Beneath Winter Sand

by Vickie McKeehan

  “I don’t have a stool sample,” Hannah muttered. “When I made the appointment online once we got cell phone service, Cord’s website said I should bring one with me.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just be glad they could work you in today,” Caleb assured her. “Text me as soon as you get done here.”

  “Good thing we share a driveway. What are you and Cooper planning to do?”

  “Family meeting first, and then I’ll keep you posted what else after that.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t be nervous. Cord and Keegan are good at what they do. They’ll fix up Molly.”

  She hoped that was true as she waved goodbye to Caleb and Cooper. Toting Molly in her arms, she made a beeline for the veterinarian clinic where she was greeted by the receptionist, Irene Odana.

  Irene had given up her dead-end job telemarketing just three months earlier for a full-time position working for Cord and Keegan. At barely five-two, the woman had a mop of silvery streaks running through her black hair even though she hadn’t yet celebrated her thirty-eighth birthday. She wore a pair of big-framed eyeglasses that she seemed to forever be pushing up on her nose.

  “I have a new patient for Cord. Or Keegan,” Hannah announced, keeping a tight hold on Molly. “The online appointment form didn’t specify which vet we’d be seeing.”

  “Mondays belong to Cord, although depending on what emergencies come up, Keegan can run over from the rescue center if she’s needed.” Irene shoved a clipboard across the counter toward Hannah. “Fill this out and Jessica will be with you directly.”

  Hannah already knew Jessica St. John was Cord’s technical assistant. Jessica had recently completed two years at Santa Rosa Junior College. She’d finished all her certifications to become Cord’s nurse, radiologist, and his all-around medical tech. She could take blood, start IVs, give injections, and was the go-to person on patient education, a program Keegan and Cord started and believed benefited the animals as much as it did their owners.

  Hannah had barely finished the paperwork when Jessica showed her to an exam room. On the walk down the hall, the young tech went over what she’d do.

  “My job is to go over Molly’s medical history, get her vitals, and assess her overall health before Cord gets in the room.”

  Instead of putting Molly down on the exam table, Hannah let the dog sit in her lap. “That might be a problem. I’m afraid there isn’t much information I can offer other than what I filled out on the form. I have no idea how old Molly is or how she came to be in this condition.”

  Jessica perused the form. “Ah, so she’s a stray, and you found her with these injuries, one cut across the shoulder and the BB shot still lodged under her skin?”

  “Was a stray. She’s not anymore. She’s mine now,” Hannah maintained.

  Jessica smiled and ran a hand across the BB pellet on Molly’s hip. “Such a shame that there’s people out there who’d shoot a defenseless dog. She’s lucky you found her. I have all I need for now. Give Cord a few minutes and he’ll be in here shortly. He’s almost done stitching up a cat he just neutered.”

  Hannah and Molly waited for about ten minutes before Cord came in wearing a white lab coat, and carrying a file folder in his hands. Hannah looked up at her landlord and smiled. “Surprise. I suppose you’ll be needing a pet deposit from me now?”

  Cord grinned. “From one animal lover to another, I think we can waive that. Since when did you get a dog though?”

  Hannah told him the story. “Then on top of the gash near her neck, some asshole shot her with a BB gun in the hip. See? It’s still in there. Feel.”

  Cord ran his hand along the dog’s hip. When he reached the sensitive spot, Molly reacted with a yelp. “I’ll get that out of there to prevent infection. Let’s look at this gash.”

  Hannah held the dog still while Cord examined the knife wound.

  Cord shook his head. “It always surprises me at the inhumanity of man. It shouldn’t, but it does. Looks like it’s been at least a week since it happened, older wound. It’s healed about as good as it can on its own. I’ll give you some antibiotics to help it along even more.”

  “She has fleas but with the wounds we didn’t think we should give her a flea bath.”

  “A wise decision.” He noted Hannah looked adoringly at the pup and the gesture told him everything he needed to know about their bonding. “You know, Keegan and I pegged you for an animal lover the first time we met you. Good to know you saved this little girl. Let’s start out by seeing how much she weighs.”

  Cord’s big hands plucked Molly out of Hannah’s arms and plopped her down on the scale. The dog trembled like she expected an executioner to pop out of the cabinet any minute.

  “Twenty-one pounds. Definitely underweight. But we can take care of that with a consistently better diet.”

  He picked the pup back up and put her down on the exam table. “I’d say she’s maybe five months old, a mutt of mixed breeding for sure. Since she’s so young and a stray to boot, she probably needs all her shots. I’ll run what’s known as a titer test to determine if she’s built up any antibodies in her system.”

  Cord picked up an otoscope to look in Molly’s ears. “Plenty of dirt in there. I’d say this girl has been roaming around probably since shortly after her birth. I’ll have Jessica clean them out and give you some drops to keep away infection.”

  Cord jotted down a few notes in Molly’s chart. “We’ll also get a stool sample and test for intestinal worms and the dreaded heartworm. Right now, I’ll treat her injuries with betadine and see if the knife cut would benefit from stitching, which I doubt at this late date. It’s obvious you cleaned the wound and gave her a bath already.”

  “She seemed to like the water. It gave her some relief from the flea bites.”

  “Probably felt good on these aching paws, too. Huh, girl?” Molly thumped her tail and Cord got to work, getting out a syringe and a vial from the cabinet. “The BB wound is fresh, probably less than three days old. So, I’m giving her a local anesthetic that’ll let me take it out without putting her to sleep. The knife wound likely occurred more than a week earlier.”

  “So two separate incidents? That seems odd.”

  “Yeah. Weird. Molly was probably hanging around where she wasn’t wanted and whoever she let close enough tried to cut her. She likely dodged the knife but not before it left a shallow gash. The good thing is it isn’t that deep. That’s probably why it healed fairly quickly.”

  Cord’s surgical skills had the BB out of Molly within minutes. The dog immediately turned her head and licked his gloved hand.

  “That a girl,” Cord said in a soothing voice, snapping off the latex. He slid his fingers through the dog’s fur. Again, Molly wagged her tail. “You’re gonna be fine in a couple of weeks. I’ll send Jessica back in to collect the samples and draw some blood. I’ll be back in a few to go over the test results.”

  Jessica came in with a tray. “This’ll be quick and mostly painless, just a quick couple of pricks and a little discomfort from the fecal swab and then it’s over. Cleaning out the ears won’t hurt at all. In fact, it might even help her hear better. Be sure to get her a flea collar after that gash on the neck heals. If you have any problems with anything else, be sure to let us know.”

  Half an hour ticked by before Cord came back in with the test results.

  When he did open the door, he brought a bag of doggie treats with him. He gave one to Molly. “Negative on the heartworm, so she’s good to go for the monthly treatment to prevent it. Don’t miss a dose. But she does have roundworms. I’ll deworm her before she leaves today and plan on another in two weeks. The good news is roundworms don’t do as much damage as other types of parasites. But with continued treatment, Molly should be worm-free before you know it. I strongly suggest feeding her a dog food that’s high in protein and a source that comes from chicken and egg. Dry to me is best. But that’s because I’ve seen better results using dry in strays that haven’t had a par
ticularly good start in life. Getting rid of the worms and getting the right dog food in her should turn things around for Molly in a big way. Once the worms are gone and her wounds heal, you should notice a huge difference in her energy level. She’ll feel more like running around and playing.”

  “I look forward to that. Is she okay to be around other dogs?”

  “I wouldn’t. Not until the second deworming, at least. But the heartworm meds will also treat the other parasite. Do you have any other questions for me?”

  “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed? If I can’t take her with me to work, then do you know any good dog sitters?”

  “Feeling overwhelmed, that’s normal. And yes, I have two great people I recommend for dog sitting jobs or dog walkers in general. Francie Odana is Irene’s younger sister. She’s available for dog sitting during the week.” He rattled off her number. “You need someone after school or on the weekend, it’s Faye DeMarco. She’s only thirteen, but very reliable.” He recited her number from memory. “Any other questions?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Then relax and enjoy the new addition to Team Hannah.”

  Hannah tried to do just that. Since she couldn’t very well take Molly to work with her, she contacted Francie Odana to watch the dog for a few hours while she picked up her routine from the week before.

  Her first stop was Promise Cove. She had to make sure Jordan was okay with the time off she’d taken. But she needn’t have worried.

  “I’m glad you were able to relax for a few days,” Jordan assured her. “Waiting for Brent to get back to you has to be stressful. You needed the break.”

  “You’re taking this awfully well. Am I fired? Because I had a long talk with Isabella before I left and I agreed to take the job at the co-op. Full-time.”

  “That’s wonderful. No, you aren’t fired. I suppose this is your two-week notice then?”

  “Sadly, yes. Can I ask you something? It might border on odd.”

  “If it’s about Scott…?”

  “I need to know where he’s buried. It came to me last night at the cabin what’s missing. If he won’t come to me, maybe I should go to him.”

  Jordan put her arm around Hannah. “Honey, you’re welcome to go to the cemetery, but Scott has his reasons for not coming around now. Didn’t he mention to you that you had to find out things on your own, in due time. You’re impatient for answers. Sometimes it just takes time to get where you want to go.”

  “Who needs Scott when I have you for a friend?”

  “I’m glad you feel that way. You’re easy to talk to. I’ll miss your visits.”

  “Are you lonely out here, Jordan?” The words had barely landed when Hannah’s hand flew to her mouth as if embarrassed at the acknowledgment. “I don’t know why I blurted that out. I’m sorry.”

  Jordan took a seat at the kitchen table. “A little, especially since Hutton started school and Scott goes to preschool three times a week.”

  “Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,” Hannah supplied.

  Jordan’s cheeks flushed red with humiliation. “Am I that obvious? It’s true, I don’t like the fact that Nick took the job at the bank. I never did. Although it’s been years, I still miss him here, putzing around, keeping me company, doing little chores here and there, like touch-up painting, mending a broken rail, or having a second cup of coffee with a muffin in the kitchen when the house is quiet. I know how silly that sounds. I know he needs to work, to feel that same sense of accomplishment he had back in L.A. when he worked for a huge corporate bank.”

  “Does Nick know how you feel?”

  “No, not even a little bit. I’ve hidden my feelings well. I miss him being here, doing the things we’d planned here together. I thought that’s what he wanted, too.”

  “I’m no expert on relationships, but I’d say the first step in maintaining happiness in one is honesty. I think you should tell him how you feel.”

  “But I don’t want to disrupt the work he does at the bank. He does good work, Hannah. He approves loans that lets residents purchase their first houses, car loans that allow people to drive a decent vehicle. He’s brought the bank back from a cold, heartless entity to its original purpose—a partnership with the community.”

  “Maybe he could do that from here? Bank managers have home offices all the time.”

  “Initially that’s what he talked about doing. But little by little the bank business picked up. There are days he seems overwhelmed. Sometimes he doesn’t get home until after seven in the evening.”

  “Then maybe he should hire an assistant loan officer. Maybe the two of you should sit down and revisit your original plans and dreams for this place. What if he isn’t happy either?”

  Jordan’s eyes grew wide at the notion. “He has complained about the workload.”

  “There. See. You should talk to him about it. Pick a time when the kids are tucked in for the night and the guests are asleep. Take a walk around the grounds so there are no distractions. In fact, maybe the two of you should have your own quiet weekend in the mountains.”

  “I’m not even sure that’s possible.”

  “If I can leave all my part-time jobs behind for four days, surely you can break away for a couple of nights.”

  “I could ask my sister and her husband to watch the kids for us this weekend.”

  “Go for it. Don’t spend another day miserable. It’s not worth it. Life’s too short for that.”

  After their talk, Hannah went upstairs to get to work. There were bathrooms to clean, beds to strip, laundry to get done, and beds to remake with fresh sheets.

  The guests in one of the larger rooms had checked out earlier that morning—a couple visiting from Seattle—so she started in there. She opened the French doors to let in ocean air and began the chore of pulling bedding off into a pile to wash.

  She sprayed foaming bubbles on the sink, tub and shower, and let it set before scrubbing them to a shine. Bundling the sheets on the floor into her arms, she headed downstairs to the laundry room.

  While stuffing the clothes into the washer, her thoughts ran to Molly. She hoped the dog could shake her health problems and be good as new without more worry and meds. She wondered what Caleb was up to and fought the urge to text him.

  But there was too much to get done. She took the stairs at the back of the kitchen and looped around to the linen closet to get clean sheets. Arms full, she backed up and looked squarely into Scott’s eyes.

  “What the—? Ghostly, my ass. When did you become corporeal?”

  “I’m not. It’s an illusion. You wanted to talk to me? Here I am.”

  “I…where’ve you been? What have you been doing with yourself? Don’t tell me you’ve been too busy to know about what’s happened at Bradford House. Did that grave belong to Micah? Where’ve you been all this time?”

  “Do I bombard you with personal questions?”

  “No, you just show up in a field of grapes and scare the crap out of me.”

  “Point for you.”

  “If we’re keeping score, you’re way ahead. Is that Micah at Bradford House or not? Tell me the truth.”

  From downstairs Hannah heard Jordan walk to the bottom of the stairs. “Hannah, are you okay up there? Are you talking to me? If so, how about coming back down here for a conversation.”

  Hannah gave Scott a flustered look before finally answering Jordan, yelling down the staircase to her. “Uh…talking on my cell phone. Sorry to be so loud.”

  She whirled on Scott and lowered her voice. “See what you’ve done. Now I’m lying to Jordan.”

  “Who asked you to lie? Why not just tell her you were talking to me?”

  “You disappear for days without a word, no direction as to what I’m supposed to do, and then you show up here of all places.”

  “I live here. This was my home a long time before it was Jordan’s. Although I do appreciate you giving her advice that makes her happier, Nick, too. They could both use a new outlook
on life.”

  “Oh, stuff it. Getting a straight answer out of you is damn near impossible.” By the time she’d finished getting the words out, Scott had taken off…again.

  She made a growling sound in her throat. “Get back here and finish this, you ghostly galoot!”

  Hannah heard a noise behind her and whirled to prepare for another faceoff. But it was Jordan, bringing up fresh water for the upstairs plants.

  “Problem?” Jordan asked with a little smile forming at the corners of her mouth. “Frustrating, isn’t he? Even on the best days when we were married, he could be the most exasperating man I’d ever known. Always was like that, too. Used to drive me up the wall.”

  “You must’ve had the patience of a saint,” Hannah said, raising her voice so Scott would hear the declaration. “The man could no doubt make a priest spit fire.”

  Getting back to work, she stayed busy for the next several hours. When she did head for home, for some reason, she felt better about things. Even the scene with Scott couldn’t dampen her good mood.

  Maybe it was because she wanted to check on Molly. Whatever the reason, she had shopping to do. Doggies needed supplies.

  Twenty

  While Hannah picked up where she’d left off, Caleb wasn’t as lucky.

  He and Cooper got the family together in the office at The Plant Habitat to discuss what to do with the Krugerrands. They didn’t have a choice in the matter. Someone was out there who wanted the gold. They had to come up with a viable plan.

  “Where do we put the gold while we work out a solution?” Shelby asked. “It makes me nervous just looking at it.”

  “You have to secure it. Best way to do that is take it to the bank as soon as possible,” Eastlyn suggested. “Toss it into an existing safety deposit box.”

  “What other option do we have?” Drea pointed out, glancing from one to the other. “I don’t want all that money in my loft.”

  “That was my first thought,” Cooper muttered in agreement. “I don’t want it anywhere near the house. Something else to consider is that once it gets out that we have a bag full of gold coins—we stopped counting at five hundred—things are bound to change.”