The Perfect Couple

by Valerie Hansen

  Tyler exhaled in a noisy whoosh. “Okay. Thanks.”

  “You’re both quite welcome.” Pleased, she checked the wall clock. “Uh-oh. I need to get going.”

  “Why? You’re already at work.”

  “True. But I didn’t let Speedy out or feed any of my other animals before I left home.”

  “I could go feed them for you. That is, if I knew where in Peace Valley you lived.”

  “You could,” she said, starting for the door, “but it might cost you an arm or a leg. I’m not sure how Harry and Peewee would react to a stranger on their turf, especially when I’m not there. And I’m sure Whiskers would go after you, even though he isn’t big enough to do much damage, which would probably inspire the other dogs to follow his lead.”

  “Then at least let me drive you home.”

  Kara grinned up at him. “My, my. You are a brave man, aren’t you?”

  “I’m wearing my cowboy boots,” he countered, holding out one foot. “Anything that tries to bite my ankles will hit leather.”

  “How high, exactly, do those boots go?” she asked, giggling. “Whiskers is a little terrier-mix, but Harry’s part German shepherd.”

  “What’s Peewee? Or shouldn’t I ask?”

  “Well…” She was getting a kick out of the guarded look on his handsome face. “Tell you what. Why don’t I take you up on your offer of a ride and let you see for yourself?”

  “That big, huh?”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Peewee was first to bound up to greet Tyler’s truck. The other dogs followed. Several gray-striped cats watched cautiously from the sidelines.

  Tyler slowed to avoid the boisterous lead dog. “What is that? Wait. Let me guess. That’s Peewee?”

  “You’ve got it. As near as I can tell, he’s part Rottweiler, part brindle Great Dane, and part fence jumper.”

  “He looks more like a man-eater. Reminds me of how I always used to picture the hound of the Baskervilles when I was a kid.”

  “My favorite books were the ones about Irish Setters and sled dogs,” Kara said. “And Lassie, of course. For years, I begged my parents to get me a collie.”

  “Do you have one of those, too?”

  “No.” Talking to her dogs to calm them, she climbed down from Tyler’s truck and was instantly surrounded by the affectionate pack. She spoke to each dog and gave it a pat before she looked back at Tyler. “Purebreds are wonderful, of course. There are just too many strays in need of a home for me to go looking for another dog. As you can see, I have plenty already.”

  “No kidding. Think they’ll let me get out, now? I know they haven’t had any breakfast yet. I’d hate to be their first course.”

  Chuckling softly, Kara took hold of Peewee’s collar and told him to sit. The other dogs did, as well, although the brown-and-white terrier was so excited he had trouble staying in one place. They all looked to their mistress for further instruction.

  “I’d like you to meet Mr. Corbett, guys,” she said to them. “He’s okay. Well, sort of okay. He likes animals so he can’t be all bad.”

  “Oh, that was a wonderful introduction. Now they will eat me,” Tyler said with a mock scowl.

  “It’s my tone of voice more than my words that they pick up on, and you know it. I could tell them you were the dogcatcher and they’d still welcome you if I said it with love.”

  “Is that where they all came from? Animal control, I mean.” He slowly opened the truck door and put one foot on the ground.

  “Mostly. Each one has its own sad story. Speedy used to be a racing dog. The others were basically throwaways.”

  Tyler joined her, letting the dogs sniff his jeans and boots before chancing to offer a hand. “Which one is Speedy?”

  “He’s still in the house,” Kara said. “Come on.” Satisfied that Tyler had been accepted, she released her hold on the largest dog and started to walk away. The whole group tagged along at her heels, Tyler included.

  “I feel like I’m in a parade,” he joked. “Is it always like this around here or are they just hungry?”

  “They’re my friends. When you make the rounds at your ranch, don’t you take Buster with you?”

  “Not much anymore,” Tyler said pensively. “I used to. Then I started leaving him in the house because Dee didn’t want to be alone. I just never started taking him with me again, after…”

  “You don’t have to explain. I think he’d benefit from daily exercise, though, once he’s back on his feet. You might consider it.”

  “I will.” Watching her open the front door without unlocking it, he asked, “Do you always go away and leave the place wide-open?”

  Kara laughed again and pointed to her pack of furry escorts. “If you were a burglar, would you come here?”

  “Not on your life!” The thought made him grin. “One look would be enough to end my criminal career for good.” Following her into the living room, he was greeted by a flash of tan and white that leaped at him like a specter, landed with its front paws on his shoulders long enough to give him a kiss, then got down and spun in circles at his feet. Tyler stifled a yell of surprise and stood his ground.

  “That’s Speedy, in case you haven’t guessed,” Kara said. “He’s very friendly. He’s also very fast in comparison to my other dogs. For a greyhound, he wasn’t all that speedy, though. That’s why his owners stopped racing him.”

  “Judging by the look on your face, Speedy was one of the lucky ones. What usually happens to them when their racing days are over?”

  “You don’t want to know,” Kara said. “If I had all the money in the world, I’d probably spend it taking care of the unwanted pets that had been shoved out on the street to fend for themselves.” Thinking about how close she’d come to losing everything after Alex had died and left her saddled with a pile of debts she didn’t know about, she shivered. As long as her veterinary practice continued to grow, she’d be okay. But one hiccup in the normal operations and she could still lose everything she’d worked so hard for.

  Tyler noticed the negative shift in her mood and tried to change it for the better. “I can see it now,” he teased. “The Kara Shepherd Home for Elderly Animals. Our motto is, ‘You shove’ em, we love ‘em.’ How does that sound?”

  “About as ridiculous as you meant it to.” She sent a smile his way. “Thanks. Once I get on my soapbox there’s no telling what I’ll say.”

  He reached for her hand, relieved when Speedy didn’t object. “There’s no reason to be ashamed of caring about injustices or for trying to put some of them right. Just because you can’t cure all the world’s ills, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to. The way I see it, when you’re led to the special ones you can help, you just do what you can. That’s all anyone can ask.”

  Kara looked into his eyes and saw an empathy equal to hers that took her breath away. This man did understand what she was trying to do. And why she’d never stop. His touch was warm and strong, but more important, it was compassionate. Without that remarkable quality, holding his hand would mean little. With it, his touch was momentous.

  Sighing, she laid her free hand on top of his as he continued to gently clasp her fingers. She had no doubt she was supposed to help the lost, lonely animals that crossed her path. But what about the lonely people? What about this man in particular? Had she been led to him? Or, worse, had they been led to each other?

  Oh, Father, Kara prayed silently. Not me. Not yet. I’m not ready for this. Besides, I’m a veterinarian, not a social worker.

  Tell me you’re not lonely, a voice inside her said. She tightened her grip on Tyler’s hand. Mere seconds had passed since he’d reached for her, yet it seemed as if they’d been standing there for an eternity.

  I’d rather be lonely, she insisted. I tried marriage. Anything is better than that.

  Kara felt, rather than heard, echos of rich, wholesome laughter. Her eyes widened.

  “What’s wrong?” Tyler dropped her hand and sc
anned the room in the direction of her anxious gaze.

  “I thought I heard something.” She humphed in disgust. “Never mind. It was probably just God, laughing at me.” Before Tyler could comment, she added, “I always did think the Lord had a sense of humor. He’d have to, dealing with us.”

  “Us, as in mankind? Or, us, as in you and me?”

  “Take your pick,” Kara said. Starting for the kitchen, she added, “Come on. You can open cans for me.”

  Tyler considered her house as he followed. The living room was neat but sparsely decorated. Larger pieces of furniture, such as a sofa and chairs were present. What was missing were the smaller objects, like lamps, knickknacks, end tables and anything that might be breakable. Considering the way Speedy raced around the house leaping over anything in his path, that was understandable. Whatever Kara hadn’t removed to start with had probably been broken the minute the dog had arrived.

  Her old-fashioned kitchen was a pleasant surprise. Tyler paused and began to grin. “Wow. This looks just like my grandma’s kitchen when I was a boy. She even had a Hoosier cabinet like that.” Reminiscing, he ran his hand over the well-used, white-painted finish of the upright, freestanding cupboard. “If I remember right, this enamel countertop slides out.”

  “I was lucky to find one that still works,” Kara said. “Most of them have been altered to fit into modern kitchens where nobody cares about function the way folks used to. That one even has the flour bin still in it. Go ahead. Take a look.” She was pleased to see he felt enough at home to open the upper compartments as she’d suggested. Truth to tell, he seemed more relaxed in her kitchen than he had in his own house.

  Tyler turned to her. “Do you bake?”

  “Occasionally. When I get the urge. I’m afraid the cabinet doesn’t get the regular workout it did in the old days, though. It’s hard to imagine having to bake enough bread and pastries to feed a whole family.”

  Watching her line up the dog’s dishes, he chuckled. “In your case, it shouldn’t be too hard. Everybody in your family eats off the floor!”

  “True.” Kara wasn’t at all put off by his candid remark. “And they’re not fussy.” She set two large cans on the counter beside her.

  Tyler took them. “I’ll open these. What else?”

  “That’s it for the morning meal. I sure wish I could leave dry food out all the time but the dogs are so lazy they let the raccoons and possums steal it if I do.” She was going to mention the added cost of feeding wild creatures as well as her own animals, then thought better of it. Considering the way he’d acted the last time Susan had billed him, the less she and Tyler discussed the specifics of their personal finances, the better off they’d be.

  Mulling over their past conflicts, Kara led the way into the backyard. Now that she was getting to know Tyler better she had serious doubts he’d have withheld payment of a bona fide debt. Yet that was what he’d apparently done, judging by the information she’d been able to glean from Alex’s records.

  Doing her chores automatically while her imagination churned out one unbelievable idea after another, Kara fed the dogs, put cat food up on a high, secure ledge so the cats could eat in peace, then threw a fresh flake of hay to the old carriage horse and made sure all the water troughs and buckets were filled.

  By the time she was through she’d decided what to do. Somehow, she was going to find out what had actually gone wrong after Alex had vaccinated the Corbett herd, even if it meant she had to personally go through every scrap of paper and every supplier’s bill in the boxes and boxes of disorganized files she’d put into storage after Alex’s death. The answer must be there somewhere.

  All she had to do was find it.

  Buster was sitting in his cage looking fairly alert by the time Tyler returned Kara to the animal hospital. Susan was already at work. She started to greet Kara, saw Tyler with her, and froze, speechless.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Kara teased. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

  “You could say that.” Susan grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. “Where did he come from?”

  “Texas, originally, I think. Why?”

  “Stop that. I’m not kidding. When I got here, saw your truck out front and couldn’t locate you, I was worried sick.”

  “I left you a note. At least I think I did. I know I meant to.”

  “But you had other things on your mind, right?” She nodded toward Tyler. “Him, for instance.”

  “Buster was sick. Tyler called and I came in early. That’s all there was to it.”

  “Uh-huh. If I hadn’t recognized Tyler’s dog in the recovery area, I’d have probably called the police and reported you missing.”

  Tyler stepped up and joined the conversation. “It was my fault, Susan. Buster couldn’t walk. I panicked. I only drove your sister home so I could help her with her morning chores. I figured that was fair, since I was the reason she hadn’t stopped to do them before she left.”

  Susan was not about to be placated. “I don’t care if you two decide to elope to Las Vegas,” she declared, hands on her hips, “I would like to be told what’s going on if Kara decides to disappear, again.”

  In unison, Kara and Tyler both said, “Tahiti,” then shared a chuckle at the private joke.

  Finally, Kara looped an arm around her sister’s shoulders and started to lead her away. “Come on. I’ll tell you all about my adventure while we get ready to open.”

  “You’d better,” Susan warned, scowling.

  Kara glanced back over her shoulder and called, “Thanks for your help. You can come back for Buster this afternoon.”

  “Okay. See you then.” Tyler tipped his hat and left.

  As soon as the door closed behind him Kara let her exhaustion show. “Whew.”

  Susan immediately softened. “Are you sick?” She put her hand on her sister’s brow. “You don’t have a fever.”

  “No, I’m not sick. At least not the way you mean. I just can’t seem to shake off an absurd compulsion to find out what actually happened to Tyler’s cattle, back when Alex was treating them. Maybe the vaccine was bad. Or maybe the lab made a mistake on the tests we ran. I don’t know. Something.”

  “Why bother? That was years ago. What difference will it make at this late date?”

  “It makes a difference to me.”

  Susan was slowly shaking her head. “You may be sorry if you go digging into the past. What you find out could change the way Tyler feels about you.”

  Kara opened her mouth to say she didn’t care, then realized the opposite was true. She did care. But only because they’d become such good friends. She trusted him and she knew he trusted her. That element of their relationship meant she owed him the absolute truth, no matter what it was. And if her search proved her business blameless in his misfortune, as she believed it would, they’d no longer have an outdated suspicion standing between them.

  “I have to know,” Kara finally said, starting for her office. “For my sake as much as for Tyler’s.”

  Susan followed. “And if the whole thing was Alex’s fault? What then?”

  “It can’t have been. Alex wasn’t perfect but he was a good vet. Smart and capable.”

  “And honest?”

  Kara froze. Her head snapped around. “Is there some problem with the books you haven’t told me about?”

  “Nothing I can’t fix,” Susan said. “You may have to go back and file an amended tax return for the last couple of years you were married, though. Alex was pretty creative when he made out the original forms he had you sign.”

  “Oh, wonderful. I suppose that means I’ll owe the government more money.”

  “Probably. But maybe we can average your income and break even. I’ll give it a try. In the meantime, I don’t suppose you’d like me to try to collect on any more bills that are years past due, would you?”

  “Who’s on that list besides Tyler Corbett?” Kara asked, anticipating the answer.

  Su
san merely shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Never mind. Bad idea.” She quickly spun around and headed for the reception area. “Guess I’d better get back to work.”

  Watching her go, Kara thanked God for her sister’s loving presence and willingness to share her skills. Without Susan’s proficient management there would have been no way Kara could have kept the animal hospital going. Alex had left the books so jumbled it had taken a professional like Susan to make any sense of them.

  A shiver of foreboding skittered up Kara’s spine like the delicate scamper of tiny, invisible mouse paws. “Alex was just disorganized,” she countered aloud. “That’s all. As soon as I find the original records I’ll be able to prove he had nothing to do with Tyler’s terrible losses.”

  In her subconscious, however, lingering disquiet refused to be banished. Kara knew she’d have no real peace until she sought out the truth.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Buster was more than ready to go home by closing time. Kara delayed leaving work, expecting Tyler to come for his dog, as he ’d promised.

  She walked into the front office just as Susan was hanging up the telephone. “I just called the ranch. Mark says they had an emergency with one of the horses and lost track of time. I’m supposed to give Buster a ride home.”

  “That’ll be fine. You told him you would, didn’t you?”

  “Actually, no.” Susan displayed a self-satisfied smile. “I’m planning to buy a lot of groceries after work. My car will be way too full. Guess you’ll have to do the honors.”

  “Susan…”

  “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m just the messenger.”

  “Then we’ll trade vehicles. You take my truck. Put Buster in the front with you and load all your groceries in the back.”

  “What if it rains?”

  Kara was getting frustrated. “It’s not going to rain.” She marched through the reception area to the glassed-in front. “There’s not a cloud in the…” The instant she peered out, she realized her flawless rationale was no longer valid. “Okay, so there are a few clouds. That doesn’t mean a thing in Arkansas. It might not rain for a month.”