Nora studied her. It wasn’t a criticism. It was simply a statement of fact. Nora was always too busy to get away from the law firm. At least, she always thought she was. The only reason she had gotten away now, was because the firm had forced her to.
It was starting to dawn on her that maybe she needed to take a different view of life. Maybe there were more worthwhile ways to spend her time than behind a desk.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make the time,” Nora murmured.
“But she recovered,” Shaw said, “and that’s when she started focusing on safer ways to help the horses. Boarding, feeding, grooming and teaching the riders how to be one with the horses. And the competitions. Man, she loved that. Your aunt had a fierce competitive streak. She loved hanging all the blue ribbons and trophies in the barn here.”
Nora took a moment to savor the image in her mind of a spanking clean barn filled with beautiful, healthy horses, bustling with active, enthusiastic young riders. Laughter and happy sounds making it a productive, bountiful place and the walls covered with the bounty of their success. It sure sounded like a great place to be.
“Good for her. I wish I hadn’t missed it.” Her eyes burned and she wiped tears away. Patty stood and put an arm over her shoulder.
“No regrets, sweetie. You have a busy life and you make a difference for people every day.”
Nora sniffed. She looked up at her sister and attempted a smile to thank her for the sentiment. But was it true? Yes, she had a busy life, and yes, she did important work. She’d worked hard for her career, and she had been successful. But where was her balance? Was her career worth giving up all the other parts of her life? Such as staying in touch with her relatives who had supported her as a child? She’d loved Aunt Edie so much. Why hadn’t she made an effort to at least stay in touch? How hard was a weekly phone call? Dropping a card in the mail? Sending an email?
But now, it was too late.
She sniffed. “I’m sorry for getting maudlin on you.”
Shaw shook his head. “Perfectly understandable. You lost a great woman. I would expect a few tears.”
Nora realized these were the very first tears she’d shed since she’d heard of Aunt Edie’s death. Suddenly, she wasn’t embarrassed about them. In fact, they were long overdue.
“Shaw,” she said, taking a deep breath and pulling herself back together, “tell us about how you came to know our aunt.”
Shaw poured himself a new glass of lemonade. “We met at a Chamber of Commerce event here in Murrells Inlet. Small business owners got together, made acquaintances, exchanged business cards. She spoke to me about Waccamaw Trails and I told her I enjoyed treating large livestock, so we formed a friendship. Whenever she needed medical help for any of the horses on her ranch, she’d call me. She also, I’m not sure if you knew this, had other livestock on the property. She was starting to offer her pasture land up as a sanctuary for animals who needed a home.”
“Really? For example?”
“She had a few goats, a few pigs; livestock, that for one reason or another lost their original home, either due to fire, bankruptcy, owners’ death, that sort of thing. Your aunt opened up her heart and her home to welcome them in. She fed them and treated them with medical care and either got them back on their feet, or gave them a loving last home, then a proper burial.”
“A sanctuary,” Nora murmured. “She was one big-hearted woman, wasn’t she?”
“That she was.” Shaw got to his feet. “Ladies, I need to move on, but I want to thank you for the most delicious meal, and the most delightful company I’ve had in as long as I can remember.”
They all scraped their chairs back from the table, and Shaw made his way to the door. Patty nudged Nora’s arm and motioned toward him. Nora followed him and met him at the door, opening it for him. “Thank you for coming, and for all the great information about my aunt. It was definitely a learning experience.”
He planted his elbow on the doorjamb, and leaned in close to her, his sheer size and masculinity on display to Nora. “My pleasure, and if there’s anything else you need, please feel free to call me. You have my number.”
She was struck mute, her eyes widening, her heart beating and mind blanking on what to say. He lingered for a second, his face close to hers, a smirk on his lips, then he lifted his hand to his cap bill, tugged on it and looked beyond her. “Thank you for the hospitality, Patty.”
And then he was gone.
“Well, that was interesting,” Patty said into the new quiet.
Nora pushed the door closed and turned. “What was?”
“Him wanting to get close to you, and inviting you to call him anytime.”
Nora let out a laugh, and couldn’t stop the smile on her face. “First of all, I wouldn’t necessarily say he wanted to get close to me.” Even though it made her immensely pleased that Patty had interpreted it that way. “And he wants me to call him if I need a vet’s services.”
“Hmmm,” Patty said with meaning. “Why would you need a vet if you have no animals?”
Nora lifted a shoulder. Then she laughed. “Oh, my gosh, Patty, I’m out of my element here.”
“What do you mean?” Patty sat again at the table, and patted the surface as an invitation.
Nora sat beside her, gathering her thoughts. “He is a very attractive man.”
Patty snorted. “Ya think?” she said sarcastically.
“And he seems about my age, give or take. And he appears to be single. He was very easy to talk to, and seems like a genuinely nice guy. I want to get to know him better. He was very close to Aunt Edie and I admire that friendship. But I don’t have the first clue what comes next. The last thing I want to do is make a fool of myself.”
Patty reached over the tablecloth and gripped Nora’s hands. “He likes you. I can tell.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Way to make me feel twelve years old.”
Patty squeezed. “When’s the last time you had a relationship with a man?”
Nora let her eyes go to the ceiling as she thought. “It must’ve been Tom, and I was, what, thirty-five years old then.”
“Okay, it’s been awhile. But things haven’t really changed that much.”
“Patty! That’s not true! Everything has changed.” Nora’s mind whirred with how much had changed in the dating world since she’d last had a boyfriend. Online dating sites, social media, living your life in full view on the internet.
“The important things haven’t changed. He likes you, you like him. You spend more time with him, find out what he’s about.”
“And we live 600 miles away from each other.”
Patty clamped her lips shut. Of course, in Patty’s vision, they would be living in the same town. “Just let it evolve naturally. Maybe it’ll work out. Maybe it won’t.”
“Maybe he was just being polite and friendly because we’re Aunt Edie’s nieces.”
“Maybe. But I really do think he’s interested in you. I’m smart about these things.”
“Okay, Patty. Whatever you say.”
Later in the day, Nora sat in the apartment, studying her phone. She and Patty had spent the afternoon walking with Thunder through the pasture and they’d wound up at the beach. They watched the big black horse play in the waves, then took pictures on their phones of his hoof prints in the sand. The sunshine and soft breeze made it a lovely spring day and she’d left her jacket off to collect a little color in her face and arms. When they’d returned and delivered Thunder safely to his stall, Patty had gone over to the mansion to explore a little more, while Nora relaxed in the apartment.
She had never spent this many days away from the law firm, especially without a single phone call or email. For the most part, she’d managed to keep her mind occupied during this trip, but in the solitude of the moment, she found herself craving an update. What was going on with her firm and the FBI investigation? Before she could debate and talk herself out of it, she called Tony.
The phone rang and r
ang and went to voicemail. Nora hung up, thought for a moment and called again. It rang and rang and went to voicemail. She started to speak, thought better of it, and hung up a second time. What she wanted to say couldn’t be contained in a voicemail. She probably didn’t have a prayer of actually reaching Tony during the workday. She’d call one more time and at least leave a message asking him to return her call. But, when she called a third time, Tony’s angry voice responded, swearing at her and addressing her by name.
“Oh, hello Tony. I was just about to leave a message.”
“Too late. You’ve already interrupted me twice, and I had to get up and leave a meeting.”
“I’m sorry. But while I’ve got you, I just need an update on the investigation and my indefinite sabbatical.”
“Nothing to report yet, Nora. FBI is putting together a case, I’m reviewing all the files they’ve gathered, and I haven’t come to a conclusion about your knowledge of Henry’s collusion just yet.”
Nora ground her teeth. “Have you chosen an attorney for Henry?”
“Yes, I have. I selected a criminal defense lawyer for Henry and put the two of them together. However, the firm will not be paying for or sponsoring the defense. It will be Henry’s personal defense.”
So, Tony was throwing Henry to the wolves. A fist gripped her heart. Henry may have made some mistakes, but she feared that Tony was using this to rip Henry’s name off the masthead, so his would be primary. Where hers would land, was anyone’s guess.
“That’s all I have to report at this time, Nora.”
“Okay. One more thing, was there any response from my email communication to the firm?”
“Yes, mostly positive. I think everyone’s just in shock at the moment, over Henry’s actions. I would say in general all the colleagues are supportive of you, Nora.”
Nora closed her eyes. Her hard work ethic and reputation were protecting her, even in her absence. “That’s good to hear. And, what about you, Tony?”
There was a pause, and a sigh. “I won’t surmise until my review is done, Nora.”
“I’d like to know what your mindset is going into this witch hunt, Tony.”
“My mindset is completely neutral. The facts will pave the way.”
Although she preferred to hear that he trusted her and wouldn’t dream of her being engaged in any wrongdoing, she had to reluctantly admire his fair approach. “Okay, then, I’ll wait for my official acquittal of any inappropriate action. And I’m confident that you’ll eventually get there.”
“I’m sure you are, Nora.”
“Do you have a timeline in mind? I’m out of town currently and would need a little bit of notice to return.”
“I don’t, but I’ll be in touch when I have a decision made.”
There was nothing left to say, she guessed. “Good-bye, Tony.”
He broke the call with no farewell, but that was the new, all-business, ‘I have no allegiance to anyone’ Tony. Just the facts, ma’am.
The next day, Nora’s phone rang. An unidentified local number was calling her. When Shaw’s deep voice greeted her, she got a little breathless.
“Hi Nora, how are things going?”
“Just fine. We’re enjoying some time with Thunder. Have you heard from his owners yet, by the way?”
“No, not yet. But I’m glad to hear you’re having fun with him. In fact, that leads me to a favor I need to ask you.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. I need to borrow one of your stalls in the barn if you don’t mind. I have a pregnant mare who needs to be kept inside for a week or so.”
“Why?”
“She’s got an infection. She just needs a little TLC and with antibiotics, I’m sure she’ll heal up just fine.”
Nora frowned. “I’d love to help. God knows I have plenty of room. And I’d be happy to keep an eye on her. But I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. Everything’s kind of up in the air at the moment.”
“Not a problem. I’ll transport her over there, and visit her twice a day. I don’t want to put you out. But if you find you need to leave, just let me know. I’ll find somewhere else for her.”
A smile formed on her face. Shaw would be here twice a day? And all she had to do to guarantee that was to house a pregnant mare? Now that was an offer she couldn’t refuse. “Sounds good, Shaw. I’ll see you later when you bring her.”
“I really appreciate it, Nora. Like aunt, like niece.” He chuckled. “Seriously, this was the type of favor your aunt Edie would do for me whenever I asked.”
Warmth flushed through her chest. Knowing how fond Shaw was of Aunt Edie, and learning recently about how Aunt Edie was admired by so many, this sentiment pleased her to no end. “Thanks.”
A few minutes later, Patty came from the bedroom and stopped. “What on earth are you grinning about? You’re sitting here all by yourself beaming like a crazy woman.”
Nora giggled and filled her in.
Two hours later, Shaw drove to the barn, pulling a large horse trailer. The rig thudded and bumped over the rutted dirt road and came to a stop. Patty and Nora joined him. He opened the truck door and unfolded his large frame out of the seat, landing on his feet. “Afternoon, ladies.”
They greeted him and wandered to the back of the trailer. A horse’s chestnut-colored rear end and the top of a cream tail were visible. Nora ran a hand over the soft hair. “This is our little mama, huh?”
“Yep. She’s not feeling the best and I want to protect the pregnancy. She’s too early to give birth and we have to contain her while we let the antibiotics start to work.”
“What’s her problem?”
“Vaginal infection.”
Nora looked at him, wide-eyed. “Oh no! That sounds serious for a pregnant mare.”
He nodded and got to work opening the trailer door. “It’s not all that uncommon for pregnant horses, but if left untreated, it could definitely cause problems for the foal and the mare.”
They stepped out of the way while Shaw climbed into the trailer. Using gentle words and a soothing tone of voice, he backed the mare carefully out. Nora circled around to her head and held her hand out to the horse’s muzzle. She reached into her jeans pocket where she’d gotten into the habit of placing a few of the baby carrots that Patty had picked up at the grocery store. Always handy when she was visiting with Thunder. Now, she could use the same technique to befriend this lady.
“What’s her name?”
“Maggie.”
Nora held up a carrot to show him. “Mind if I …?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“Hey Maggie Mae,” she said, leaning in close to the horse. “Would you like a treat today?” She held the carrot flat on the palm of her hand and maneuvered it to her mouth. Maggie accepted it and crunched, keeping eye contact. “You’re going to be our guest for a few days. We’re happy to have you.”
The horse dipped her head and sniffed her pocket, then nickered. They all laughed.
“Must run in the family. You’re a natural with horses,” Shaw said. A tidal wave of pride came over Nora.
Shaw snapped a lead rope onto Maggie’s halter and led her to the barn. They chose a stall a few down from Thunder’s. The gelding came to the wall, gazing curiously through the bars of his stall at the new arrival.
“Thunder,” Shaw announced, “you make sure this little lady feels welcome.”
He led Maggie into the stall, then shoveled another forkful of straw on the floor, filled up her bins with oats, hay and water. “I really appreciate your help. Don’t worry yourself about her. You can come to visit her, but I’ll be over to take care of all her needs. She mainly just needs rest and isolation.”
They watched the mare settle in for a few minutes, then they headed back outside. Just as Shaw was about to get back into his truck, Patty said, “Care to sit outside for a spell and have a sweet tea?”
Nora turned her head toward her sister, giving her an astonished expression. When had Patty started
talking like a southerner? Sit outside for a spell? Sweet tea?
“Well, thank you very much, Patty. I could spare a few minutes, and sweet tea surely fits the bill right now.”
Nora rolled her eyes at her sister, then placed a normal expression back on her face. They found some Adirondack wooden chairs in an empty stall and Shaw hoisted two of them easily and carried them outside. He went back in for a third, and by the time Patty arrived with a tray holding three glasses, he’d arranged all three chairs in a semi-circle in the shade not far from the barn. Nora accepted a glass from Patty and took a sip. She felt her teeth soaking in a thick layer of sugar, tea and lemon.
“My, oh my,” Shaw said, drawing out his words appreciatively. “You do make a nice sweet tea.”
Nora looked over at Patty. “Yeah, you’d think she was southern or something.”
Patty shrugged and laughed. “When in Rome …”
Nora made a mental note to take a long walk after Shaw left, to burn off the several hundred calories that she suspected were lurking in this sweet drink.
“So, how is the veterinary world treating you?” Nora ventured.
Shaw gave an approving nod while he swallowed. “Just fine. Can’t complain. Busy, busy. I’m the only large livestock vet in the area, so I’m traveling all over to care for horses, cows, llamas, goats, what have you.”
“Do you care for dogs and cats?”
“Limited. Most people bring their family pets to a domestic vet. But if I’m out at a farm or a zoo and a dog or cat needs some help, I can treat them as well.”
“Did you say, zoo?”
“Yes, I occasionally work on exotic animals. Rarely, but I’ve done it.”
“You’re kidding.” Nora smiled at him.
“No. The first thing I do is make sure I’m armed with some sedative. A little hard to examine a tiger who’s still awake.”
“You’ve examined a tiger?”
Shaw chuckled. “Yes, I did, but it was a group effort. The tiger was complaining of pain in his mouth, and wouldn’t eat. They called me out and I took a look at him from a distance and I was pretty sure it was a rotted tooth. We needed to pull the thing. I called a dentist buddy of mine.”
Sanctuary (Murrells Inlet Miracles Book 1) Page 8