by Kim Redford
“Thank you,” Misty said.
Morning Glory turned to Misty and gave her a quick hug.
Trey kept up the puffs of air, about the same strength as he would for a human baby, hoping against hope that it’d be enough. Soon he saw the kitten’s chest rise with his breath, then relax after his breath.
He gave Misty and Morning Glory a big smile before he went back to giving air to the kitten. At the same time, he experienced everything around him with the keen clarity that came in a crisis or emergency. He glanced up. Now that the house fire was under control, the firefighters had turned their attention to the kitten. He knew they were rooting for him to keep the little one alive.
“Vet now?” Misty asked as she picked up Trey’s extra glove.
“He’s breathing, so let’s go.”
“Blessings.” Morning Glory held up two fingers in the peace sign.
As Trey headed for his truck, holding the kitten in his glove, Misty raced ahead of him. He continued the AR as he followed her. She flung open the passenger door to his pickup and he eased onto the leather seat. She shut the door, and then ran around to the other side. She sat down inside, tossed his glove in the backseat, and started the engine.
“Where to?” she asked.
“Left on Wildcat Road.”
She headed downhill, obviously driving quickly but cautiously so as not to jostle the kitten.
He held the little one steady and kept up the puffs of air, grateful and amazed the kitty kept responding to him. Maybe Wildcat Bluff would get a Christmas miracle as well as a Christmas angel. He glanced over at Misty. Maybe the two came together.
When Misty turned onto the main road, he pointed toward a one-story, white cinder-block building in the distance.
“That the vet?”
“Yes.”
She gripped the steering wheel with both hands as she sped down the road well over the speed limit.
“How’s our boy?”
“Hangin’ in there.”
Misty covered the last distance, wheeled into the empty parking lot, scattering gravel, and pulled up close to the front door. She leaped from the truck, ran around the front end, and jerked open Trey’s door.
He dropped the glove so he could cradle the kitten in both hands. As he stepped down, he continued the AR. He quickly strode up to the building painted with bright murals of large and small animals—horses, cows, goats, dogs, cats, birds—in pinks, blues, yellows and other vibrant colors. A string of horse-shaped lights in green and red outlined the edge of the roof. A large silver-and-green wreath with a crimson cardinal in a shiny nest hung on the front door.
Misty opened the door for Trey, anticipating his every need, and he stepped inside. He heard her follow closely behind him.
“Trey, what’ve you got?” a tall woman with short steel-gray hair called from behind the counter as she jumped to her feet. She wore jeans and a T-shirt with a photo of a laughing horse, all big white teeth and flapping lips. “I heard about the fire.”
“Male kitten. Smoke inhalation.” He felt relief at the sight of Sue Ann Bridges, their large and small animal veterinarian. He’d feared she might be out on a call. Her assistants were well trained, but he wanted her for this kitten. Sue Ann was totally dependable and wonderful at saving animals.
“AR?”
“Yes.”
“Good for you.” Sue Ann quickly left the desk, disappeared from sight, and then opened the inner door. “I’ll say it again. You need to get animal oxygen mask kits for all the volunteers.”
“No money yet.” He followed her down the wide hall with Misty right behind him.
“Put them on your fire-rescue Christmas list.” Sue Ann opened a door off the hall and gestured inside. “Quick. Get that baby in my consultation room.”
Trey laid the kitten gently down on the examination table and stepped back. He bumped into Misty. He put an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his side. She clutched his waist and squeezed in response. Felt right as rain.
Sue Ann expertly placed a small mask over the kitten’s nose and mouth, stroking his soft fur in comfort. “These kits come with three mask sizes to fit dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and whatever other critter you might run across. Raccoon. Possum. Skunk. Folks save the lives of wild ones all the time and keep them at home.”
“Skunks?” Misty asked.
Sue Ann chuckled. “Good friends. Best if you take out their scent glands.”
“I’d think so,” Misty agreed. “They are pretty.”
“Sure are,” Sue Ann said. “But back to those animal oxygen mask kits.”
“They’re on our to-do list,” Trey said.
“Not high enough on it. Oxygen masks save lives. Animals are part of our families and deserve the same type of help we give humans.”
“I agree. But we’re tapped out of funds after the new station, apparatus, and computer system.”
“What about organizing a benefit for animal oxygen kits?” Misty asked. “I’d be happy to donate to the cause.”
“Who’s she?” Sue Ann glanced from the kitten to Misty and back again.
“Misty Reynolds,” Trey said. “And this is Sue Ann Bridges.”
Sue Ann looked up again. “You’re our Christmas angel?”
“I’m just here on vacation.”
“Good thing you showed up.” Sue Ann lifted the mask from the kitten’s face and set it aside. “You must’ve sprinkled angel dust over this baby, because he’s breathing on his own now.”
“Not me,” Misty said. “Morning Glory blessed him. You and Trey saved his life.”
“He’s not out of the woods.” Sue Ann cuddled the kitten in the crook of her arm and was rewarded with soft meows.
“What do you mean?” Misty asked.
“I can’t tell yet about the extent of his injuries.”
“But he’s breathing and he’s talking to you.”
“I know,” Sue Ann said in a soft, gentle tone as she stroked the kitten’s small head. “But it’s simply too soon to tell if he’ll make it.”
“You mean, don’t get our hopes up?” Trey asked.
“He’ll get the best of care. That’s all I can promise.”
“Thank you,” Misty said. “I’ll pay his expenses.”
“No, you won’t.” Trey glanced down at her with what he hoped she recognized as his no-compromise stare.
“It’s Christmas,” Sue Ann interrupted them. “This kitten’s health is on me.”
“Thanks,” Trey said. “I owe you one.”
“Now, who’s missing this baby?” Sue Ann asked.
“Slim Norton’s barn cat had a litter and hid them under Ole Man Winston’s house. That’s the building that caught fire.” Trey stroked a finger down the kitty’s soft back. “I’ll let Slim know one of his kittens is here.”
“She’s the mother who has fine polydactyl kittens, isn’t she?” Sue Ann checked the kitten’s paws. “Look at this baby. He’s got an extra dewclaw on every single paw. Special kitty.”
Misty reached out and tentatively touched one of the kitten’s oversized paws. “He’s gorgeous.”
Trey squeezed Misty’s shoulder, liking her better all the time. He had a soft place in his heart for a woman who loved animals.
“So Bert had another property burn?” Sue Ann shook her head as she stroked the kitten.
“Yep. But we kept the fire from spreading to the pasture or up to Slim’s house.”
“Good job.” Sue Ann turned to Misty. “You—Angel—see if you can finagle the powers that be to help us come up with those animal oxygen kits.”
“Stop right there,” Trey said. “Misty’s here on vacation. She doesn’t have time for that. I’ll see what I can do about a benefit.”
Sue Ann winked at Misty. “You gonna
ride herd on him to get that benefit going?”
Misty chuckled. “Think it’s possible?”
“Right woman with wings?” Sue Ann laughed. “Might be at that.”
“Ladies, I’m still here, so don’t go talking about me behind my back.” Trey joined their laughter. “I said I’d see what I could do and I will.”
“When can we see this kitten again?” Misty asked.
“You just leave him in my hands. He doesn’t need to be stressed with folks looking at him and wanting to handle him.”
“You’ll let us know how he’s doing, won’t you?” Misty asked.
“Call the front desk or come by for an update.”
“Thanks.” Misty reached out and stroked the soft fur between the kitten’s eyes. The kitty looked up and licked Misty’s finger with his long pink tongue.
“Looks like you made a friend,” Sue Ann said with warmth in her voice.
“He’ll be fine.” Misty glanced at Trey. “Don’t you agree?”
“That kitten will do his best for you.” Trey knew it’d hit her hard if the kitty didn’t make it, but he had no power over life or death. He was just a cowboy firefighter who got lucky sometimes.
“And we’ll do our best for him,” Sue Ann said.
“Come on, let’s allow the little tyke to get some rest.” Trey steered Misty toward the door.
“We’ll know more in twenty-four hours,” Sue Ann called after them.
Trey glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve got you on speed dial.”
“And he’s got animal pet oxygen kits on his mind,” Misty added.
Trey chuckled, squeezing Misty’s shoulder. Christmas was shaping up to be quite the doozy. But if they could find a way to save kittens and other animals, nothing could be finer.
Chapter 14
Misty stepped out of the clinic with Trey right behind her. She looked in the direction of the house fire, but no longer saw smoke spiraling into the sky. That’d been close. If not for the quick work of volunteer firefighters like Hedy, Morning Glory, and others, the blaze would have spread and left behind a swath of charred land like the Christmas tree farm. She shuddered. She never wanted to see that kind of devastation again.
Now she could only hope the kitten would heal and live a good, long life. She already felt a strong connection to the kitty, even if the little one belonged to somebody else. She glanced at Trey, who was dirty, sweaty, and smelling of smoke. He was her hero. He’d saved the kitten with his quick thinking and AR knowledge. He didn’t avoid difficult situations. He charged right into the middle of them. And came out a winner.
In contrast, she’d been avoiding painful memories and situations for much of her life. She did fine in her professional life, but she hung back in her personal life. That’d all changed the moment she’d met Trey. Suddenly she was fighting fires, rescuing kittens, driving a pickup, and smooching with a cowboy. She didn’t know if she was empowered, inspired, or simply exhilarated, but all of it brought a smile to her lips. She’d had no idea life could be so breathtakingly remarkable. She chuckled at the idea of bringing Cindi Lou up to speed.
She took a deep breath to check her lungs. She felt fine. Maybe she was okay because she was away from the fire, but she’d been fairly good there, too. She’d had a little trouble breathing, but not much. Could confronting her fears actually help overcome them? She didn’t know, but she had a feeling she was going to find out in Wildcat Bluff.
Trey clasped her hand and threaded their fingers together as they walked to his truck. She felt the rightness of being with him as so natural that she found it hard to believe she’d known him such a short time. And yet, she also felt as if she’d known him forever.
Trey opened the door to his truck and looked down at her, concern in his hazel eyes. “Please don’t get your hopes up.”
“I know.” She realized he didn’t want her to be hurt. “But I won’t get them down either.”
“It’s just that I’ve seen this kind of injury before, folks and animals. Smoke inhalation is dangerous.”
“If right’s right, that kitten will live.” She rubbed a smudge of soot off Trey’s lean cheek, feeling as if it were the most natural thing in the world to touch him, but quickly stayed her hand. What was she thinking? She hardly knew him. She stepped up on the running board, picked up the towel lying there, and sat down in the passenger seat.
He put a hand on the door frame and leaned down toward her. “I wish right was always right, but you never know for sure.”
“Please, let’s just hope for the best.” She felt tears sting her eyes, realizing the kitten’s plight was causing too many old feelings to resurface.
He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face toward him. “Sorry. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”
“Thanks.” She blinked back tears. She didn’t want him to see her weak again, not when he was so strong. And normally, she was strong, too. But here—in this time and place—she felt as if she were coming undone, and the situation simply wasn’t acceptable. She had a job to do, one that was vitally important to the welfare of others. She took a deep breath and shoved down her thoughts and emotions.
He closed the door, walked around the front of the truck, opened the back door, and tossed his parka on the floorboard. He sat down beside her and grabbed the towel from her hands. “Sorry I’m so dirty. I was mending fence and came straight to the fire.” He hurriedly used the towel to wipe over his face and hair, then down his neck and arms. He grinned as he glanced at her. “Best I can do till I get a shower.”
“Nobody’s going to hold it against you if you get dirty working and saving kittens.”
“Good to hear.”
“One thing is for sure. Towels come in handy around Wildcat Bluff.”
He threw back his head and laughed a belly-deep chortle. “I guess that’s an understatement, isn’t it?”
“You might say that.”
He laughed harder, then stopped and looked at her. “I needed a laugh, but I guess you knew. Pretty rough, wasn’t it?”
“You saved the kitten. That’s all that matters.”
He nodded, just sitting there looking at her as if he could drink her down like the finest wine, or beer, all day long every single day of the year.
Heady stuff. If she started down that path with him, she didn’t know if she could ever return. “Guess you need to get back to the fire. I could use a lift to Old Town so I can get my SUV.”
“Going back to Twin Oaks?”
“Not sure. Maybe I need to unwind first.” She couldn’t tell him, but she needed to get back on the job and finish what she’d started that morning. Still, Trey was a good source of information, as well as every other amazing thing.
He pulled his cell from his back pocket, checked it, and then set it on the center console. “Fire’s winding down. They’ll let me know if they need me.”
“I’m sure you’ve got cattle to wash or something.”
“Wash?” He laughed hard again.
“Something cowboyish.” She loved to hear him laugh in his deep, melodic voice. If he got any hotter, she ought to hang up her spurs—if she’d had any—and go home where she was safe. Everything about him was so sensual that he bypassed her brain and went straight to her damp, hot core. And when he touched her, she was absolutely lost to her cowboy firefighter.
“How about I do something cowboyish like take you to lunch?”
As if to give her no chance to make an excuse not to accept his invitation, her stomach rumbled in loud need. She abruptly felt as if she hadn’t eaten in a week.
“Guess that’d be a yes.” He glanced at her and grinned, causing laugh lines to radiate from the corners of his eyes. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse—”
“I thought we were done with that old joke,” she teased.
“Nev
er. It’s a classic.”
“True.”
With his hand on the key to start the truck, he stopped and looked at her with a serious glint in his eyes. “You do real well in an emergency.”
“If not for the aftermath, huh?”
“You’re right there when it counts. You’re the one who saw Mama Cat rescuing her kittens. I doubt if I’d have seen them. Like everybody else, I was focused on the fire.”
“Thank you. Still, you’re the one who crawled under the house and pulled the babies out. That was very brave.”
“Thanks. Guess we make a good team.”
She nodded, feeling warmth well up in her as she basked in his praise and appreciation. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be roping cows with you.”
“Never know.” He grinned as he started his pickup, the big engine turning over with a loud growl. “Chuckwagon Café okay?”
“Perfect. I’d like to see the place where you got that great barbeque.”
“And taste more of it?” He pulled out of the clinic parking lot and headed down Wildcat Road toward town.
“Or something just as good.”
“No place better for pecan pie.”
“Yum.” She was being self-indulgent and knew it. Still, she deserved a little reward after such an arduous time in Wildcat Bluff. And—she had to admit—lunch would give her a perfect opportunity to extract more information from Trey. She simply had to keep her eye on the goal and not get distracted by extraneous male attributes. Well, maybe not extraneous, but definitely distracting.
In Old Town, Christmas lights twinkled in store windows, on street lamps, and amid green holly bushes with red berries in planters on the boardwalk. Waylon and Willie sang Christmas songs outdoors through a loud sound system. Cars filled most available parking spots and shoppers laughed as they hurried in and out of stores.
Misty could imagine Old Town looking much like a scene out of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” if there was a bit of snow. Even a drought and heat wave hadn’t dispelled the allure of seasonal festivities. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt more warmth for Christmas now than she had in a long time.
