Spring Valley

by T. L. Haddix

  Before she could say or do anything else, nausea rose up and sent her dashing down the hall. A couple of minutes later, she was finished emptying her stomach.

  “Here,” Caleb said. He blotted her face with a blessedly cold, damp washcloth, then he held a glass up to her lips. “Rinse and spit.”

  When she could focus her eyes again, the nausea subsiding, she saw the concern plain on his face. She imagined it matched hers, even if she probably was somewhat greener around the gills than him.

  “I don’t care what that test says,” she said with a whimper. “I know what I know.”

  Caleb’s mouth tightened as he helped her stand. “Okay. We’ll find out Monday. You’re going in to see Dr. Jeanette if I have to take you myself.”

  Brooke leaned against him. “Right now, do you think you could take me home? I need to get cleaned up, and I just want to lay down in my own bed. It isn’t that I don’t want to be here, but I need to rest.”

  “Of course. Let me get some jeans on, and we’ll go. We’ll leave your car here.”

  To her relief, by the time they got to the house—after a brief stop for Caleb’s antibiotics—her nausea was completely gone. She was still ready to fall over from fatigue though, and she couldn’t pretend otherwise.

  “I’m going to go change clothes,” she told him. “Do you want to come up or…?”

  He pursed his lips. “To your bedroom in the house you share with your father the judge? Um, I think I’ll stay down here. Point me to a sofa where I can be a good boy and sit.”

  There was such a look of honest trepidation on his face that she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re afraid of Dad?”

  “I have a healthy respect for Arlen, let’s say.”

  Brooke touched his face and lifted herself up onto her toes to briefly kiss him. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. The living room’s just off the hall here, or the sunroom should be comfortable this time of day. That’s where I’ll be heading once I’m in my jammies. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be waiting. Holler if you feel sick or dizzy or anything,” he said as she started up the steps.

  “I will.”

  Once she was in the privacy of her own room, she shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh. If she hadn’t thought her father would be home within the hour, she’d have curled up in bed and left Caleb to his own devices. She was that tired. At least she could curl up in the sunroom with him. They both needed rest, as he was still coughing his head off, but they had a long afternoon and evening ahead.

  “I hope Dad isn’t too disappointed with me,” she muttered as she changed into her favorite pair of warm pajamas. She hoped he took the news well, all of it. If her instincts were right, they were going to need him in the upcoming weeks and months.

  With a hand resting on her belly, she closed her eyes and tried her best to find the calm center that had guided her throughout the toughest times in her life. After a minute, peace washed over her, and she let out a long sigh.

  “We’ve got this,” she whispered. “Whatever happens, wherever things go, we’ve got this.” With any luck, she wasn’t just wishing in the wind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Walker was pacing the foyer, waiting for Brooke to come downstairs, when he heard a car pull up outside. A minute later, the door opened, admitting Arlen Harrison and a petite, gray-haired lady.

  “Hey, Judge. Dr. Jeanette. Brooke’s upstairs changing clothes. She’s a little under the weather,” he said around a cough.

  Jeanette Bruce frowned. “Sounds like you are too. Have you seen someone?”

  “My aunt. I’m okay.”

  Arlen took her coat and hung it up alongside his. “Brooke’s car isn’t here. Did you bring her home from work? I know she didn’t have a good night last night.” His cheeks were a bit flushed, and he darted a glance at the doctor.

  Walker managed to keep a straight face when he realized the other man was uncomfortable at having been caught bringing a woman home. It wasn’t terribly hard to keep from smiling; all he had to do was think about the conversation that was sure to follow.

  “I didn’t work today. She came out to check on me, and we left her car there,” he said as Brooke came downstairs.

  She’d washed her face and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Without makeup on, the circles under her eyes were plain to see. Walker realized then just how bad she was feeling, and he frowned.

  Arlen was frowning as well, and he shot Walker a dirty look. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Jeanette, can you take a look at her?”

  “Dad, I’m fine,” Brooke protested even though the doctor was already checking her forehead. “I promise you.”

  “You aren’t warm. How’re you feeling?” she asked kindly.

  Brooke sent Walker a look as she cleared the last step. “Can we go sit down? There are some things we need to discuss, all of us.”

  Arlen sucked in a breath then blew it out hard. “Shit.” He braced a hand against one of the columns that framed the living room door. “You’re pregnant. Damn it, Brooke.”

  When her lip quivered, Walker hugged her. “It’s okay,” he murmured, glowering at Arlen, who was staring back just as darkly. “We don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. But we’re not getting upset about it, are we?”

  Her father gave a slight shake of his head, his smile rueful. “No, we are not. It’s just déjà vu all over again. Let’s go to the sunroom where we can talk.”

  “I should go,” Jeanette said. “This is a private matter.”

  Brooke snorted and took one of the doctor’s hands. “I wish you two would just stop pretending already. You know you’re part of the family, or you should know by now. Stay, please?”

  Jeanette’s cheeks were pink, but she nodded. “If your father’s all right with that.”

  Arlen laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll start some coffee and some water for tea.”

  The discussion that followed wasn’t pleasant, and it wasn’t painless. By the time it ended, Walker thought they all needed a drink. But it had been necessary, and now that all the issues were out in the open, maybe they could figure out what to do about the one that needed an immediate solution—Dr. Harvey’s drinking.

  “I’ll go see him tomorrow,” Arlen said. He exchanged a look with Jeanette. “I’m not sure what will need to be done about the practice. If he’s truly drinking that much in the office, that close to the job, he has a problem with alcohol.”

  Jeanette nodded. “The board could suspend his license if that’s the case, unless he agrees to seek treatment. At least I’d assume that’s how your side of things works,” she said to Walker.

  “It is. I’d hate to see that happen. He’s never been a great boss, but he’s built a good clinic up over the years. That said, I can’t sit by and do nothing. I have a responsibility to the animals and their owners.”

  Brooke tightened her hands around his. “I’m so sorry.”

  Walker shook his head. “It’s part of life. I’ll file the complaint if I have to. Maybe it won’t come to that.” He looked at Arlen. “How close are you to him? Will he listen to you?”

  “We’re not bosom buddies, but I think we’re friends. However, in the face of addiction, if that’s what we’re dealing with, friendship can go straight out the window. You realize that if you do have to take action, and by no means am I saying you shouldn’t, it could have repercussions for you professionally. London is a small town, and he’s a popular vet.”

  Walker lifted his shoulders. “With respect, I’ve weathered worse.”

  Arlen dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Yes, I imagine you have. Still, if you need support from this quarter, you have it.”

  The lump in his throat made Walker grateful to have a cough as an excuse to cover it up. “Thank you.”

  Brooke’s father lightly slap
ped his hands on his knees. “Now. About this pregnancy test. Jeanette?”

  “Daddy…” Brooke groaned. “I am an adult.”

  “And you’re still under my protection,” Arlen countered sternly. “I’m a concerned papa, and I have the right to ask.”

  Jeanette gave him a gentle shove on the arm that made him turn his scowl on her. “Leave those kids alone. Brooke, come into the office first thing Monday, and we’ll figure out what’s going on. If you have any significant problems before then, call me and we’ll go in sooner.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I will.”

  That left the problem of his job, and Walker could tell by the look Arlen was giving him that he wanted to press the issue. But Brooke was sagging against him, and Walker’s priority at the moment was getting her settled into bed so she could rest.

  “Let’s get you upstairs,” he said, scooting to the edge of the couch.

  She opened her mouth to protest, but then she sighed. “Okay. What about you? You aren’t exactly the picture of health.”

  “I’ll head out once you’re asleep.” He steadied her when she swayed on her feet.

  “I’m too tired to protest. Jeanette, Dad, I’ll see you later. Do not give him a rough time when I’m not here, Judge,” she said, shaking her finger at her father.

  Arlen huffed. “I would never do such a thing. Let me know if you need anything, sweetheart. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Daddy.”

  By the time Walker got her up to her room, he was practically carrying her.

  “I can come back after I’ve fed the horses,” he said as he pulled the covers back on her bed.

  She couldn’t keep her eyes open. “No. You need to stay home and take it easy. Don’t be out in the cold with them too much, okay?”

  He kissed her forehead. “Okay. Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll have to stop by and have a talk with my folks about my job, so it might be later before I can get back here. But I’ll call you before I leave their house.”

  “All right. Good luck with that. Night. Love you, Caleb,” she murmured, then she rolled toward him with a sigh, eyes closed, sound asleep.

  Standing beside the bed, the covers still in his hand, his heart shattered at his feet. He knelt and touched her face softly. “I love you too,” he said even though she couldn’t hear him.

  He stayed there for several minutes, watching her sleep. Knowing if he lingered much longer, he’d be bunking down on the floor beside her, he left the room, pulling the door just closed.

  Arlen was waiting at the foot of the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets as he paced. “Well? Is she asleep?”

  “Out like a light.” Walker eyed him. “I’m sorry.”

  “I could rake you over the coals right now, but that would make me something of a hypocrite.”

  Walker’s lips quirked. “I heard.”

  “Don’t smirk at me, young man,” Arlen said with a fierce scowl, then he sighed. “Of all my children to follow in my footsteps in that regard… well, she’s not the one I expected. What are you planning to do about a job?”

  “I’m not sure.” He hesitated, his hand on his coat. “I met a man this week—Connor Logue.”

  Arlen’s brows lifted. “Old Doc Logue? I didn’t know he was still around these parts. He retired what, five or six years ago?”

  Walker nodded. “He’s somewhat reclusive, lives on a farm down near the road to the lake. We got to talking. He still has the building where his veterinary practice was housed and most of the equipment. I’m planning to call him as soon as I’m over this cough, meet him there. See what I see.”

  “That could be an expensive endeavor. Worthwhile though, especially if the equipment’s still good. He was a good vet, so far as I know. Mostly treated farm animals. As a matter of fact, Dr. Harvey didn’t much touch them until Logue retired.”

  “That’s what I learned,” Walker said. “I don’t know if it will come to anything or not, but it’s an option. Plus, we’ll see what happens with Dr. Harvey. Worst case, I’ve got some family up near Lexington who have a horse farm. That’s not a bad drive, and the money’s good.” He coughed, the sound harsh in the foyer.

  “You can stay here tonight, you know. We do have guest rooms,” Arlen said, clearly concerned.

  “No, sir. I’ll go home. The horses need tending, and I’ll sleep better in my own bed. But if she needs me tonight, will you call?” he asked quietly.

  “I will. I promise you.” Arlen opened the door. “Be safe out there on the roads.”

  Walker stopped on the porch and turned back. “You didn’t ask me if I was planning to marry Brooke.”

  Her father smiled, the expression a little sad. “If Brooke wants you and you want her, you’ll figure it out. I’ll not force my daughter into anything she doesn’t want, and the same goes for you. Her happiness is my number one priority, and a shotgun wedding wouldn’t do her a bit of good. The worst thing a man can do is force a couple to marry. It builds resentment like nothing else, and that festers into a hellacious home life that benefits no one except the divorce attorneys.”

  “I agree with you one hundred percent.” Walker’s short laugh held no humor. “Even when there’s not a marriage, being forced into a relationship doesn’t make for an easy life. Just ask my biological parents. I’d best be going,” he said with a sigh. “Let me know how things turn out with Dr. Harvey?”

  “Of course. Good night.”

  By the time Walker got home and got the horses taken care of, he was pretty well out of it himself. He stripped down, crawled into bed, and held on to the other pillow, wishing it was Brooke. As he drifted into sleep, he remembered what she’d said, and he smiled.

  “She loves me. Can you believe it?” he asked the universe. And then he slept.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Brooke slept through the night and well into Sunday morning, much-needed rest that left her feeling human again. There was some nausea when she awoke, but it went away after she’d been up for a little while.

  When she went downstairs, her father wasn’t home, and a note was propped up next to the teakettle on the counter.

  Kiddo,

  I’m off to try to see Dr. Harvey. You were sound asleep, so I didn’t wake you to let you know I was leaving. I should be back around noon. Page me if you need anything.

  Love,

  Dad.

  She glanced at the clock. It was just past eleven now. Though her first instinct was to pick up the phone and call Caleb so he could come over and hear from her father how things had gone with Dr. Harvey, she held back. For one thing, she knew he had to talk to his parents today about having quit. He’d promised he’d call her after that. For another, as much as she loved being with him, she needed a little time to take everything in. She was almost certainly pregnant, and despite his calm attitude, she didn’t know what in the world they were going to do.

  Watching her parents together when she was a child, she’d seen how much they loved each other. For them, getting a jumpstart on a family had worked out. But she knew so many other people who had not been so fortunate. She could think of four friends right off the top of her head who had started their families in a similar situation, and their home lives were miserable. So much resentment had built up over the years, the result of feeling as though the choice to marry had been taken away by a twist of fate.

  She couldn’t pretend she didn’t feel somewhat bitter that, despite having used birth control and being careful and diligent, she’d gotten caught in the pregnancy trap. She couldn’t imagine Caleb didn’t feel similarly, and that was causing her deep concern.

  Time would tell how their story ended. The thought that it might not be with a happily ever after was devastating. She’d do everything she could to make sure that wasn’t the outcome, but she was mature enough to realize it wasn’t solely up to
her or to Caleb either.

  She’d not felt so helpless since her mother’s illness and death, and to have this happening now was unsettling.

  Brooke closed her eyes. “I’ll get through this. I’m not alone, and I’m not unloved. I have to believe we’ll be fine.”

  With any luck, the uncertainty she was feeling would fade once she and Caleb had a chance to sit down and figure out how to go forward. She had to believe that was the case anyhow, or she’d lose her mind.

  Arlen came in shortly after noon, his face implacable, stern. He shook his head and went into the living room, where he stood staring at the empty fireplace. His hands were clenched by his sides.

  “Dad?”

  “Lester Harvey is an ass. Did you know he’s been having an affair with Pam?” Arlen turned to look at her.

  Brooke half sat, half fell on the couch with a soft thud. “He what? With who? Pam? Our office manager, Pam? You’ve got to be shitting me.”

  “Since Memorial Day. Linda, his wife, found out a couple of weeks ago. She’s left him, and she’s suing him for everything he has, including the clinic. He’s apparently stayed drunk more than he’s been sober lately. Pam was at his house today. She’s starting to get an idea of the ‘good deal’ she’s gotten herself.”

  Even though Brooke would have believed her father if he’d told her the sky was yellow and the sun was blue, she was having a hard time getting what he’d said to sink in. “What did he say about Caleb?”

  “Nothing complimentary. He won’t be getting that job back, not that I’d advise him to.” Arlen shoved his hands in his pockets and turned back to the fireplace to stare at the pictures arranged in frames across the mantel. “I told him that I would be personally filing a complaint with the veterinary board tomorrow. He’s not open to the idea of counseling for the drinking problem, not in the least.”

  “How did he take it?”

  Her father shrugged. “He threw me out. Pam told me she’d try to talk to him, but since she was about as soused as he was, I wouldn’t count on any help from that quarter.” He glanced at her. “I’m not entirely comfortable with you going in tomorrow after you see Jeanette. I told Pam you might not be there. I hope I didn’t overstep. As angry as he was with my mentioning Walker, I feel like he might take it out on you.”