by Kate Pearce
“I’m not sure that’ll ever happen now,” Danny admitted. “After everything that went down with Faith, I guess I thought I’d blown my chance, and I didn’t deserve another one.”
“That’s just silly,” Rae said fondly. “You just haven’t met the right girl yet.”
“I’ve tried. I haven’t been sitting here sulking for the last seventeen years.”
“I know that.” Rae made a dismissive gesture. “You’ll find someone. Look at all your brothers! Ben’s married to a movie star, Daisy’s marrying Jackson on Saturday, Adam reunited with Lizzie, and even Kaiden’s settled down.”
“I know that last one’s a real kicker,” Danny said, smiling. “I mean, who on earth would take Kaiden on?”
“I think Julia Garcia is up to the task,” Rae said. “Now we just need to find the right woman for you.”
Danny rose to his feet and dropped a kiss on the top of his aunt’s head. “Thanks for the pep talk. I think I needed it.”
“You’re welcome, honey.” She smiled up at him. “Maybe you’ll meet someone nice at the wedding?”
“Seeing as Jackson has invited the entire world, you may be right. ’Night, Rae.”
Danny blew his aunt a kiss and went down the hallway to his bedroom at the back of the house, his smile fading as he walked. He went into the bathroom he still shared with Evan and stared at himself in the mirror. He wasn’t bad looking, he earned a living wage and would soon have his own place to live in; so what was stopping him committing to a relationship? The answer he’d avoided facing for seventeen years stared him in the face. He’d never really gotten over Faith McDonald.
But now, when he and Faith had finally put the past to bed, was he finally ready to move on?
Chapter Twelve
“Faith?”
Faith set her bag back down on the corner of the cluttered desk at the clinic and put her phone to her ear. “Hey, what’s up, Danny?”
“I had some free time last night, so I checked on where those cows had been before we brought them into the field closer to the house.”
“I’m surprised you had any time considering your mom and auntie Rae are visiting.”
Danny chuckled. “They’re mainly busy with Daisy stuff and Dad’s not the kind to let us slack off work even right before a wedding.”
“Anything interesting about the cows?”
“Well, yeah. They were all up in the top field by the Bryson boundary.”
Faith’s mind immediately leapt ahead a few steps. “Where the calves were born?”
“Yeah, the same ones we took down to the Bryson place in our cattle trailer the week before, which I guess might be where the infection came from. I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection sooner.”
“Neither can I.” Faith groaned. “I’ll have to see if Dave can get out there and ask if they need any help.”
“I stopped by the other day and Sue Ellen wouldn’t even let me near the house or barn. She literally pointed a gun at me, said they were sick, and to keep away. I doubt she’ll be letting Dave in.”
“We can’t force them to see us and until we test, we can’t confirm whether they are the source of the outbreak,” Faith said. “And unless the county declares some kind of health emergency, we can’t get them in there either.”
“Damn.” Danny sighed. “I’d go out there again myself, but with the wedding rehearsal coming up and all that other stuff I don’t want to risk bringing infection back home or into town.”
“I’m sure it can wait a few days,” Faith said. “I’ll ask Dave to look in there today while he’s out at the Ramirez place. If it’s that bad you’d assume Doug would welcome some help.”
She wasn’t sure about that, but she didn’t want Danny thinking he had to be responsible for everything that went on in the valley. If Doug stayed where he was and didn’t interact with anyone else, the chances of further infections were limited. Even Doug knew what to do if a calf got scours.
“Speaking of the Ramirez place, how did your date with Red go?” Danny asked.
“Great, thanks!” Faith made a face at the phone even though she knew Danny couldn’t see her. “Hey, I need to get going, how are your calves doing?”
“Starting to thrive. It’s amazing how fast they shrug off these things once they set their minds to it.” He paused. “I’ll see you Saturday, yeah?”
“Absolutely,” Faith said, glad that he’d let it go. “Bye, Danny, have a great rest of your day.”
She was just about to put her phone away when her mom’s number flashed up.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi!” Her mom waved as she switched to FaceTime. “How’s it going?” She was wearing a McDonald tartan sweater with a pink blouse underneath and her hair was pulled back into a neat bun.
“All good here. We’ve got the Miller wedding coming up on Saturday.”
“Are you going?”
“Yes, Danny asked me.” Faith hid a smile.
Her mom’s horrified expression was priceless. “Danny Miller?”
“The one and only.”
“Why?”
Faith shrugged. “Because it’s a good way for the whole valley to see that we’re cool with each other. I’m tired of all the suspicious looks and chat behind my back. Did you know half the town thinks I ran away with a rodeo star?”
“I did know that, but I let it go because I thought it was as good a reason as any to be going along with at the time.”
Faith sighed. “Thanks, Mom. Anyway, how’s things with you?”
“Your dad’s golfing again today and then we’re getting on a train and traveling down to London to see the sights before heading over to Paris.”
“Nice. Can I ask you something?”
Her mom looked wary. “About what?”
“The adoption. Was it sealed? Is there any chance Marcus could find out who we are when he turns eighteen next year?”
“I . . . don’t know, Faith. I’ll have to ask your father when he gets back.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could, Mom. Danny and I want to be prepared this time.”
“It might take me a while to get back to you, sweetie, what with all the traveling we’ll be doing.”
“There’s no rush,” Faith said. “It’s not like he’s going to turn up and surprise us any day now.”
“I certainly hope not,” her mom said briskly. “Give my love to Daisy and Jackson, won’t you? We’ll bring them something back from Europe for their wedding present.”
“They’ll love that. Bye, Mom.”
Faith ended the call and picked up her bag. She wasn’t sure whether her mom had been trying to hide something, or if she was just getting paranoid, but something had seemed off. Was there a way to look up an adoption in California without invading someone’s privacy? She didn’t know, but she was fairly certain she’d be finding out in the next day or two.
After pausing at the front desk to check in with Blanche, she headed out to her truck. Dave was already out and about so she’d text him about the Bryson situation before she went into town. She’d made an appointment to check out some retail space in the new medical building by the gas station for the potential small pet clinic. She knew she was being slightly optimistic about the chance of opening it before she got the clinic running more profitably, but it would be good to get a sense of where she was financially and explore the possibilities.
Dave liked the idea as long as he wasn’t expected to run it, which hadn’t exactly been a surprise. Despite everything going on with Danny, the clinic, and the scours outbreak, Faith found herself appreciating the valley anew as she drove down the narrow county road. The sky was an endless untroubled blue, the grass golden and way too inclined to catch fire, and the pine and eucalyptus trees smelled wonderful.
It felt like home.
She parked up behind Dr. Tio’s medical center and went to stand in the shade of the building while she sent a text to the Realtor she was meeting. Dave had also text
ed her about checking in on the Brysons and would let her know what was going on. She looked up as the back door to the clinic opened and Sue Ellen Bryson came out with one of the nurses.
“If he’s that bad, Sue Ellen, you’ll either have to bring him in yourself, or ask Dr. Tio to visit him up at your place.”
“We can’t afford that!” Sue Ellen snapped. “Why can’t you just fill a prescription?”
“Because he might not have the same thing as you do.” Jackie was nothing if not patient. “We can’t prescribe without seeing him.”
Sue Ellen marched over to her truck and Jackie turned back toward the clinic, her expression frustrated. She put on a smile when she saw Faith in the shadow of the building.
“Hey! I didn’t see you there.”
“Sue Ellen giving you problems?” Faith asked. She’d treated Jackie’s pet dog two weeks previously and had liked her immediately.
“When doesn’t she?” Jackie winced. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but she’s been extremely unpleasant this morning.”
Faith hesitated. “I know this isn’t my business but as a fellow professional you might want to warn Dr. Tio that the Brysons may have an outbreak of calf scours up at their place, which can also infect humans.”
“Okay, is that bad?” Jackie asked.
“Why don’t you let Dr. Tio know. If he wants to call me about it, I’d be happy to chat.” Faith paused. “And you might want to do an extra special cleanup of where Sue Ellen was in the clinic.”
“Man, I’ve already put someone else in that room.” Jackie ran toward the door and tapped in the security code. “Thanks, Faith. I’ll get Dr. Tio to call you as soon as possible.”
Faith turned to see a smartly dressed woman approaching with a cell phone and folder in her hand.
“Are you Faith McDonald? I’m Lyndsey Callahan.”
“Yes, I am.” Faith shook her proffered hand. “It’s good to meet you.”
* * *
An hour later, Faith said goodbye to Lyndsey and decided to go to Yvonne’s to grab a bite to eat. She had a lot to think about, and food and good coffee would definitely help her come to some preliminary decisions. Yvonne also had good Internet, so she’d get out her laptop and check out the California adoption system. Faith paused as she went to open the door. Marcus had been born in Vegas. Did that make a difference? Had he been adopted in that state? Why had she assumed he’d come back to California?
“Hey!” Lizzie called out to her as she finally went into the café. “What’s up?”
Despite Lizzie being Adam’s significant other she’d been nothing but sweet to Faith, but that seemed to be her way. For someone who’d gone through such a lot she was amazingly tolerant of other people’s mistakes. Faith found her easy to like and hoped that once things settled down with Danny, they could be friends. She missed her girlfriends in Humboldt. Communicating by text and video wasn’t the same as actually seeing them.
Faith sat at a small table for two squeezed against the wall. Yvonne had expanded the café into the shop next door, but it was still always busy.
“Hi, Lizzie. Can I start with some coffee?”
“Sure.” Lizzie handed over a menu. “Just in case you want an early lunch.”
“I’m definitely thinking about it.”
Lizzie laughed as she went to get Faith’s drink. “That’s how we do it. We lure you in with coffee and then you never leave.”
“Death by cake sounds fine to me.”
One good thing about having such an active job was that Faith burned up a lot of calories and definitely needed her strength to deal with large animals on a daily basis. She set up her laptop and typed in a basic question about adoption, and immediately fell down a rabbit hole of information and links.
By the time Lizzie came back with her coffee, Faith had taken out her notebook and started scribbling notes.
“Tricky case?” Lizzie asked as she carefully set the coffee and a glass of water as far away from Faith’s laptop as possible.
“Kind of.” Faith picked up the menu again. “Can I have the vegetable omelet with the salsa and avocado on the side?”
“Sure thing. Do you want toast as well?”
“Yes, please, white is fine.”
“Got it.”
Faith ate the omelet while she read until she had at least a basic understanding of the process in California. On impulse, she got out her phone and sent a text to Danny.
Are you by any chance in town right now?
Nope
Okay, so can you come and see me at home this evening?
There was a much longer delay before he replied this time.
You sure that’s a good idea?
Faith snorted.
Conceited much?
I can’t because of the wedding thing.
Oh right!! I forgot about that. No worries, it will keep.
Now I am worried . . .
Faith smiled as she imagined Danny saying that to her face.
Don’t be. I sometimes forget that everything doesn’t have to be solved immediately or on my timeline. This will give me more time to research and present you with the full picture anyway. I’ll see you Saturday.
X
Even as she clicked send, she regretted the kiss at the end, but it was too late to do anything about it now. Even though she’d only been back a few weeks, she still felt that connection with Danny so strongly. Which was why she wasn’t ready to start anything with Red Ramirez and even he knew it, which was rare for a man. But Danny was the past, not the future. Getting along with him, being prepared for anything that happened because they’d had a child together was great, but there didn’t have to be anything else between them but friendship.
Did there?
“Faith?”
She looked up to see Dave staring at her.
“Hey!” She pushed out the other chair. “Sit down and I’ll buy you some lunch.”
He grinned at her. “That’s the best invitation I’ve had all day.” He gestured at her laptop. “You’re usually the one bugging me to shut down all my electrical devices when we’re eating.”
“Doesn’t count when you’re on your own.” Faith immediately closed the lid of her laptop and put it back in her bag. “But I’m done now anyway.”
“Red sends big smoochy kisses.”
“Sure he does.” Faith wasn’t buying it. “How are his calves?”
“Doing great.” Dave took a sip of her water. “I went to the Brysons’, and everything was locked down like you said. Neither Bryson would come out and talk to me.”
“Dammit,” Faith said. “Is there anyone in this town the Brysons trust?”
“Maybe Pastor Mike?”
“Did you see any of their cattle on the way up there?”
“Nope, there were some cows behind the barn and house, but I couldn’t get a good look at them. I didn’t see any calves.”
“I really want to get in there and see what’s going on,” Faith said. “I feel bad that I didn’t make that connection between the calves born in the Millers’ field and the darn cattle trailer sooner.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Sis. We’ve all had a lot on our minds this last couple of weeks, what with the scours outbreak and the regular calving season.” Dave helped himself to her coffee. “I could ask Jenna to go out there. Sue Ellen has always gotten along well with her.”
“Jenna!” Faith took out her cell. “That’s who I need to talk to!”
“Okay, calm down, Sis, she’ll be at our place this evening for dinner and we can ask her then.” Dave picked up the menu. “Now, seeing as you’re paying, what’s the most expensive thing on the menu?”
* * *
“I hear you’re bringing Faith with you to the wedding.”
Danny looked down at his mom, who was sitting beside him in the pew while Daisy and Jackson played out their wedding with the pastor. It was taking way longer than Danny had anticipated because what was there to practice? A qu
ick walk up the aisle, the selection of some music, and maybe a sermon, and you were done. Except, according to Silver, that wasn’t the way things happened these days, so they all had to sit there until they got it right.
“Yeah. We thought it would be a good way to stop all the gossip once and for all.”
“Rae says you went out with Faith at high school and then when she went to college she never came back.”
“That’s right.”
Danny returned his gaze to the front of the church where Jackson was still yapping about something to Silver, who’d decided to organize everyone. If he ever got married, he was going the courthouse route. He’d never liked being the center of attention.
“You know what small towns are like, Mom,” Danny added. “Everyone decided she must have done me wrong and some of them haven’t been very nice to her since she came back.”
Leanne’s smile was crooked. “Having been in a similar position, I have a lot of sympathy for her.”
“I bet.”
“Are you glad she’s come home?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I would’ve hated to think she couldn’t come back because of me.”
His mom patted his arm. “I’m glad to hear you say that. It reminds me that you’re nothing like your father.”
“He’s come around.”
“Somewhat.” Leanne sighed. “We lost a lot of years though.”
“You got Ellie.” Danny indicated his half sister, who was talking away to Kaiden like they’d known each other forever.
“But I lost all of you.”
Danny thought about how he’d lost Faith and the baby. “Maybe you just can’t have everything you want in life.”
“Which doesn’t mean you should stop trying.”
Danny frowned. “Are you talking specifically to me or just making general remarks?”
His mom smiled sweetly up at him. “I suppose it depends if something I said got to you, doesn’t it?” She rose to her feet. “Excuse me, I’ve got to go and try out for mother of the bride. Although I really think Rae should be doing it seeing as she brought Daisy up.”