Close To Home (Westen Series)

by Ferrell, Suzanne

  She stood holding the door, the sun shining on her coppery hair. “You won’t believe me.”

  “Sure I will.”

  Emma stepped back in behind the safety of her screen door. “I’m doing it,” she said before quietly closing her door.

  Clint stood on the porch steps staring at the house for a moment. A deep chuckle rumbled out of him. The woman never seemed to stop surprising him. He shook his head and headed back to his own house, assured he didn’t have to worry about Emma and her boys any longer.

  A movement from the side yard caught his attention.

  Miss Isabelle had wandered from the back porch into her rose garden. He could hear her softly singing the words to the old forties song, Mares Eat Oats, as she snipped some of her flowers. A soft smile played on her features and she seemed to be completely oblivious to his presence.

  He wondered if the elderly woman’s spells were as harmless as Emma believed or if something more serious might be the cause. Uncle Ray’s files might prove interesting reading this afternoon.

  * * *

  Two days later a knock, followed by two hushed voices, drew Clint’s attention from the Journal of Geriatric Medicine he’d been studying for the past hour at his desk. Recognizing the voices beyond his door, he smiled to himself. His prediction at the beginning of the weekend that he wouldn’t worry about Emma and her boys any more didn’t include the frequent visits the boys made to his office. Although each time Harriett or whoever watched them came with them, he would’ve preferred to see Emma walk through his door.

  “Come in, Ben and Brian.” He set aside the papers in his hands, leaning back in his chair. The boys opened the door and peeked into the room.

  “Hi, Doc!” they called out, neither one coming past the door’s threshold.

  They exchange a suspicious look.

  Intrigued, Clint cocked his head to the side and studied them closer. “What’s up, guys?”

  “You ask him,” Brian whispered.

  Benjamin whispered something back, but Clint couldn’t quite make out what.

  “He’s a doc, Ben. He has to help us.” The younger brother pushed his older brother into the room.

  Clint waited patiently while the older boy decided whether to trust him or not. For some reason waiting for this small boy to choose positively in his favor made him as nervous as interviewing for med school had years ago.

  Benjamin thrust his good hand into his pants pocket and eyed him challengingly. “Doc, ya fixed me and Bri up real good the other day. We gots to know if ya is a really good doc.”

  “I’d like to think I am,” Clint answered as honestly as he could. Where was Ben headed with this line of questioning? “Something wrong with your arm, Ben?”

  “Nope. We gots to know if ya can fix something harder. Like say, could ya fix a frog, or even a puppy?”

  Clint struggled to keep from grinning at the two very serious boys. He remembered how high a frog or even a puppy ranked in importance to two six-year old boys.

  “Well boys, I suppose if it were an emergency, I could see to fixing a frog or a puppy. Why? You have a frog that needs fixing?”

  “A puppy.” Brian moved into the room. For the first time Clint saw the wiggling bundle in his jacket. “He has a hurt paw.”

  As if on cue a solid black head poked out the jacket’s collar. Brian unzipped it the rest of the way. Ben helped him pull out a black and white puppy of mixed breeding. Somewhere between a Collie and a Labrador, if Clint had his guess. The boys set the pup on the desk. By the way it hopped around on three paws, Clint could tell the front right one had indeed been hurt.

  “How did this happen?” Clint picked up his patient and examined its paw. The puppy whimpered when he ran his hand across the injured area.

  “We don’t know.” Brian shrugged his shoulders.

  “We found him in a sack on the side of the road.” Ben leaned his elbows on the table and braced his chin in his hands.

  Brian assumed the same position as his brother. “When we opened it, Hoppy just sorta hopped out at us.”

  Clint looked into two pairs of concerned brown eyes. “Guess that’s how he got his name, huh?”

  They both nodded solemnly.

  “Well, let’s take Hoppy to the x-ray room and see if we can get—” he took a quick check at the underside of the pup “—him to lie still long enough to take a picture of his paw. Okay?”

  “Sure!” Brian said.

  “We can make him hold still, can’t we, Bri?” Ben pulled three pieces of candy from his pocket. “Hoppy likes lemon drops.”

  The boys followed Clint and their new friend down the hall.

  “Yeah,” Brian added as they went into the x-ray room. “It’s just like the magic lollipops we had. We give one to Hoppy, and he’ll hold real still for ya, Doc.”

  “I bet he will.” Clint set the small furry bundle on the table. Immediately both boys scooted up beside him, patting him and feeding him candy. The pup’s tail wagged as he sat. Clint adjusted the x-ray machine so it would shine right on Hoppy’s paw. Then he lifted the heavy lead apron, draping it around the boys so that each could keep a hand on the puppy.

  “Why do we gotta wear this?” Brian asked.

  “Because,” Clint said, stepping behind the concrete barrier, “we want to see what’s wrong with Hoppy, not see what’s inside of you. Everybody hold real still.”

  He pushed the button to click off a picture, then he removed the apron from the boys. “You take Hoppy on back to the room where we put on the casts. I’ll be there in a minute to tell you if his paw is broken or not.”

  It took both boys to get the pup off the table, each using his good arm. Clint fought the urge to help them in their struggles. Apparently in the past week, they’d managed to overcome their broken arms by working in tandem when necessary.

  A few minutes later the film was ready. Though no veterinarian, even Clint could tell the animal had indeed broken a bone. As he walked into the exam room, he glanced at the clock and wondered if his brother Seth was in his office still. He needed some help on this one.

  “Well, guys,” he addressed the boys, picking up the phone and dialing Seth’s number, “looks like Hoppy here is going to get a cast just like you two.”

  Both boys grinned at him.

  Clint wondered if they’d heard him right. “I bet his paw hurts as much as your hands did,” he explained to them.

  The boys continued to grin at him.

  Maybe they didn’t understand that an animal could hurt, too, although most children their age sympathized easily with a small animal.

  “We know, Doc.” Ben looked at his brother, who nodded. “But if Hoppy has a hurt paw, then mommy will let us keep him.”

  “Yeah, he’ll match us,” Brian added.

  Finally understanding the two six-year-olds’ logic, Clint laughed into the receiver just as his brother answered the phone. “Hey, Seth. How are things in the state capitol?”

  “Not bad, big brother. Sounds like things are pretty good there in farm country. Aren’t you ready to get back in the action and return to the hospital, yet? Or have you found some farmer’s daughter to keep you company?”

  “Actually, it’s an old friend of Gwen’s, Emma Lewis, and her two sons.” Clint waited for the silence on the other end of the phone to end.

  “Little redheaded Emma?”

  Clint rolled his eyes at the astonishment in his brother’s voice. He swore he heard the feet of Seth’s chair hitting the floor all the way from Columbus.

  “The one Gwen dragged everywhere with her?”

  “The one and the same. Only she isn’t little anymore.”

  “Got kids, too?”

  “Twins. In fact, that’s why I called.” He hoped to divert his brother with the problem at hand and away from the idea of his interest in Emma. “The boys brought me a patient that’s sort of out of my league. I thought you might be able to help.”

  “A patient you need my help on?”


  “Seems they found a puppy, probably a runt no one wanted, in a sack on the side of the road. Hoppy has definitely broken his right front paw. I confirmed it with an x-ray.”

  “You took an x-ray of a dog?”

  His brother’s surprise irritated Clint. “Yes, I did. Now, what I need from you, little brother, is instructions on how to set the damn paw.”

  “Why don’t you just take it to a vet? I’ve never known you to be interested in working on animals before. At least none that weren’t human.”

  Clint heard the wheels turning in Seth’s brain as the conversation paused. He took a deep breath and waited for his brother to jump to conclusions.

  “Oh, ho! Could be you’re interested in little Emma, right? And fixing the boys’ pet will get you in her good graces?”

  Clint watched the boys as they petted and stroked their new pet. No, it wasn’t Emma that drew him to the situation, or at least not just her. In a matter of a few minutes a week ago, he’d determined these boys were important to him. The fact that their mother sent hot messages to his body only intensified the situation for him.

  “Clint, you still there?”

  He swallowed the expletive retort on the tip of his tongue. “Seth, could you do me a couple of favors?”

  “Anything, big brother.”

  “First, shut up about Emma, and second, tell me how to set this bone.”

  Seth laughed. “Okay, I’ll take pity on you. Describe to me the break and we’ll see if we can’t get Hoppy back to normal.”

  * * *

  Thirty minutes and several yards of wet plaster casting later, Clint picked up the pup and accompanied by the twins walked across the street to the colonial.

  “Is your mom asleep, guys?” he asked as they walked onto the porch.

  “She and Mama was sittin’ out here when we told her we was comin’ to see you.” Benjamin opened the door.

  “Will she be surprised.” Brian literally bounced into his brother.

  “What am I going to be surprised about?” Emma stood in the front room’s doorway. She smiled at the threesome. “What have you got there, Doctor?”

  Clint stopped in his tracks, trying to still the raging heat surging through him. She resembled a refugee from some fall-out shelter. She had her hair pulled into a ponytail, wisps of it curling softly around her face. Bits of plaster clung to the coppery strands, while a fine layer of dust covered her head and face. The urge to pull her closer and kiss her eyes, nose and cheeks clean of the powder, surged through him.

  Instead, he held out the wriggling bundle in his hands. “Seems the boys found a puppy that needed a little patching up.”

  “Ah, the poor thing.” Emma walked closer to scratch Hoppy behind the ears. “I thought they were up to something when they asked to come visit you.”

  “Can we keep Hoppy, Mommy?” Benjamin asked.

  Brian jumped up and down beside him. “Yeah, Mommy. Can we? He has a cast just like we do!”

  “Well, I don’t know.”

  She hesitated just a bit, but Clint saw the twinkle in her eyes.

  “Please, Mommy? We’ll take good care of him. We promise.” Benjamin started bouncing in unison with his brother.

  “He needs us, Mommy. Someone just threw him away,” Brian added.

  Emma glanced at Clint for an explanation.

  “Apparently, the boys found Hoppy here in a bag along the side of the road. My guess is that someone didn’t want to raise the runt of the litter,” he answered her unspoken question.

  “And how did he get this cast?” She held the paw in question.

  “Doc Clint fixed it just like he did ours, Mommy.”

  Brian gazed at Clint with such admiration in his eyes he felt his heart swell with the desire to gather the boy in a fierce hug, which both warmed and frightened him.

  “I didn’t know you worked with animals as well as people, Doctor.” Emma drew his attention to her and the puppy.

  He paused at her teasing then hurried to explain. “I did have a little help. My brother, Seth, is a veterinarian. I sort of consulted with him on how best to treat Hoppy.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Here’s a list of things he suggested you’d need if you decided to keep the pup. And a schedule of the shots he’ll need.”

  Emma took the paper then looked thoughtfully at her sons. Clint suspected she’d already decided to keep the dog. He admired the way she made the boys believe it wasn’t an easy decision. He understood her motives. Kids who had everything handed to them without a thought by their parents soon became obnoxious, whether rich or poor.

  “If we keep this puppy, it will be a big responsibility. You boys will have to take care of him.” Emma studied her sons with a serious expression. They’d finally managed to stop jumping and stand still.

  “We can do it, Mommy,” they said in unison.

  “This is more than just feeding him and cleaning cages like you do the other pets, boys. Hoppy will need someone to walk him...”

  “We can do that.”

  “...he’ll need a bath at least twice a month...”

  “We’ll wash him.”

  “...he has to have food and water every day...”

  “We won’t forget, we promise, Mommy,” Benjamin said, his brother nodding in agreement.

  “There’s one more thing you’ll have to do for Hoppy. And it’s the most important one.” She glanced from one son to the other, a very solemn expression on her face.

  The boys exchanged a serious look of their own.

  “Hoppy will need to be loved and played with all the time.”

  Her eyes danced and the corners of her lips twitched as she fought to keep her face stern. Both boys stared at her a moment, then hurled themselves at her legs. No longer capable of controlling her happiness, Emma’s face lit up with her smile. She handed the puppy to the boys, receiving giggling hugs in return.

  “Be careful not to hurt his paw,” she warned as they headed up stairs, Hoppy’s front half in Benjamin’s hands and his lower half in Brian’s.

  As she enjoyed her sons’ pleasure, Clint couldn’t help but stare at the vision she presented him. Her face softened and relaxed. For the first time since he’d met her, she appeared free of worry.

  She should look like this all the time.

  The jerk that had gotten her pregnant and left her to raise the boys on her own deserved to get the crap kicked out of him.

  “Is there something wrong, Doctor?” Emma stared at him strangely and he realized his face gave away his thoughts.

  He shoved his angry thoughts aside and reached out to tuck a stray curl of her hair behind her ear. “You should do that more often.” His hand rested on the side of her face for a moment.

  “What?” Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly.

  Clint fought the urge to taste them. “Smile. It becomes you.” When she leaned toward him, it took all of his self-restraint not to gather her up in his arms.

  He doubted she’d appreciate an advance like that out of him, when they’d barely called a truce two days before.

  “How’s the remodeling coming?” He dropped his hand from her face and changed the subject.

  “Um.” It took Emma a moment to answer him. “I’ve just about gotten all the drywall pulled down. Then I’m going to put a coat or two of light varnish on the wood to protect it.”

  “That will look nice.” He rubbed his hand across the wood. “It’s going to need sanding first.”

  Emma watched him caress the wood, remembering the feel of those fingers on her skin a moment earlier. Then she thought about his rejection of her willingness for more when he stepped away.

  Her pride took control. After her divorce, she’d promised herself she’d never again beg for a man’s attentions.

  Straightening her shoulders, she walked to the final wall she’d been working on. With a small grunt, she lifted the hammer and gave the wall a fierce blow, tugging on the hammer to pull more of the o
ld wall away.

  Just as the section of drywall loosened, Emma lost her balance and tumbled forward. Before she landed beneath the falling debris, she found herself suddenly jerked against Clint’s hard body. He held her in place with one muscular arm, while the other hand protected her nose and mouth from the cloud of dust that whooshed up from the floor.

  Emma went completely still. Heat surrounded her. Heat from Clint’s body pressed against her back. Heat from his forearm resting firmly against the lower swells of her breasts. Heat from his clean, warm hand against her skin.

  After a moment his hand slid to the side of her face. Yet he continued to hold her to him long after the dust had settled. Emma felt his breath on her neck, felt it quicken, then slow. His free hand stretched to where she still clutched the hammer and took it from her hand.

  “Maybe you’d better let me take that,” he said, setting her on her feet and moving away. “I don’t think you need to be in a cast along with your sons and their pet.”

  Emma’s temper flared to life. “Believe me, Doctor, I’m more than capable of handling this hammer.” She lunged forward to take it, only to have him hold it beyond her reach. “I’ve been doing this remodeling just fine on my own. And I certainly don’t need your help.”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve done it, but...” He lifted the hammer and gave one good blow to the wall. With a quick flick of the hammer, the remaining boards fell to the floor. “I used to be pretty good at demolishing rooms.”

  “Oh? During wild parties at the college dorms?” Emma couldn’t resist teasing him. His deftness with the hammer had taken some of starch out of her anger.

  “No. I never lived in the dorms.” He handed her back the hammer, then reached for the broom and began sweeping at the rubble on the floor. “Mom couldn’t afford it with four others to put through school after me. My scholarship only paid for classes and books.”

  “Then how did you become so familiar with demolishing rooms?” Emma asked, curious now.