Montana Reunion

by Valerie Hansen

  Tony leaned farther back in his chair and made a face as if he’d suddenly remembered something distasteful. “Some things never change, do they? Small-town politics is alive and well in good old Jasper Gulch.”

  “It’s a lot more than that,” Annette chimed in. “We’ve been planning a big centennial celebration that’s going to last from this coming July to the end of the year. Mayor Shaw is on board with most of it, like the opening parade on the Fourth of July and a big rodeo that month. It’s how we should spend the revenue we expect to generate that’s pitted some of the committees against each other.”

  “All the more reason for me to be glad I’m only going to be here for a short time,” Tony said flatly. “If there’s a rodeo coming, that’s likely to mean a lot more large-animal work. I’m not eager to get stomped or kicked by livestock that weighs a ton. Literally.”

  “J.T. never seemed to mind,” Julie said. “I think he prefers working outside to being stuck in his office.”

  “Different strokes for different folks,” Tony replied. “I’m trained for all of it, but I like my patients small and cute and fluffy.”

  “Like Stormy’s pups,” Annette said with a soft sigh. “I can’t believe how adorable they are. When they sleep they twitch and move their little paws as if they’re dreaming.”

  “That’s a sign of good health,” Tony told her. “A lethargic newborn can indicate a problem.”

  Annette set aside the remainder of her breakfast and studied him as she asked, “What else do I need to know? There must be a lot to learn. How will I be sure they’re doing okay?”

  When Tony said, “I suppose I could drop by a few times to check on them,” she nearly sighed with relief. If his suggestion had not also meant that her strained nerves would also keep tingling due to his presence, she would have felt a lot better about the offer. “I’ll pay you, of course,” Annette promised. “I’m not asking for charity.”

  “I didn’t think you were. And while we’re on that subject, since Rusty Zidek was the one who called me in the first place, I plan to send him the bill for last night.”

  “Oh, dear.” She clasped her hands together tightly. “Will it be very expensive?”

  Smiling, Tony replied, “No. The house call was his idea, but staying for hours was mine, so I won’t bill according to that.”

  “Oh, good!”

  Julie brightened. “Hey, if you’re offering bargain rates, you can come to my place and help me dock tails this afternoon.”

  The look of distress that flashed over Tony for an instant almost made Annette chuckle. She reached out and laid a hand lightly on his forearm. “Don’t worry, Doc. She’s just teasing. She and the boys handle that minor surgery fine by themselves.”

  Expecting him to mirror her good humor, Annette noticed him focusing on her hand—and his arm—instead. She withdrew as if she’d just touched a hot stove. “Sorry.”

  “No problem,” he said flatly as he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “I need to get to work and check my messages, then take care of whatever patients I may have today. How late do you keep the shop open?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to try to be back here before you close for the day. There’s no sense starting rumors if we can avoid it.”

  “Are you scared of me?” She’d meant the question to be humorous, but when Tony looked straight into her eyes and said, “Not of you, of myself,” Annette felt her heart begin to hammer.

  However, as soon as he added, “I don’t intend to get personally involved here,” she understood his motivation. It wasn’t that he feared his attraction to her would overwhelm his moral code. He wasn’t protecting her. He was insulating himself against the possibility that there might still be a lingering spark of fondness for her in his heart.

  In a way, that notion buoyed her spirits. In another way, his firm resolve was terribly disappointing.

  * * *

  Tony rechecked Stormy, then asked for something to use as a makeshift leash and was given a long, red ribbon. He led the weary dog out the rear door, ostensibly to spare Annette the trouble.

  Truthfully, he was eager to distance himself from her, particularly since their casual conversation had taken a giant leap into the touchy area of personal feelings. He hadn’t meant to reveal so much, nor had he expected such a strong reaction when she had touched his arm. This was only his second working day in Jasper Gulch and already he’d encountered trouble.

  The worst aspect was his inability to do anything about it. His job demanded that he be diligent no matter what counterargument his emotions came up with. He was a vet first and a man second. His training insisted that he offer the best care possible, and if that meant returning to the beauty shop to check Stormy and her pups, then so be it.

  Turning up the collar of his jacket, Tony stood with his back to the wind and watched the dog sniffing the ground. She’d recovered well, so far, and it looked as if she wouldn’t need any additional injections. The pups seemed healthy, too.

  “So, I won’t have to come back often,” he argued, realizing that a daredevil part of his psyche was at war with the more stoic side. He truly did not have to return to Annette’s shop. He could simply insist that she or Rusty bring the puppies to the animal hospital for their exams and first puppy shots, instead.

  As Stormy led him back to the door they’d exited from, Tony realized he was going to do nothing of the kind. He was going to continue to make house calls, to see Annette, to risk his heart, because, in spite of everything in their shared past, he still cared for her.

  * * *

  “So, what’s with the overnighter?” Julie asked Annette while Tony was walking the dog. “I can’t believe you let him stay.”

  “It was strictly business. Besides, Rusty was here, too. He’s the one who got me into this mess.”

  Chuckling, Julie scanned the nest of pups. “Looks like it’s a good thing you have a big washing machine. Those little guys and their mama are going to give it a workout.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “You’re going to need a way to keep them in one place soon. I could bring you one of the portable kennels I use for weak or sick lambs, but I think you’d be better off with a box that Stormy can leave at will.”

  “That’s what Tony said.”

  “He did, did he? What else did he say?”

  “That he’d build something for me out of wood if I wanted him to.” She made a face that showed bewilderment. “What should I do?”

  “That depends,” her old friend replied. “What do you want to do?”

  Annette rolled her eyes. “Beats me. I thought I was content to stay single and concentrate on running my business—until Tony showed up again. Right now, I think I’m more confused about him than I was at sixteen.”

  “Uh-oh. That’s not good.”

  “You’re telling me! He’s better looking and settled now, but he keeps insisting he’s not going to stick around. I love Jasper Gulch. My whole life is here. I’d be an idiot to let myself fall for him again.”

  “True.” Julie was nodding sagely. “But I saw the way you two looked at each other this morning during breakfast. If you ask me—and you did—I think it’s less a matter of falling in love again than it is of acknowledging that you’ve never fallen out of love in the first place.”

  “That’s impossible. We were just kids.”

  “I know.” Pausing to gather their trash while helping clear the table,
Julie finally went on, “I guess my question should be, ‘What did you think when he walked in here?’ Were you happy or angry or what?”

  “Or what,” Annette quipped. “I was mostly stunned.”

  “And then what happened?”

  “I don’t remember, exactly. I think I told him to go away before I found out he was a vet and Rusty had called him. I’d forgotten that J.T. was gone.”

  “Would it have mattered if you’d known Tony was taking his place? You still needed medical help.”

  “True.” She sighed as she rinsed her hands at the kitchen sink. “I feel like Alice right after she fell down the rabbit hole. Everything is so wrong.”

  Julie grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? Are you sure of that?”

  Chapter Six

  Rather than ask for permission to revisit later in the week and chance being refused, Tony decided to simply show up at Annette’s during his lunch break a few days later. He gathered several two-by-twelve boards, cut them to length and used J.T.’s truck to haul them to the rear of the beauty shop so he could construct the puppy box on-site.

  The wind was still blowing enough to cause a chill, but at least the ice on the streets had disappeared.

  The only reply he got to his knock at the backdoor was the sound of a dog’s nails scratching on the inside, so he eased open the door and called, “Anybody home?”

  “Come on in,” echoed from the front of the salon.

  Tony knew it was Annette issuing the invitation. What puzzled him was that she wouldn’t bother to check who was there. Was it possible she’d recognized his voice easily, too?

  Sidling past the excited mama dog, he headed down the hallway connecting the living quarters to the business section of the old brick building.

  “It’s me,” Tony announced with a smile and a wave to Annette and her customers. “Afternoon, ladies.”

  One was seated in a swivel chair, her head nearly covered in separate, layered pieces of folded foil, while another customer peered out from under a hair dryer.

  His smile broadened and settled on Annette. “You building a robot there or trying to get better radio reception?”

  “Kind of looks like that, doesn’t it? This is to keep the color from bleeding into the rest of her hair.”

  “If you say so.” Tony gestured toward the apartment. “I brought the wood to build you the box like I promised. Mind if I go ahead with it?”

  “I guess not. While you’re back there, would you please take Stormy for a short walk? I didn’t have much time this morning and she’s probably waiting to go out again.”

  “Sure. No problem. I just didn’t want you to panic if you heard me banging around.”

  “I can join you as soon as I give Mamie her comb-out.”

  Bending at the waist, Tony peered at the scowling face beneath the hair dryer. “Ms. Fidler? Are you still running the inn? I called and tried to book a room there before I rented a house, but you were full.”

  “It’s been a good year,” the older woman said flatly.

  Apparently sensing her client’s grouchiness, Annette took over the conversation. “And it promises to do nothing but get better from now ’til the end of December.”

  Tony was momentarily puzzled. “It does?”

  “Yes, because of the centennial celebration I told you about. Remember? You said you hoped J.T. got back before the rodeo started.”

  “I still do hope so.” Tony waved to all the women as he said, “Nice to see you ladies again. I’ll get out of your hair now.”

  When Annette started to grin, he realized he’d inadvertently made a joke, so he followed it up. “The only grooming I intend to do is on your new dog.”

  “I told you, I don’t own a dog,” Annette was quick to reply. “I’m only letting her stay here because I can’t bear the thought of her ending up in an animal shelter.”

  “Did you make those flyers you mentioned?”

  “I haven’t had time yet. I will.”

  Tony knew a lame alibi when he heard one. Annette hadn’t gotten around to posting lost-and-found flyers because she was enjoying Stormy’s company and was in no hurry to see her reclaimed.

  That was just as well. The dog was obviously content to stay at the beauty shop, and as long as Rusty continued to insist he didn’t know the animal’s origin, she’d be safe and warm right where she was.

  Plus, it would be good for Annette to have a constant companion, even if she did deny being lonely. He’d spent plenty of solitary time of late and didn’t particularly enjoy being totally by himself. Maybe, if he was still in town when the pups were weaned and given away, he’d volunteer to take Stormy or one of her babies with him.

  Although the part-time position he’d held when J.T. had asked for his help was a step in the right direction, it was sadly insufficient for the future. Nevertheless, he’d been glad to get it. As a new graduate he’d needed to enhance his résumé. This stint in Montana would help do that, too.

  As he walked down the hall, he muttered to himself, “And when I leave, I can ask for references.”

  Stormy greeted him, wiggling all over, and raced to the door, where she ran in tight circles.

  “I see you are ready for another walk,” Tony said gently. “Okay. First I’ll give your babies a quick look and then we’ll go explore.”

  All four pups were piled together on a freshly laundered blanket and surrounded neatly by a ridge of bath towels. Not only were they content, their little stomachs were full.

  Tony patted the proud mama dog on the head and commended her for doing a good job while she gave her brood her own cursory inspection.

  The wrinkled, slightly frayed length of red ribbon was looped over the knob on the backdoor, leading him to conclude that Annette was still using it as a leash.

  “I’ll have to bring you a proper collar and lead,” Tony told Stormy. “Come on, girl. Let’s go take a tour of Jasper Gulch and see what kind of mischief we can get into.”

  Judging by her eagerness and panting, joyful expression, she would have given a loud “Hooray!” if she’d been able to speak.

  * * *

  By the time Annette was free to check her apartment, the rectangular puppy playpen was nearly complete.

  “I didn’t hear any hammering. I thought maybe you’d gone.”

  “I’m using screws so we can take this apart more easily when you’re done with it. No sense wasting good lumber.”

  She stood back and eyed the box. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”

  “They’ll grow into it. Besides, Stormy needs room to sleep without being pestered by these hungry little guys.”

  “I wondered about that,” Annette said. “When I looked them over this morning, their tummies were really bulging. Are they supposed to eat so much?”

  “Unlike people, most animals will stop when they get full. The only ones who obsess about food are those who may have been deprived in the past.”

  “Okay, you’re the doctor.” She sank into a kitchen chair and stroked Stormy’s fur while Tony continued to use a power drill to set the final screws. “I still can’t believe it. How in the world did you go from town bad boy to a college graduate?”

  “I admit I made a few detours. That’s why it took me so long. The important thing is, I made it.”

  “Hmm. I always thought you had more potential than you showed.” She smiled at the sweet memories. “That’s why I stood by you, even after most of the town decided you were guilty of vandalism and even arson.”

  “I’d hoped you weren’t thinking the worst of me. I was never positive.”

  “You should have been. I told you often enough.”

  Tony sat back on his heels and looked at her. She imagined
she could see his internal struggle and likened it to her own. Were they really so far apart emotionally? Or was she visualizing a connection where there was none, simply because her heart kept insisting they could recapture the tender feelings they’d once shared?

  Tony was shaking his head slowly, contemplatively. “If you did tell me, it never registered. I guess I was too full of myself and too concerned with maintaining a rough, tough reputation to listen.” His dark eyes made contact with Annette’s. “I never meant to hurt you, or to stand you up the way you claim. I’ve been racking my brains and I know I left you a note.”

  “Nope.”

  “Like I told you, I wrote letters, too.” He stood to look down at her, his expression somber. “I may have been an idiot back then, but I didn’t lie to you. And I didn’t ditch you without saying goodbye.”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “I think it does. Do your parents still live around here?”

  “They moved away after Dad retired. Why?”

  Tony handed her his cell phone. “Call your mother and ask her about my note and my letters.”

  “Are you joking?”

  “Dead serious.”

  She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Mom probably won’t even remember I had a crush on you back then.”

  “I think she will,” Tony said with conviction. “Why else would she keep my letters from you?”

  Staring at him, Annette began to scowl. “Are you calling my mother a liar?”

  All he did was arch one dark eyebrow and give her a quizzical look.

  “I don’t believe this. I thought you’d become a sensible adult, but you’re still playing childish games with people’s feelings. My parents raised me to tell the truth and be an upright citizen, just like they are. For you to even suggest otherwise is a slap in the face to the mom and dad I love and respect.”

  “So, you aren’t going to ask her?”

  “Of course not. And I’m not going to tell her about your unfair insinuations, either. You’re being totally ridiculous. If I didn’t get your letters and you really did write to me, they probably just got lost in the mail.”