“Exactly.” Erica grabbed his biceps. “You are so smart. You just don’t have a degree that says so.” She drew him into a hug. “I know what you did for me.” Her words were quiet, only for him.
“What do you mean?” How much did she know? He’d realized the truth his senior year. His decisions were his secret, although he was pretty sure Pawpa and Nonni understood what he’d done, and why. Sometimes he wondered if that’s why they gave him the farm. It didn’t matter, as long as Erica never found out.
“I had the best time at college any girl possibly could.” She squeezed him tighter. “And I love you for that.”
“I just sent some spending money home for you now and then. I’m glad I could give that to you.” Tanner was so proud of everything his little sister had accomplished, especially since graduating from college.
Erica took a deep breath and stepped back. “I’m glad I can help you in your business. But, you know, you could go back to school and it might be easier than you think to get a degree.”
What? Him in college? He was old and had a business to run. “I don’t think so.”
With a huge smile, Erica announced, “I’ll look into that for you.”
“I like the idea.” Case had finished picking up the living room and moved on to the dining room where he now leaned around the door jamb. “Lots of young women are in college.”
“And older women,” Erica added as she headed to the family room.
Tanner’s phone rang and surprised everyone. Who would call at nearly one-thirty in the morning?
But as he checked the caller ID, his insides warmed. “I thought I told you to tex—” Fear swept over Tanner. “Is everything all right? Were you in an accident?”
“No, no. I’m fine. I’m home.” Bailey’s words were a balm to the terror that had cut through him.
“I thought you were going to text when you got home.” Not that Tanner minded talking with Bailey in the least.
“I’d rather call. This way I can hear your voice, that tells me more than your words. People bring their own mood and attitude to a text, or even an email, so the words can be misconstrued or misinterpreted. When you actually talk to each other, so much more is communicated through your tone and cadence.”
“That makes sense,” Tanner admitted.
“I know that my call pleased you, then shocked you.” Bailey quickly added, “And I’m sorry for that. Well, I’m sorry that calling surprised you because you thought something was wrong. But I’m glad you were happy about my call, at least at first.”
Tanner loved the way she sometimes rambled. It meant that he affected her.
Case walked by with a filled garbage bag and leaned toward Tanner’s phone. “Hi, Bailey. Glad you got home safe.”
“Tell Case thanks for me,” Bailey ordered.
“I will. How were the roads?” Tanner was grasping at subjects just to keep her on the phone as he collapsed into an overstuffed chair.
“Busier than I thought they’d be, and filled with cops.” Bailey moaned.
“Are you okay? Are you in pain?” He sat upright, not sure what, if anything, he could do for her.
“No. I mean yes.” She started over. “Yes, I’m okay. No more pain than usual. I’m massaging cream into my leg and it feels so good.”
Tanner had never considered what kind of maintenance an amputation took. He’d always pictured Bailey doing girl things at night, like the face gunk his sister had always used. And, yes, he’d had thoughts of her getting ready for bed. More than once he’d wondered what she wore to sleep in. Something frilly? Probably not her style. She seemed to be more of the oversized t-shirt type. He’d once pictured her in one of his shirts, barely covering her nicely rounded butt.
A hand waved in front of his face and he glanced up to see his sister. “We’ve got this. Go home,” she said quietly.
“Did you see any accidents?” Tanner rose and walked around the house, half listening as Bailey reported on two cars off to the side and multiple officers. Case’s place actually looked better than normal. His veterinarian crap wasn’t lying everywhere mixed with his dirty clothes. Not needing to be told twice, he found his friend, mouthed “See you tomorrow,” and hugged his sister in passing.
“So you’re working tomorrow?” He flipped the collar up on his jacket as he headed to his truck.
She giggled. It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. “No. I’m working today. In a few hours.”
“Yeah. That’s what I meant.” Jumping into his vehicle, he turned over the engine and let it warm up a minute. The wind had gotten colder and snow threatened before daylight.
“You’re headed home now?” She asked, and he heard sheet rustle. “I’ll keep you company on the way home.”
“It’s only a few miles.” Tanner turned down the empty back roads to his house.
“So what do you have to do when you get home? Do you check on the dogs?” Seemed Bailey wanted to chat. He was up for that.
“I’ll walk through the kennel to be sure everything is set there, then go to the house.” He parked his truck in the side of the kennel this time of year since the hundred-year-old house didn’t have a garage. “I need to check on Chrys and her puppies, which have moved into my laundry room.”
“Oh, how are they? Is Noel doing okay?” She had a connection to that little pup that he found adorable.
“They’re all just fine, growing fatter every day.” He was home already and pulled into the garage space in the once huge milk barn, now kennel and indoor training area. As the overhead door closed, Tanner stepped into the warmth from the enclosed part of the barn. The dogs sensed him and started to yip.
“What’s all the racket?” Bailey asked.
“Everyone woke up to say hello to you,” he joked. He greeted each one that came to the gate, distributing treats as he walked through the kennel. Happy with what he saw, Tanner headed outside for the fifty-feet of blistering cold. “Hang on. I’m headed to the house.”
He jogged to the house that had been such a source of happiness and fun during his early childhood. He’d loved visiting this place as a kid. They had free range of the fields, equipment, barns and animals. Erica and Nonni would play in the gardens, pick vegetables for canning, cook all day while he and PawPa did farm work.
Now, from an adult perspective, his grandfather had been at his side to keep him out of trouble. He’d driven the big tractor on PawPa’s lap, then with the older man right beside him, not really on his own.
“You still with me?” Tanner asked into the phone.
Bailey yawned before answering. “Here, but fading fast.”
“My turn to be home, safe and sound.” Tanner slid out of his coat and hung it on the same peg he’d used since a toddler.
“Then I’ll say goodnight.” Bailey’s words were soft, as though she was whispering in his ear.
“Goodnight, Bailey.” He didn’t want to end the conversation, but it was nearly two in the morning. At least he could sleep in, but she had to work.
Through another yawn, she managed, “Night, Tanner.”
He waited for her to disconnect. And waited. “Bailey, did you fall asleep on me?” Now that was a dream he could get into.
“No. You hang up first,” she insisted.
“The lady always goes first.” Tanner liked this childish game.
“Okay, on three we’ll both hang up,” she suggested.
“If I must.” Tanner let out a dramatic sigh.
“One, two—,” she counted.
“Sweet dreams, Bailey.”
“Three.”
Begrudgingly, he pressed the button to end the call. For a long minute, he stared at the phone, hoping she’d call back. Finally convinced Bailey was tucked in bed, he went to his laundry room.
All Chrys’s puppies were asleep, except Noel. With her eyes half-closed, she was crawling over her brothers and nuzzling for a teat.
“You’re up late, little bit.”
She look
ed so funny, he switched his phone to video and shot several seconds of the little girl’s plight. He decided to help her, so he turned off the movie and picked up the pup. Holding her to his face for a moment, she bobbed her way to his nose and licked it.
“You’re not going to find what you need there.” He chuckled at the tiny pup, then set her down, helping her find her mother’s nourishment. He sat there and watched the newest family to grace the old farm.
Tanner felt Apollo at his side, where they sat, watching as the littlest puppy drank her fill and fell asleep.
Phone still in hand, Tanner snapped a picture and before he could talk himself out of it, he texted it to Bailey.
Chapter Seven
“Come on, Bailey, you can do this.” Coach Mia Mandelson encouraged from the video screen in front of her. Across the bottom were her teammates and their ever-changing numbers. Although this high-tech workout started her day, Bailey just wasn’t feeling it this morning.
“Did you stay out late partying last night, Bailey? Paying for it now, huh?” The all too handsome Michael Mandelson was barely breaking a sweat. The former Army Special Forces lieutenant was the reason his sister had taken on the USA Paralympics Cycling team.
“Yeah, something like that,” Bailey admitted as sweat soaked her t-shirt and dripped down her back.
“Ooo,” Jessica piped in from the third square picture on the bottom. “Is he still there?”
“Was it worth it?” Lauren asked from the last box.
Bailey didn’t bother to stop the smile that crossed her face. Yeah. Last night with Tanner was worth this morning’s grueling workout. She liked that it had been his voice in her ear as she fell asleep.
“It was.” The awe in Jessica’s voice was accusatory.
“I had a good time last night,” Bailey admitted. She looked at the display panel on the indoor, high-tech cycling bike her sponsors had provided and noticed there was a hill coming up. Former military had tremendous support for the Paralympics and had recognized her as a possible contender for a slot on Team USA. It was up to her, and the military team coach, to get her body in the best shape possible.
As she glanced down at the others, Michael scowled. She wondered what that was about. Certainly not the upcoming hill. It was probably something off screen. She shrugged off thoughts of the powerfully built and dedicated team member.
“Is everyone set for training camp in California in three weeks?” Mia asked the team.
Although Bailey had put in for the week off, she hadn’t heard back from human resources yet. She made a mental note to check on that. “I should be able to be there,” she commented after the others confirmed or passed on the intense week of preparation.
“Good,” Mia said. “I’d like to take a full team to Italy in March.”
“I haven’t been to Italy in years,” Lauren noted, nearly breathless. “Anyone want to hang around after the race and play with some Italian men?”
“No, thank you,” Carl said. “I’m not interested in men from any country, but I’m sticking around for a few days. I was stationed in Aviano, and I think I’ll go back and visit a few places while I’m in the country.”
“I’m sorry,” Bailey chimed in. “My work schedule is so tight. They’ve been extremely generous allowing me time off, but with our training and competition schedule, I can’t swing any more days off.”
“You are coming to Italy with us,” Michael practically demanded.
“Well, I haven’t made the team yet,” Bailey countered.
“You will.” His confidence—or was it arrogance?—astounded Bailey.
“If I make the team, of course I’ll go,” she clarified.
“Bailey, I just think you’re having an off day,” Mia consoled. “We all have them. Personally, I’m not doing all that great today either because I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night, too.”
Bailey smiled again, remembering all the new people she’d met. She glanced across the team once more.
Michael was sullen as he encouraged, “Let’s dig deep and make it up this last hill like it was nothing more than a speed bump.”
Yeah, easy for him to say. He probably got eight hours sleep last night.
Bailey had the same training as him, although hers had been under ultra-secrecy. They may have even had a few of the same instructors. She knew how to push through pain. She watched Michael’s numbers and matched them. Taking control of her breathing, she began a steady pace. In many ways, she liked the way he challenged her.
She’d proven two years ago that she was just as good as a man in so many areas, better in some. The world could never know what she and her friends had done. So many combat roles were still closed to women, especially the last bastion of male dominance, special operations.
A scan across the streaming video indicated that Bailey and Michael were pulling away from the pack. Neither said a word. Bailey knew she could do this. Her thighs burned almost as much as her lungs. But her prosthesis felt good. It was moving well, no chaffing, no pangs or twinges.
She forced in a deep breath to oxygenate and exhaled slowly. She had this. Her simulated bike was a hair in front of Michael’s on the screen. There was something inherent about beating a man at his own game that created a thrill deep within Bailey. She focused completely on her own ride, pushing the pedals as fast as she could. When she crested the virtual hill she dared a glance at Michael’s stats.
Yes.
She’d beat him by a fraction of a second.
“Way to go, Bailey.” Michael’s deep voice cut through the other cheers. She basked in her momentary glory, pleased with the workout.
“I wish you were here. I’d give you a friggin’ huge hug.” Michael’s words were comforting, but she wasn’t sure she wanted a hug from him. He hadn’t meant anything personal. Team members hugged each other all the time. She mentally shrugged off the words.
“I really have to run,” she told her team. “See all of you tomorrow.” She waved and clicked off.
On her way to the shower, she grabbed her phone to check her daily schedule. A text was waiting. When she clicked on the message, nothing but a picture opened.
Her heart filled with the sight of Noel and her brothers.
Bailey decided in that moment to call Tanner and thank him. After her shower.
Over the past two weeks, Bailey had tried to find two minutes to talk to Tanner. They seemed to be carrying on a conversation via voice mail and texts. She had called after discovering the cutest puppy picture she’d ever seen, the one he’d sent, but he must have slept in on New Year’s Day. She was envious of his ability to catch a few more hours sleep, but committed to the Paralympics. She’d been forced to leave a message thanking him for putting a smile on her face.
He’d telephoned later that day and suggested they meet for supper but everyone in her world seemed in crisis mode. She’d admitted several patients to the VA hospital and placed several more under suicide watch, in addition to seeing over thirty patients privately. The next few days hadn’t been any better and before Bailey knew it, a week had passed.
Finally, with a day off, her morning virtual ride finished, Bailey shot down the driveway to Tanner’s kennel. The butterflies that had started low in her belly when she’d made the decision an hour ago to see him, had multiplied and were now rocking it out to the radio on full blast. She was bound and determined to see him. They had never gone over the newly certified veterans. At least that was her story and she was sticking to it.
When Bailey pulled up to the freshly shoveled sidewalk, her thoughts drifted back to that stormy night…and the kiss. It felt like all the butterflies had left her body and were lightly landing on her skin. A shiver of anticipation shook her, or maybe it was just the blast of cold air as she headed to the office.
As soon as she opened the door, her heart dropped. “Where’s Tanner?” she asked the very young, very pretty girl sitting at the desk. Bailey didn’t know he had a receptionist.
&n
bsp; The girl, well, not really a girl, she had to be in her early twenties, probably just a few years younger than Bailey, looked up and smiled. “Hello, Dr. Conrad.”
Bailey was shocked the young woman knew her name, but she kept right on talking. “Not sure where Tanner went. He bugged out a few hours ago while I was working with the six month olds and socializing the rescue dogs.”
Bailey chastised herself for not calling first. Of course the man had other things to do besides spending every hour at his business.
“I just have to finish these reports and run.” The girl lifted her cell phone from the desk. “Want me to call Tanner and see when he’ll be back?”
With a forced smile, Bailey replied, “Thank you. I have his number.” Then she asked, “If we’ve met, I’m terribly sorry. I can be bad with names.” It was lie. She was actually very good with names and sure she’d never met this woman before, but somehow this woman knew her, and in a profession al way.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you in person, Dr. Conrad.” With hand extended, she added, “I’m Nancy Bodine. Tanner speaks highly of you, and I think what the two of you are doing for our vets is awesome. I have friends who joined the military right out of high school. What they are doing, what you and Tanner did…well, you guys rock. Thank you for your service.”
Bailey took the offered hand and shook it. She never really knew what to say to that last sentence. “I did what I could, but my tour was cut short. Now I help others.” As an afterthought, she asked, “Do you work here?”
“Yes. I was Tanner’s intern from the community college last semester and I just love these dogs so much, I’m volunteering so I can continue working with them. They’re like my babies now.” She laughed. “Or more appropriately, rowdy teenagers. They weren’t listening very well today.”
“So, you’re studying to be a dog trainer?” Bailey didn’t know there were college courses in that field.
Dog Tags for Christmas Page 27
