All three pairs of eyes gaped at him this time. Shane looked like he wanted to high-five him. Alley smiled as if this was the best news she’d heard in a month.
Mason grinned. “I said I was going to be out on a date with her. Why would you doubt me? She may not have known about it until I showed up at the clinic, but she was more than happy to see me and spend the night together.”
“And you two were together until four in the morning? Doing what?” Raine looked skeptical.
Mason shrugged. “That’s for me to know, and for you to stay out of our business. I never kiss and tell.” He shook his head. “How many more questions do I have to answer before I can get some coffee around here?” He eyed the coffee maker. “If you want more details, you can ask Lori yourself. She’s going to be here in a few hours after she’s done at the clinic.”
A twinge of guilt slapped him. Lori had to be as exhausted as he was. They’d sat with Toby while the dog woke from anesthesia, and monitored him until he seemed to be resting comfortably.
Jake Bartlett had left as soon as Mason had told him the dog had come through the surgery, but would be staying for observation for a few days. Lori had joined him and assured the man that everything had gone smoothly and she expected a full recovery. The farmer had thanked them both and carried his sleeping sons to his vehicle.
Alley handed Mason a mug. The strong aroma of coffee drifted to his nose with the steam.
“Thanks.” Mason wheeled to the table and sipped the hot brew.
His mind was still on Lori, and the events of last night. Despite his lack of sleep, energy and adrenaline rushed through him. For more than six months, he’d missed the feeling of true accomplishment. It was finally back, and this time it was magnified by the feeling of falling in love at the same time.
Raine and Alley left the kitchen, apparently having lost interest in hearing about his date, especially since he’d turned the tables on them. Each woman mumbled about something she needed to do. Evidently, he’d been clear enough that he wasn’t going to elaborate on his date with Lori, and knowing she was going to be stopping by later must have momentarily appeased them.
Mason glanced over his shoulder once the women were out of earshot. Shane still stood at the sink, putting dishes in the dishwasher.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Shane turned and tossed him a suspicious look. “The last time a conversation with you started like that, we both got into some hot water. In fact, I’m still not sure Alley’s forgiven me completely.”
Mason waved off his comment. “A minute ago it sure looked like she’s forgiven you. Don’t worry, I really need to talk to you.” He paused, took a sip of the hot coffee, then said, “Something happened to me last night.”
“You came to your senses and realized what a dumb plan you concocted? I had to sweet-talk my way back into my wife’s good graces, and Raine will be more suspicious of us than ever.” Shane pulled up a seat next to him at the table and reached for the coffee mug he’d left sitting there.
Mason waited for Shane to catch his breath. He turned his chair so he could look directly at his brother. He needed Shane’s full attention. Two things had happened to him last night, and it wasn’t clear which one he was most excited about. He sipped his coffee, then glanced up to see Shane watching him.
“My stupid idea turned out to be brilliant, after all. I had the best night I’ve spent in a long time.”
“With Lori? I thought that was all a bluff earlier in front of the girls.” Shane’s brows shot up. His eyes instantly dropped to Mason’s lap. “You can’t feel anything below the waist, how was it possible for you to –”
Mason snickered. “Get your head out of the gutter. It wasn’t anything like that. The lower part of me doesn’t work . . . yet, but my heart sure does.”
“Your heart?”
Mason grinned. “I fell in love last night, Shane. I’ve thought about Lori for weeks. Actually, since the day I met her. She’s smart and we have a lot in common, and we make a great team.”
Shane chuckled. “And she’s nice to look at, too. Besides, I already guessed that you like her. Love’s a big step.”
“Yeah, she’s good-looking, but I think I can safely say, since high school ended, looks aren’t what’s important.”
Shane took another drink from his mug. “So, Lori wasn’t mad that you showed up unannounced, and declared that simply being in the same room with her qualified as a date?”
Mason rubbed his chin. “Well, maybe she was a bit upset when I told her I needed her to pretend we’d gone on a date, to keep out of trouble with Raine and Alley.”
Shane shook his head and laughed. “I can only imagine how flattered she must have been. You must have worked it out, since you were gone all night.”
Mason met the smug look on his brother’s face. “I was gone so long because we ended up doing an emergency surgery on a dog with an internal bleed.”
Shane’s smug look turned into a smile. He nodded in apparent approval. “How did that feel? You’ve been adamant that you can’t do that kind of stuff anymore.”
Mason leaned forward in his chair. He stared at Shane, and lowered his voice. “It didn’t feel nearly as good as when Lori fell into my lap after the surgery.”
“Fell into your lap?” Shane laughed. “I’ve heard of girls wanting to fall at your feet in high school, but –” He laughed again, letting the rest of the sentence hang unspoken.
“She tripped and fell into my lap. That’s when I kissed her.”
Shane chuckled. “Great thinking. Nothing like a little smooching after being covered in blood and guts. Leave it to you veterinarians.”
“Lori likes to do her surgeries clean. There was no blood after we were done with the dog.”
Shane stood and refilled his coffee mug. He carried the coffee pot to the table and poured more into Mason’s half-empty mug. He stood in front of the wheelchair, smiling. “And that’s when you knew you were in love with her?”
Mason nodded. “It’s when I was absolutely certain of it. I’m sure you must have felt something similar when you first kissed Alley.”
Shane set the pot on the table, then returned to his seat. “Yeah, Alley and I had sort of an unconventional first date, too. I’ve told you about how we ended up camping out overnight because she’d sprained her ankle, the horse was lame, and I was getting over an allergic reaction to fire ants.”
Mason laughed. “Sounds as romantic as being in a vet clinic with several dogs and cats watching.”
“At least Alley and I had a campfire.” Shane grinned.
Mason sipped at his coffee again, then set the mug on the table. He braced against his chair and shifted in his seat.
“Something else happened last night, Shane.”
Shane’s eyes narrowed. The casual smile on his face vanished. He’d clearly picked up on the urgency in Mason’s voice. “Can’t wait to hear it.”
Mason leaned forward. “I felt her.”
Shane shook his head. His forehead furrowed. “What do you mean, you felt her?”
“I felt her sitting on my legs, Shane. My legs started to tingle. The sensation hasn’t gone away. And look.”
He glanced down at his bare foot. After several seconds that seemed to last an eternity, his big toe twitched slightly.
Shane jumped from his chair. “Mason! I saw it move.”
Mason shushed his brother’s loud outburst. Shane beamed with laughter and slapped Mason’s back. Mason stared up at him, then joined him in laughter.
“Yes, it moved.”
Shane watched as Mason made his toe move again.
“I guess all it took was a pretty girl falling into your lap to jump start your spinal cord again! Why didn’t anyone else think to try that? Have you told anyone?”
Mason’s face sobered. “No, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I want to make sure this is really happening before I tell anyone else.”
He breathed a sigh of r
elief. It hadn’t been his imagination. He could still make his toes move, if even just a little. It had all started last night, when Lori had sat in his lap, and she’d wrapped her arms around him and returned his kisses. Things were definitely heading in the right direction. Now that he’d shared the news with his brother, it was time to tell the girl who’d brought his dreams back to life.
Chapter 13
“Are you ready to do this?”
Lori smiled, and Mason’s bright grin sent a familiar warmth through her, making her tingle all over. Mason inhaled a deep breath and opened the passenger side of his veterinary truck. Lori hopped out from the driver’s side and rushed around to his side to hand him his crutches. Other than that, he wouldn’t want, nor require her help. He’d been bound and determined for weeks to be as mobile as possible on his own.
Mason slowly shifted his legs to get out of the vehicle. He still needed to position his legs exactly where he wanted them with his hands, but reassured her it was getting easier every day. Even if it wasn’t, he probably wouldn’t tell her.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Mason slid from the seat and placed his feet on the ground, using his crutches as support. He straightened, then looked around. Lori was already by his side, hooking her hands through the crook of his arm.
“Your official first day back making farm calls as Dr. Mason Taggart. How does it feel?” She lifted her head to look up at him.
Mason braced his weight on one leg, then leaned down to kiss her lips. She hadn’t quite gotten used to looking up at him rather than down. For some reason, in his wheelchair he’d always seemed like he would be taller, even though he matched his brother in height.
“Getting back to work is something that’ll be easy to get used to.” Mason tested his legs, moving slowly with the aid of his crutches.
Lori’s brows rose and she nodded. “Quite a different tune than what you were singing a little over a month ago.”
Four weeks ago today, they’d had their first unofficial date at the veterinary clinic, when Mason had stood by her side and been her crutch while she performed exploratory surgery on Toby Bartlett. That night he’d kissed her for the first time. It was also the night his attitude had finally turned around about his ability to return to doing what he loved.
What had started as a nerve-racking evening had turned out to be the best night of her life. While her infatuation and attraction to the handsome country vet had steadily grown ever since their first meeting, she’d had no idea that he’d had the same feelings for her.
Dealing with their separate insecurities and fears had drawn them to each other, and they’d vowed that night that they’d conquer them together. The next day had been even better, when Mason had told her that sensation was coming back to his legs, and he’d even been able to move his toes a little. Ever since that day, he’d made steady progress. He’d been relentless in his physical therapy, and even Rick, the PT, was impressed by the noticeable daily improvements.
Lori had been at his side the first time he’d gotten out of his wheelchair and stood on his own, with the aid of special crutches Rick had brought. Lori had held his arm, encouraged him, and each day he told her she was his biggest motivation for walking again.
“I fell in love with the man you are up here, Mason Taggart.” She’d put her hand against his heart when he’d told her he was determined to walk and get out of the wheelchair. “I don’t care whether you’re in a wheelchair or not.”
“I care.”
Lori had smiled and nodded in understanding at the serious look in his eyes.
“If you keep up with your physical therapy and the riding, you’re going to be running marathons soon. I’m convinced the riding is what ultimately helped stimulate your nerves enough to get feeling back in your lower extremities. Even your physical therapist seems to think so. He told me he was going to study up on equine therapy and even recommend it to some of his other patients.”
Mason had sat back in his chair and pulled her onto his lap, flashing that sensual grin she’d fallen in love with.
“You’re wrong,” he’d murmured against her lips, then kissed her fully in a way that never failed to melt her insides. “I think this is what helped me get feeling back.”
Lori had laughed in his arms. She’d raised her brows in a skeptical gesture “Kissing?”
“Yeah, but not just anyone. I doubt it would have worked with someone other than you.” Mason had kissed her again, pulling her more fully into his arms, then grinned. “The more we do this, the more feeling I’m getting in my legs. You’ve been the best physical therapy for me.”
“Now there’s a pick-up line that’s not used all that often, I’d imagine.” Lori had sat up, looking at him with a serious expression. The timing had been right to bring up what had been on her mind since the night of the emergency surgery. “Now you don’t have any more excuses not to come back to work.”
She’d almost expected an argument, but surprisingly, he’d said, “I already talked to Doc Johnson. I told him I was interested in coming back once I’m a bit better at walking.”
Lori had flung her arms around him. “I’m so glad, Mason. I think we make a great team. Working on Toby Bartlett proves it.”
She’d wanted to say so much more. They complemented each other perfectly, in more ways than veterinary medicine. She hadn’t said that part to him, yet. Their relationship was still too new, and Mason’s focus had to be on his physical therapy. While they spent almost every free minute together, she hadn’t found the courage to tell him about her dreams for the future, of the two of them working side by side both personally and professionally.
After weeks of doubt, she’d finally found contentment in Burnt River, and it was easy to imagine life with Mason in this little country town. She’d even started to feel a little more comfortable going on farm calls.
“Let’s go see Rebel and make sure his surgical incision is healing well.”
Lori led Mason toward Rory Anderson’s barn. The rancher met them halfway across the yard, smiling broadly. He held out his hand to Mason, and looked him up and down with a pleasantly surprised look on his face.
“Boone Macklin told me you were walking again.”
Rory shook Mason’s hand, then held his hand out to Lori. He only looked at her for a quick moment. Lori stood straighter and sighed. Many of her clients in town had warmed up to her, but there were still some who couldn’t get past the idea of anyone but the old-time veterinarian or the hometown boy treating their animals. It would take time, but she’d come a long way already in gaining their trust. Just as Mason was determined to make a full recovery, she was determined to win over the town.
“Getting there,” Mason said. “It feels good to be back.”
Rory nodded eagerly. “Glad to hear it. Rebel is in the barn. I think he’s doing quite well, but you can see for yourself.”
Mason shook his head. He glanced at Lori, who clamped her mouth shut. “Today’s my first official day back in a professional capacity, Rory, but your horse is Lori’s patient. She’s here to recheck him. I’m just along for the ride.”
Rory pressed his lips together. His smile seemed rather strained when he looked at her. “Sure thing, Mason. I just figured since you were the one who did the surgery . . .”
Mason was quick to correct the rancher. “I assisted. Lori did the surgery.”
Rory smirked, but nodded. He led them to the barn, where Rebel, the tall thoroughbred, stood contently in his stall. A twinge of apprehension flowed through Lori, but she inhaled a deep breath and entered the stall.
“How are you, big guy?” Lori approached the horse and patted his neck. She checked the incision under his throat where she’d performed the laryngoplasty ten days ago. Mason had been at her side the entire time, talking her through the surgery.
While she’d suggested sending the horse to the large animal hospital in Missoula for the surgery, the owner had preferred to have it done at Doc Johnson’s place. Eve
n though the facilities weren’t as well equipped to handle large animal surgery, Mason had agreed to assist.
“Not having adequate facilities for major equine surgery is going to be remedied soon,” Mason had said. “Shane and I are working on plans for a large animal complex a few miles from town.”
Lori smiled at the eagerness in Mason’s eyes when he spoke of the new hospital that would accompany the smaller clinic in town.
“Dr. Johnson mentioned it. He said it was exactly what this town . . . and you, needed.”
After confirming that Rebel’s surgery site was healing well, Lori and Mason finished out the day on several more farm calls. Every one of the ranchers was happy to see Mason return, and she was practically invisible to them as he treated a cow with milk fever, and a horse with a hoof abscess.
She shook off the slight feeling of annoyance. On the one hand, she should be glad she was no longer needed to do farm calls, except maybe to drive Mason to his patients for a while until he was able to drive himself again. On the other hand, today was a reminder that she still had a long way to go before she’d be fully accepted by the community.
Over the weeks, she’d been working hard to combat her fear of cows and horses. If she was going to be a veterinarian in this community, she had to be well-rounded, as Mason had once pointed out to her. For weeks, she’d been as determined to win over the ranchers as Mason was to walk again, but now that he was back, all her efforts seemed to have been pointless.
Lori drove back to the clinic in silence after the last call. Mason must have picked up on her sour mood. He reached over and wrapped his hand around hers, giving it a squeeze. When she glanced at him, he looked concerned.
“Is something bothering you?”
“No, everything’s fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”
She kept her eyes on the road while answering. It wasn’t his fault the clients ignored her. He was the first one to stand up for her and defend her to the ranchers. Hadn’t the first call at Rory Anderson’s place proved it? Yet, the feeling of being no longer needed refused to let go. There was no sense bothering Mason with it. The feeling would pass. Besides, this was his first day back to work. Of course everyone would be glad to see him. She was being moody for no reason.
Mason's Rescue Page 12
