Hill Country Reunion

by Myra Johnson

  “Right.” Biting back a smile, Tripp nodded toward the only other two customers in the shop. “I can see you’re super busy right now.”

  She rolled her eyes, another endearing gesture he recalled all too well from when they were dating. “Well...I do have a few things to catch up on in the office. I am the owner, after all.”

  “Of course, sorry. I’ll just finish up here and be on my way.”

  Nodding, Diana started to turn away, then swiveled to face him again. “But how will you get back to the clinic?”

  Tripp shrugged. “It’s only a mile or two. I can hoof it.”

  Just then, Diana’s blond assistant bustled over. She carried a square white box with a cellophane lid. “Diana, can you run these pastries over to Alan’s insurance office? They’re for his staff meeting in the morning.”

  Suspicion clouded Diana’s expression. “But Alan usually comes by early on Wednesday mornings to pick up his order.”

  “I know, but he’s always so rushed, and I’ve got this batch fresh out of the oven, so I thought, why not save him the trip?”

  Smiling to himself, Tripp watched the play of emotions across Diana’s face—confusion, consternation, then the clear realization that Kimberly was playing her. Arms crossed, Diana glared at her assistant. “And is there some pressing reason you can’t drop them off?”

  “I have more muffins in the oven.” Kimberly held the box out to Diana. “You can take Alan his pastries, then give Doc Willoughby a ride to the clinic.”

  Talk about obvious! Tripp took another swallow of water and pushed back his chair. “I told you, Diana, I can walk. Don’t put yourself out on my account.”

  “Oh, she wouldn’t be,” Kimberly gushed. “This is perfect, Diana. While you’re there, you can visit your kitties.” Winking, she added, “You know you want to.”

  Diana chewed her lip. “Well, I would like to see how they’re doing.” Relaxing her stance, she took the box from Kimberly, then glanced uncertainly at Tripp. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  He wasn’t particularly happy about being set up, but spending more time with Diana? That he didn’t mind in the least. “You’re welcome to visit anytime.”

  Ten minutes later, he waited in Diana’s SUV outside the Alan Glazer Insurance Agency while Diana delivered the pastries.

  Returning to the car, she frowned as she climbed in behind the wheel. “That was awkward.”

  “Problems?” Tripp asked.

  “I had to reassure Alan we weren’t trying to pawn off last weekend’s stale leftovers.” Mouth in a twist, she looked like she blamed Tripp for the awkwardness.

  Didn’t she get this was all Kimberly’s doing? Tripp was just an innocent bystander.

  Okay, not exactly innocent. Apparently, there was no statute of limitations for breaking someone’s heart. Tripp doubted Diana would have yielded to Kimberly’s ploy if not for the chance of visiting the kittens.

  So he’d take what he could get. In the meantime, he’d keep chipping away at the gigantic wall Diana had erected around her heart.

  They arrived at the clinic a few minutes later. As Tripp led the way through the rear entrance, the three dogs they were boarding for vacationers started yipping.

  “It’s just me, fellas.” Tripp opened the door to the dog kennel wing, and the noise grew louder. “Calm down, okay? Suppertime isn’t for another couple of hours.”

  Hands over her ears, Diana grimaced. “This is why I have cats.”

  “Wimp.” Tripp grinned and shut the door. “I think you’ll find the feline quarters a bit quieter.”

  He showed Diana along a short corridor and into a room with two tiers of spacious cat kennels along one wall. Most of the kennels were vacant, except for the upper kennel on the near end with the mother cat and kittens, and at the other, a cat recuperating from minor surgery. Opposite the kennels stood a large tank with colorful tropical fish lazily swimming about.

  Eyes widening, Diana glanced around briefly, then strode over to peek at the kittens, snuggled up to their mother on a snowy fleece pad. “Wow, I had no idea how plush your kennels were.”

  Tripp had been quite impressed as well when Doc Ingram gave him the tour. “You’ve never been back here before?”

  “No, my parents or a neighbor always take care of my pets when I’m away.” She poked her fingers through the grate to scratch the mother cat behind the ears.

  “You can open the door,” Tripp said, stepping closer. “Here, let me.” He reached for the latch at the same moment she did. When his hand closed over hers, she flinched. He knew he should back off, but he let his hand linger.

  Diana’s breath quickened. “Tripp...”

  “Sorry.” Throat raspy, he dropped his hand to his side and edged away, giving Diana space to open the kennel door. When she leaned in to love on the cat and kittens, the mother cat’s purring could be heard clear across the room.

  Maybe the sound would drown out the pounding of Tripp’s pulse. Yep, he was just plain crazy for thinking he could keep things platonic, when everything in him wanted to fight to win Diana back. But until he felt ready to confide in her about the real reason they’d broken up, he didn’t dare try.

  “They’re growing so fast.” Diana turned from the kennel, a serene smile replacing the tension of moments ago. “The kittens’ eyes should open soon, and then they’ll start getting playful.”

  Glad for the distraction from his going-nowhere train of thought, Tripp grinned. “Kittens are fun. It’s cute when they act like miniature wild beasts on the hunt.”

  “Still wish I could keep them, or at least one of the kittens.” Latching the kennel, Diana stiffened her shoulders. “But, alas, I must be strong and resist temptation.”

  Tripp released a nervous chuckle as he opened the door to the corridor. “Thanks again for the lift. I’m sure you’ve got a million other things to do.”

  “It was worth the extra trouble to spend some time with the kitties.” Diana paused in the doorway, her cheeks reddening. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  A barely suppressed sigh caught in Tripp’s throat. “It’s okay. I totally get it.”

  “Do you?” Diana gave her head a quick shake. “Because I’m not sure I do.” Stepping into the hallway, she swiveled to face the wall, her gaze fixed on a poster depicting the life cycle of fleas. “I’m trying, Tripp. Really trying to deal with having you back in my life. I’m working on letting go of the past, but this—this friendship thing isn’t always as easy as I’d like it to be.”

  Tripp swallowed over the thickness in his throat. “Believe me, Diana, if I could go back and change the way I handled things, I would. Breaking up with you was the last thing I wanted to do.”

  She tossed a pain-filled glance over her shoulder. “Obviously not, since your career apparently became a much higher priority.”

  “That isn’t how it was. I mean, yes, my vet studies were pretty demanding back then, but—” Palming his forehead, Tripp silenced himself before he revealed more than he was ready to. Besides, his belly had just issued an unpleasant warning. He inhaled and tried again. “I messed up, okay? And I realize no amount of apologizing is going to make up for it. But I still care about you, Di. I never stopped caring.”

  Her chin quivered. At least she hadn’t smacked him for calling her Di. “God’s been working with me on this forgiveness thing for quite a while now, and I’m making progress, I promise.” Turning toward the exit, she blew out a distracted breath. “But now, I really do have to go.”

  Tripp followed her out to her car. Grasping for even one more minute with her, he blurted, “How’s it going with the therapy pets thing?”

  “Slow but sure. I’m hoping to get some support from our church’s service committee tonight.” Diana fished in her purse for her car keys.

  “I started to tell you the other day, I worked
with a therapy pets group during my veterinary internship. If there’s anything I can do to help—” The moment the words left his mouth, he could tell he’d overstepped.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got everything under control.” With a brisk nod, Diana climbed into her car.

  Watching her drive away, Tripp wondered if there’d ever come a time when she wouldn’t look at him through eyes clouded by the past.

  * * *

  Leaving the clinic, Diana suffered a twinge of guilt at how abruptly she’d rejected Tripp’s offer of help. It was just way too soon to involve him in her life any more than necessary. Besides, the therapy pets project was her idea. She didn’t need Tripp, or anyone else, waltzing in and taking over.

  After wrapping up end-of-the-day office work at the doughnut shop, she hurried home to feed her menagerie and warm up a microwave dinner for herself, then drove over to the church. Pastor Terry had just opened the meeting as Diana slid into one of the last empty chairs at the conference table. She scribbled a few notes while the other members reported on completed and current service projects, but mostly her mind raced with thoughts of how to persuade the committee to consider adopting her therapy pets venture as a church outreach.

  When her turn finally came, she opened her file folder of notes and cleared her throat. “I know this is a little different from the service projects we’ve done in the past, but I believe it could bless not only the recipients but anyone who volunteers, as well.”

  She went on to talk about her great-aunt’s move to the assisted-living center and how hard it was for Aunt Jennie to part with her precious corgi. “That’s what gave me the idea, so I’ve done a lot of research and have contacted a therapy pets organization about starting a group right here in Juniper Bluff.”

  As she described the requirements and training process, a few heads began to nod around the table, while other committee members looked skeptical.

  “It sounds good in principle,” a woman across the table said. “But if having a friendly, well-behaved dog isn’t good enough...sorry, but I don’t have the time or the money to invest in obedience training.”

  Others voiced similar thoughts. Only two people expressed interest, saying their dogs had completed basic obedience classes and asking Diana to keep them posted as plans progressed. When Pastor Terry asked for a motion to table the discussion until their November meeting, Diana’s heart sank. As slow as this committee operated, even if they did decide to get behind the plan as one of their service projects, it would likely be the first of the year or later before Diana could expect to see any action.

  Anyway, by the end of the meeting, the committee had jumped on someone’s suggestion to put Christmas care packages together for the Camp Serenity kids. Diana reluctantly agreed the idea made more sense for the committee as a whole, but she couldn’t help feeling discouraged.

  After the meeting adjourned, Pastor Terry stopped Diana on her way to her car. “Sorry about the lack of support for your therapy pets project. Have you thought about putting up some flyers at the vet clinic? I’m sure Doc Ingram and his new partner would be happy to help spread the word.”

  Diana had to admit the pastor was right. What better place to connect with pet owners than a veterinary clinic? “Thanks, I’ll think about it.”

  “You might consider praying about it,” Pastor Terry said with a knowing smile. At her questioning look, he continued, “I heard through the grapevine that there might be a bit of history between you and Juniper Bluff’s newest resident. Anytime you’d like to talk...”

  Heaving a sigh, Diana leaned against her car door. “It’s true, Tripp and I dated in college, and it didn’t end well. The day he walked into my doughnut shop and I found out he’d moved to Juniper Bluff, I felt blindsided.”

  “Because you still have feelings for him.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know!” A growl rumbling in her throat, Diana tipped her head to gaze into the starry sky. “It’s been twelve years. I should have been over him a long time ago.”

  “But since you aren’t...” Pastor Terry lifted one shoulder. “Maybe your heart is trying to tell you something.”

  It was a thought Diana couldn’t quite bring herself to entertain. She turned slowly and pulled open her car door. “I just don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”

  The pastor chuckled. “Then I repeat my earlier advice. Pray.”

  Giving a meek nod, Diana climbed into her car. “I will, Pastor. Thanks.”

  Chapter Four

  It was Sunday before Tripp saw Diana again, which was about five days longer than he’d have liked. But he couldn’t bring himself to pop in at the doughnut shop and disconcert her any more than he already had.

  As he joined Robert Ingram and his family in church that morning, he glimpsed Diana across the sanctuary. He looked forward to even a brief moment to say hello after the service, but by the time he made it out to the foyer, she’d disappeared.

  “You’ll see her this afternoon at the open house,” Robert said as if reading Tripp’s thoughts.

  Tripp shrugged. “If she hasn’t already delegated the catering job to her assistant.”

  “Diana has too much pride in her business reputation. Don’t worry. She’ll be there.” With an elbow to Tripp’s ribs, Robert motioned toward the double doors. “Better get a move on. Emily’ll have a conniption if we let Sunday dinner get cold.”

  Tripp had to admit, everyone in Juniper Bluff—with one notable exception—had made him feel warmly welcomed. The Austins and Petersons out at Serenity Hills had extended several invitations to join them for supper at the main house, and Tripp had quickly learned he’d be a fool to turn down one of Marie Peterson’s home-cooked meals. Today would be his second time to have Sunday dinner with the Ingrams, and if last week’s pot roast was any indication, Emily’s cooking could compete with Marie’s any day.

  One problem, though—if he wanted to continue accepting these invitations, he’d eventually have to say something about the Crohn’s. He’d already earned a few concerned glances from his hostesses after discreetly leaving some of the more troublesome foods untouched.

  It happened again at lunch when Emily Ingram tried to load his plate with her crispy fried chicken and a green salad teeming with raw veggies. Just thinking about what those foods could do to his system gave him a belly cramp.

  Emily frowned as she returned a huge chicken thigh to the platter. “Surely you can eat more than one teensy piece of white meat. You’re not much more than skin and bones, young man.”

  True, he’d dropped several pounds in the years since his diagnosis, but he was eating healthier than ever. He’d learned which foods caused him problems, though, and if he wanted to avoid a flare-up, he had to be picky. “It all looks delicious, but I’m saving plenty of room for your baked squash casserole. Robert told me it’s his favorite.”

  The compliment seemed to mollify her, even more so when Tripp asked for a second and then a third helping of the tasty dish. He’d learned long ago that steamed or baked veggies were his friends, so he figured he’d better eat as much as he could so he wouldn’t be tempted by Diana’s pastries at the open house.

  After helping with the kitchen cleanup, Tripp left for the clinic with Robert so they could open up for Diana. A few minutes later, she arrived with Kimberly and a teenage boy Tripp remembered seeing at the doughnut shop. Tripp stayed out of the way as they arranged baked goods, coffee urns and a cold beverage dispenser on cloth-covered tables set up in the reception area. As Tripp watched them work with practiced efficiency, his admiration for Diana grew even stronger. She really had done well for herself here in Juniper Bluff—and was probably a lot happier living among her hometown family and friends than she would have been if things had worked out between them. Even without his health issues, Tripp’s long hours completing his veterinary degree, followed by an
even heavier schedule working at a big-city vet clinic, meant they’d have enjoyed precious little time together as newlyweds.

  Newlyweds. Exactly what he’d expected them to be twelve years ago.

  Until the Crohn’s.

  Sometimes he got downright angry with God for allowing this disease into his life. Even angrier that it had compelled him to give up the woman he loved. He’d tried hard to learn from the example of Saint Paul, to be content with his circumstances and accept whatever God wanted him to learn from his own “thorn in the flesh.”

  Then again, God had brought him to Juniper Bluff—surely not to torture him with an almost daily reminder of what might have been. Even if the only reason was so that Tripp could set things right with Diana, he’d do his best and be grateful for the opportunity.

  Watching Diana at work, he hadn’t noticed how deeply he’d sank into his musings until Robert came over and stood right in front of him. “Excuse me, Doc Willoughby, but this is your day. Time to smile and mingle.”

  “Sorry, got distracted.”

  “Obviously.” With a wry grin, Robert steered Tripp over to a cluster of middle-aged women chatting near the coffee urn.

  One of them was Sue Ellen Jamison, whose cat Cleopatra had done a number on Tripp’s hand his first day at the clinic. “Look, girls, here’s Doc Willoughby now,” Sue Ellen chirped. “My Cleo’s new favorite vet, and mine, too!”

  “Now, Sue Ellen,” Robert said, “you’re gonna hurt my feelings if you keep talking like that.”

  Tripp offered polite greetings to Sue Ellen and her friends and tried to ignore their flirtatious winks. They were all old enough to be his mother anyway, which reminded him he needed to give Brooke a call later and find out how Mom was doing.

  Stifling a pang of worry, he let his gaze stray to where Diana served punch and pastries to a few of the children who’d arrived with their parents.

  She glanced up briefly. When their eyes met, her hand faltered and she overfilled a punch cup. With a startled gasp, she grabbed some napkins to mop up the spill.