Two dark eyes met hers.
A strange energy charged between them.
Hailey braced herself, cowering behind her good arm. But the expected didn't come. Instead, as she dropped her hand, she caught the dog turning and nestling down with the tiny sleeping pups.
Scared, knowing she should back away, and yet strangely drawn toward the animal, Hailey leaned forward and reached to the dog. She was crazy. She knew it. But for some reason, she believed they'd connected.
Gut reaction or possibly the effects of shock?
"It's okay. I'm here to help you." She slipped the leash she'd dropped in her lap over the dog's neck then glanced at the tiny pups, still wet from birth. "You're protecting your babies. A good mother. But we're going to take you somewhere safe and clean." She reached to the nearest pup, but when a low growl promised more of what she'd just received, she paused and instead offered her hand to the dog again.
"Are you okay?" Amy whispered.
Hailey nodded.
"I have the carrier for the puppies."
Hailey slowly turned. "Thanks."
"Oh, my God!" Amy gasped, her lips milky white. "Your arm!"
Hailey refused to look down, despite the steady throb coursing from her wrist to elbow. "I'm fine." She took the carrier from Amy and returned to her task. "What time is it?"
"Quarter to eleven."
Darn! "You'd better leave. I don't want to upset the dog more." Once she heard Amy's retreating footsteps, she gathered some loose bedding and dropped it in the carrier, then reached for a puppy, reassuring the mother dog as she lifted it. "Easy, Jensen. We're going to help you."
The puppy was shivering and limp. Worried about heatstroke, Hailey carefully placed it in the box, then reached for the next one. Before long, she had four wet and shaking puppies, near death, in the carrier, and an apprehensive dam beside the container, alternately peering in and pacing.
Hailey stood, handed the carrier through the hole to Amy, and led the dog outside to the car.
Only after Amy started the car and drove down the street, did she look at her arm. She saw a brief flash of red then stars. She dropped her head between her knees.
So much for the meeting. Hopefully Tonya Barrington would have an opening in tomorrow's schedule.
"The hospital is only five minutes away," Amy said, after calling the local police station about the cats remaining in the warehouse. "You did the right thing. Thanks."
Hailey didn't respond. The soft whimper of a puppy said it all.
As soon as her head cleared, she asked for the phone and called Mrs. Barrington to reschedule. Luckily, the woman had an opening first thing tomorrow morning. Hailey apologized once more, thanked her and hung up.
Tomorrow, nine o'clock, her dreams would either become a reality or be dashed. She didn't know which was more frightening.
Chapter 2
Two hours at a veterinary hospital and then four hours in the emergency room left Hailey exhausted, yet sleep remained elusive that night. After several hours of lying awake, she gave up on sleep, showered, dressed and packed her bags. Her pitch to Mrs. Barrington was still shaky, so she took the time remaining to rehearse, changing a word here and there, and doubting everything that came out of her mouth.
Her brain was hazy from lack of sleep and painkillers, and she couldn't think straight. She'd lost all objectivity, but couldn't let a little tiredness get the best of her. By six o'clock, she was so frantic she woke Amy and asked for her help.
Rumpled and blinking, Amy sat on the bed as Hailey performed her speech over and over. Amy didn't offer much feedback, but for some reason her presence helped settle Hailey.
With the final version getting Amy's stamp of approval, Hailey thanked her and called for breakfast as she went to dress.
"I'm going with you," Amy said, a half-hour later, chomping on a bagel coated with cream cheese.
"No. It could take an hour, maybe longer. I don't want to make you and the dogs wait in the car for that long, and we can't bring them inside."
Amy grinned and picked up a pup. "Maybe seeing these beauties would convince her--"
"That we're nuts," Hailey finished. "No way. This is downtown L.A.."
"Heck, some of the people around here wear their dogs like jewelry." Amy set the puppy down and shoved a bagel at Hailey. "You'd better eat or your medicine'll make you sick. Nothing like puking all over a fancy office to leave a lasting impression."
"I'm not taking my medicine. I need to be sharp."
"How are you going to think straight with pain shooting up your arm?"
Hailey glanced down at the bandages. "I'll manage. This is big--the biggest thing I've ever shot for. I can't mess up."
"You'll do fine. You're sharp, witty. You'll have her eating out of your hand in no time."
"God, I hope you're right."
After eating, Amy helped load the luggage and dogs into the car, and they drove to the downtown office. The entire time, Hailey wished she hadn't eaten the little bit of bagel she'd forced down. Her stomach roiled like angry storm clouds, and she had to force her breathing to slow. She'd never been so nervous.
When they parked, Amy gave her one last encouraging smile. "Go get 'em!"
"Thanks for your help." She walked to the building's plush lobby, thinking her legs would give out at any moment. She didn't belong here, in this foreign world of designer clothes and staggering wealth. With every step, the urge to turn tail and run grew stronger, until she wondered how she'd make it to the penthouse suite. The elevator ride alone was intimidating. But she managed.
Moments later, she swallowed her breakfast for the umpteenth time and sat in the suite's lobby, waiting for Mrs. Barrington to fetch her. The bandages wound around her arm, and the limb's steady throb, didn't matter so much anymore. Only getting through the next hour.
The receptionist stood and led her to a set of double doors at the end of a short hallway. "Mrs. Barrington is ready to see you now."
"Thanks." She stepped through the door.
Mrs. Barrington remained seated at the most massive desk Hailey had ever seen. Cold stone. It was as frigid as the expression on the woman's stern face.
"Good morning. Thank you for seeing me. Again, I apologize--"
"Please, take a seat, Ms. Jensen."
Hailey sat in a high-backed chair across from her and prepared to launch into her pitch. "As I stated in the written materials--"
"No need to proceed." The woman rested her elbows on the desktop, fingers steepled under a pointy chin, brows furrowed, and mouth set in a grim line. "I've reconsidered."
"You've reconsidered?" Hailey repeated, sure she'd heard wrong, and afraid to breathe and miss the answer to come. Was this Mrs. Barrington's way of punishing her for rescheduling? She hadn't even delivered the first sentence of her speech.
"Yes."
Hailey squirmed. The chair's leather seat creaked as she moved. Did Mrs. Barrington, wife of movie mogul and zillionaire, Marcus Barrington, know what she was doing? Did she know with two words she was about to dash Hailey's dream--the dream of a number of people? Darn it! Surely one hundred thousand dollars was nothing to this woman. She probably spent more on shoes.
Hailey stood and offered her hand, a fake smile plastered to her face. "I see. Well, thank you for your time--"
"No. Please, sit. I still want to donate. I've just reconsidered the amount we discussed."
She eased back into the chair. "All right."
Mrs. Barrington opened a leather planner and pulled out a business check, scrutinizing it with sharp eyes before handing it to Hailey. "I think you will be pleased with this figure."
Hailey reached across the desk, glancing down at the tan paper with black writing. A number two, followed by two zero's, a comma, three, four, five zeros…! Two hundred thousand? Did she have the wrong check? She looked up.
"So I take it, that figure is acceptable?" the woman asked with a smile.
"It's...oh, God...it's...thank you
," she said, slipping the document into her briefcase and standing. Best to get out of there before Mrs. Barrington changed her mind, again. Offering her hand to the woman, Hailey said, "Thank you for your generous donation. You won't be disappointed."
Mrs. Barrington shook her hand. "Just make sure I get a receipt. The IRS is on me like a pack of wolves."
"Not a problem." Dizzy, giddy, sick to her stomach, Hailey opened the door. With legs carrying her as fast as possible, she returned to the relative safety of her car before she took another breath.
Two hundred thousand dollars! It was really going to happen. Her dream would come true. Her eyes burned. She laughed to keep from crying.
Amy, who'd waited patiently for her to speak, eyed her. "I take it your meeting went well?"
Hailey couldn't help grinning. It was finally going to pay off, the sacrifice, the sorrow, all of it. If she were a religious person, she'd drop to her knees and offer up a prayer--in the middle of Wilshire Boulevard.
After setting her briefcase on the floor, she gave Jensen, who lay like a diva--all stretched out on the back seat--a pat on the head. Then she started the car and turned onto the road. Would she return to Paws and Claws before the staff left for the night? Or more specifically, before her closest friends left for the night?
The two men expected to see a check for one hundred thousand dollars. They'd think she sold her soul for this!
"I'm not saying a word until we get back," she said.
Amy sighed, and reached back to stroke Jensen's head. "I figured you’d do that to me. It's a long ride, though. I don't think you can keep it a secret for that long."
Determined to do just that, she drove down the Four-oh-five, cracking the windows to enjoy the breeze as she headed south. Traffic ground to a halt several times, thanks to morning rush hour, before she reached the Santa Monica freeway. Each time the car slowed to a crawl, she cursed impatiently. Living in a small town had its benefits. Light traffic was one she'd taken for granted, until now.
No music, no book on tape. She wanted only her thoughts, the soft whimpers of the puppies, and the sound of the wind rustling through the car to keep her company. Thankfully, Amy fell asleep as soon as they reached the end of the entrance ramp.
It took ten exhausting hours to make the drive. In that time she silently rehearsed at least a dozen different speeches, each lamer than the last. Finally, she settled upon the simple thrust-the-check-at-'em-and-let-'em-gawk routine. No words would suffice. As she pulled into the Paws and Claws parking lot, her pulse quickened. This was going to be fun!
She donned a sober expression, or at least she hoped it was reasonably sober. After collecting the carrier of puppies from the backseat and helping Amy coax Jensen out, she recovered her briefcase and walked slowly into the aged building.
When she stepped inside, Andrew, her assistant manager, was the first to see her.
"Hey-ya, Hailey. How'd it go? Did you save a whale?" he asked, standing behind the counter. His tanned face shone with curiosity. Full brows lifted high above deep-set brown eyes as he ran his hand over his mahogany, spiked hair, tipped with gold. He looked down at the computer screen, punched the Enter key and stepped to the end of the counter. "What's wrong? You look like someone stole your puppy. You didn't call. It's not like you to forget to call. And what happened to your arm?"
"Aren’t you a little mother hen? Where's Pete?" she asked, scanning the lobby. The cozy room, with its hardwood floors and deep blue paint on the walls, was empty except for Andrew.
"Pete's out back, checking on Jessie. I think the Dobe's ready to pop." He took the carrier from her. "What's in the crate?"
"You said that she was ‘ready to pop’ two weeks ago." Hailey walked to the back of the room, talking over her shoulder, "Why don't you come with me? And find Amy. She's disappeared already. I only want to say this once."
"Say what once?" Andrew asked, looking goofy, a common expression for him. "What happened? Give me a clue." He followed her to the kennel. The dogs in the runs lining each side of the hallway yapped loudly, a cacophony of howls, yips and barks drowning out his persistent questioning.
"I'm not saying a word until we find Peter and Amy," she repeated as they entered an examination room.
Andrew set the container of puppies on the table and opened it.
"I'm found," Pete said, entering. "Now what's all the noise about?" He studied Hailey with cool gray eyes, the creases at the corners even deeper than normal.
She couldn't help smiling. Who could remain sedate under Pete's scrutiny?
Amy followed him, taking a puppy from Andrew and nuzzling it.
"Okay. Now that I have all of you in one place, I have some news." She paused for dramatic effect, letting them squirm a few seconds before continuing, "As you know, I met with Tonya Barrington today."
"Yeah, and...?" Andrew asked.
She tried to look disappointed. "She changed her mind."
Pete's eyes narrowed slightly. "She did?"
"Damn!" Andrew interjected. "I knew we shouldn't have counted on her. That woman's husband is a tightwad. Everyone knows he doesn’t do charity. What made you think--"
"Why were you so happy then?" Amy asked, looking bewildered. "You're lying."
Knowing she couldn't keep up the ruse, especially with Amy shaking her head, Hailey slipped a hand into her briefcase, withdrew the check, and handed it to Pete.
His gaze dropped to read the figure on it, then raised to meet hers. A broad smile spread over his face, touching each feature with new energy and life. "Hailey, this is fantastic."
She returned his smile, thinking she wouldn't have wanted to share this moment with anyone but Pete Logan. Heck, if he were younger--at least in his forties instead of sixties--and if she hadn't sworn off marriage, he would have been her first choice in a husband.
"What's fantastic? For God's sake, what's going on?" Andrew asked, swiping the check from Pete's hand. "Two hundred thousand dollars? Two freakin' hundred thousand dollars! Damn! What did you do, Hailey, promise her your firstborn?"
"Nope--" Hailey began, but stopped when she heard the phone ring in the lobby. "I'll tell you later. Better get that call first." She dashed to the lobby and reached the phone on the last ring before the answering machine picked up. "Paws and Claws, how may I help you?"
"Ms. Hailey Jensen, please," a deep voice said on the other end.
"Speaking." She slumped onto a stool at the counter and gathered a pencil and piece of paper in case she needed to take directions or an address.
"My name is Rainer Hartmann. I need to speak to you--in person."
"Is this an animal cruelty report?" she asked, confused. Complaints were always taken over the phone.
"No. This is about your sister, Heidi."
Now, she was on edge. "Is something wrong?"
"I'd rather not talk about it on the phone."
"What was your name again?"
"Rainer Hartmann."
She wrote it down, reading it over and over. "I don't know a Rainer Hartmann. As far as I know, my sister doesn't, either."
"I'm contacting you on behalf of your sister, Heidi, but I don't think discussing the details over the phone is a good idea. I'm in town for business. Would you feel safest meeting me somewhere in public? Tonight or tomorrow is fine. You name the time and place, but sooner is better."
She wondered why he was evading the specific reason for their meeting. "Can I call you back in about..." She glanced at her watch. "...five minutes?"
"Sure. I'm at the Airport Travelodge, room two twenty-three."
She scribbled the room number under his name. "Got it. I'll call you right back." Hailey slammed the phone on its cradle, answering another of Andrew's curious stares with a smile. "Did you do that? Is it a joke?" She hoped, beyond reason, this was Andrew's idea of a sick prank.
"What?" His genuinely bewildered expression was enough to convince her he knew nothing. He had this way of smiling when he was guilty. "Who was it?"
"I don't know. Some guy named Hartmann." What kind of business would a man from Detroit have in a small town like Sequoia Valley? And what did he want with her?
She fingered the scrap paper she'd written the man's name and room number on, then dialed the hotel's main switchboard. When a customer service agent took her call, confirming there was a Mr. Hartmann registered at the hotel, she thanked the agent and hung up.
Next, she phoned her sister's apartment, the first time in years. She got the answering machine.
What was Heidi up to now?
She gnawed on the pencil eraser and tried to figure it out, but drew a complete blank. After the long night at the emergency room, and the drive back today, her brain was fried. Deciding she needed to know more, she dialed the hotel again and asked for his room.
"Hello?" His deep radio-personality voice carried over the phone lines as he answered, eliciting an unwelcome rush of curiosity.
"Mr. Hartmann, it's Hailey Jensen again."
"Thank you for calling."
"Listen," she started, not sure what she should say next. "Why don't you forget about the theatrics and simply tell me what this is all about? Because..." Oh boy, she was on a roll. She never talked to people like this. "...to be honest, I'm exhausted and cranky... and not in the mood for games."
Silence.
"Okay," he said. "Heidi is ill."
The air left the room. "Ill? With what?"
"A.L.L. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia."
Hailey's heart stopped. "Leukemia? How bad is it? And why are you telling me this?"
"I'd rather discuss the rest in person. Will you meet with me?"
She nodded, then forgot he couldn't see her. "Yes."
"When?"
"When?" she repeated, lost in a fog that had fallen from nowhere. She stared at nothing and waited for the mind-clogging mist to lift.
"When will you meet me?" he repeated.
"Tonight?"
"Tonight is fine. Where?"
She couldn't think. "Your hotel restaurant, I guess."
"Very well. What time?"
She tried to read the dials on her watch but couldn't. Nothing she looked at registered in her brain. "Um. Give me an hour to do a few things here, and then I'll head over. So, that would be in maybe an hour and a half?"
Rescue Me (a quirky romance novel about secrets, forgiveness and falling in love) Page 2
