by Laurel Kerr
Katie glared up at Sawyer. “You pierced her skin, and an angry red welt is starting to form.”
“Sawyer, that was uncalled for,” Rodger said.
“That—that thing was trying to attack me. I was protecting myself. I can’t help it if Abby was stupid enough to stand between us.”
White-hot anger snaked through Bowie. He scrambled to his feet, ready to defend his daughter, but once again, Abby was quicker.
“I don’t like you,” she blurted out. “You are a mean, horrible person.”
“I am your mother,” Sawyer snapped. “You don’t talk to me like that. You show me respect.”
“Abby,” Bowie said, fighting to keep his voice under control, “why don’t you go back in the house and find Lou? He can patch you up.”
With a sniffle, Abby nodded and hobbled away.
“Little drama queen,” Sawyer huffed, not quite under her breath.
Bowie ignored her. For now. But as soon as he heard the distant sound of the back door closing, he pivoted toward his former high-school sweetheart. This time, he didn’t hide his rage.
“You. Do. Not. Talk. To. My. Daughter. Like. That,” he said, punctuating each word.
“I’ll talk to her any way I want.” Sawyer crossed her arms. “I’m her parent.”
“No, you are not,” Bowie countered. “I am.”
“I gave birth to her,” Sawyer shrieked. “She owes me respect.”
“Not when you belittle her,” Bowie said. “She was only defending herself the best that any eleven-year-old can.”
“As if someone like you would know anything about how to be polite,” Sawyer scoffed. “You were a good fuck back in high school, Bowie Wilson, but that’s all you are and all you ever will be.”
“He’s a successful businessman and an amazing single dad,” Katie countered.
Although part of Bowie warmed at her ready defense, he winced. He didn’t want her deflecting Sawyer’s ire away from him. Sawyer’s words didn’t hurt as much as they used to burn. He had a family, a career, and a great relationship. He’d stopped being defined by his childhood a long time ago.
“Shut up, Katie Underwear,” Sawyer said. “Do you really think a makeover improves your looks? You’re still the girl with ugly hair. Remember in high school when you were too timid to look at me? Go back to that, you little—”
“Get out,” Bowie said quietly.
“What?” Sawyer swung toward him again.
“Get off my property,” he said. “You can attack me as much as you want as long as it isn’t in my daughter’s presence. Katie and Abby are off-limits. You treat them with respect and politeness, or you leave my home.”
“If you kick me out, I’ll fight you for custody,” Sawyer screamed.
“Fine,” Bowie said. “Take me to court, but you are never seeing Abby again.”
Sawyer laughed. “Do you really think you can fight me?”
It was then that Lulubelle chose to spit. Directly into Sawyer’s hair. She screamed, batting at her perfect blond coiffure that was now coated in camel saliva. Luckily, Bowie’s ire kept him from laughing.
Sawyer glared at them. “I’ll bury you for this. All of you. The camel and the rat-thing too.”
“That’s enough, Sawyer,” Rodger said, his drawl hardening into steel. “We’re not going to be burying anyone. We’re going home. Now.”
Sawyer whirled on her husband. “No. We can’t. She’s my daughter. I am a mother. I have a kid. She can be our kid. I promise.”
“I’m not letting you use that girl to make up for your lies to me,” Rodger snapped. “It’s clear that you’re not capable of being a mother. We’re leaving now. Apologize to these people.”
“But, Rodger…” Sawyer said in a wheedling tone.
Rodger ignored her and focused on Bowie. “We will not be suing you, and there will be no further contact from us. This meeting did not go well, to say the least. I apologize for my wife’s behavior.”
“Rodger!” Sawyer tried again.
When Rodger looked at his wife, his blue eyes were cold and unyielding. “It’s over, Sawyer.”
She paled in a way that left Bowie wondering if Rodger meant more than the custody claim. As much as Sawyer enraged Bowie, he couldn’t stop a slight twinge of pity. Rodger treated her like a child—a spoiled one. The man acted just as Sawyer’s father had. Arrogant and unintentionally belittling. It was a shame Sawyer had left her parents’ household only to end up stifled by her own husband. No wonder she hadn’t matured. She’d never been given a chance.
“Well, that was unpleasant,” Katie said as Sawyer and Rodger walked around one of the animal exhibits and out of earshot.
Bowie turned to her. He studied her carefully, hoping Sawyer’s toxic words hadn’t wounded her. “How are you doing?”
Katie reached out and cupped his cheek. “She didn’t say anything I didn’t expect. How about you? She attacked you more than anyone.”
Bowie shrugged. “I’ve heard it all before. I’ve come a long way in realizing that my parents have nothing to do with me or my life now.”
Katie smiled and stood on tiptoes to press her lips against his. He sank into the tender embrace. As their mouths slid against each other, he marveled at how easily she could wash away ugliness with the sweetness of her kiss.
When they broke apart, Katie stared up at him with a worried expression. “Do you think Abby is going to be okay?”
Bowie nodded. “I think she recognized Sawyer for what she was—a mean girl. You and June gave her the confidence to stand up for herself. Sawyer’s words stung, but I don’t think they’ll have a lasting effect.”
“Good,” Katie said. “That means I can forget about Sawyer, but personally, I think Lulubelle handled her the best.”
Bowie laughed and pulled Katie close for another kiss. Life looked pretty sweet right now. He wasn’t in danger of fighting a protracted custody battle, and Sawyer Johnson was no longer a problem. And he was dating an amazing woman who had his back no matter what. For once, it felt as if everything was going his way.
* * *
Fluffy silently slunk along Frida’s enclosure as he made sure the mean blond female and the blue-eyed man left. He did not trust them, especially the woman. She had tried to injure him and had hurt the Wee One in the process. That, Fluffy could not forgive.
He was glad Lulubelle had spat on her. For once, the camel had shown intelligence. Not as much as a honey badger, of course, but Fluffy had to give the silly creature some begrudging respect.
The bipeds were talking in hushed tones. Fluffy followed closely as their chatter drifted in his direction. The mean blond female spoke the most. She seemed angry. He heard her mention the red-haired female’s name. Each time she did, her voice rose higher.
Frida lifted her head at the sound and growled. The blond female did not notice. She was too intent on arguing and pleading. The blue-eyed man did glance nervously in the grizzly’s direction, despite the fencing and ditch surrounding the bear’s home. Fluffy smiled. He knew how to make the bipeds leave faster.
He darted into Frida’s enclosure. The humans did not spy him, but Frida did. She roared and dashed in the direction of the fence. The blond shrieked again—like a wounded rat, which would probably be tastier than the biped. Frida swiveled her massive head in their direction. The bear could not see well, so Fluffy helped her by darting along the ground. The bruin gave chase, and the silly bipeds thought the enormous beast was after them. They began to walk quickly. Very quickly.
Fluffy smiled, but he was not quite satisfied. The blond female should be watched carefully. She reminded him of a frustrated bee, ready to sting. Although bee stings never deterred him, Fluffy did not trust the buzzing insects. He did not trust the mean blond female either.
Chapter 14
“So these are the l
ittle cougars I’ve been hearing so much about,” Katie’s dad said.
“Yep,” Katie said. At the sound of her voice, Fleur’s ears perked up. Although the cubs had grown more independent, Fleur still had an attachment to Katie. The girl bounded over in Katie’s direction and rubbed her head against the chain-link fence separating them.
Bowie wasn’t done with the cubs’ permanent exhibit, but it was complete enough that the trio could explore the area. Although Dobby would eventually be relocated to another zoo, he would spend some time here before moving on.
Katie thought the exhibit was coming along nicely. Using concrete, Bowie had created a “rock formation” for the cougars to play on, and he planned on adding more boulders. An ash already grew at the site. Even though the tree required Bowie to add overhead fencing, it would provide shade and exercise for the pumas. Katie had helped him pick out other vegetation. They’d wanted local plants hardy enough to handle Sagebrush’s arid climate, so they’d settled on the town’s namesake and some junipers.
Bowie was going to build an observation deck because of the height of the fencing. Although the zoo wasn’t accredited, he made sure the enclosure met all recommended guidelines.
“They seem to like their new home,” Katie’s mom said.
“Bowie did a good job,” Katie agreed as she watched Dobby experimentally climb the fake rock edifice. Tonks was close behind. Fleur hung back, content to stalk a lizard that had wandered into the exhibit.
“They’ve certainly grown,” her mom said.
“I know. I miss their baby chub. They’re so lanky now.”
Bowie laughed. “Almost all animals go through an awkward stage. They’ll be very graceful when they’re full-grown.”
“How long do they keep their spots?” Katie’s dad asked.
“They’re starting to fade,” Bowie said, “but they’ll keep them for another month or so.”
“Do you see the vertical markings by their eyes?” Katie pointed them out to her parents. “I think they’ve become more pronounced.”
“Those they’ll keep,” Bowie explained.
“The cubs certainly are active,” Katie’s mom said.
Her father snorted. “They remind me of the twins. Those two never stopped.”
“They still haven’t,” Katie added.
“They were a big help with this exhibit, though,” Bowie said. “They pitched in when my arm was useless.”
Both of Katie’s parents turned in his direction. When her father spoke, his voice had a slightly deeper timbre than normal. “The Underwoods won’t forget what you did for our family.”
“I’m glad Eddie Driver is finally where he can’t hurt us,” her mother said. “Ever since the judge denied bail, I swear I’m getting fourteen more hours of sleep a week.”
Katie noticed then that her dad looked a little pale. It had been a twenty-minute car ride into town, followed by a long walk through the zoo to reach the cougar pen. And they’d stopped to see the other animals, including Hank and Lulubelle. Although they hadn’t found Fluffy in his pen, they’d spied the honey badger inside Frida’s enclosure. Rosie had even danced to Katie’s dad’s favorite Rolling Stones song. Although Chief Underwood was almost fully recovered, this was still a big outing for him.
Katie quickly made an excuse for her family to leave, and Bowie shot her an understanding look. A burst of warmth exploded through her. A month ago, she would have panicked at the idea of developing silent communication with her boyfriend. Now, the thought had the opposite effect.
Bowie walked her folks to the car. Katie stood on her tiptoes and gave him a brief kiss. At the gesture, she could practically feel the excitement radiating from her mom. Although her mother didn’t say anything then, Katie had barely pulled out of the parking lot when she heard, “I do like that Bowie Wilson.”
Katie laughed. “So do I, Mom.”
Her mother beamed, a self-satisfied expression on her face. She reached over and patted Katie’s leg. “See, sometimes, your old mom knows what’s best.”
Katie chuckled again and asked, “What does good old dad think?”
Her father hadn’t said much about Katie’s relationship, and Bowie had told Katie that Chief Underwood had arrested him twice for vandalism.
“I think he’s a good ‘someone,’” her dad said, and Katie had to smile at the reference to their conversation about whether she should stay in Sagebrush. Her mother, however, frowned at what she clearly deemed to be a less-than-effusive response.
“I think he’s wonderful,” her mother said. “And his daughter is such a sweet girl.”
“Thanks for saying you’ll watch her so Bowie and I can have dinner up at the lodge,” Katie said.
“It will be my delight,” her mom said. She was silent for a minute and then added, “Have you given any more thought to staying here permanently?”
Katie paused, thinking through her answer. Although she’d stopped using her mother as an excuse to avoid a relationship with Bowie, she still didn’t want to give her mother false hope. But if she’d learned anything from the mistakes she’d made with Bowie, it was to stop avoiding emotional truths with the people she cared about.
“Don’t get too excited, Mom, but it is a possibility.”
Her mother squealed and clapped her hands. Katie sought her dad’s gaze in the rearview mirror as she spoke next. “I’m starting to think that building my own business here in Sagebrush would be just as meaningful as living in the big city. Maybe more.”
Katie’s next words were for her mom rather than for her dad. “But it still isn’t a sure thing. I’ve been marketing on the internet, but I need to see how the meetings in California go. And there’s still some soul-searching left.”
The warning did not dim her mother’s enthusiasm. Katie bit back a smile. Her mom would never change, but Katie’s understanding of her had. Helen Underwood felt emotions keenly, and she never shied from expressing them, but that didn’t make her weak. Instead of Katie trying to protect her mother, it was time that she learned from her, including how to love completely without fear.
* * *
“I think you should ask Katie to marry you,” Abby said without preamble at breakfast.
Bowie choked on his swig of orange juice. As the liquid burned the back of his throat, he pounded his fist against his chest a few times. Unperturbed, Lou passed him a couple of napkins.
When Bowie finally got his coughing fit under control, he found Abby and Lou staring at him expectantly. Although he and Katie had been practically inseparable in the month and a half since the showdown with Sawyer, Bowie hadn’t expected his daughter to ambush him about his matrimonial plans over Cap’n Crunch cereal. It wasn’t even as if Abby had been dropping hints about it.
“Abby,” Bowie finally said, “Katie and I haven’t even been dating that long.”
His logic did not impress Abby. “So?”
Bowie glanced at Lou for assistance, but Lou merely shrugged. “Gretchen and I were married three months after we met.”
“Do you love Katie?” Abby asked.
“I…” Bowie began before he paused and shut his mouth. He honestly didn’t know. Beyond wanting a real relationship with her, he’d never tried to name his feelings for Katie, and she hadn’t pressed him. He only knew that the past couple of months had been amazing and that he’d missed Katie like hell since she’d left Sagebrush a few days ago for the West Coast. Worse, he didn’t know if the trip would turn into a permanent move. When Katie left, he hadn’t wanted to grill her about their future. Their relationship was still in its infancy, and he didn’t think it was his place to push her into giving up her dream of living in the big city. She’d said she was going to explore the freelance angle, but he knew that several of her interviews were for full-time positions.
Bowie knew he wasn’t missing Katie just because they w
ere in the “honeymoon phase.” She grounded him and made him content in a way he hadn’t known was possible. It wasn’t as though he’d been dissatisfied before Katie burst back into his life, but everything was just better with her around.
“You love her,” Abby said, her tone definitive, “and she loves you.”
Bowie’s heart squeezed and then sped up at Abby’s last words. Annoyed, he reminded himself to calm down. An eleven-year-old was not an expert on love.
“Why do you say that?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.
Abby flopped back in her chair and sighed dreamily. “It’s how you look at her and she looks at you. It’s like in the movies.”
“Help me out here, Lou.”
The older man held up his hands in mock surrender. “The girl’s right. Katie stares at you the way I used to catch my Gretchen watching me. You look even more calf-eyed. I think even the zoo animals know you’re in love.”
“Except the snakes,” Abby piped up. “They’re not too intuitive.”
Bowie groaned as he jammed his spoon into his cereal. He could not believe he was having this conversation with his daughter. “Katie and I haven’t talked about love yet.”
Abby shrugged, the gesture reminiscent of Katie’s. “Tell her you love her and ask her to marry you.”
“It’s not that simple,” Bowie said. This time, he didn’t even try to look in Lou’s direction. Clearly, he wasn’t getting any assistance from that quarter.
“Why not?” Abby demanded.
Bowie sighed. Although things were currently great between Katie and him, he didn’t know if she trusted him enough for a rush engagement or if she wanted to be tied down to Sagebrush permanently. Even if she established a freelance business, she could still live anywhere in the world as long as she had a good internet connection. He, on the other hand, couldn’t very well uproot Abby, Lou, and their entire menagerie and transplant them to another city. Even long vacations were out of the question.
He had no idea how to explain his concerns to Abby. She would feel betrayed that he’d been a bully, and she’d probably feel guilty over tying down Katie.
