Dream of Her Heart

by Shanna Hatfield

  Rock snorted. “There’ll be no doghouse sleeping for me, my friend. I don’t plan to get into that kind of trouble.”

  “Petey!” Miko called as she stepped outside. “Your mother just phoned. She said your dad is back from town and to come straight home.”

  “I’m on my way. Bye, everyone. Take good care of Tuffy!” And in a whirl of pounding steps and the squawk of the gate, Petey left.

  “Here, let me take that,” Rock said.

  Zane listened as water was poured into the tub and he felt steam rising from the water.

  “Is that enough or do you need more? I could drain the water from the canning kettle,” Miko said.

  “This should be fine,” Rock assured her. “You might as well go back in the house. No need for all of us to get dirty with this job.”

  Zane took a step toward the door and grinned. “That’s nice of you to excuse me.”

  Rock laughed and Miko giggled. “I wasn’t talking to you and you know it. Get back over here and help me wash this filthy, disgusting animal.”

  Zane dropped down on his knees next to the tub, glad he was wearing an old pair of Rock’s jeans instead of his uniform pants. The footlocker Zane had left in Hawaii was on its way, but until it arrived, he didn’t have too many clothing options.

  He whistled and the dog ambled over to him, pressing against his side. “Tuffy, this is gonna be worse for us than it is you, so just bear that in mind.”

  Rock picked up the dog and set him in the tub then Zane held him in while Rock soaped him. They both worked to pry burrs from his coat.

  Before they let him loose, Rock had Miko bring out more hot water with a heaping spoon of salt mixed into it. He held hot compresses to the sore below the dog’s chin, trying to draw out the infection.

  When the wound broke and spewed out nasty, yellow pus, Zane was glad he couldn’t see it, but he could smell it, especially when it ran down his arm.

  “I hope that’s it,” Zane said as Rock scrubbed the spot on the dog with a clean rag and dabbed on some of Miko’s special ointment.

  “Look who’s here,” Miko said, stepping outside. “Nurse Brighton and Doctor Ridley are just in time for supper. I think we should eat out here at the picnic table.”

  “That’s a grand idea,” Rock said.

  Zane felt the dog lunge forward and couldn’t stop him. He heard the dog shake himself and Billie squeal. A smile broke across his face as he pictured the dog soaking her as he shook off his bath water.

  “Oh, my,” Miko gasped.

  Rock and Doctor Ridley made futile attempts to hold back their chuckles.

  “Let’s get you inside,” Miko said and two sets of footsteps hurried up the back steps.

  The men all burst into laughter and Zane felt the dog bump against him again. “Mind looking at a patient?” Zane asked, placing a hand on the dog’s head.

  “Not at all,” Doctor Ridley said, as he drew near. “What’s wrong with this fellow, other than he looks hungry.”

  “He’s a stray the neighbor boy found,” Rock said, hunkering down by the doctor. Zane could feel Rock get a firm hold of the dog, tipping his chin up. Zane continued rubbing Tuffy around his ears and letting the dog rest against his legs. “He has a sore on his neck, and it broke open during his bath. We put a little ointment on it, but don’t know what else to do.”

  The doctor was silent for a moment and the dog whined once. Finally, Doctor Ridley cleared his throat. “You did a good job of cleaning the spot, getting most of the infection out. I’d say put hot compresses on it once or twice a day. Salt is good to draw out the infection, then a medicated ointment is good, if he’ll leave it alone. Don’t try to bandage it because he’ll likely paw at it. Give him plenty of milk and eggs. He should be fine in a few weeks.”

  “Thanks, Doc. He’s a nice dog. Hate to see someone just turn him loose to die.” Zane continued rubbing the dog’s head. “I bet you didn’t come all the way out here just to look at a stray mutt, though.”

  “No. I wanted to check on you and Rock promised he’d send me home with pears, potatoes, and fresh corn. Perhaps I could wash up and then take a look at your eyes and check on how your side is healing?”

  “Sure, Doc. Let’s go inside.” Rock led the way inside the house where the men all washed up in the kitchen since Billie was in the bathroom repairing the damage Tuffy had done. Miko dashed outside to give the dog a bit of meat to keep him close to the house until they returned outside.

  Zane peeled off his shirt and let the doctor poke and prod his side. He listened to his murmurs and mumbles. “It’s healing nicely, Zane. The flesh is no longer hot to the touch and there’s no sign of infection. The stitches need to come out and I can take care of that now if you like. After that, you can leave off the bandage.”

  “Go ahead, Doc. Rip ’em out.”

  He sensed Billie’s presence as the doctor carefully removed the stitches. Her perfume tantalized his nose even if it mingled with the smell of wet dog. He grinned, thinking of Tuffy soaking her. Boy, he wished he could have seen it.

  “It’s not that funny,” Billie whispered as she stood close to his ear while he sat on a kitchen chair, stretched over slightly on the table to expose his side for the doctor to work on.

  “Yes, it really is,” he said, tamping down the urge to laugh aloud.

  “Done. That didn’t take long,” Doctor Ridley said as he removed the last stitch. “Now, let’s take a look at your eyes. Is there a dark room we can use?”

  “The office would probably work best. If you pull the curtains closed, it’s fairly dark in there,” Rock said, guiding them to the office. Zane sat down in a leather chair and listened as curtains swished closed.

  The doctor’s bag settled with a soft thump in the chair next to him.

  “I’ll shut the door,” Rock said, then left Zane alone in the room with the doctor and Billie.

  “Let’s see how they look,” the doctor said, removing his glasses and handing them to Billie.

  Zane knew that because he could barely discern the blurry outlines of their hands.

  “What can you see, Zane? Can you see my fingers?” the doctor asked.

  Zane blinked and blinked again. Something lingered in the distance, but he couldn’t tell what. “No. It’s too fuzzy.”

  The doctor took a step closer. “How about now?”

  Zane squinted, trying to see.

  “Don’t squint, just look as you would under normal conditions.” Doctor Ridley moved another step closer.

  “There. I can see your hand. It’s blurry, but you’ve either lost a finger or aren’t holding up your pinky.”

  “Very good. I wasn’t holding it up,” the doctor said, patting Zane on the shoulder. “That’s excellent. And you’re still sensitive to light?”

  “Yes, especially anything overly bright. It gives me a blistering headache.”

  “I’m glad the glasses are helping. I’ll have to remember that trick.” The doctor patted him on the shoulder again. “I’ll let Nurse Brighton put some drops in your eyes. I can hardly wait to taste the corn. The whole kitchen smells just like my grandmother’s used to.”

  Doctor Ridley left and Zane tried to focus on Billie. Her face was blurry, but he could see her blond curls. If he wasn’t mistaken, she wore a pleased smile.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he whispered, reaching out and touching her cheek. It felt so smooth beneath his fingers, so soft, so much like he remembered.

  “Hey, yourself, cowboy,” she said, moving so close her face was just a few inches from his.

  Although she still appeared out of focus, he reveled in the joy of seeing her again. Of knowing she was smiling without having to assume or guess.

  “Ready for those drops?” she asked.

  “Not particularly, but they have to be better than the wash you’ve made me endure.”

  “Poor baby,” Billie teased and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. />
  She didn’t put up a fuss or struggle. Billie slid her hands up his arms and wrapped them behind his neck, twining her fingers in his hair. “I’ve sure missed you,” she whispered.

  “I missed you, too, Billie, girl.” His lips captured hers, claiming them, caressing them, then giving in to his need to hold her closer, kiss her deeply.

  Footsteps heading toward the door broke them apart. Billie jumped off his lap, grabbed a bottle she’d set on the desk and lifted a dropper. She pushed his head back and let a drop fall in his eye.

  “Ow! What is that? Acid?” he asked, blinking his eye against the sting.

  Rock opened the door, glanced at them both, and chuckled. “Supper’s ready.” He turned and left them alone again, but with the door wide open.

  Billie placed a drop in his other eye, then kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry they sting. Doctor Ridley thought these might work better than the wash you’ve been using, though.”

  “I’m willing to give anything a try if it means I can see you again.”

  “You’ve always been able to see me, Zane.”

  Before he could reply, she slid his sunglasses in place, gathered her things and walked to the door. “Are you coming?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stood and followed her outside to where Miko served dinner on a picnic table in the shade of a tree.

  Once the meal was over and Rock had loaded an abundance of produce in Doctor Ridley’s car, the man cautioned Zane to get plenty of rest and to not over do it. He thanked Miko and Rock for the meal and the produce, then left. Miko and Rock offered a flimsy excuse of having a few chores to see to, leaving Zane alone with Billie.

  Even if he couldn’t sense her presence beside him, which he most certainly did, he could still smell a tantalizing whiff of her perfume. The odor of wet dog had dissipated, although the thought of Tuffy shaking himself on Billie made him swallow down a laugh.

  “It’s still not funny,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. “I’d be mad, but that poor dog looks like he’s got enough trouble.”

  “He does, and he didn’t mean anything by it. We just need to teach him some manners.” Zane felt the dog bump into his legs again and reached down to pet him. He turned toward Billie as she pet the dog, too. “Is Rock taking you home later?”

  “No,” she said, with a bit of hesitancy in her voice. “I’m staying here tonight.”

  “What?” Zane asked, surprised.

  “I don’t have to work tomorrow. When I called and spoke with Miko earlier, she invited me to spend the night since I planned to come out again tomorrow anyway. I hope you don’t mind. I won’t be throwing off any big plans of yours, will I?”

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to cancel that hot date I have later tonight, but I’ll make do with you.” Zane waited only a second before Billie swatted his arm and huffed indignantly.

  “You don’t have a hot date, you arrogant man.”

  “I do now,” Zane said in a husky growl, wrapping his arms around her. “That is I will if you’ll sit with me on the porch later. We might get in a little spooning before Rock starts spying on us and tells us to come inside like we’re a couple of misbehaving youngsters.”

  Billie laughed, the sound entangling Zane’s heart much as her fingers meshed with his as they brushed over Tuffy’s clean coat. “A date on the porch sounds wonderful. Now, tell me where you got this homely, pathetic dog that is going to completely steal my heart.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Billie said, glancing across the car at Zane.

  “You need to learn to drive, Billie, girl. No time like the present.” Zane sat back and rested his right arm on the edge of the door, elbow hanging out the open window. “Rock said the road going past their place doesn’t have much traffic on Sundays. Besides, with his generous offer to let you use his car to practice driving, you’ve got nothing to lose.

  Billie decided she’d gone loony. She’d never driven a car in her life, never even sat behind a wheel before. Here she was in Rock and Miko’s very nice sedan, about to attempt to drive it, with a nearly-blind man giving her instructions. No doubt about it — she’d lost her ever-loving mind.

  “What could possibly go wrong?” she muttered and put the car in gear.

  Zane cocked his head her direction. “Now just ease up off the brake and gently push the gas pedal. Nothing to it.”

  Billie did as he said and the car crept forward.

  Zane grinned at her. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “No, but we haven’t even driven past the house yet.”

  He chuckled. “You’ll be fine, Billie. I promise. We just spent an hour with Rock showing you how everything works. It’s time to put all that into practice.”

  “Fine,” she said, distracted as they neared the road.

  “Take your foot off the gas and push down on the brake when you get to the end of the driveway.”

  She stomped the brake and Zane put his hands on the dashboard to keep from cracking his skull on the windshield.

  “Sorry,” she said, offering him a sheepish look he couldn’t see.

  Rather than chastise her, he pointed to his right. “Just push up on your turn signal and look both ways. Is there any traffic coming?”

  “No. The road is clear,” she said, looking to her right then left and right again.

  “Before you pull out, check one more time. It only takes a second for a vehicle to pop up out of nowhere.”

  Billie craned her neck, leaning forward to see as far as she could in both directions. She’d almost asked Miko for a pillow to sit on to give her a little boost of height, but refrained. She felt like a child playing grown up as she struggled to reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel in the car. Rock had tried to adjust the seat, but it didn’t move enough to be any help to her.

  “The road is clear,” she said, glancing one more time to be sure.

  “Push into the gas, slowly, while turning the wheel in the direction you want the car to go. You won’t have to turn it too much.”

  Hesitant, fearful, and cautious, she eased into the turn then straightened out the wheel when they were on the paved surface of the road.

  “That’s good, Billie. Now, just follow the road. Rock said there’s another intersection up here in about a mile. If we take a right, then another, it will bring us back around by John and Lucy Phillips’ place.”

  Billie kept her hands on the wheel and eyes glued to the road, but she smiled. “That Petey is something else. I’ve heard so much about him, it was fun to meet the little scamp.”

  “He seemed excited to meet you, too.” Zane turned his head toward her. “He told me before he left that he thinks you’re a straight arrow and might even be a royal-stepper like Miko.”

  “I’ll take that as high praise.” Billie smiled at Zane and wondered how much he could see. She knew his vision was improving up close. Doctor Ridley was hopeful he’d recover most of his sight, even if it never all quite returned. Billie prayed it would be so.

  “You’re doing just fine, Billie. As you drive, you want to be aware of what’s going on around you at all times. Keep an eye behind you, to the cars around you, those heading toward you. Anticipate what might be coming so you have time to react to it. And don’t let anything distract you.”

  “Distract me?” she asked, casting a quick glance his way then looking behind her. “What on earth could possibly distract me?”

  “Well, you shouldn’t ever put on your lipstick while driving, or try to style your hair.”

  “I would never do that.” Billie shook her head in consternation. “That would take at least one hand, possibly two, and mine are both holding tightly to the wheel.”

  Zane reached over and felt along the wheel until his hand connected with hers. “You don’t have to strangle the life out of the steering wheel. You’ll make your hands cramp if you keep that up too long. Just maintain a firm grip.”

  She relaxed her g
rip and felt the tension in her shoulders lessen. “What else might distract me?”

  “What if you were alone in the car with a handsome, charismatic fella and he scooted over closer to you like this?” Zane slid across the seat until their thighs touched. He settled his arm around her shoulders and his masculine, alluring scent enveloped her. Even with a growth of scruff on his face, he was still far more appealing than any man she’d encountered. She loved the swoop in his thick, dark hair. The dimples in his smile. The seductive fullness of his lips. The tempting indentation in his strong chin.

  “I’d tell that fella to behave like a gentleman or he’d be sorry.”

  Zane chuckled but he didn’t move away. In fact, he pressed a little closer. The hand he’d draped around her shoulders toyed with her hair while he leaned near and nuzzled her ear. He pressed a warm, moist kiss on her neck and Billie fought back a moan of pleasure.

  “Road, Billie. Focus on the road.”

  She hadn’t even realized she’d turned her head to give him better access and let her eyes drift half-closed. She popped them wide open and screeched as the car crossed the center line and headed toward the ditch on the other side of the road.

  “Gently guide the car where you want it to go,” Zane said in a calm voice as he moved back to his side of the car. His patience and unruffled demeanor helped settle her skittered nerves.

  Billie got the car on the right side of the road then pulled over and stopped as soon as she came to the crossroad. She clenched the steering wheel in both hands until her knuckles turned white and worked to slow the breaths that came in frightened gasps.

  Zane gave her an unreadable look, one nearly devoid of expression. “That’s what I mean by a distraction.”

  “Oh, you… you… man!” Billie swatted his arm and he laughed, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed each finger with such tenderness she thought she’d melt into the leather seats of the sedan. However, she was still so upset at him, she wasn’t yet ready to succumb to his considerable charms.

  “You could have gotten us both killed!” she yelled, but didn’t jerk her hand away from Zane’s thorough attention to each finger.