Linda surprised Dawn by being on time again. She’d already ordered for both of them and was drinking her second cup of coffee.
“Is this going to become a habit?” Dawn teased.
“Perhaps.” Linda smiled. “I love your hair! When did you get it done?”
“The other day. Randy likes it too, though he wouldn’t even look at it at first.” She relayed the story to Linda, who at first laughed and then in the very next instant started to cry.
Dawn shook her head. PMS. They both suffered from it in varying degrees. Nothing to be alarmed about. “Okay, you’re crying because...?”
Linda shrugged, wiped her eyes, and shrugged again. “It’s just that it’s so obvious how much he cares for you.”
“And...?”
“And Harland’s asked me to marry him.”
Dawn smiled, pretended to be surprised, and sat back. “This is a sad, sad day.”
“I know.” Linda laughed, still tearful. “I’m so happy, I can’t stand it. Something’s going to go wrong. I just know it.”
“Nonsense,” Dawn said, reminiscent of her mother, and invoking immediate thoughts of her. Haunting thoughts. She quickly changed the subject. “Eat up. We’ve got shopping to do. And you know how I love shopping.”
Linda smiled. Dawn hated to shop, and as the afternoon wore on, hated it more and more. “I look like a football player,” she said, referring to a dress with huge shoulder pads, which she couldn’t get out of fast enough. “Forget this.”
Linda was growing weary as well. She turned to Miss Diane, the woman who’d been fitting them both for years, top floor at Saks. “I think we’re losing her.”
“Not to worry. I have been saving the best for last.” She disappeared and returned with two outfits, a pale green silk dress, crisscrossed and draped elegantly at the shoulders, and a three-piece winter white cashmere suit.
“Yes!” Dawn tried them both on. The always-necessary alterations were pinned; hips, waist, and hem lowered. And they were all set. Both outfits would be tailored and delivered within two days. When Randy arrived at the apartment, Dawn was sound asleep on the couch. The lobby attendant had to buzz twice before she answered.
“Sorry, yes. Send him up.”
He was due well over an hour ago and looked exhausted. “What happened?” she asked, letting him in.
“I was meeting with Raffin. We’re going to make an offer to buy out Jake’s old partner.” He wrapped her in his arms, savoring the length of her body against his, and kissed her, then kissed her again. “How late are they open downstairs?”
“They’re closed.”
“Oh great. Do you feel like going out?”
Dawn shook her head. “When you were late I went ahead and ordered up two of the specials.” She glanced into the kitchen. “All we have to do is microwave them.”
Randy smiled, laced his fingers through her hair, and held her a moment. “Which reminds me.” He turned and walked to the phone to write down her number, once and for all, and having taken out his wallet, put a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
“What do I have to do for that?” Dawn joked.
“It’s for dinner. But let me see how much more I’ve got?”
“Not enough,” Dawn replied, laughing. “What do you want to drink?”
“Coke, if you have it. I’m on call.”
“Again?” Dawn said from the kitchen.
“And tomorrow too. I’m going to be gone this weekend, remember.”
Dawn nodded. “So what’s this about buying out Jake’s partner?” When she handed Randy his Coke, he popped the lid and took a long thirsty drink.
“Raffin and I have been kicking it around since...” He trailed off, didn’t want to say since Jake’s death, and took another drink. “We’re just finally getting around to putting a proposal together.”
Dawn placed one of the meals into the microwave, closed the door, set the timer, and looked at him. “This is really strange, I never thought of you as having a base here. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Randy looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Set down roots here, with your family being so far away.”
Randy stared, felt a lump forming in his throat. “Dawn? Did you think I was just passing through?”
Dawn shook her head, staring as well now. “No, I just...” She shrugged, seemingly nonchalant, and turned her back to him, watching the turntable in the microwave go round and round.
Randy touched her arm, and when she wouldn’t look at him, put his Coke down and pulled her close. “What did you think?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure. I guess I thought this was just a residency. That you’d be here only until...”
Randy swallowed hard, gazing into her eyes. The timer went off then, but he refused to let her go. “If that’s the case, then what did you think was going on here? Between you and me?”
Dawn shook her head. What could she say? This was only temporary. They were temporary. “Randy, forget it. Okay? I didn’t mean anything.”
“Fine.” Randy hesitated, then smiled tentatively and kissed her. “If you say so. But I’m here to stay, Dawn. I want you to understand that.”
“I do.” Dawn nodded, steadied her trembling bottom lip before it gave her away, and turned to finish heating their dinners. “I hope you like shrimp.”
When they were seated in the living room in front of the television, Dawn asked casually, “Why are you interested in buying Jake’s practice? What’s the appeal?”
Randy chewed and looked at her. “The appeal?”
“Yes. Is it the business aspect that...?”
Randy smiled. “No, not at all. That part I dread. But then again so did Jake, which is why this is so ideal. He’d literally removed himself from the daily operation of the building and the small animal end over the years. Half the time I picked up supplies from his house.”
“So you would be...?”
“Strictly large animal. Not that I don’t like cats and dogs,” he added, smiling. “Or that there isn’t any money in it.”
Dawn looked at him.
“I just don’t like being inside all that much.”
Dawn nodded. “So how does Dr. Raffin figure in?”
“Well, he feels the same way. He prefers large animal. But with all the developments going up in his area, it doesn’t seem to be the direction he’s headed. He wants out.”
“And so you two are going to...?”
“The basic proposal is this. His booming small animal practice for Jake’s hospital and the large animal end.”
“It sounds reasonable to me.”
Randy agreed. “There’s only one snag. The twin brothers who want to buy in with Lenore.”
“Lenore?”
“The small animal vet at Jake’s.”
“What’s the snag?”
Randy chuckled. “Their uncle’s an attorney. You should see some of the fine print.”
Dawn smiled. “For instance?”
“Well, territory stipulation for one.”
“Which you agree or disagree with?”
“Disagree. I wouldn’t actively go in and recruit their patients. I don’t want them. But at the same time, I don’t like people telling me what to do, or where I can or can’t go. The point of being your own boss is to be your own boss.”
There were other considerations as well. Randy scooped up the last of his fried rice and explained about the size and benefit of Jake’s building as opposed to Raffin’s; Jake’s was owned outright by his estate, Raffin’s was under a mortgage, and Jake’s also offered the most room for expansion.
“What would you do about large animal surgery in the meantime?” Dawn asked, if in fact they bought out Jake.
“The same thing he’s been doing for years. Anything other than a standing operation gets sent to Ohio State. Which is why we’d want to build as soon as possible. We’re figuring it in the loan package.”
“I see,” Dawn said.
It was then his pager went off. He phoned the answering service right away and was promptly put on hold. He looked at Dawn and shook his head. “So what do you think?”
Dawn shrugged.
“What? What’s the problem? Does this mean you have to rewrite some of your book?”
Dawn rolled her eyes. Him and this fascination with her novel. “At least two chapters.”
“I’ll bet,” Randy said, believing her and turning as the operator came on the line. “What do you have for me?”
As he jotted down the information, Dawn gathered their plates and took them into the kitchen. Randy hung up the phone, studied the name and address for a moment trying to place the person, and looked up when she returned. “Do you feel like coming with me?”
Dawn paused, and shook her head. “Not tonight. I’m still not feeling all that great.”
Randy teased her with a smile. “You do look a little pale.”
“Thank you.” Dawn leaned her head against his chest, nestled in his embrace, and found herself listening to the steady, familiar beat of his heart. “Are you going to come back?”
Randy smoothed her hair. “If you want me to.”
She did. Desperately.
“Are you going to wait up for me?”
“Uh...”
Randy laughed. “Then you’d better give me a key.”
“Good idea.” There was an extra set in the desk. “Here. This one’s to the garage door, and this one’s to the apartment.”
Randy took them both and as she looked up at him, searched her eyes. “Are these mine to keep?”
Dawn hesitated, but only for a second. “Yes,” she said. “Put them on your key ring.”
When Randy returned several hours later, Dawn rolled over in bed, focused on him, and smiled. “Everything okay?”
He nodded. “Shhh. Go back to sleep.” He sat down on the chair next to the bed, took off his shoes, and quietly went into the bathroom. The ensuing sound of the shower reminded Dawn of a distant ocean, the waves coming and going with the apparent turns and motion of his body...the spray pulsating his massive shoulders and strong back. The length of his arms. His muscular legs. Harder and harder. Again and again. Then softer. And softer. More distant and further and further away.
Randy crawled into bed next to her, tucked her snugly into his arms, and kissed her good night. The blankets were nice and warm. She was nice and warm. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.”
Dawn left for the racetrack in the morning without waking him, and a little after eight walked up to the guard shack to make a phone call. She hung up when she saw his truck turn in off the highway. He stopped for his messages and then drove up next to her.
“Calling the weather?”
Dawn smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “No, I was calling you to make sure you weren’t still sleeping.”
Randy yawned. “You should’ve woke me when you got up.”
“I figured you needed to sleep, you got in so late.”
Randy shrugged. “It goes with the job. Speaking of which.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a ton of farm calls this afternoon, so I’m going to be late again, but let’s do something besides Chinese. I’ll stop for a pizza.”
Dawn smiled, agreeing, and started to walk away. “I’ll pick up some beer.”
“Wait a minute,” Randy took out his wallet. “Here, and while you’re at it, pick up some pepperoncinis. You know, the little hot peppers. They’re...”
“I know what they are. Anything else?”
Randy handed her a ten-dollar bill and then a five. “Yes, get some Oreos.”
Dawn laughed and kissed him again. “I’ll see you later.”
Tom was scratching himself when she returned to the barn.
“Jesus! Enough is enough. All right?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. But I do think it’s getting better.”
“Right.” Dawn sighed. “Where’s Ben?”
“He went up to the kitchen with Miguel and his agent.”
Dawn headed for a bale of straw to bed down the filly’s stall. “Do you think Ben’ll ride him again?”
Tom flicked a toothpick toward the muck bin and popped another one in his mouth. “Probably. You know what he says about not taking things personally.”
Dawn glanced back at him and shook her head. “Stop scratching!”
“Shit!” Tom cupped his hands. “I don’t even know when I’m doing it anymore.”
Dawn sighed in exasperation. That a grown man, particularly one as rough and tough as Tom, would be afraid to go to a doctor, amazed her. “What’s the big deal?”
Tom shrugged, and in a rare moment, grew rather serious. “Listen. I don’t want a man touching me there. All right?”
Dawn shook her head. “Then go to a woman.”
Tom gasped. “What? And have her see me when I’m not at my best? Not on your life.”
Dawn laughed. He was hopeless. “Have you tried putting anything on it?”
“Yeah, lots of things. They only make it worse. It’s driving me crazy. And I’m so goddamned tired of washing everything. I keep...”
“Wait. Maybe you’re allergic to your soap.”
“No, I’ve been using it for years.”
“I mean your laundry soap.”
Tom shook his head at first, then stared. “Holy shit!” His eyes lit up. “I bet that’s it!” He grabbed her by the shoulders, hugged her, and took off down the shedrow. “Do Red’s stall for me!”
“What?! No!”
“And tell Ben I’ll be back later. I’ve got laundry to do.”
Dawn laughed. “Use Ivory Snow.”
“Oh baby, I will,” he sang. “From my head to my shoes. Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh, I got a new attitude....”
Ben laughed as well when Dawn relayed the message and sat down in the tack room with a heavy sigh. “I was allergic to a certain shaving cream once. I walked around for days looking like Meg had slapped me up one side of the face and down the other.”
Dawn smiled.
“Well, let’s hope that’s what it is.” He took out his condition book. “So what time are you and Randy leaving tomorrow?”
“Around noon. Our flight’s at one.”
Ben nodded. “And you’ll be back when?”
“Late Sunday.” Dawn glanced over his shoulder to see which page he was looking at in the book, and whose name he was penciling in. “Why?”
Ben glanced at her and grinned. “Just wanting to know how many days of peace and quiet I’m going to have.”
Dawn laughed. “Don’t let Tom change anything.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing’ll change.”
When Randy arrived at Dawn’s apartment that evening, she had all the drapes pulled and the stereo playing softly. “Lord, it looks like a dungeon in here.” He put the pizza down and walked over to the terrace. “You’re missing an awesome storm coming with these curtains closed.”
“I hate storms. And they’re drapes.”
“Yeah, well I love them. Dark clouds, whistling wind, the snap of lightning.”
“And let’s not forget the rattling of wood, the creaking of windows. The lights going out. Wires down. Sirens off in the distance.” She turned the music up louder.
“Come here,” Randy said, twice before she relented. “Now tell me that isn’t beautiful?” A distant lightning bolt lit up the clouds in spectacular hues of red and orange.
Dawn shivered in his arms. “Even so, it’s still a storm.”
Randy kissed her neck. “How many times did you see the Wizard of Oz?”
Dawn laughed. “Go ahead, make fun of me.” She cringed from the sight of an aggressive streak of vertical lightning. “At least ten or eleven times.”
“Well, if I promise to keep the wicked witch from stealing your shoes, can we keep the curtains open?”
“Drapes, Randy. They’re drapes.”
Randy laughed. “Come on, let’s eat.”
Dawn placed her back to the storm, only to jump repeatedly with each thunderous boom, and moved her chair so she wouldn’t have to see the reflection of the lightning.
Randy just shook his head.
Eventually she relaxed a little and thought about tomorrow. “What are your parents like?”
Randy reached for another piece of pizza. “Oh, average I guess.”
Dawn smiled.
“You’ll like them. Don’t worry.”
Dawn nodded. What concerned her was if they would like her. She could see them saying, “Excuse me. What did you say your last name was? Isn’t that the name of...?”
“Dawn?”
“Yes.” She looked at him.
“I’m serious. You’ll like them. Okay?”
“Okay.” She passed him another napkin when he motioned for one. “I wasn’t sure of a gift for Cindy, so I’m just going to give them money. All right?”
Randy shrugged. “Not too much I hope.”
Dawn smiled, ignoring the implication, to a point. “No, it’ll be the appropriate amount. I’ve consulted my social secretary.”
Randy laughed. “Are you all ready to go?”
“Yes.” Her dress had arrived and everything else was laid out. “Are we still going to meet here at noon?”
Randy nodded. “I’ve got an appointment with Raffin and the lawyer at ten-thirty, so I should be right on time.”
Dawn studied his eyes. It looked as if he had a thousand things running through his mind. “All Together’s scheduled to work out of the gate again. It’s set for eight. Do you think you can make it?”
“I’ll be there,” he said. His pager went off then. A few minutes later, he was kissing Dawn good-bye. It was after one when he returned, and this with his pager beeping in the elevator. He phoned the answering service from Dawn’s living room, and smiled as she emerged from the bedroom rubbing her eyes.
He hung up and shook his head. “You are so beautiful.”
Dawn walked like a zombie in his direction. “You don’t have to go back out again, do you?”
“Sorry...but yes.” He tilted her chin and kissed her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
Dawn gazed into his tired eyes. “Are you all right? Do you want some coffee?”
Winning Odds Trilogy Page 28