by Mia Ross
It wasn’t the life she wanted, but it was the one she had to live. And there was nothing she could do about that.
* * *
Bekah Holloway was a puzzle wrapped in a mystery.
To Drew, it looked as if she’d been living in her car, and the condition of it told him she was pretty hard up for money. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her skittish behavior made it obvious to him that she was running from something—or someone. Slender but clearly stronger than she looked, her auburn hair and vivid blue eyes accented a pretty face with freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. In truth, she reminded him of the pixies in the stories his mother used to read him when he was a boy.
That observation drifted through Drew’s mind as he snuck a glance over at her. Completely engrossed by soothing the wounded hawk, she seemed oblivious to Drew’s presence. That was a new one for him, and he couldn’t keep back a slight grin. Most of the time, women flirted shamelessly with him, and he obliged them by flirting back.
Being from good Irish stock, he’d always believed friendliness was in his DNA. Life was short, and he couldn’t see the point in keeping anything back. Of course, that philosophy had landed him in trouble more than once, and a couple of years ago, the woman he’d loved enough to build his future around had chosen her dream career over him. With tears in her eyes, Kelly had turned down his proposal and headed for San Francisco, leaving his heart in so many pieces, he still hadn’t found them all.
He wanted the strong, loving marriage his parents had enjoyed until his father’s death a few years ago, and he kept trying to find the woman to build it with. His older brother’s wedding the year before had gotten him thinking about the future even more lately, but as he crept toward his thirtieth birthday, he’d started to wonder if he was destined to spend the rest of his days as everyone’s favorite uncle.
He didn’t really want to be stuck in his tiny hometown for the rest of forever, but his family’s struggling farm needed every pair of available hands to keep it out of bankruptcy. Gallimore was more than the Kinleys’ business—it was their home. Leaving to pursue his own dreams sounded good in theory, but the reality of it was he’d never be able to live with himself if his family lost the farm, and he hadn’t done everything in his power to stop it.
His brooding was cut short when they reached the sign marking the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center. Turning into the lot, he parked next to a dusty two-door that was the only other car there.
Going carefully to avoid scaring either of his passengers, he got out and went around to open Bekah’s door for her. She looked up at him with fearful eyes, and he smiled to reassure her. “Sierra’s here, and she’s the best. Your little friend will be in good hands, I promise.”
A flicker of something akin to hope passed over her features. “I guess I have to trust you, don’t I?”
She made it sound like a real stretch for her, which made him wonder what had happened to turn this intelligent young woman into a scared rabbit. Since he didn’t have a clue how to answer her question, he walked ahead and opened the entryway door for her.
“Good morning,” Sierra Walker greeted them in her characteristically chipper tone. “I’m set up for our new guest in back, so come on through.”
As they walked, he introduced the two women, who traded quick nods before getting down to business. Bekah rested her bundle on an exam table, and Sierra carefully opened the soft cocoon. Seeming to anticipate a struggle, she held the bird still, talking in a singsong voice he’d heard her use with dozens of other animals.
“Hello there, beautiful,” she crooned, running expert hands over the hawk. “You’ve had a tough morning, haven’t you?”
“I’m so sorry,” Bekah apologized, anguish clouding her eyes. “I never saw her until I hit her.”
“I’d imagine Drew explained it was probably the other way around.”
“Well, yes, but I thought he was just trying to make me feel better about hurting her.”
“Actually, that’s the way it usually happens, so you’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. They get this laser focus when they’re hunting, and they don’t notice anything else except their prey. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” she added to the hawk.
“So she really is a girl?” Drew asked. When she nodded, he chuckled at Bekah. “Guess you were right about that.”
“And you were wrong,” she retorted with more than a little venom in her tone. That set off more alarm bells in his head, warning him to steer clear of this obviously troubled young woman. He preferred sweet, uncomplicated girls whose biggest problem was choosing what outfit they were going to wear on Saturday night. Bekah, on the other hand, had already proven to have more twists than a steep mountain road. Between long days at the farm and pitching in at the center most weekends, he had plenty to deal with already, he cautioned himself. The last thing he needed was a challenge.
Still, there was something about her that reached out to him in a way he’d never experienced before. Maybe it was that she needed him, or that he’d gained enough of her trust that she’d finally gotten the nerve to share her last name with him.
Or maybe it was something else altogether. That possibility bothered him more than he cared to think about right now.
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” he replied smoothly, adding a grin to show there were no hard feelings on his part. She gave him an odd look, but he stubbornly kept the smile in place. He’d never let a woman get the better of him before, and he wasn’t about to start now. After all, he had a well-earned reputation to protect.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” Sierra interrupted in a crisp way that said she meant business. “It looks like our girl has some broken bones in her left wing, so we’ll wrap it to keep it stable while they heal. She also has what appears to be a decent concussion.”
“Is that why her one eye isn’t open very far?” Bekah asked.
“Yes, but it responds to light, so that’s a good sign. Judging by her size, I’d say she’s a couple of years old, strong and healthy up till now. That means that if she gets the right care, her chances of recovering and being released back into her natural environment are excellent.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to hear that.” For the first time, Bekah smiled, her eyes lighting with pure joy. Pretty as she was, the fragile-looking runaway was absolutely beautiful when she smiled.
“It’s what we do,” Sierra told her. “Our certified wildlife rehabilitator is on her way over, and she’ll know exactly what needs to be done. I set up a cage in back for the hawk, so if you bring her in, we’ll get her settled and rustle up some breakfast.”
“Does that sound good to you?” Bekah asked the hawk as she scooped her up from the table with more confidence than she’d shown earlier. “You probably can’t wait to get out of this bag.”
Once they had her safely tucked into an oversize birdcage, their patient hobbled around the papered floor, checking out her new digs. Apparently satisfied, she settled down and let out what struck him as a very human-like sigh of relief.
“She needs a name,” Bekah commented in a thoughtful tone. Then, blushing as if just realizing she’d spoken out loud, she turned to Sierra with a questioning look. “Is it all right to do that?”
Normally, they only named animals who were staying at the center because they couldn’t find a home or go back into the wild. Drew caught Sierra’s eye and gave her a subtle nod. Bekah had clearly been having a rough time, and it seemed to him that naming the hawk might give her spirits a much-needed boost.
“Sure,” Sierra replied. “What did you have in mind?”
Bekah studied the resting bird intently for a few moments, then smiled. “With all those pretty burgundy-and-white feathers, I think she looks like a Rosie.”
“Rosie it is.” Grabbing an index card and permanent marker, Si
erra wrote down the name, date and her estimate of the age. When she was finished, she asked, “Would you like to help me get her breakfast together?”
“That depends,” Bekah hedged. “What are you planning to feed her?”
“Raw chicken and water for now. When she’s feeling stronger, we’ll move on to live meals, but that’ll be a while.”
“Chicken and water I can handle.”
With that decided, she held Drew’s sweatshirt out for him. When he saw the condition it was in, he chuckled and held up his hands. “That’s okay. She can keep it.”
“It’s my fault it got ruined, so I’ll buy you a new one.” It was a sweet offer, but he could tell by the hesitance in her eyes that she really couldn’t afford it.
“Not necessary. I’m happy to give my shirt to a lady anytime.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he realized they could be easily misunderstood to mean he went around handing his shirts to random women. Feeling foolish, he quickly added, “I mean, if she needs it for some reason.”
What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to lose his cool and just blurt things out that way. A strong dose of caffeine was probably in order, he reasoned. Not to mention a shower.
“Okay.” Bekah gave him a long, suspicious look, then a tentative smile. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He caught Sierra studying him with a curious expression, and he brushed it off with a grin. “Need anything else while I’m here?”
“I’ve got twelve kennels to clean before we open, and I still haven’t fed all of the wild babies yet.”
It was a common problem for them here. As a nonprofit clinic, they relied on donations and grants to keep everything going. That meant they couldn’t pay the staff much, and consistent volunteers were hard to come by. They’d recently lost their veterinarian, and animals of every species kept pouring in from the surrounding area every week. Shorthanded didn’t come close to describing the situation, and Drew made it a point to lend a hand whenever he could spare the time. “I’ve got an hour before anyone will miss me in the barns.”
“That would be awesome. Thanks.”
To his complete surprise, the timid woman he’d met less than an hour ago piped up with, “Are you looking for help around here?”
Sierra flashed him a questioning glance, and he shrugged to say it was her call. Bekah had astonished him, too, but he couldn’t help noticing how she was now looking Sierra directly in the eye. Standing up straighter, too, instead of trying to make herself as small and invisible as possible.
After a few seconds, the clinic’s manager replied, “We’re always looking for help. Mind if I ask what kind of job experience you have?”
“I’m not trained for anything in particular, but I’m a hard worker, and I learn fast. I was working at Jennings’s farm stand until last week when they closed for the fall. Mr. Jennings said I could use him as a reference.”
“He’s an old friend of the family.” Drew added his two cents without hesitation. “He’s pretty hard to please, so if he likes your work, you’re a keeper.”
That got him another, slightly warmer smile from Bekah, and then she turned to Sierra. “I’ll work a week for nothing, so you can check my references and make sure I’m right for the job.”
The desperation in her voice was impossible to miss, and it took all of Drew’s self-control not to pull rank and tell her she was hired. Technically, the Kinleys owned the center, and Sierra worked for them. Realistically, she was in charge of the clinic and its operation, and they’d never stepped in to tell her what to do. He wasn’t keen on changing that arrangement, but something about Bekah made him want to go a few extra steps for her.
While the two women talked about what the position involved, one of his late father’s favorite lines drifted through his memory.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Drew recalled hearing that more than once growing up, when his quick temper got the better of him, and he ended up fighting with one of his brothers or a kid at school who was pestering him. Mike was the oldest, and Josh was the youngest, so they had it easy. Erin was the only girl, which made her the princess. As the middle son, Drew had learned early on that he had a simple choice: he could either live up to his big brother’s solid example or overcome it and be his own person.
He was still wrestling with that one, and he often wished Dad was still around to give him advice. Whether he’d follow it or not was up for debate, but he would’ve appreciated the input. Unfortunately, now it was too late.
Shrugging off his suddenly melancholy mood, he refocused on the conversation that had continued along quite nicely without him. Bekah’s delicate appearance had thrown him at first, but the spirit he saw glowing in her eyes had drawn him much closer than he normally would’ve gone after such an odd first meeting. The fading bruise on her cheek infuriated him, and he honestly hoped he never discovered who was responsible for it. It wouldn’t go well for the monster who’d struck her hard enough to leave such an ugly mark behind.
To his great relief, Sierra finally appeared satisfied and shook Bekah’s hand to seal their arrangement. “Let’s go find a pair of coveralls that fit you. You’re going to need them.”
Chapter Two
Bekah wasn’t at all sure what to make of Drew Kinley.
Still dressed in the tank top and beat-up cargo shorts he was wearing when they met earlier that morning, he started working with her around seven o’clock and kept on going. He didn’t try to draw her into conversation but kept his comments to whatever task they were doing at the moment. He was pleasant and upbeat but didn’t go out of his way to make her talk to him.
Most people took her long silences as either rude or evidence that something was bothering her. It was nice to meet someone who understood her reserved nature and accepted it for what it was.
At one point, he fetched them each some bottled water. After a long swallow, he stopped long enough to call someone named Mike. “What can I say, big brother? They need a hand down here, and I’m sure you won’t miss fighting with me all that much.” After a pause, he chuckled. “Yeah, it’ll earn me some brownie points with Erin, too. Don’t think that didn’t occur to me. See ya later.”
He pocketed his phone and turned back to the straw he was pitching into several stalls set aside for larger animals. In the section he’d referred to as the nursery, three goats and a wide-eyed fawn watched him from their temporary quarters in a storage area with a Dutch door. They looked to be assessing his work, and despite the odd turn her day had taken, Bekah felt herself smiling at the image.
She hadn’t done much of that lately, she realized. There hadn’t been all that much to lift her spirits the past few months, and when she thought about it, meeting Drew was the highlight of her year. Pathetic, but true. He’d been so nice to her, she decided she should make more of an effort to be sociable. What better topic to start with than the woman he’d just mentioned wanting to impress?
“So,” Bekah commented in what she hoped came across as friendly interest. “Is Erin your girlfriend?”
He gave her the blankest look she’d ever seen in her life, then broke out laughing. “Not even close. She’s my little sister and the bane of my existence. If I can do something to get on her good side for a change, I will. So a little extra work is totally worth a few days of peace from her.”
Watching him banter back and forth with Sierra had made it plain they were nothing more than friends. For some reason, Bekah was ridiculously pleased to discover this incredibly charming man was unattached. Not that it should make any difference to her, she told herself sternly. She wouldn’t be in town long enough for it to matter whether he was single or not. She was just making conversation. “So, this place was your sister’s idea?”
“Yeah. It’s her pet project.”
He angl
ed his head to glance over at her, and she saw humor twinkling in his eyes. When she got the joke, she groaned. “That’s a terrible pun.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” he assured her with a shameless grin. Spreading more straw, he asked, “So, what kind of job were you interviewing for over in Rockville?”
“The kind that pays.” Hearing the angry bite in her tone, Bekah winced. “Sorry, that was rude. There was some light factory work I thought I could manage. I’m sure they’ve filled the spot by now.”
“Where are you staying?”
In my car, she nearly blurted before realizing that was more than he needed to know. Beyond that, it made her sound pathetic, and she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. As her feisty Grams used to say, she was down but not out. At least not yet. “I’m looking for a place that doesn’t break the bank. Do you have any recommendations?”
“I might. Depends on you, I guess.”
What a curious thing to say. In spite of herself, she had to admit he’d snagged her interest with that one. She stopped cleaning the water bottles that hung in the cages for smaller animals and looked over at him. “What do you mean?”
Resting his arms across the handle of his pitchfork, he explained. “You seem to like the animals here.”
“Definitely,” she answered with a nod. “To be deadly honest, I like animals better than people.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“They don’t judge you or make you feel stupid when you mess things up.” One of the scruffy pygmy goats went up on his hind legs and rested his tiny front hoofs on the dividing wall. Reaching over, she scratched between his sprouting horns with a smile. “All they want is to be fed and have a safe place to sleep. Whoever gives them that is their hero, and they love you to pieces.”