“That would be a pretty compelling reason,” Adam said. He took a sip of his cola, then said, “And that’s why you’re drinking water instead of another beverage?”
“Absolutely. I know you’ve done some reading on carbonation. You must have.”
Dr. Harris shook his head. “I can see that I’m going to have to hit the books to keep up with you. Yes, I’ve read those studies too. Again, not conclusive.”
“Then I’ll just tell you that I have fewer headaches and no leg cramps as long as I stay off it.” Alana picked up her glass of water. “Cheers.”
He raised his glass of cola. “Cheers.”
Surprisingly enough, their dinner conversation was quite pleasant. He told Alana about some of his experiences in medical school, including the first time he ever examined a cadaver. It wasn’t exactly the most polite topic to discuss over dinner, but Alana found it fascinating.
“And now for you,” he said, nodding at her across the table. “What made you want to become an herbalist?”
“My little brother,” she replied. “He was very sick as a baby, and we weren’t sure he was going to live. But he did, through a combination of alternative medicine and traditional. He’s the miracle in our family, so I decided I wanted to learn more about it. Plus, I’ve always been interested in astrology and things like that. Not that it always goes hand-in-hand with being an herbalist, but they do complement each other.”
Dr. Harris chuckled. “You weren’t kidding when you offered me a star chart?”
“No, not at all. You could learn a lot about yourself.”
“I’ll pass,” he said. “I’m not into tarot cards or anything like that.”
“Neither am I. Star charts are completely different. The course of the stars and the planets is set—there’s no deviation. But I can already see your eyes glazing over, so we’ll move on. I did an apprenticeship with a local vet, just to get some medical experience, and then I took a little time off. After that, I began my official course of study in herbs. Everything to that point had been self-study.” It was odd to be discussing Rusty when she’d been thinking about him so much lately.
“Do you do everything alternatively?”
“No, not everything. Last summer, I cut my finger open with a box cutter, and I figured that gluing it together with pine sap probably wasn’t the best idea. I got three stitches for that one. And if I chopped off my leg, I’d go in for that too.” She grinned, thinking about something similar her dad had said years before.
The waiter came back around with the dessert menu. “I’ll take your coconut milk cheesecake, please,” Alana said.
“I’ll have the same,” Adam added. “Might as well see what I’ve been missing, right?”
“Right.”
Over dessert, they talked about other things—movies, music, hobbies. He cracked a few jokes, and she laughed, feeling light and genuine. When was the last time she’d been on a date? She couldn’t even remember. It’s not that she didn’t enjoy dating. She was just content with her life and running her shop, and romance was an afterthought.
“Thank you so much for coming out with me,” Adam said as he walked her back across the street to her car. “I really enjoyed myself. I hope you did too.”
“Surprisingly, yes, I did,” Alana said. “Especially once we got past the initial awkwardness—that only took us about an hour or so, right?”
Adam laughed. “Something like that.” He leaned up against the side of her car while she unlocked the door. “Can I see you again?”
Alana paused, resting her hand on the roof. “To what end?”
“Are you asking me what my intentions are?”
“Something like that.”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know, but I’d like a chance to find out.”
Alana studied him again. She realized she’d been doing that all evening, but she hadn’t figured him out yet. “All right. Let’s give it another shot.”
“Thanks. And I’ll call next time instead of just showing up.”
“Hmm. That would be nice.”
He waited until she climbed in and started her engine before he walked over to his own car. It was a nice luxury vehicle, making her wonder just how much he made. Certainly more than she did—he could charge hundreds of dollars for a visit, and the most expensive thing she carried in her store was $29.99.
She drove home slowly, glancing from time to time up at the stars above. Their warm, gentle light shone down on her, reminding her to be calm. Reminding her that she needed to keep her equilibrium, even when someone had just entered her life who seemed very determined to throw it entirely out of balance.
* * *
Seventeen Years Earlier . . .
“So now you know how to deliver a calf and a colt,” Rusty said as he and Alana walked out to the truck. The sun had gone down while they were inside the barn, but it wasn’t very late yet.
“I haven’t helped with a regular calving yet—just that C-section,” Alana reminded him.
“Well, cows and horses are pretty similar. It’s just that one moos, and the other one doesn’t.” Rusty grinned. “Hey, I’m starving. Can I buy you a burger on the way home?”
Alana’s stomach growled before she could answer, and they both laughed. “I’ll throw in the fries and shake, too,” Rusty said. “Sounds like you need it.”
They laughed and chatted across the restaurant table while they ate. Alana tried to remind herself that this wasn’t a date—this was just two hungry people eating food—but she couldn’t help the feelings that coursed through her. She was hyper aware of everything about him. The little lines around his eyes that got deeper when he smiled, the way he picked up his burger, the fact that he wiped his mouth between every bite. She’d told herself over and over again not to romanticize him, but she couldn’t help it. There wasn’t one thing about him that she didn’t like, not one flaw. She’d been looking for one, trying to find something to hate him for—it would make her life so much easier. But there was nothing.
“So, is your name really Rusty, or is that a nickname?”
He passed a hand through his hair, looking self-conscious. “It’s actually Russell, but my mom named me that specifically so she could call me Rusty for short. My hair was pretty bright when I was born—she said I looked like a little strawberry. I have some really embarrassing baby pictures to prove it. I think I’ll sneak into my parents’ house one of these nights and burn them all.”
Alana laughed. “I bet you were a cute baby,” she said, the words just slipping out on their own.
“That’s what I’m told, but it’s hard to see your own baby pictures objectively.” Rusty slurped up the last of his shake. “I feel better,” he said, leaning back and tossing his napkin on the table. “How about you?”
“Absolutely,” Alana replied. It was easy for her to forget about being hungry and thirsty while they were in the middle of an emergency, but after the crisis was over, it came rushing back full force. If the waitress hadn’t brought their food when she had, Alana probably would have started gnawing on the table leg.
They stood up to go, and Rusty tossed a five-dollar tip on the table. They had just reached the front door of the restaurant when a beautiful brunette lady came in, her heels clacking on the floor.
“Rusty!” She stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Hey, Tori. You too.” He turned to Alana. “This is my new assistant, Alana. Alana, this is Tori.”
“An assistant? You really have been busy. I guess I shouldn’t be too disappointed that you haven’t returned my calls.” Tori’s brown eyes flickered from Alana to Rusty, and then back to Alana. She got the impression that she was being examined.
“I’m sorry about that. Things really have been busy. We’ve been doing home visits as well as office hours all week. But why don’t I call you in about an hour?”
“I’d love that. Talk to you then.” She wiggled her fingers at Alana and
moved farther into the restaurant.
“She seems nice,” Alana said for lack of anything better to say.
“She is. I met her about two months ago when I ran in to Rapid City. She works at the medical supply store where I stock up.” Rusty opened his truck door, and Alana climbed in.
“And?” Alana asked after Rusty buckled his seatbelt.
“They were backordered on gauze bandages.”
“No, silly. Tori. Have you been dating?” Alana didn’t really want to hear the answer, but figured it was better to know than to be kept in the dark.
“Oh. Yeah, we’ve gone out a few times, but with all these new cases, I haven’t seen her for a while.”
Alana never thought she’d be so grateful for sick animals.
Chapter Five
“Great news!” Morgan called out as she stepped into the shop. She glanced around. “Any customers?”
“Nope. Just you and me and the vitamin D. Hmm. Kind of sounds like a song.” Alana turned from restocking her shelf. “What’s up?”
“This is kind of a secret, but kind of not. Aspen Ridge is getting a movie theater.” Morgan set her lunch sack on the table and plunked down on a chair. “Isn’t that awesome? Kelsey signed the loan papers for the new owner this morning, and they’re going to break ground in about a month.”
“Wow. That’ll be awesome.” Alana tucked her hair behind her ear as she sat down across from her friend. “Where are they building it?”
“Just down here on the other side of the park. I can’t wait.” Morgan pulled a sandwich out of her bag. “So, what’s up with you?”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, come on. I might not be psychic like you, but I can tell when something’s bothering you. Spill it.”
Alana chuckled. “I keep telling you, I’m not psychic. And yes, something is bothering me. Well, two somethings, actually.”
“Two somethings? This should be good. You talk, I’ll eat. My lunch break’s over soon.”
“Okay. First, you know that angry doctor? The one who came in and confronted me about Melinda?”
“The one who could melt icebergs with a single glare? Yeah, I remember him.”
Alana nodded toward the sunflowers on the table. “He sent these. And then he showed up and took me to dinner. And he wants to see me again.”
“He what?” Morgan almost choked on her bite of sandwich. She swallowed and took a swig from her water bottle before she spoke again. “Is he trying to woo you now or something?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it wooing, but he says he can’t stop thinking about me. I’m not sure whether to be frightened or flattered by that.”
“My guess is that you’re a little bit of both.”
“True.” Alana was only a little surprised at her friend’s perceptiveness.
Morgan took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. “Okay, so what’s the other thing that’s bothering you?”
Alana sighed. She’d always been able to talk openly with Morgan—there was a bond of friendship that had been formed long before Morgan became her sister-in-law. Somehow, though, she found it hard to vocalize her feelings. “I’ve been thinking a lot about Rusty lately. Remembering, more like. It’s funny because I blocked him out of my mind for years, and until you called me with your appendicitis symptoms, I’d almost forgotten he ever existed. Then I went to Grandma’s funeral and saw him there, and ever since then, he’s all I can think about.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to hold off a headache that threatened. “The last few days have been particularly bad.”
Morgan nodded. “Sounds to me like you’ve got some unfinished business.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know—forgiveness, closure, that sort of thing.”
“I really don’t know what else we could possibly have to say to each other. I’ve considered it all water under the bridge for a long time now.”
“But then why are you still thinking about him?” Morgan waited for the answer while opening a small bag of potato chips.
“I don’t know. I guess you never forget the first person you fall in love with, even though you might really want to.”
Morgan crunched and looked thoughtful at the same time, which was kind of an odd combination. “I remember the first guy I ever fell in love with. That was a mistake in the lousiest sense of the word.”
Alana was about to reply, but the phone rang. She answered the person on the other end by saying that the shop closed at six, and by the time she made it back over to the seating area, it was time for Morgan to leave.
Alone in the shop once more, Alana took a deep breath, then put in a CD. It might be a little cliché to play mystical Celtic music in an herb shop, but it did help set the tone, and she wouldn’t mind thinking about rolling green hills and misty forests for a little while.
* * *
Seventeen Years Earlier . . .
The stars were particularly bright as Rusty and Alana walked out to his truck. The horse’s leg had been stitched and bandaged, and it should be good as new in a couple of weeks. Alana looked up at the sky and sighed, feeling perfectly and utterly content. Or maybe, udderly content . . . she was just tired enough that struck her as funny, and she chuckled.
“You sound happy,” Rusty commented as he unlocked his truck door.
“I am happy. Another patient seen, another lesson learned—it’s been a good day.”
Rusty nodded. “And then you’re going off to college in the fall and will leave me here all alone.”
Alana rolled her eyes. “You’ll do just fine. You don’t really need me handing you stuff from your bag when it’s . . . oh, eight inches away from your hand.”
“Hey, you have no idea how far eight inches is when you’re in a hurry.”
“So after I’m gone, maybe you could move the bag closer. To six inches. Or is that walk on the wild side a little too scary for you?”
“Scary. Definitely scary.”
The truck started with a roar that seemed a little louder than usual. Rusty frowned as he shifted the gear into drive. “Sounds like it’s time to get her looked at. We’ll make it home, though—no worries.”
Somehow, the thought of being stranded with Rusty on a quiet country road under a beautiful starlit sky didn’t seem so bad.
* * *
Alana hesitated outside Rusty’s office door. It was pretty late—they’d had an emergency surgery, and Alana got to assist. Sure, the extent of her job was handing Rusty the instruments he needed, but it was thrilling to be part of another procedure that would save an animal’s life. She never got tired of it.
Her adrenaline had been pumping fast and furious ever since, and it was all she could do to focus long enough to clean up the surgical room in the clinic while Rusty finished up his paperwork. Their patient, a little tabby cat who had been chewed up by a Doberman, was sleeping off the anesthesia, and Rusty would stay the night to keep an eye on her.
“Come in,” he called out when Alana knocked, and she opened the door. The tabby was in the corner of the room, so she stepped in quietly.
“Hey there,” Rusty said, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms high over his head. “What time is it?”
“Ten o’clock. Everything’s clean and sterile in surgery.”
“Thanks so much, Alana. You were great today.”
“I was terrified we were going to lose her at first, but you know what, it was really fun to see how it all came together.”
He grinned. “That about sums it up. Fun and terrifying. I really think you should consider veterinary medicine—your instincts are something else.”
She motioned toward his desk. “What’s all that?”
“These are charts I need to update. They’ve really piled up this week—I thought I’d get them done while I keep an eye on Miss Tabby. See you tomorrow—sleep well. You’ve earned it.”
Alana couldn’t even think about sleep. All her emotions were roiling inside her as she drov
e, and by the time she got to her house, she knew what she wanted to do. She changed her clothes—she smelled like bleach—and left the house again, going through an all-night drive-through on her way back to the clinic. She’d eaten with Rusty so many times, ordering for him was almost as second nature as ordering for herself.
She let herself back into the clinic and called out softly so she wouldn’t startle Rusty. She found him still at his desk, hunched over his papers.
“Hey, you came back. And with food.” He gave her an appreciative look. “You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”
She set the bags on his desk and handed everything out, then sat down across from him. They ate in silence for a few minutes until Alana found the courage to say what she’d been rehearsing the whole way back to the clinic. “What if I did go to vet school? And what if we practiced together?”
“I think that would be great. I’d love to have you as a partner. It’ll take you between seven and nine years—however long it takes you to get your undergraduate degree, plus another four years for vet school.” He paused. “Of course, I don’t know what the future holds—by then, I might not be here anymore. I’d like to be, but fate might have other plans.”
Alana rose on shaky knees, took a few steps forward, and leaned on the edge of the desk. Her heart was racing, and she almost lost her nerve, but she knew if she didn’t say something now, she never would. “I’ve had another idea, Rusty, a brilliant one. What if we got married? That way, it doesn’t matter where you are when I finish school—we’d be together wherever that was.”
Rusty blinked several times. “Whoa, now. Hold on there. Get married? Just so we can be partners?”
“That’s not the only reason,” Alana hurried on. “I’m in love with you, Rusty. I have been for a long time now. And I think you have feelings for me too. I’ve felt it while we work. I know, I should have waited for you to say something first, but this all just feels so right—school, marriage, being together, working together. This is what I want more than anything.”
In The Stars (Main Street Merchants Book 6) Page 4