Keaton’s mother hadn’t been quite so understanding. Dianne answered the door when I arrived, and she had lifted her chin and turned away as she held the door open for me. “Audrey,” she said coldly, as I walked past her into the house. That was the only word I got from her all afternoon. She disappeared into her bedroom and didn’t give me a second look.
Now I was on my way home, and the very first thing I was going to do when I got there was find my mama and let her wrap me in her arms. She’d know what to say to Dianne to make this better. She’d fix it somehow. I knew it was up to me to figure out how Keaton and I would move forward, but I didn’t have a clue how to earn his mother’s forgiveness.
I wiped a bead of sweat from my neck and walked faster. Distracted as I was, I stumbled when a small, brown dog appeared from behind a shrub and ran toward me, stopping right in my path. “Goodness, puppy,” I said, regaining my footing.
The dog whimpered loudly and lay down on her side, lifting her front paws, as if begging me for help. I looked her over, gasping when I saw that a bone jutted out from the skin of her back leg, blood matting the fur. The dog whimpered again, panting hard with pain, and tears sprang to my eyes. I knelt down and put my hand on her head, hoping it would be of some comfort to her. “It’s okay, sweetie, I’ll get you some help.”
I scanned the area, but I was on the outskirts of town and the closest house was a ways back. I didn’t want to leave the dog here while I left to get help; she might hide or try to run. I was about to try and pick her up, planning how to hold her in a way that would hurt the least, when I heard a motor approaching. I went to the edge of the street to flag down the driver. To my surprise and relief, it was Johnny.
“Johnny!” I screamed, waving my arms.
He pulled over and hopped off the motorcycle. He smiled as he took his helmet off, but his expression transformed when he took in my tear-stained face. He stepped close and lifted my chin with his hand, peering into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“The dog,” was all I could get out, because my entire body had begun shaking with worry for the dog. I pointed to the sidewalk.
Johnny dropped to his knees beside the dog, inspecting her leg. “I know this dog. This is Louise, my neighbor’s dog.” He petted her behind her ears and then checked the tag on her collar. “Hey, Louise,” he crooned softly. “What are you doing all the way out here, girl?”
I joined him at Louise’s side. “It looks really bad. I think she got hit by a car.”
Johnny gently prodded her belly, and Louise let him, looking up at his face with big, brown eyes. “She doesn’t mind this, so that’s a good sign. I wonder if she got caught in a hunting trap.”
Unable to control myself, I stood and backed up a step before I began to sob in earnest.
“Hey,” Johnny said. “It’s going to be okay. I think she’s going to be fine.” He put his arms around me, and he was so big and so warm, and his voice sounded so confident, that I let him.
Just as I put my arms around his waist, a car pulled to the curb and a door slammed. “Take your hands off her.” Keaton’s voice boomed.
Startled, all my nerves on high alert, I jumped away from Johnny. I looked at them each in turn, to see that I’d hurt Keaton by letting Johnny hold me, and I’d hurt Johnny by pulling away when Keaton spoke. None of it was what I intended and everything felt like a big mess.
But at the forefront of my mind was poor Louise. The rest of it could wait. “The dog’s hurt, Keaton.”
“I’m taking her to the vet,” Johnny said, kneeling beside Louise again.
“On what, your motorcycle?” Keaton spat.
I saw the movement in Johnny’s cheek as his jaw clenched.
Keaton put his hands on his hips.
I wrung my hands.
Johnny stepped forward. Both boys had their brows pulled low, both of them sneered in anger.
“I’ll carry the dog there. It’s only three blocks over,” Johnny said.
Keaton glared at him, then went to his car and opened the passenger door. “It will be more comfortable for the dog to ride in my car.”
This wasn’t a time to worry about any fragile male egos. I glanced at Johnny but didn’t have to say the words. Johnny nodded and knelt to gently scoop up Louise. He held her close to his chest and deposited her smoothly on the seat of the car.
“Come on, I’ll take you,” Keaton said, looking at me meaningfully.
I glanced between the car and the motorcycle. My mind was racing. I had never been so torn in all my life. What was I supposed to do? Louise didn’t have time for me to debate about how best to handle the situation without hurting anyone’s feelings, so I turned to Johnny. “I want to stay with Louise. I’ll meet you there?” He gave a terse nod, so I climbed into the back seat of Keaton’s car.
My hands shook as I buckled my seatbelt. I glanced at Keaton, who still had his brows pulled low. He met my eyes in the rearview mirror as he pulled away from the curb.
“Thank you for stopping,” I said. “And for driving Louise.” I hoped his offer was an olive branch. This was the first time I’d seen him since the picnic.
He glanced at the dog, who panted and occasionally whined. “I think she’s going to be okay. It looks like she got caught in a trap.”
“That’s what Johnny said,” I said without thinking.
He clamped his mouth shut.
A silent moment passed, and he slid into a parking space behind the vet’s office. As he shut off the engine, he said, “Be careful, Audrey.”
I wanted to say I didn’t need to be careful. That I knew what I was doing and that Johnny wasn't going to hurt me. But the truth was, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t even know Johnny’s intentions toward me. This thing between us was fragile and new, unexplored and a little scary. But for once, I was following my heart, and that felt like the most careful thing in the world. “I will.”
Johnny pulled into the space next to us and I let out a relieved breath. I’d been afraid he would leave, that he’d be angry at me for choosing to ride with Keaton. Keaton opened the passenger door but didn’t pick Louise up. “I was on my way to a client’s office to deliver some papers, so I need to go,” he said, not looking at either Johnny or me.
Johnny swooped in to scoop up Louise. She yelped and he whispered softly to her. I noticed she’d left behind a blood stain on Keaton’s seat. “I’ll pay for that to be cleaned.”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Keaton said, and he finally looked at me, offering the tiniest of smiles. “Will you let me know how she is later?”
“Yes.”
He left and I followed Johnny into the vet’s office. A veterinary technician rushed out to take Louise, and Johnny and I sat in chairs in the waiting area. It was empty except for the two of us. “Thank you,” I said.
“I haven’t done anything.”
“You’re here. I need someone, and you’re here.”
“Keaton isn’t happy about that.”
I couldn’t read his mood. His eyes were stormy, and his shoulders were tense, and he wouldn’t look at me. Was he worrying everyone would react to us the same way Keaton had? “He’ll come around,” I said echoing Johnny’s words from yesterday.
He ran a hand over his hair.
I wanted to tell him I was sorry Keaton reacted the way he did; that he told Johnny to take his hands off me. But I thought that might make it worse. I didn’t want him to feel like I was defending Keaton, and I certainly didn’t want to bring up Keaton’s opinion of Johnny. So I changed the subject. “Louise is your neighbor’s dog?”
“Yeah. Francine Anglin, a couple houses down. She’s an older lady. She’s probably been worried. I see her out walking Louise most mornings when I leave for work.”
“You really think Louise will be okay?”
“I do.”
A few minutes later the vet came out and spoke to us, letting us know that Louise’s only injury was to her leg, and that she was stable. She made
an apologetic face as she said, “She’ll need surgery to pin her leg, though. I’m confident I’ll be able to fix it. Your other option would be to amputate the leg. Both surgeries carry some risk. Amputation is cheaper. I can show you our price list.”
“Go ahead and pin the leg,” Johnny said, pulling out his wallet.
They talked a little more at the front desk, while I waited in my chair. Was Johnny paying for the surgery? When they were done, we were allowed to go back to say good-bye to Louise.
I kissed her forehead, memorizing the furry warmth under my lips. The intensity of our shared experience made me feel close to her. She looked at me with sleepy eyes, probably due to the pain medicine, and her loving gaze almost made me cry.
Johnny scratched behind her ears. “You’ll be okay, girl,” he said. “You’ll be home before you know it.”
As we walked out the door, he paused on the front step. “Want to come with me to tell Francine what happened?”
It didn’t take even a second to decide. “Yes.”
Chapter 14
Johnny
We stood beside my motorcycle, and I was about to reach for my helmet and offer it to Audrey when I caught sight of her. She stood back a bit, fiddling with her purse strap. Today wasn’t the day to ask her. Heck, maybe she’d never get on my bike. Maybe I was fooling myself with all of this. I could feel something between us, but I still had no idea where any of this was heading. I knew where I wanted it to go, but I wasn’t sure I could convince her to go with me. “Maybe I should sell this thing and get a car.”
Audrey’s head snapped up. “No!”
My grin formed instantly. “Why not, Audrey, you like my bike?”
Her cheeks had gone pink. “I refuse to answer that question.”
“That’s okay. I already have my answer.” She scowled, and my grin grew. “But I won’t ask you to ride it today. Are you up for a long walk?” I asked.
Her face broke into a huge smile and her shoulders dropped in relief. “Yes.”
I hesitated, dropping my keys from one hand to the other. “People might see us walking together.”
She took a step closer. “Johnny,” she said softly, “I don’t care about that. You’re the only one who cares.” She tapped her chin and her voice turned teasing. “I’m getting the feeling that maybe you’re ashamed to be seen with me.”
I smirked. “Yeah, that’s it. You figured me out. This town would have a coronary if sweet, innocent Johnny Bright were to be corrupted by the troublemaking Audrey Sparrow.”
She laughed at the same time she rolled her eyes at me. “It sounds just as stupid if you reverse the names, you know.”
I crossed my arms, and didn’t miss the way her eyes went right to my forearms, lingering for a minute before rising to my eyes. “So you don’t have any worries for your reputation?” I asked.
She lifted her chin. “None.”
“That’s why it’s up to me to make sure people don’t gossip.”
“Johnny. People are going to gossip. It’s what they do. They love to have something to talk about. It doesn’t matter. Let them say what they want. They can never know what’s in my heart, or yours, so I don’t care. Now lead the way to Francine’s house.”
I smiled at her and stepped onto the sidewalk. “I like it when you boss me around.”
She put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I did get bossy, didn’t I?”
“And I said I liked it. I say what I mean, Audrey. Always. I like it when you let loose a little and say what you’re thinking without prettying it up first.”
We walked a little while in silence, and I gave her the time to consider my words. “I’m different with you,” she said, finally.
“You are?”
“Yes. I don’t know why, and I don’t do it consciously, but when I’m with you, I’m free with my words.” She glanced at me, worrying her lip between her teeth. “It’s a little unnerving.”
I chuckled and fought the urge to hold her hand.
She smiled, looking down, and I decided to change the subject so as not to overwhelm her. “It’s hot today. You know where I’ve always wanted to go? Alaska. Alaska sounds good right about now.”
She looked at me, her eyes bright. “Alaska’s on my list. I want to see the Northern Lights. I keep a list of places I want to go.”
“Yeah? What other places are on your list?”
“So many. I have this leather journal, and every time I discover something neat that I need to see in person, I write it down. I add to it all the time, so I’ll never get to everything. Some of them will be easy to cross off, like the Missouri Botanical Gardens. They have a Japanese garden there that I am really excited to see one day. But most of the other places on the list will probably stay dreams.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess most people don’t do that much traveling.”
“Don’t let them stay dreams, Audrey. Do it. I’m going to Sortelha in Portugal someday. It’s a Medieval village with a castle. I heard about it in Fifth grade, when we were studying geography. It’s a dream now, but I’ll get there.”
She squeezed my arm in her enthusiasm. “Johnny! Portugal’s on my list, too. I want to see the National Coach Museum. It has a huge collection of horse drawn carriages from the past four hundred years. They are so fancy, I want to stand in front of them and imagine what it would have been like to climb inside one and be driven to town.”
She let go of my arm, having realized what she was doing. She laughed nervously. “Sorry.”
God, her eyes were so warm and sweet, her smile so kind. Looking at her, I felt soft. Tender. A strange ache settled in the center of my chest. It took me a moment to identify it. It was longing. “Tell me where else is on your list.”
As we walked across town, we discussed the museums, art, and natural wonders we wanted to see. It turned out Audrey had an affinity for waterfalls. She spoke passionately about the huge falls she dreamed of seeing—Victoria Falls, Angel Falls, and Niagara Falls were on the top of her list—and listened with interest as I told her of the castles that were on my list. I hadn’t talked to anyone about this except my mother. The guys would tease me, but there was something about the history of castles that worked its way into my marrow. I wasn’t interested in the fancy palaces meant for royalty. Instead, I liked the medieval fortresses meant to fend off attacks. Like Audrey wanted to close her eyes and imagine she was a lady of the 1600s climbing into an ornate carriage, I wanted to imagine what it was like to be one of the people who lived and worked in those castles.
“I don’t talk to people about this, Johnny. I keep these dreams to myself.”
I blinked, surprised by another thing we had in common. “Why not?”
“I guess I figure my family wants me to stay here. They get nervous when I’m out late—checking in with me constantly. It annoys me how they think I’m incapable of taking care of myself.” She sighed. “I guess they don’t really think that. But they don’t give me enough credit.”
I was quiet for a long moment, our footsteps thumping in unison on the sidewalk. “I know exactly what you mean. Not about people thinking you can’t take care of yourself, but about people not giving you enough credit. I feel the same way.”
She met my eyes, her gaze searching and serious. As if liking what she found there, she smiled softly and nodded, and we continued walking.
Before I knew it, and far too soon, we arrived at Francine’s house. I knocked on the door, and when she answered, it was plain to see that she’d been crying. Before even saying hello, I said, “We found Louise.”
Francine’s whole body sagged in relief. She looked around, but not seeing her, asked, “Is she okay?”
“She will be. Her leg is hurt, and she’ll need surgery. She’s at Dr. Clinton’s office. They’re going to call you when she’s ready to come home.”
She stepped forward and put her arms around me. “Thank you, Johnny. Thank you very much
.” Her hug was light as a breath, and warm, and she smelled like lilacs. “Come in here and have cookies and tea so I can thank you properly.” She glanced at Audrey. “Both of you.”
We stepped inside. “Francine, this is Audrey Sparrow,” I said. “She’s the one who found Louise.”
Francine smiled warmly at Audrey. “Well, I know who you are, dear. Your father’s been my doctor for at least twenty years. Your picture smiles at me from the wall of his office.” She held her arms out and Audrey stepped into them. Francine patted her back before stepping away. “Thank you for finding my Louise. Where was she?”
“I was walking on Rose, and she darted out from behind a bush. Her leg was hurt. We think she got caught in a hunting trap. It was broken pretty badly, but Johnny drove by and we got her to the vet.”
Francine wrung her hands. “Oh, dear. That’s awful. What was she doing all the way over there? She got away from me this morning. We’d gone for our walk, and I unclipped her leash on the front step, and she spotted a squirrel and ran after it. I couldn’t follow her, but I thought for sure she’d be home before long. By lunch I was really starting to worry. Sit down there, and I’ll bring out some refreshments.”
We sat on the floral sofa, grinning at each other. I didn’t know about Audrey, but I felt really good. There was something about helping an older person, and an animal, that really made a person feel like they were doing life right.
“I love her,” Audrey whispered.
“Yeah, she’s great.”
Francine came back with a tray of iced tea and a tin of butter cookies. We had about a dozen of these tins at my house. Francine went through these cookies like water, and every year she crocheted Mom and I new winter hats and scarves and gifted them to us in a cookie tin. We had enough hats to last our whole lives, and Mom used the tins to store old letters and the like.
“Johnny, did the vet say how much the bill would be? Of course, no matter what it is I’ll pay it for my Louise, but I hope it won’t be too much.”
Broken Rebel (Sparrow Sisters Book 2) Page 9
