After they finished the exam and declared both healthy if not malnourished, Risa slipped collars around both of their tiny necks, attached leashes, and carried them outside to the grassy area.
She set them down and let them explore. Both were a little shaky on their short legs, but their tails were wagging.
“What am I going to do with you two?” she asked.
She had the room at her place. What she didn’t have was a penned-in yard and living quarters for them. “You’re so small, I guess for now you can sleep in the laundry room until we build you your own space.”
The little ones baa’d at her.
She picked them up and nuzzled their noses. “I know you’re hungry. Let me get through my last patient and we’ll go shopping for supplies and get you home.”
A government pick-up pulled to a stop next to her, and Jax stuck his head out the window. “What do you have there?”
She could hear amusement in his voice. However, it was the knowing sparkle in his eye that had her smiling instead of giving him a sarcastic response. He slipped out of the truck and came over to greet her new babies.
Jax took the little black-and-white doe in his big palm. “Hello there, sweet thang. What’s your name?”
“They don’t have names… yet. Care to help me out with picking them?”
“Does or bucks?”
“Both are does, about a month old and abandoned.”
“Looks like it was their lucky day then. Why not Sweet Thang and Princess?” Jax cuddled the kid like he’d been born to it.
“Sweet Thang? Do you know how mischievous these little ones can be?” She protested the name even as her resolve melted. “What about Lucky?”
“Too cliché. I like the diamond pattern on her coat though, it kind of reminds me of something…” He snapped his fingers and grinned. “That’s it. I’ve got the perfect name. Harlequin, like those creepy clowns. Looks sweet and innocent, but waiting inside is an evil genius.”
Risa laughed. He had to be kidding. Name her baby after something that could give even an adult a nightmare? Then again, it wasn’t the expected Patches or Oreo.
“So Harle, what shall we call your sister? I’ll have to give it some thought, because you’re my goats now and you can’t have boring names. Hmm, my goats, magoats. Totes Magoats,” she said with a laugh.
Jax joined in, and she knew she’d nailed it.
“That’s it, then. Meet Harlequin and Totes Magoats.”
“You’re going to have your own little zoo soon.” Jax scratched Totes under her chin, while Harle snuggled in his arms and fell asleep.
“They’ll definitely keep the dogs on their toes. Speaking of dogs, what do you know about reiki?”
“It’s some Asian thing. Soup maybe?”
“No.” She laughed. “It’s a Japanese technique using energy to help a body heal both physically and mentally.”
“Okay, and you’re telling me ‘bout this why?”
“For Bella.”
When he nodded, she told him how it worked and had helped her dog, suggesting he hire Fee to try it with Bella.
“When can she start?” Jax asked.
“I’ll call her tonight and work out a schedule so it corresponds with my sessions with her.”
He nodded, and the taut muscles in his face relaxed. “Thanks, Doc. How’s everything else going? Anything strange or suspect happen lately?”
She thought about the question for a moment and then shook her head. “Not really. No signs of any unwelcome visitors, no custom paint jobs, just a few hang-up calls. Those are probably just robo calls from solicitors, though. Although that might change now.”
His whole body went on alert: chin up, eyes scanning the area, tensed shoulders, shifted leg stance. “Talk to me.”
“Word has it you talked to Sal Rossi today, and he’s not a happy camper. Not that I care. In my opinion, he can bugger off, but he accused Fiona and me of trying to get him in trouble. He might retaliate and not just against us, but you too.”
“I’m not worried about me. Will she be okay? He won’t hurt Fee, will he?”
Risa rubbed her chin across the top of Totes’s head. “No, he likes to play other types of games with Fee, like withhold child support or cancel his weekends with Dylan at the last minute. He wouldn’t physically hurt her.”
“What about you? His attitude toward you the other day concerned me. Did you do those security upgrades we talked about at your place?”
“Well.” She looked down, not wanting to see his disappointment. “Not all of them yet. My dad’s been busy, so I need to hire an electrician, but I’ve got the dogs.”
“And we saw how well that worked last time.” He tried not to grin, but he lost the battle.
“You know, if I were less of a lady, I’d tell you to bugger off.” She gave him a stern look that she used when her dogs were misbehaving, but it didn’t work on Jax any better than it did them. He just laughed. “Fine. How about if I promise not to sing in the shower for the time being?”
“That would be a start.” He handed Harle back, scratched both kids’ ears, and leaned forward until he was a breath away from her lips. He tucked the stray strand of hair behind her ear, his gaze locked on hers. “That invitation for dinner? It still stands, when you’re ready.”
Before she could respond, he brushed a kiss as soft as a summer breeze across her mouth and left.
Both goats called after him in protest, and Risa snuggled them closer, feeling the walls she’d built around her heart start to crumble, one brick at a time.
“Trust me, girls, you don’t want to go there. The man has a way of getting past your defenses and leaving you wanting more.”
Chapter 9
Much to everyone’s surprise, after a week and a half, Sal Rossi hadn’t launched his payback campaign. He didn’t complain to Jax’s boss, he left Fee alone—although he did cancel on Dylan—and nothing bad happened to Risa. He’d even gone in the opposite direction without uttering one nasty word when Risa and Fee had run into him during lunch after one of Bella’s sessions.
Maybe love did change some people?
No. Not Sal Rossi.
Risa hadn’t let her guard down despite the quiet. She’d had the handyman her dad knew out the week before to replace her doors and locks with sturdier models. The bushes had been cut back, and she was just waiting on the electrician to install the new motion sensor lights. The only suggestion she hadn’t looked into was an alarm system.
Really, with two dogs and an attack cat, did she need one?
Fiona thought so. They were in the middle of that debate when they walked out of the kennel and straight into Jax.
“Jax, tell her I’m right,” Fee said.
He looked at them and kept his mouth shut.
“Smart man,” Risa said, smiling at her best friend. “We need to talk about Bella.”
“How’d she do today?” He smiled briefly and crossed his arms.
“Good. She’s such a sweetheart.”
“Maybe we should find some place more private,” Risa suggested, looking around.
“I’m running behind and have to get home before Dylan gets out of school. Risa can fill you in on today’s session. Call me if you need me.” Fee gave them both quick hugs and left.
“I thought she was doing good, and making progress.” Jax’s words were filled with caution as his gaze flicked between Fee’s retreating form and her.
“She is, but we need to step up our game. Can you come over to my place tomorrow around one and bring Bella with you?”
“I don’t know. Senior Chief has ordered me to back off my contact with Bella so she’ll get used to working with Moore and Sanchez. The guys don’t say anything when I show up here, but taking her on an off-day? Someone’s going to notice.”
“Jax, this is important.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, something she’d seen him do often when he was thinking things through. “I’ll come up with a reason for the duty officer.”
“Great, and I know the goats will be happy to see you too. You’ve no idea how perfectly you named Harle. She torments the dogs nonstop.”
“Looking forward to seeing them too. Look, Doc, I hate to cut it short, but I’ve got to find Casey.”
“Uh, sure. He’s inside. See you tomorrow.” Risa tucked the rogue strand of hair behind her ear and waved to Jax’s back as he walked off.
Strange. Had she said something wrong? She knew she was asking a lot of him—first paying for Fiona’s sessions and then breaking rules—but he didn’t seem like his normal self. He’d even left her hair hanging loose. She’d chalk it up to him worrying about Bella, but, drat, she missed his touch.
With that admission, she headed back to the clinic to collect her little ones. They were still too young to be left alone and needed to be bottle-fed at least five times a day. Thankfully, her staff didn’t mind helping out during the day and the kids were making it longer through the night. Mum and Dad had fallen completely in love with both of the little terrors, even offering to keep them. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work. Neither of them was home during the day either, and the first time they ate Mum’s flowers she’d be yelling at Risa.
Needless to say, she passed on the babysitting offer. She did, however, take up her dad on his offer to help build their pen. They would start next weekend. When they were finished, the goats would have a fully fenced yard, plus a shed with central heat and air. It was a good thing she’d already obtained the building permit in preparation for the horse, who would be sharing the same home with the girls in about another six weeks.
Risa let out a contented sigh as she and her goats headed home. Everything was shaping up nicely in her life. Dream job: check. Perfect house: check. Space for her beloved animals: check. Close to family: check. Dream guy: maybe.
However, she was giving serious thought to rectifying that last category. After all, wasn’t there supposed to be an exception to every rule? And guys like Jax didn’t come around very often. She’d be a fool to let him walk away without at least testing the waters. What if he were her one true love? And if he weren’t, she had a feeling she’d have the time of her life finding out.
Over the past month, they’d seen each other nearly every day. The days she didn’t see him, she missed him. She was tired of being afraid and missing out.
Starting right then, she vowed to change all that. Live her life more fully. Be adventurous and brave. Tonight, she’d clean the house and choose an outfit for her training session with Bella that was cute and kind of sexy as well as functional. In the morning, she’d hit the grocery store to make Jax dinner and take him up on his offer.
Hopefully the electrician had installed the lighting while she’d been at work, as he’d promised. Then she could check that off her list. Plus, the last few nights the dogs had acted strange, constantly on alert. She hadn’t seen anyone or anything in the woods, but that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking nearby.
She’d sleep better if she weren’t constantly getting up and looking outside every hour, as she had last night. It was probably her imagination working overtime, which is why she hadn’t mentioned it to Jax earlier. She wouldn’t be surprised if that weren’t Sal’s plan, to send her and Fee into freak-out mode and then do nothing but sit at home and laugh. If either of them complained, he could say they were paranoid, and his wife would give him an alibi.
He’d have to try harder, because she wasn’t falling for his schemes. As of that moment, Risa vowed to put all the worry behind her and move forward. Whatever the deal had been with the cars was over. It’d been a month, and nothing else had gone wrong.
Risa whipped into her parking spot in front of her cute little farmhouse, happier than she’d been in ages. “Okay, Magoats, we’re here. You two are going to behave tonight, and not terrorize the dogs. Got it?” She slid out and walked to the back, popping the hatch. Harle and Totes baa’d at her, and she scooped them up and put them in the carry bag.
She was busy talking to the goats as she made her way across the yard, not really paying attention to anything. Her foot hit the first step and a shard of pottery pinged off the step. Risa bent down and picked up the piece.
Something was wrong… Out of the corner of her eye, something, no… Dirt, flowers, and more broken pots littered the porch.
Her gaze lifted.
“Ah, bloody hell.”
Someone had left her a message, painted in bold red letters on her new, pristine white front door: BACK OFF BITCH.
Her gaze travelled along the porch and took in the obscene mess that was once her welcoming home. Black paint marred the railings, columns and front window.
WHORE.
SLUT.
The words screamed at her.
Angry tears blurred her vision. She swiped them away, refusing to let them fall. With slow, cautious steps, Risa backed away and groaned. Her carefully planted and tended flower beds had been trampled and destroyed. The bastard hadn’t left anything alone.
Athena and Eir barked from inside the house. The poor babies wanted out. She walked around to the side door, intending to put them in their kennel and stopped in her tracks.
Bitch—Whore—Slut.
Seemed her friend had a limited vocabulary.
The dogs would have to hold it a little longer, and the goats needed to go back in their carrier in the car.
The rabbit hutch… The door hung open. Neither Buggsy nor Lolita was in sight.
“Oh, please be inside.” She ran to the cage and peered in the house. Empty.
She had to find them. Risa bolted to the car and secured the goats before running back to the side of the house. Frantic, she looked around. She searched under the stairs, the porch, the bushes, and the surrounding woods. Nothing.
Her bunnies were gone.
Damn it. She could handle the vandalism, but not this.
With tears in her eyes and a broken heart, Risa sunk down on the rock next to the hutch and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She didn’t even hesitate on whom to call.
“Jax, I need you now.”
When he pulled up fifteen minutes later, Risa was in the same spot. She’d been afraid to go inside and miss the bunnies, in case they were hiding. Plus, she didn’t know if she’d mess up evidence.
He bent down in front of her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Are you okay?”
“They’re gone, Jax. Buggsy and Lolita are gone.” Fresh tears fell. What if the person who did this hurt them? They were just sweet rabbits that had no way to defend themselves.
“Physically, are you okay? You didn’t confront whoever did this or walk in on them, did you?”
She shook her head, not trusting her voice.
“Thank God.” Jax wrapped her in his arms. “When I saw you sitting here… We’ll find Buggsy and Lolita. What about the dogs and your cat?”
“Inside still.” She sniffled and pulled it together. “Do you think it’s okay to let them out and put them in the big kennel? They’ve been in the house all day.”
“Have the locals showed up yet?”
“I called you.”
He smiled and ran his thumb down the side of her face, cupping her cheek. “I’m glad.”
The kiss was sweet, a split second too long to be meaningless. If they hadn’t had a mess on their hands, it might have led to more.
“Let’s give them a call. Once they’re done, we can let the mutts out and clean this place up.”
Risa called the local station and was assured a patrol would be over right away. Jax walked around taking pictures with his cellphone.
The dogs sat at the fro
nt window watching, the goats baa’d from the back of her SUV, and she kept an eye out for pink wiggling noses with no luck. Twenty minutes later, the police showed up. It was the same two men as before.
Officer Browning was older, with salt-and-pepper hair and deep lines on his face. His partner, Officer Watts, looked fresh out of the academy. Browning looked at the front door, scratched his belly, and walked over to where Risa sat.
“Looks like you’ve ticked off someone, young lady. What have you been up to?” he asked.
What? What had she been up to? How was this her fault? She ground her teeth together to keep from telling him to bugger off, or worse, calling him a pompous, arrogant codger.
“Excuse me? You don’t think it was bored teens then, Officer?” she asked sweetly.
“Given the word choice, I’d say it looks like you’ve been parking your boots under the wrong person’s bed.”
What did that even mean?
He eyed Jax, looked to Risa, and turned back to Jax. “Who might you be?”
Jax held out his hand. “Chief Jackson Faraday, sir. I’m a friend of Dr. Reynolds’ and a member of base security. It might interest you that the day after Risa’s tires were slashed here, her loaner car was vandalized at work on the base.”
“Base security, huh? Well, you’re not on government property now, Chief, so I’ll remind you this is our jurisdiction.”
Jax held his hands up and stepped back, so he stood at Risa’s side.
“Any idea who might have a grudge against you, Ms. Reynolds?” Watts asked.
“Just one person. Salvador Rossi.”
“Ex-lover?” Browning asked.
She closed her eyes and fought back the bile rising in her throat. “His ex-wife is my best friend. He blames me for their divorce, despite the fact that he left her for another woman when she was pregnant with their son. Other than him, I have no idea.”
“Any damage, other than what we can see from here? Did the person or persons enter the house?” Watts asked, while Browning watched her with his beady eyes.
“My dogs are in the house, so no, but my rabbits are missing. I haven’t really had a chance to inspect the house, as I didn’t want to disturb the scene.”
A Hero to Love Page 11
