One Perfect Year

by Melinda Curtis

  “So I should stop?” Her gaze slipped to his lips. Immediately, she raised it once more. “I should stop.”

  “We’re friends.” Gage sighed and released her hand. The truth had to be faced. “If it’s such a big temptation, I’ll cut my hair.”

  “I’m sorry. I...I should be more aware.” She swallowed and looked everywhere but at him. “You’re going to Kentucky.”

  Mae shook her head. “Have you ever seen two people more clueless about love than these two?”

  “Nope,” Doc said.

  Shelby ignored them. “No more kisses.”

  Gage nodded. Because they both knew where kisses led. To distraction.

  Him being Kentucky-bound, Gage didn’t need distractions. It was almost enough—almost—that he knew there actually was chemistry between them, that it wasn’t one-sided and merely a hypothetical in his head.

  Many of the same people from the first harvest showed up within the next hour. Gage didn’t fail to notice there wasn’t a small older model silver sedan in the parking lot. The sheriff drifted from one group to the next, trying to subtly reduce his list of copper thief suspects. From the serious slant to his brows, Gage didn’t think he was succeeding.

  Christine provided music this time. It blasted out of the second story office, filling the vineyard with a beat that had everyone moving. He supposed that was the point—to keep everyone’s energy up, and their minds off suspecting their coworkers of theft.

  As they were finishing in the wee hours of the morning, when Gage was feeling cold and numb and ready for a respite from dance music, his phone rang. It was his new boss from Kentucky.

  “Dr. Jamero, we were wondering if you could start in a few weeks. Dr. Timmons has decided to retire earlier than expected to enjoy the holidays with his family.”

  “I don’t know, Oscar.” Gage lowered his voice. He’d seen Shelby’s back stiffen. “I’ve taken on a temporary commitment.”

  A couple feet away from him, Shelby frowned at him over her shoulder.

  “Check your calendar and let us know. We can contract someone to temporarily fill in, but we’d prefer to get you on board as soon as possible.”

  When the call ended, Shelby’s expression was pure barnacle. “You promised my grandfather two months.”

  “I didn’t say I’d be there tomorrow, did I?” Gage was tired and lonely and wanting to slip his arms around Shelby. But that would cross the line.

  Shelby held up a hand. “I know you’ll do the right thing. You always do.”

  Gage wasn’t so sure anymore. He only knew what he was meant to do.

  And that was to deliver racehorses in Kentucky.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  TWENTY-FOUR HOURS after the harvest was finished, Gage was still dragging.

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at Doc’s kitchen table. He was wiped out and couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to adequately face the day with his trademark smile. That was saying a lot, considering bacon was frying and Shelby had entered the kitchen barefoot, finger combing her short blond hair. She dropped her work boots near her chair. He wished she’d drop a kiss on his cheek.

  Kentucky, man. Kentucky.

  “I used to be the king of all-night study sessions.” Gage yawned. “What happened to me?”

  “Old age.” Shelby softened her remark by patting his shoulder on her way to the coffeemaker.

  The house phone rang, saving Gage from further comment. Doc grabbed the receiver from its corded mount on the wall. After his initial hello, he listened intently.

  Shelby poured herself a large cup of coffee in a travel mug and doctored it up with a lot of milk and sugar.

  “Yes. That is good news.” Doc stretched the twisted phone cord so that he could talk and turn the bacon in the pan. “I heard his parents fell on bad times.” He tsked. “Such a shame. Thanks for letting me know, Felix. Uh-huh. I’ll tell her.”

  Rather than telling Shelby anything, Doc hung up the phone and returned his attention to the bacon.

  Much as Gage liked bacon, it sounded like there was big news in town.

  “I’ve got this one,” Shelby reassured Gage as she sat at the table. “Who was on the phone, Grandpa?”

  “Felix. He said to tell you those kittens are thriving.”

  Shelby undoubtedly knew that. She made time to visit the two kittens every day. Gage’s curiosity was piqued.

  With the patience of a saint, she sipped her coffee, cradling the mug between her hands. “What else did he say, Grandpa?”

  “Dogs, all mighty!” Doc speared bacon from the pan with a fork. “I have a lot on my mind today. I had an epiphany about my latest research paper and there’s a lot to do at the clinic. Mondays are the busiest day of the week.”

  Shelby set down her fork. “Really? You’re that busy?”

  Gage nodded. “You wouldn’t believe how many people haven’t taken their pets in for their annual shots because they’d have to drive to Cloverdale. We ran out of both rabies and feline distemper vaccine Friday.”

  “But the phone... Grandpa... What did Felix have to say?”

  Doc turned off the burner and dished up plates for them. “The sheriff arrested Carl Quedoba while he was trying to break into Nick’s old house. The one he and his family used to live in. Nate found a trunkful of copper pipe. I guess Carl suspected you saw him drive away that morning, and brought his mother’s car this time.” Doc tottered into his seat. “This’ll kill Clementine. She used to think her grandson could do no wrong.”

  “Case closed.” Gage dug into a steaming plate of eggs and bacon. “I’m going to miss your home cooking when I’m in Kentucky.”

  “Mine?” Shelby’s blue eyes twinkled.

  Gage suppressed a smile. He didn’t have to answer. Last night’s overly salted pork chops did it for him.

  Doc peppered his eggs. “After breakfast, I’ll make some calls. If this is Carl’s first offense, we should ask for lenience. Maybe take up a collection.”

  “He didn’t just rob one place,” Gage said.

  “You’d have him go to jail?” Doc’s bushy eyebrows disappeared into his shaggy white hair. “Your friend? Without knowing if he was in need first?”

  “Well, I—”

  “He wouldn’t.” The look in Shelby’s eyes almost convinced him of it. “I wouldn’t either. That’s not how we do things in Harmony Valley.”

  Doc grinned approvingly. “And that’s why you’re staying. You’re one of us.”

  Shelby beamed.

  Gage looked hesitant.

  “You’re going to Kentucky.” The light had gone out of Shelby’s eyes. “They want you to go early.”

  “They can’t have him.” Doc held his fork like a weapon.

  “I told them I made a commitment.”

  Doc wasn’t listening. “We have something good going on here.”

  “It’ll be a good practice for someone,” Gage agreed.

  Doc pointed his fork at Gage. “You bet it will. Some lucky vet will come along and love that clinic.”

  “And the people,” Shelby said with a straight face. “He has to love the people.”

  “Darn right he does.” Doc stabbed a bite of egg.

  Shelby started to smile. “This town deserves a vet who gets out among the residents. Not someone who sits at a desk all day writing papers.”

  “Hey!” Doc nearly spit out his eggs in protest.

  Balance was restored. At least for Shelby and Doc. For Gage, things seemed rather grim.

  * * *

  IT WASN’T LONG before Shelby and Lucky were out the door and off to the vineyard. Doc and Gage moved a bit slower. For the first time since he’d been back in Harmony Valley, Gage’s breath created small white puffs in the morning air.<
br />
  As he and Doc approached the truck, there was a large crate next to it and something inside was moving.

  “Wait.” Gage blocked Doc with his arm. He knelt to see inside the crate. “What the... It’s a goose.”

  “I don’t know anyone in town that has geese.” Leaning on Gage’s truck for balance, Doc gazed thoughtfully down the street, as if reviewing the occupants and pets of each household.

  The goose tried to walk, made a plaintive noise and fell over.

  “Easy now,” Gage crooned. “There’s something wrong with its leg. Someone might have hit it and brought it here for care.”

  “We’ll take it to the clinic.” Doc resumed his seafaring steps. “Load it into the truck.”

  “Have you ever splinted a fowl’s leg?”

  “Nope. But there’s always a first time for everything, isn’t there?”

  The goose did indeed need a leg splint. Gage accessed the university website for rudimentary instruction, and then placed a quick call to a friend of his practicing in a farming community. By the time he was done, they received a delivery of vaccine and folks accompanied by their animals started rolling in.

  “Who’s next?” Gage said midmorning to Doc, belatedly noticing the lobby was empty.

  “Grab your bag. We’re making a house call.” Doc flipped the open sign to Closed.

  Gage’s interest perked. “What is it? A horse? A steer? Sheep?” It had to be something larger than Bea’s milk goats. She’d taken Sissy home yesterday.

  “You’ll see,” was all the old man would say. Once they were in the truck, they drove toward Parish Hill. At the base of the hill, Doc directed Gage to pull into an oak shaded driveway.

  The one story ranch house had a handicapped ramp leading to the front door. There were no corrals. No barbed wire. No fences to keep in a large animal. Gage’s enthusiasm began to wane.

  The front door swung open, revealing a woman in a wheelchair. The lower half of her face was disfigured. Her gray hair was pulled into a loose bun at her neck. Her magenta flowered blouse was slightly askew, as if in her haste to get to the door she’d knocked it off her shoulder. “Thank you for coming. It’s Ramsey. I can’t get him to come out and eat.” She backed up and did a U-turn in the foyer. “Please come in.”

  Gage turned to Dr. Wentworth and whispered, “And Ramsey is...?”

  But the older man seemed not to have heard him. He stepped inside ahead of Gage. “Deborah, this is Dr. Jamero.”

  “I remember him from high school.” Her smile transposed over an old memory. “You were in my English classes.”

  “Mrs. Hobson?”

  “Don’t apologize for not recognizing me. I was in an accident several years ago.” She waved toward her face, speaking in the same matter-of-fact way she’d taught. “Had to give up my Victorian downtown. My children want to put me in a facility near San Francisco. But Harmony Valley is my home.” She rolled down a wide hallway to the rear of the house.

  They entered a large open kitchen with butcher block counters, a farmer sink and planked floors. In the far corner was a wood-and-chicken-wire hutch. A black-and-white bunny stood on its hind legs and slapped its foot on the cage floor.

  “Rabbits?” Gage’s spirits sank. The mighty had fallen. And fallen hard.

  Mrs. Hobson nodded. “I have a pair of Mini Lops. Brothers. Ramsey and Riley.” She pointed toward a shoe box with a hole cut out in the back of the hutch. A small white rabbit with black spots twitched its nose at them. “That’s Riley. Ramsey hasn’t come out all morning. I’m afraid I can’t reach that far back into the cage. There’s a tray at the bottom that I can remove for cleaning and a small opening where I replenish their food and water, but it isn’t like Ramsey to hide from me.”

  Gage lifted the lid of the hutch. Dr. Wentworth stood next to him peering over his shoulder. “You sure he didn’t escape?”

  “I can hear him in there every once in a while.” Mrs. Hobson hooked her fingers in the wire and gave Gage a worried look that made him feel guilty about thinking of his reputation, instead of his veterinary oath. “Ramsey loves his food. He wouldn’t miss breakfast if there wasn’t something wrong.”

  Riley stomped his back foot once in warning, and scampered to the corner near the water feeder. Gage lifted the small box at the back. There was Ramsey, also white with black spots, nose twitching, ears wobbling, crouching awkwardly.

  Something moved underneath the bunny. Something pink and...

  Doc chuckled. “Congratulations, Deborah. Ramsey’s had a litter.”

  “That can’t be.” She leaned closer. “Both rabbits are males.”

  “It’s hard to tell with young rabbits sometimes.” Gage carefully returned the shoe box to its original location. “A common mistake.”

  “I only wanted two rabbits for company. They’re barely four months old.” Mrs. Hobson looked up at Gage. “Can you neuter him? I mean, her?”

  “You could neuter either one,” Gage said carefully, mentally cataloging what kind of surgery equipment they had at the clinic.

  “Ramsey’s a girl.” Mrs. Hobson rubbed her forehead. “That’ll take some getting used to.”

  “She seems to have embraced her gender.” Doc was grinning. “Well, if there’s nothing more, we’ll be off. Call me later to schedule the procedure.”

  “We’re not performing surgery on Peter Rabbit,” Gage said, once they were driving back toward the clinic.

  Doc nodded slowly. “I know someone in Cloverdale who specializes in very small animal care. You should at least observe the procedure. You never know when small animal skills will come in handy.”

  “Meddler.”

  “You’re destined to stay.”

  Gage thought about Secretariat. “I’m destined for Kentucky.”

  * * *

  THE SHERIFF’S TRUCK pulled up next to Mae. Nate rolled down the passenger side window. “Need a lift?”

  She’d been out to get milk, and hoping she’d have enough energy left to walk around the block and see what had been done to Dream Day Bridal. But the wind was picking up, she hadn’t yet reached the town square, and her legs felt like bags of compost left out in the rain.

  “If you’re going to El Rosal, Nate, I’d be grateful.”

  Nate put the truck in Park and came around to help her into the vehicle. “You need to eat more, Mae, you’re dwindling.”

  “You shouldn’t talk to a woman about her weight.” She clutched her purse in her lap. “Is that why she left you?”

  Nate stiffened behind the wheel. When he spoke, it was in a cool, prideful tone. “No one’s ever left me.”

  Mae fought back a triumphant smile. “Ah, you’re one of those men.”

  “Mae,” he said warningly.

  She didn’t care about Nate’s pride or his warnings. “You left her at the altar.”

  He opened his mouth to deny it, but nothing came out.

  She chuckled. It was a comfort to know she hadn’t lost her ability to read people. “It festers inside you. I’m surprised no one else noticed. Is that why you came here? To bury your head in the sand?”

  “Were you planning on eating lunch at El Rosal or buying something?”

  “I need milk.” She reached over and poked his shoulder with one finger. “And answers to my questions. Why Harmony Valley? Did she grow up here?”

  Again with the silent treatment. The sheriff pulled into the red zone in front of the restaurant. Nate never did anything against the law. She must have really struck a sore spot.

  He came around to help her down from the truck. “Now, sheriff. You still love her. So it’s not too late. You need to propose to that girl again, making sure you apologize first. Actually, the apology might require several weeks for her to accept. I’d never forgive a man who jilted me
unless he groveled, but good.”

  Nate’s jaw ticked. “Will there be anything else?”

  “Yes. I have the perfect wedding dress for your bride. Don’t disappoint me.” She walked slowly across the patio outside El Rosal. “I’ve written you into my will, but you don’t want a woman’s broken heart on your conscience.”

  The sheriff pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires, leaving Mae chuckling.

  * * *

  SHELBY SAT ON the bench in front of Dream Day Bridal feeling sick to her stomach. She had one arm slung across Lucky’s broad shoulders, the other wrapped around her midsection.

  The place had been gutted. Gone were the dressing rooms downstairs. Gone was the appointment and checkout counter. Gone were the windows, the bathroom, the stairs. It was an empty shell.

  The demolition was supposed to depersonalize the shop. Instead, it’d taken away everything that made it the unique and hopeful place it’d once been.

  “I’m glad Mae isn’t here to see this,” Shelby whispered to Lucky.

  The big dog made a snuffling noise and lifted his head, gazing up the street toward the town square. Mae stood at the corner, leaning against a brick store front. She carried a paper bag, and wore a purple velour tracksuit, which wasn’t nearly warm enough for the nip that hung in the air.

  Shelby bolted into action. She’d do anything to protect Mae from seeing her store as it was now. She yanked opened the back door of her SUV for Lucky and tossed in a dog treat. Then she quickly got behind the wheel and drove to the corner, parking across several vertical slots to pull up to the curb. “Mae, you look like you could use a ride.” She hurried to the old woman’s side, intending to load her into the SUV and take her home.

  “I want to see the shop.” There were tears in Mae’s eyes. “There’s something purple sticking out of the Dumpster. The only thing purple in there were my walls upstairs. Did they tear down my walls?”

  “Mildew damage.” Shelby nodded. “The sales rep for the cooling unit came by and measured yesterday. We had to move the stairs and the downstairs bathroom. I’m so sorry, Mae.”

  “I want to see.” Mae seemed to sag deeper against the wall.