin horse at the farm.”
“Belgian,” he corrected her with a chuckle. “And congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Her smiled dimmed a bit, and she asked, “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Just busy is all,” he hedged, unwilling to lie but wary of upsetting her.
“So is Aunt Heather. There are lots of new animals at the shelter that need her help.”
Josh wasn’t keen on discussing Heather with anyone, so he changed the subject. “How’s that cutie Annabelle doing?”
“Good. She can climb the curtains in our living room all the way to the top now, so we put the sofa under the window in case she falls.”
“Good thinking.” Josh noticed one of the teachers headed their way, and he held up a hand in acknowledgment. “Looks like you should get going. I’ll see you soon.”
“When?”
Good question, he thought glumly. He’d messed up with Heather big-time, and while he wasn’t usually shy about admitting a mistake and taking his medicine, this was different. He knew he’d let her down, and he had no idea how to make it up to her. Unfortunately, that left him with dodging the Fitzgerald girls altogether, which obviously hadn’t worked out too well. He should’ve stayed at the farm.
“When I can.”
She took a step away from him, then turned back and gave him the most wistful look he’d ever seen. “Did I do something to make you mad?”
“Never.” Josh’s heart seized up knowing that this bright, sweet child could even think something like that. Hunkering down to her level, he wrapped her in an embrace and then held her at arm’s length. “You’re sweet and smart, and you never cause anyone a bit of trouble. I think you might be the best kid ever. Just don’t tell Abby and Parker I said so.”
“Okaaaaaay.” By the way she dragged out her reply, he could tell she didn’t quite believe him, but she didn’t press. “Thank you for putting up the rope. I really like climbing.”
Then she gave him a quick hug and joined the teacher waiting for her at the edge of the play area. As they walked back to where the other day care kids were playing kickball, Bailey cast several glances over her shoulder at him. The sadness on her face nearly did him in, and Josh had to force his boots to stay rooted where they belonged instead of trailing after her like a love-starved hound.
That’s what you get, he complained to himself as he packed up his tools and walked over to his truck. You had to go and fall in love with both of them, and now you’re a lost cause. Frustrated beyond measure, he threw his toolbox on the floor, then climbed into the cab and slammed the door shut before pulling onto Main Street. He followed it out of town, not really headed anywhere in particular. Fresh air flowed through the open windows, and he felt it blowing away some of his sour mood.
As he came around a curve, he noticed something lying prone on the side of the road and pulled up behind it to investigate. Approaching slowly, he saw it was a mixed-breed dog that had been hit by a car. The poor thing was still breathing, but its attempts to move were weak, at best. It wore no collar, but the faint thumping of its tail told Josh that it recognized him as someone who might be there to offer him some help.
“Hey there, boy,” Josh murmured, slowly moving closer. “Not such a good day for you, huh?”
The dog whimpered faintly, brown eyes imploring him to quit yakking and do something constructive. Careful to disturb him as little as possible, Josh swept up the bleeding dog and rested him on the passenger side of the pickup’s bench seat. The nearest animal clinic was the rescue center, and while he wasn’t keen on having an encounter with Heather just now, there was no way he’d let this poor animal suffer when she was so close by.
He drove as quickly as he dared, checking on his passenger frequently. “Hang in there, buddy. Almost there.”
The tail thumped again, as if the mutt understood what Josh was saying to him. When they arrived at the center, he wasted no time getting the injured dog inside. To her credit, Heather never even blinked at him. Efficient as always, she came around the front counter and did a quick inspection of the dog in his arms. “Not awful, but not great, either. Bring him on back, and we’ll get a better idea what we’re dealing with.”
Hello to you, too, Josh thought wryly as he followed her through the door into an exam room. As he gently set the dog on the metal table, he said, “I found him a couple of miles from here. No collar, but he seems pretty tame to me.”
“You mean, because he didn’t bite you?” she asked without looking up from her examination.
“Well, yeah.”
“Dogs are pretty smart. He probably knew you wanted to help, so he didn’t hurt you. Besides that, he’s lost some blood, and he’s got a bump on his temple. He’s not in any shape to do much damage to anyone.”
“He’ll be okay, though, right?” When she glanced up at Josh, he winced at the shuttered look in the eyes that had once looked on him with such fondness. “I mean, you can fix him up?”
“I hope so.”
Josh got the distinct impression that she was pulling the professional sympathy routine on him, and he bristled at the cool treatment. “Heather, this is me. You can give it to me straight.”
“What I need is an X-ray, but we don’t have the equipment for that. So I have to do this the old-fashioned way, poking and prodding. It’ll hurt him, and he’s not going to like it, but I don’t have a choice.”
The idea of walking away and leaving her with a squirming, potentially dangerous animal didn’t sit right with him. “I can stay and hold him for you. If you want,” he added quickly, wary of insulting the feisty vet by suggesting that he doubted she could manage on her own.
After a moment, she nodded. “That would be helpful, for both him and me. If you’re sure you have the time.”
The overly polite tone grated on his nerves, but Josh forced a smile. “No problem.”
Following her instructions, he got a firm hold on her patient and closed his eyes, sending up a quick prayer for the injured dog. When he realized that she wasn’t doing anything, he glanced up at her and found her studying him intently.
“Are you praying for this dog?”
“Well, yeah.” Fearing that she might take that as him questioning her skill, he explained, “Just asking for a little extra help is all.”
The clinical expression gave way to a much softer one, and she slowly shook her head. “You really are the sweetest guy on the planet, aren’t you?”
Sensing that her icy opinion of him was starting to thaw, he grinned. “I try.”
She gave him a long, thoughtful look but didn’t say anything else before turning her attention back to her work. After confirming which bones were broken and which were intact, she gave the dog a couple of injections. Then she carefully cleaned and wrapped his wounds, ending her treatment with a gentle scratch between his ears.
She explained each step to the animal, speaking to him in a calm, comforting tone that reminded Josh of Doc Sheppard. Confident and reassuring, it was the kind of manner that he suspected less empathetic people couldn’t even hope to mimic. You either had it or you didn’t.
When she was finished, Josh carried their new guest into the kennel and settled him on a pad in a large crate that gave him enough room to stretch out. The scruffy guy laid his head down and let out a relieved canine sigh. Knowing that the situation could have ended much differently, Josh left the kennel feeling pretty good about himself.
Until it occurred to him that Heather was gone.
No goodbye, no thank-you, nothing. Being a Kinley boy, Josh had never chased after a woman in his life. Ordinarily, he would’ve taken her quick departure to mean she wasn’t interested in him anymore.
&nbs
p; Then again, he thought as he strolled down the hallway that led to her office, this was far from an ordinary situation for him. If Heather had decided that she didn’t want anything more to do with him, he could live with that. But he wasn’t going to slink around town, hoping he wouldn’t run into her or her niece somewhere. His encounter with Bailey earlier had proved to him that his feelings for both of them ran deep and hadn’t faded any in the past few days.
If anything, seeing Heather again had made him more determined to have it out with her so they could figure out where they stood, one way or the other. He was a pretty straightforward guy, and not knowing the truth was driving him crazy.
But he drew the line at stalking. So rather than barge into her office, he waited until she’d hung her jacket on the rack behind her desk, and then he politely knocked on the metal jamb.
When she angled her head toward him, the unreadable look on her face clearly said that she knew who was knocking. “Yes?”
The stiff response knocked him off his stride for a second, but he reminded himself that he was on a mission to settle things between them. Strolling in, he opened with a compliment. “You did a great job with that old mutt.”
“Thank you.”
He waited for her to go on, but she didn’t. They stood there separated by her desk, staring at each other like two old-time gunfighters biding their time until the other one either drew or walked away. After a lot of brain-racking, he’d come to recognize that he was the one who’d messed up, so Josh took a deep breath and let his heart do the talking.
“I’m sorry.”
* * *
Heather’s jaw fell open in astonishment.
She’d been fully expecting him to remind her that he didn’t know Cindy would be visiting, much less bidding on his dance. Or offer an excuse about how he’d volunteered for the fund-raiser to benefit the kids and had no control over which bidder he ended up dancing with. Or any number of lame explanations that would have been perfectly logical but would still end up making her angrier than ever.
