Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls Book 4)

by Amber Kelly

  Her expression softens, and she shakes her head. “Me neither.”

  I walk over and kiss her forehead.

  “I’ll call Myer. You head home and get ready. Come in as soon as you can. I’ll fumble my way through until you make it,” I say against her skin.

  She fists my shirt back and sighs. Then, she pulls back and looks up at me. “You stink, Doc.”

  That causes me to break down in laughter again as I lead her down the stairs and out to our trucks.

  I slept in. I haven’t slept in, in years. Not once. The last thing I remember is pulling Bellamy into my arms and the sound of her breaths growing heavy and even. Then, nothing. No dreams. No waking in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Nothing until that bird sang me awake.

  When I get my cell phone charged on the way into town, I have four missed calls from Myer. He is not amused when he answers my call back. He took time off from the ranch to run home and get Beau’s dog to bring him in for his shots, so Dallas wouldn’t have to load the baby, Beau, and pup all up to bring him herself. Now, he has to get back to work and can’t wait any longer.

  His frustration is warranted.

  I explain that I passed out at the new house after working all day. I hadn’t meant to stay there, so I didn’t have an alarm set or a change of clothes. I apologize profusely and offer to come by his house this weekend and vaccinate Cowboy.

  That appeases him. He says he has some paper in his truck and offers to scratch a note down and put it on the door for me, letting others know I will be in shortly.

  Then, he asks, “Why isn’t Bells here?”

  My mind goes completely blank, and all words fly from my head.

  “Doc?”

  Then, a chuckle comes over the line.

  “Right. See you this weekend.”

  Then, he hangs up.

  I shoot Bellamy a warning text before I run upstairs to comfort a very put out Lou-Lou and jump in the shower. Myer is surely going to make it back to Stoney Ridge before she can escape.

  I get dressed quickly and run down to open the office. I stop dead when I see my mother standing there, looking at Myer’s sign in her hand. She looks up at me with confusion, and quirks an eyebrow at me in question.

  “Mom, I didn’t expect you back until Thursday,” I say.

  “I was ready to come home. So, I caught an earlier flight. Doreen picked me up this morning.”

  “I would have come to get you,” I say as I round the desk and embrace her. Happy to see her.

  “Well, I thought you would be hard at work, so I called and asked if she could come get me at the airport.”

  “I slept late,” I only half-fib.

  She looks at me in surprise.

  “I know. I’m shocked too.”

  “Where’s Bellamy?” she asks.

  There it is again.

  I shrug.

  “She isn’t here yet, so she must have slept late too.”

  I know that sounds nonsensical, but it’s all I’ve got.

  Her perceptive eyes come to me, and she starts to speak. Thankfully, the bell above the door chimes, and our ten o’clock appointment walks in, saving me from any further explanation.

  For the moment at least.

  Bellamy

  I dress as fast as I can and come skidding to a halt in the living room when Myer walks through the front door with Cowboy on his heels.

  Uh-oh.

  I turn to go out the back when his voice stops me.

  “Good morning, Bells—or should I say, good afternoon?”

  I slowly turn to face him. He has a hip propped against the island and a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Hey.”

  Cowboy trots up to me and barks a greeting as well. Then, he plants his paws on my thigh and stands there with his tongue out and tail wagging, waiting for my affection.

  “Good morning to you too, Cowboy,” I coo as I scratch between his ears, and he closes his eyes, pulling his head to the side in puppy ecstasy.

  “I’d be careful. He missed his vaccination this morning, so if he nips at you and you start foaming at the mouth later, it’s not my fault,” Myer states just as Momma comes in from her Monday morning breakfast date with Dottie.

  “There’s no way he has rabies just because you missed his vaccination appointment, Myer,” she says as she brushes past him and bends to pet the dog.

  He quickly abandons me and follows Momma to the counter, where she opens a treat jar and tosses him three.

  “Momma, we give him treats when he goes outside to potty, and he only gets one, not a handful,” Myer gripes.

  “That’s the rule at your house, not at Grandma’s house. At Grandma’s house, you get treats whenever Grandma wants to give them, and you get as many as she wants to give you.”

  Cowboy looks at Myer and barks, as if to say, Yeah, what she said.

  “Rotten kids and rotten dogs—that’s what we’re going to have,” Myer mumbles at the pup.

  I take the opportunity to try to make my escape out the door.

  “Bellamy, why are you home at ten, dear? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  “Um …” I start.

  “She overslept. I showed up and woke her up,” Myer lies.

  I mouth, Thank you, to him.

  Momma looks confused. “I thought your truck was gone when I left this morning.”

  “You must have missed it.” I shrug. “Well, I’m late. See you later. Love you both.”

  I rush out the door, and Cowboy starts barking and runs to the screen.

  “I love you too, Cowboy,” I yell as I hop in my truck and get gone before anyone else can ask me any more questions.

  I walk in and drop my purse on the desk. I rush around to turn on the computer. It’s already booted up, and an invoice for a splint is showing as printed on the monitor.

  “Brandt,” I call down the hall, confused.

  I was told he had no idea how to use the accounting software. Any invoices he issues himself are handwritten.

  I walk back to his office.

  “I do believe you have been holding out on me, Doc,” I say as I step in the doorway.

  He is sitting behind his desk, and sitting in the chair facing him with a cup of coffee in hand is Miss Elaine.

  My heart sinks.

  She turns to me with a huge smile on her face, but it instantly drops as she takes in my expression.

  “Hi,” I whisper.

  “Hello, Bellamy. Is everything all right?”

  Brandt stands and rounds the desk. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice laced with concern.

  I shake myself out of my moment of upset and force a smile of my own. “I’m good. Just … I’m very sorry I was late,” I say as chipper as I can.

  “Not a big deal. I was late too,” he says, and his eyes are dancing with amusement.

  “I’m thrilled to see you, and I am so happy you are here now. I’m jet-lagged, and I can’t wait to get upstairs and take a very long nap in my own bed,” Elaine says.

  “You want me to stay?” I ask.

  “Oh, yes—that is, if you don’t mind. I’m old, and travel is hard on me. I could use a couple of days to recuperate.” She covers her mouth for a long, exaggerated yawn.

  Then, she stands and walks around Brandt.

  “You two have a productive day,” she says before leaving the office and taking the stairs up to their apartment.

  “Do you think she knows?” I ask as I watch her until she is out of sight.

  “Definitely,” he affirms.

  “Myer knows too,” I tell him.

  “Yep, he does.”

  “Are you okay with that?” I ask without turning to look at him.

  “Depends,” he says.

  “On what?”

  “He’s not going to come after me with a shotgun or anything, is he?” he asks.

  I turn at his question.

  He’s grinning a sexy grin down at me.

  “You know, I’m us
ed to you being so serious all the time. I can’t tell when you are teasing or not,” I accuse.

  He walks to me, brings his hand to the back of my neck, and pulls me in till we are face-to-face. “Of course I’m teasing you. There’s no way Myer is going to shoot the only vet in town.”

  I bow my head, and he presses his lips to my forehead.

  “You smell better,” I taunt him in return.

  He runs his hands up and down my arms. “We have another patient coming in ten minutes. Three more are on the schedule. We’ll be done by two o’clock.”

  “That’s an early day,” I point out.

  “The kitchen goes in today, and I have to get to the house before the contractors leave,” he explains.

  “How exciting.”

  “Bellamy, about last night,” he begins, and I brace myself.

  The bell chimes, signaling our eleven o’clock has arrived.

  I groan. I needed that ten minutes.

  Relief washes over him, and he releases me. I make my way up to the front desk to greet and check them in.

  Saved by the bell.

  Bellamy

  “Help, someone, help me!”

  I hear the screamed plea outside the office door and run from around the desk to see Sophie rushing around the front of her truck.

  I yell for Brandt and open the door and rush to her aid.

  “Sophie, what’s wrong?” I ask as I make it to her.

  “It’s Hawkeye, I was outside bringing groceries in from the truck and he started going nuts and darted out of the door ahead of me. There was a snake at the curb that I hadn’t seen and it was raised to strike me but Hawk got to it first and threw himself between it and me. It got him in the leg,” she explains breathlessly as she opens the door and tries to lift the dog.

  “Don’t, let me get him. You don’t need to be lifting him,” I say as I move her aside and reach in for the lethargic hound.

  Just as I make it to the sidewalk, Brandt comes out and, assessing the situation, takes the pup from my arms and Sophie and I follow him inside.

  “What got him?” he asks as we make it to the exam room and he sets him on the table.

  “A rattlesnake,” she answers.

  “How long ago?”

  “I picked him up and put him straight into the truck and came straight here. I flew so maybe fifteen minutes or so. His face started swelling and he was breathing funny. Panting. He threw up in the truck on the way here too. Please don’t let him die,” she sobs.

  “Bellamy, set up an IV; I need to get fluids started right away. Also, pull a vial of antivenin,” he instructs and I hurry to get everything started.

  Hawkeye starts seizing on the table and Sophie become hysterical. I go as fast as I can to assist Brandt because I know I need to also help comfort Hawk’s very pregnant, distraught mother or we are liable to have two emergencies on our hands if she goes into early labor.

  “He’s in shock, let’s get the fluids in him,” Brandt says calmly as he lays Hawk on his side and places a pillow under his hind legs to elevate them. Then he begins to examine his gums and gently tugs his tongue to clear his airway.

  I get the bag hung and insert the needle to get the IV going quickly, and then I set the syringes with the medications on the tray by the table. Once I have everything set up for Brandt, I make my way over to Sophie and guide her towards the door of the exam room.

  “I don’t want to leave him,” she cries.

  “I know, but I promise he is in good hands. Dr. Haralson will take good care of him. Let’s get you some water and call Braxton,” I suggest as I carefully tug her into the hallway.

  She is shaking and I’m afraid she will fall, so I keep my hands on her back as I lead her to the break room.

  Once I have her sitting down, I bring her a bottle of water and then go retrieve her purse from the truck. I grab my cell off the desk on the way out to call Braxton. There is no way I’m letting her drive herself home.

  Braxton doesn’t answer his phone, so I try Walker’s.

  “Hello, beautiful, what can I do for you?”

  “Is Braxton near you?” I ask as I make it to Sophie’s truck. Groceries are slung all over the place. Ice cream is melting, eggs broken and fruit rolling around the backseat and the smell of Hawk’s sickness fills the cab.

  “Yes, he’s up on the tractor, why? Don’t tell me she already popped,” he says and I can hear his breathing increase as he starts running.

  “No, but it’s not out of the question. Hawk was bitten protecting Sophie from a rattlesnake and she drove him to the clinic. Brandt’s working on Hawk, but I don’t know if he’ll make it or not. Sophie is frantic and she needs Braxton in a hurry. Also, her truck needs a cleanup from puppy vomit,” I tell him.

  “Ten-four,” he says and I can make out the muffled conversation as he relays the message to Braxton before coming back on the line.

  “We’re both on our way.”

  The line goes dead and I take Sophie’s purse to her and let her know her husband is on his way. I make several more trips out to her track to bring the groceries into the clinic and put them in the fridge. By the time I make my last trip, Walker’s truck pulls up and Braxton bounds out and runs to the door.

  “She’s in the break room down the hall on the right,” I call to him as he enters.

  “Here, let me have those,” Walker says as he approaches and relieves me of the bags.

  “Thank you,” I say as I give him the weight, “I’ll lock it up.”

  “Nah, leave it open and I’ll get to cleaning it as soon as we get these in. I’ll get as much as I can now and then I’ll drive it back to Rustic Peak and give it a good bath and Brax can drive Soph home in my truck.”

  Sophie is in Braxton’s arms weeping when we make it inside. He is rubbing her back and murmuring soothing words into her hair.

  “I’ll go check in and see what’s happening now that you have her,” I tell him and he gives me an appreciative nod.

  Brandt was able to get Hawkeye settled and the antivenin going in time. After about half an hour, his breathing settled and his heart rate returned to normal.

  “I gave him pain meds to help him sleep. I want to keep him here overnight, so I can keep an eye on him. I’m going to give him another round of fluids tonight and I want to see how he does eating in the morning before I release him. The good news is he is going to be okay. The bad news is that he may be blind in that right eye. I won’t know for sure until tomorrow when more of the swelling goes down, but I’m fairly certain.”

  Sophie lets out another agonizing sob.

  Braxton tucks her tight into his side.

  “It’s okay, baby, he’s alive and that’s all that matters. He still has one eye, and even if he didn’t, we’d be his eyes for him if he needed us to be,” he tells her and she nods against his shoulder.

  She takes a few shaky steps and leans down to rest her face against Hawk’s nose.

  “I love you, Hawk. So much,” she whispers through her tears. He rouses briefly, opens his good eye and licks her nose.

  Braxton chuckles softly, then reaches down and lays a hand on top of Hawk’s head. He bends down and whispers, “Thank you for protecting our girls while I was at work, buddy.”

  He straightens and extends his hand to Brandt. “And thank you, Doc. I appreciate you taking care of my family today.”

  Brandt shakes his hand and smiles.

  “Just doing my job.”

  Braxton inclines his head and leads Sophie out to get her home.

  “It’s more than a job,” I say and he looks back to me.

  “To them and to you too. I saw your face when they came in. You were hurting for her but you kept your shit together for them. You’re a hero, Doc.”

  He starts to shake his head and protest.

  “You are to me and to those two making their way home right now, you are.”

  You are pretty special indeed, Brandt Haralson.

  Brandt
<
br />   The past two days have been a blur. Yesterday, I dealt with contractors. I was impressed enough with the kitchen install that I decided to hire the same crew to finish the work in the master suite. While they took measurements so they could plan the new plumbing route and the new tub and vanity, I started scraping and prepping the outside for painting.

  Today, I’ve been on large-animal house calls all day, only popping into the clinic for supplies and paperwork. Both Bellamy and Mom are in the office, so Bells and I don’t really get time to talk.

  Now, I’m holding a ladder at Walker’s home, so Payne can attach gutters to the three-story roof.

  These men know how to work with their hands. Jefferson taught me how to use a table saw to cut lumber for framing. He was patient, and I tried to absorb and retain all the knowledge he was imparting. My dad was a businessman. He taught me the importance of a good education, how to dress for success, and the value of good customer service. However, he didn’t show me how to change the oil in my car, wire a new ceiling fan, or how to use a table saw. His hands were soft, and that was okay, but I wish I knew how to build things with my own two hands. I want to learn and am willing to work hard now that I have someone able to teach me.

  “I’m coming down, Doc,” Payne calls, and I move from my position, holding the ladder steady to the side to let him descend.

  “You want to try the next one?” he asks.

  “I would, but I have no idea what I’m doing,” I admit.

  “You just take a pocket of sheet metal screws up and hang this cordless drill on your tool belt. Take a section of the gutter and carry it up. Emmett, Jefferson’s best friend and Rustic Peak’s caretaker, already measured and divided them, notched the ends, and cut the outlet holes. All you have to do is take the end of your section and line it up with the notched end of the one I hung up. Click it together like this. Then, add a screw with your drill and attach it to the fascia every two feet to secure it. I’ll be your anchor, and I’ll make sure the ladder stays steady. That’s all there is to it.”

  It sounds like something I could do without fucking it up.

  “I’ll give it a shot,” I agree.