by Sarah Hegger
The dog tried to sniff everything at once, and Gabe had a bitch of a time dissuading him and getting him back under control. He really needed more walks, more time and a goddamn name. Every time he spoke to the creature, he had to settle for you or dog or puppy.
“Black, no sugar,” he responded to Cara’s silent question. Now he wanted to see what she had going on behind the scenes.
“You can let him explore.” Cara handed him a cup of coffee and walked through reception to the heart of the office. Four doors led off a central corridor and Cara opened the one nearest them. “I have four exam rooms.”
Gabe dropped the leash and the dog got to satisfying his nose.
The setup was as great as the reception. No cold stainless-steel table stuck in the middle of the room, but a wooden workbench and enough space to treat bigger patients from the floor. Behind the workbenches were small fridges and stocked cupboards with state-of-the-art computer systems to integrate patient care and billing.
Cara led him through a second door at the back of the exam room. “Each room leads to this central treatment space.”
Gabe grew more and more impressed as he followed her into an operating room, a recovery room and a room full of cages for patients who needed to stay longer.
A lone border collie wearing an Elizabethan collar lay in one of the cages, his head on his paws, with that infinitely stoic look dogs got.
Gabe crouched. “Hey, there. What’s up with you?”
“He cut his leg on some wire.” Cara crouched beside him and stuck her fingers through the wire.
The dog nosed her fingers and gave his tail a thump.
“Unfortunately for Casper here, it took his owners a day or two to spot the tear and by then he’d gotten an infection going.”
“Poor Casper.” Gabe let the dog sniff his hand through the wire. “I bet you’re feeling better now.”
Cara stood. “He goes home tomorrow.”
“This is a great facility.”
“Yeah.” Cara looked around her. “I may have underestimated the level of distrust in the community. I also had ideas of having a VA and secretary, but it’s just me. Unless you—”
“Ah, no.” Gabe shook his head. “Anal glands and neutering are not my thing.”
Cara crossed her arms and gave him a hard stare. “So you’re one of those are you?”
“One of what?”
“The glory boys.” She sniffed, and her dark eyes flashed at him. “Too good for a normal family pet clinic.”
Gabe felt attacked, but then he had come across as an arrogant ass with what he’d said. “It’s not that. I’ve been really loving what I did in Australia.”
“Why aren’t you still over there enjoying it then?” Cara simmered down a touch. “Miss the cold too much?”
“My girlfriend wanted to get married.” He saw no reason to lie. “I didn’t, and her dad ran the project.”
“Ah.” Cara pulled a face. “Well, that sucks. But as long as you’re in town, and if you ever feel like expressing a few anal glands, come on by.”
“Thanks.” She really was funny and good looking, and he had nothing better to do. He could call Kelly, but she was making her move on Vince. “Got any plans for dinner?”
“When?”
He shrugged and kept it light. “Whenever you’re free.”
Cara cocked her head and studied him. Her scrutiny nearly made him fidget. “Nah!” She shook her head. “The gossip didn’t lie. You’re not too hard on the eyes, and then there’s our mutual lust for de-fleaing, but you and I aren’t a thing.” She shook her head. “No spark.”
“I’m not sure I would say that.” Gabe’s ego took a hit. From his side, Cara definitely had something going on.
She laughed and waved at him. “You’re a guy; it doesn’t take much. But I suspect you and I have too much in common.” Eyes laughing at him, she leaned forward. “Also, I’ve heard all about your reputation with the ladies.”
“What reputation?” Gabe tried to think what she might have heard. “I left here after high school.”
“Folks around here have long memories.” Cara tapped her temple. “They remember everything.”
He couldn’t believe that town sometimes. “You realize they are remembering the antics of an eighteen-year-old, and I hate to break it to you, but it wasn’t nearly that exciting.”
“Regardless, Gabe.” She tucked her arm through his and looked up at him, eyes still laughing. “You and I are going to be friends, which is why you’re going to let me buy you a beer and kick your ass at pool sometime.”
Her complete lack of affectation went a long way to soothing what smart her rejection might have caused. “What makes you think you could?”
Cara snorted. “I am the undisputed champion in these parts for two years.”
Gabe met her challenging stare. “That’s only because I haven’t been around.”
“Bring it.” Cara held out her hand and he shook it. “Give me a call when you’re ready to eat those words.”
He called his mother on the way home. Her dog had improved on the leash already and wasn’t pulling his arm out of the socket the entire way. “Ma, can you get that coven of yours busy?”
“Doing what?” Ma sounded suspicious. “And it’s a prayer chain, not a coven.”
“The new vet.” The prayer chain was the power that abided in Twin Elks. “She needs some more business, or she’s not going to be able to keep going.”
Okay, so he exaggerated.
“Oh, dear.” Ma sighed. “I’m not sure what I can do, but I can ask the prayer chain to see if they can help.”
For the sake of diplomacy, Gabe suppressed a snort. Cara Addison was about to get a whole shit ton busier. “Thanks, Ma.”
Chapter Seven
After she shut the coffee shop for the day, Kelly walked to the Crowe house. She waved to Pete, who was closing the realty office at the same time.
Two men came down the sidewalk toward her, neither of whom Kelly recognized. The taller of the two, nice looking in a regular-featured way, gave her a scintillating eye meet and grin. “Hey, there.”
“Hello.” Kelly sidestepped them and carried on down the sidewalk.
“We’re new in town,” he called after her.
“Congratulations?” Kelly waved over her shoulder and kept walking. All those new faces in town and at the Elk were disconcerting. Not to mention that weird exchange two minutes ago.
Turning into Dot’s road, she passed Winters House. Finn and Claire were on the front porch, snuggled in a blanket.
“Stop canoodling,” she called as she walked past. “This is a family neighborhood.”
From the front yard, Poppy’s son Ryan popped his head over the hedge. “What’s canoodling?”
“Ask Ben,” she said. No way she was touching that one with someone else’s child.
Despite lingering worry about India, the walk lifted her spirits. That was why she’d come home to Twin Elks, for the sense of community and family. Sure, at times it got annoying with everybody all up in your business, but for the most part, it was nice. People gave a crap about each other.
As a young woman, she hadn’t been able to wait to get the hell out. That had also had something to do with Vince and Chelsea being married and expecting their baby. She’d left Twin Elks with no intention of ever returning. But craving the peace and healing of being in a place where everybody knew your story, she’d come back.
India needed the same thing. It still felt surreal, like it couldn’t be happening.
Dot really was a saint, but Kelly would need to make a more permanent arrangement for India and Jacob. They couldn’t trespass on Dot’s kindness forever.
“Kelly!” Dot called from her garden, looking up from filling her bird feeder. “How was the coffee shop today?”
“Good.” Kelly let herself through the garden gate. “Busy. Pete from the realtor was in, and he said we’re getting a real estate boom.”
Dot looked smug. “How lovely.” She rehung the feeder on its hook under the eaves. “I thought you’d be by, so I included you for dinner.”
She really didn’t want to put Dot out. Then again, Dot’s cooking was awesome, and Kelly could barely heat soup. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“Pfft!” Dot waved a hand in the air. “I used to feed five hungry boys and one hungry man. This is nothing.”
The kitchen smelled heavenly when Kelly followed Dot in.
“I hope nobody is a vegetarian.” Dot put the birdseed bag away in the laundry and washed her hands. “Because we’re having beef tonight.”
“Not that I know of.” For all Kelly knew, it could be another thing about India she’d missed. She lowered her voice. “How has she been today?”
“Up and down.” Dot made a face. “One minute she misses him, and the next, she never wants to see him again. She’s scared and confused and heartbroken. It’s going to take her a while to find a new normal.”
It wasn’t like one of India’s scrapes that she could bandage, or a knotty hair snarl she could untangle. Trauma would take time and patience. And love. Lots and lots of love.
God! How had it happened? Anger surged through her anew.
As if reading her mind, Dot reached over and gave her a hug. “You’re a good sister, Kelly. None of this is on you.”
“My head sort of knows that.” Something about Dot made you spill your guts. “But you know how Mom and Dad were, and before she passed Gram made me promise to take care of India.”
“We can’t protect them from everything. Nor should we.” Dot cupped Kelly’s face. “I’m not saying this is a good thing that happened to India. It’s awful, and she is in no way responsible. But neither are you. Our children need to learn their own lessons. It would be so much easier if they could learn from ours, but they generally don’t.”
India was her sister, not her child, but it had been Kelly making sure she got to school with a packed lunch. Kelly had sat with India at the kitchen table doing her homework with her. And Kelly had stopped India from going to her prom with the school’s biggest manwhore.
“I knew Ben shouldn’t marry Tara,” Dot said. “I also knew all about Tara cheating on him, but Ben had to reach his tipping point all by himself.”
“It’s my future bride,” Gabe said from behind her.
Dot snorted and bent over her stove. “I wish.”
“Just so you know, I’m expecting a big diamond. Huge.” Kelly raised her eyebrow at him.
“How about I get you a drink instead?” He grinned.
“That works too.”
“Wine? Beer?” Gabe’s ass was pure magic in a pair of worn Levi’s.
And she really needed to stop noticing. “Wine, please. How long are you staying in Twin Elks?”
The other night, they had gotten to his reasons for being home, but not for how long. Matters had gotten deflected by a light kiss under a full moon that had exploded into a hot and sweaty marathon of lips, teeth and tongues.
Gabe opened the wine, the cork popping out of the bottle. “I’m not really sure. It will depend on what I can line up.”
“Have any prospects?” She propped her hip against the counter. The thought of Gabe leaving left her feeling flat. He was good fun, and he certainly upped the town’s hotness quotient.
“Not really.” Gabe shrugged. “But anywhere they have great white sharks.”
“Those must be some fairly limited options.”
“Good news if you’re a seal,” he said.
Dot’s large puppy sauntered into the kitchen, caught sight of Kelly and lurched into a squirming launch at her.
Gabe caught his collar and held him until he settled down. The dog stared up at Gabe with slavish devotion.
“He likes you,” Kelly said.
Gabe laughed. “He’ll get over it. Most who know me do.”
“You!” Dot huffed. “And why couldn’t you have fallen in love with wolves? Or coyotes? Something we have right here in Twin Elks?”
“I did it to spite you, Ma.” Gabe put an arm around her shoulder and tugged Dot in for a kiss. “I do miss you when I’m not here.”
Although she snorted, Dot succumbed to the hug.
“Kelly?” India stood in the doorway, pale and drawn and looking like a harsh word would crack her. “Are you done at the coffee shop?”
“Yup.” She hugged India. “I close at five.”
“Is that the time?” India glanced around, confusion on her face. “I thought it was earlier.”
“You’ve been sleeping,” Dot said and motioned India to the table. “I’m not surprised with all you’ve been through.”
India blinked at her. “Oh. I thought I had put my head down for a few minutes.”
The confusion bothered Kelly. Despite her doubts, her conversation with Piers popped into her head again. She needed to talk to India about it.
From deeper in the house, Jacob cried.
India jerked and looked startled, as if she didn’t quite grasp the significance.
“I’ll get him.” Gabe strode for the door. “Have a seat, India, and I’ll bring him to you.”
India made a halfhearted attempt to follow. “He might need changing.”
“If I can tag a shark, I’m sure I can find my way around a diaper.” Gabe smiled at her and left, the dog at his heels.
“Sit, sweetheart.” Kelly guided her sister to a chair by the table. She took the place settings from Dot and set the table. The silence felt heavy, and she wanted to dispel it. Her voice sounded too hearty as she said, “Dinner smells great, Dot. Doesn’t dinner smell good, India?”
God, what an idiot. The situation was out of her lane, and she needed to do some research before she mistakenly did or said something wrong. The last thing she wanted was to send India running back to Piers.
Gabe came back carrying Jacob, clearly having solved the diaper issue. He took a bottle of baby food out of the fridge and found a feeding spoon in the cutlery drawer.
“I can do that.” Kelly felt bad enough for imposing.
He waved her off. “Nah. The big guy and I are going to enjoy some—” he peered at the label—“strained peas and carrots. Yum!”
Jacob stared at him with big, serious blue eyes. He looked a lot more like Piers than he did India. Two sets of blond, blue-eyed genes had created an angelic looking mix. Irrationally, she resented Piers even that. He didn’t deserve his little family, his beautiful wife and baby.
“Put him in the highchair.” Dot motioned to the laundry.
Gabe’s arms were full, and Kelly got up to get the chair and set it up. With confident proficiency, Gabe got Jacob into the chair and a bib around his neck.
“You’re awfully good at this.” Kelly tried to lighten the atmosphere. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”
“Sean trained me.” Gabe gave her a naughty smile. The sort of smile that could get a girl into all sorts of trouble. “Although he’s now decided he wants to eat at the table with the rest of us.”
“You have no room to complain.” Dot waved a slotted spoon at him. “As soon as Ben ate at the table, you refused to go in the highchair.” She looked at Kelly and rolled her eyes. “Everything Ben did, that one had to do.”
India sat at the table, like an island in their midst. She barely glanced at them but stared out the window at the darkening night sky.
Gabe fed Jacob while Kelly helped Dot put the meal on the table.
Kelly filled everyone’s wineglasses and took a seat.
“India?” Dot softened her tone. “Can I get you something to eat?”
“What?” India started. She loo
ked at the food on the table and flushed. “Oh, no. I’m not very hungry.”
India was too thin as it was, and Kelly wanted to protest.
“Okay.” Dot put a piece of meat and a small spoon of veggies on a plate and put it in front of India. “I’ll leave that there. If you change your mind.”
“Thank you.” India stared at the plate as if it repulsed her.
“Kelly?” Dot passed her the meat platter. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks, Dot. It looks fantastic.” Again with the overly eager and jovial. She didn’t need to fill in for herself and India. Dot would understand.
Before she could make more of an idiot of herself, she picked up her knife and fork and ate her dinner.
After a while, India managed a few bites from her plate.
Gabe swapped between feeding himself and feeding Jacob. “I dropped by to see the new vet today,” he said.
“Oh, yes.” Dot peered over her wineglass at him. “I meant to tell you that I called a few people. She’s a good girl, that Cara. It would be nice if she stayed.”
“I don’t really know her.” Kelly dismissed the jab of jealousy because it was ridiculous. It shouldn’t matter to her that Gabe and Cara Addison must have so much to talk about. Or that Cara was undeniably sexy. “I’ve seen her around, because this is Twin Elks, but I should get to know her better.”
“You should.” Gabe wiped Jacob’s mouth. “She’s really nice and down to earth. The sort of woman you’d like.”
“Piers doesn’t like animals in the house. He says they’re dirty,” India said.
Gabe waded into the awkward silence. “For sure they bring a lot of fur with them. You can’t be too particular if you own a pet. Speaking of—” He looked at Dot. “You need to train that bear of yours.”
“Oh, Gabe.” Dot made a face at him. “He’s a baby.”
“Ma.” Gabe leveled a hard stare at her. “He’s a hundred-and-ten-pound baby with teeth. He needs training.” He finished his dinner and freed Jacob from the chair. “It’s bath time for this guy.”
“I can—”
“Talk to your sister,” Gabe said to her. “Why don’t you guys take your wine into the lounge and have a chat?”