by Debra Kayn
Cierra squealed, and Charlene grimaced. "You wouldn't have thought so earlier. She was one cranky baby, screaming and fussing." She shook her head and frowned.
Samantha squinted at Cierra and then opened her eyes and mouth real big. The little girl delighted in Samantha's funny faces, and squealed again, batting her arms in the air.
"No! Not you, Cierra, you silly-willy girl. I bet your momma is exaggerating. Next time you want to see Aunt Samantha, ask your mom and dad nicely to bring you to me." Samantha blew bubbles on Cierra's chubby little cheeks.
The men talked while Charlene and Samantha entertained Cierra. The food arrived, and Charlene reached out to take the baby back. Samantha waved her hand away.
"I'll hold her. You enjoy your meal for a change." She cuddled the precious baby to her chest.
***
Bobby might have kept up a steady stream of conversation with Darryl, but his gaze stayed on Samantha as she played with Cierra. His chest tightened, and his leg jumped with excess energy. As he studied Samantha, he tried—and failed—to understand the rush of feelings that came over him.
He'd never thought of having kids of his own, or settling down, but something about the way she held the baby against her and the way her eyes brightened at the laughter she produced from Cierra left him wondering what Samantha would be like with her own child. He ran his hand over his face and rubbed the roughness of his whiskers.
If he did have children, he didn't want children with just anyone... He wanted it to be with Samantha. He wanted it to be their baby who put that joy on her face. A little boy or girl with Sammy's red hair. He could almost imagine the little tyke flapping its chubby arms for attention. Shit! Where the hell had that thought come from?
He was losing touch with reality. Why else would he think of having babies and spending a lifetime with one woman?
His cell phone vibrated, and he excused himself from the table to answer it in private. To his surprise, his legs wobbled when he stood up, and he shook his head to get his bearings. Jesus, he needed to get a grip.
"Yeah?"
Bobby kept his back to the table. His forehead tightened, and he blew air out of his clenched teeth. He hoped this time that everything fell right into place.
"I'll be right there." He clicked the End button and shoved it back in his pocket. He hated the times he got called away from Samantha. He wondered if she'd press him for more answers—answers he wasn't allowed to give her, but wished he could.
With Darryl at the table, he'd have to be careful about his excuse to leave, and hope his coworker caught on and played along without giving him away. He was damned tired of the charade he had to play to complete the job.
Bobby waited for Samantha to finish handing Cierra one of her French fries.
She turned toward him, and her smile disappeared. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. That was work." Bobby nodded at Darryl. "I have to leave and check out a group hunting on private land."
"I wonder why Darryl didn't get called?" Charlene tilted her head.
Darryl slapped Bobby on the back. "They wouldn't dare call me. Besides, this dude begs for overtime pay."
Bobby shrugged, chuckled, and turned his attention to Samantha. He bent down and gave her a kiss. He glanced at Cierra, who puckered her lips and sent him smacking kissy noises.
"You need a kiss too?"
He captured Cierra's little head between his hands and gave her lots of little kisses over her greasy baby cheeks. She tasted of French fries and sweetness. His heart turned over at the giggles that overcame her.
"Oh, I think you have another girl interested in you, Ranger Man." Samantha leaned over to grab another kiss from Bobby. "Call me when you can, 'kay?"
He nodded and waved to the group on his way out the door.
"One of these days I am going to duct tape him in place so I can spend more than a few hours with him." Samantha jiggled Cierra on her lap.
"I hear ya, girlfriend." Charlene lifted an eyebrow in Darryl's direction and frowned.
Chapter Thirteen
The metal cowbell above the door jingled again, and Samantha caught the wink Charlene sent her way before ducking out of the room. She danced a little jig in the privacy of her office. Friday the thirteenth was turning out to be luckier than she'd ever expected.
Not long after opening the doors this morning, the waiting room became packed with people and animals. She performed yearly shots, scheduled sterilization surgeries, and wrote up several farm-check appointments. Not even open a month and the clinic was already booked solid for the next eight days.
Samantha walked down the hallway and removed the next patient's chart out of the slot on the door, then wrinkled her nose. Usually, Charlene filled in enough information about the patient that Samantha could pretty much guess the diagnosis before opening the door. This time, however, everything remained blank, except for the smiley face Charlene drew in the corner.
She rapped her knuckle on the outside of the room, waited a couple of seconds to make sure the owner secured their animal, and went inside. She stepped in and quickly shut the door behind her.
"Well, what do we have here? The world's prettiest bunny, I'm sure of it." Samantha smiled.
The rabbit's owner stood behind the four-foot exam table with only the top half of her head showing. The saddest eyes she'd ever seen peeked at her, and Samantha's mouth softened.
"Somethin' is wrong with Bonny." The little blonde-haired girl sniffed and ran her arm across her nose.
"Can you tell me what you think is wrong with Bonny?" She held out her hand to the child to come out from behind the table.
The young girl shuffled around to stand beside her. Samantha crouched down, picked up the rabbit, and sat in the chair in the corner of the room. With her most serious doctor expression, she studied the rabbit. The child's concern was palatable, and Samantha's heartstrings reached out to the junior animal lover.
"Bonny keeps pulling out her fur, and she won't eat any of the clover I pick for her today at all. She always loves to eat." The little girl's chin trembled, and the dirty tear tracks down her cheeks showed Samantha how worried the child was over her pet.
"What's your name, sweetie?" Samantha stroked the rabbit that sat perfectly still and twitched its nose.
"Gabby."
Samantha smiled. "That is a beautiful name." She ran her hands along the curve of the rabbit's neck checking for any obstructions. "Gabby, do you have any other bunnies at home?"
She shook her head.
"Hmm, do you keep Bonny in a cage outside or in the house?" Samantha moved her hand down the rabbit's back.
"Oh, no! He gets to run around the yard. Bonny never runs away, because I always feed him." Gabby scooted over to kneel in front of Samantha.
"I see." Samantha lifted the front end of the rabbit, slipped one hand underneath to the belly, and used her fingers to probe the stomach region. "Ah, there's the problem."
Gentle hands sat Bonny the bunny back down on the floor. Samantha scratched her head. "Gabby, I think your bunny is a she. A girl."
The young girl cocked her head to the side and frowned. Samantha wanted to grab Gabby up in a hug and explain the facts of life to her, but it wasn't her job to do that. She'd have to tread lightly and leave the sex education to her parents.
"But my dad said I should name him Bonny Lad, since he is so handsome." Gabby closed one eye and tilted her head the other way.
"Hmm. That is a hard one. Maybe calling her Bonny Lass would be okay?"
Samantha nodded. "It's kinda the same."
She grinned as Gabby slowly smiled and nodded in agreement.
"There's something else I need to tell you about Bonny. The reason she's pulling her fur out and not eating is because she's getting ready to have babies." Samantha patted her stomach.
The little angel's eyes grew huge, and her smile lit up her whole face. "She's got a baby in her tummy? Just like my mom?"
Samantha laid her hand on Gabby's shoulder and laughed.
"Because Bonny wants to have her babies, she uses her fur for a nest. That will keep the babies nice and warm when they arrive. You'll probably notice that Bonny will start eating soon, because she has to also feed her babies." She hoped Gabby understood.
"My mom eats a lot for the baby in her tummy too." Gabby nodded.
"So you understand all about this baby stuff. Good girl! You are very smart and a great caretaker to Bonny. You did the right thing bringing her to me."
Samantha spent the next ten minutes giving directions to an eight year old on how to care for a pregnant rabbit. She found a small cage to loan Gabby and stressed how important keeping the babies safe from other animals would be for her.
"I'm going to give you my business card, Gabby. If your parents have any questions, I'll be happy to talk with them." Samantha laid the card in the feed bowl inside the cage.
Gabby's thin arms stretched out and tightened around Samantha's waist. Samantha swallowed. This was why she loved being a veterinarian. She only wished half the pet owners in the world cared that much.
Using all her strength, Gabby lifted the cage with Bonny the bunny in it and walked out of the clinic. Gabby yelled her thanks into the wind. You're welcome, sweet Gabby.
"Do I bill your last patient?" Charlene grinned from the front desk.
Samantha held her hands over her heart. Her eyes filled with happy tears. "No, I think that one we can chalk up to community service. God, she was adorable! Where does she live?"
"Right behind the clinic." Charlene filed the folder in the out-box. "Well, that was the last patient for the day. I can't believe how busy we're getting. I have a feeling, Dr. James, that you're going to be a success."
"Thanks. It does feel nice. Now, go home and kiss that baby for me." Samantha removed her white scrub coat and stretched.
"That I can do." Charlene laughed
Samantha and Charlene walked out of the clinic together, and she stood outside a while longer, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine after Charlene drove away. She spotted Luce ambling out of the gas station and shouted her name before jogging over to talk with her.
"Hey, Luce."
"Hey, yourself. Aren't you supposed to be home getting changed so you can swing by the café tonight?" Luce shook her finger at Samantha.
"I don't know if I'm coming tonight. I was hoping Bobby would come over. I haven't seen him in a couple of days. He's been really busy with work." Samantha stuck out her lower lip.
"Girl, you don't need to wait on a man! You might as well come and enjoy the night, instead of sitting at home willing the phone to ring or hoping he'll come visit you late at night." Luce clicked her tongue. "My, oh, my, what stupid things women in love do."
Luce did have a point. Besides, it was Friday night, and Bobby knew where to find her if he wanted. The last few weeks had been busy, and she deserved a night out, with or without him. The thought of more cheese sticks alone reeled her in.
"Okay. I'll go home and get ready. Save me a stool. I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving." Samantha walked backward away from Luce.
"The clinic getting busy?" Luce asked.
"You have no idea. You'd think the town had never had a veterinarian before."
"We haven't!" Luce laughed.
Chapter Fourteen
The crowd at Luce's Café resembled a Super Bowl victory party. Samantha wasn't sure if the packed room came from the usual Friday crowd or those seeking relief in the air-conditioned room.
Samantha welcomed the blast of cooler air and worked her way through the café to the bar in the back. After taking her preferred spot in the middle of the row of bar stools, she turned around to hunt for Luce. She spotted her over at the jukebox.
Luce stood with one hand planted on her hip, her eyes narrowed, and her nose scrunched up like someone who smelled something rancid. Whoever sat at the end of that look must have done something to tick her friend off. Although one of the sweetest women she'd ever met, Luce also possessed a temper that matched her outgoing personality.
People parted far enough that she was able to follow the line of Luce's anger and spotted Bobby talking to another man. His head tilted down to the shorter man, a person she didn't recognize, who hung his head. Strange. Judging by the way Bobby glared at the man, their conversation must be serious.
She twirled around on the stool and picked up a plastic menu lying on the bar. It wasn't any of her business what Bobby discussed with other people, and she might have misunderstood Luce's expression. If something was wrong, he'd tell her later.
She placed her order with the waitress and turned back around on the stool to see if Bobby had finished his conversation. The spot where he'd stood was now empty. Where'd he go?
"You up to singing tonight?" Luce appeared at Samantha's side.
"Only if you sing with me." She grinned.
Luce shook her head. "No way. I never sing."
"Well, I've paid my dues and sang for the crowd once. I'm not going to embarrass myself again." Samantha laughed.
"Next time, I'll get you up there." Luce nodded.
"Hey, do you know where Bobby went?" she asked Luce, while spotting and waving to Betsy Miller, a woman she'd met who owned the largest herd of goats she'd ever seen, coming through the door.
"Bobby? No, I've been so busy. Was he here?" Luce wiped the bar counter with a rag.
"That's strange, I could have sworn I saw you glaring at him and another man when I sat down." Samantha narrowed her eyes.
Luce's eyes shifted, and Samantha frowned at her friend's reaction. What was going on?
"Oh, there he is. Speak of the devil." Luce waved, motioning Bobby over.
Samantha lifted her chin for Bobby's kiss. His hair glistened with dampness, and the smoothness of his cheeks indicated he must have taken a shower before heading out for the night.
"I tried calling you at home earlier, but you must've left already." Bobby sat on the vacant bar stool next to her.
"I decided to treat myself tonight, but I'm glad you found me." Samantha ran her hand along his jawline. "I saw you earlier, but didn't want to interrupt."
"I'm here now." Bobby ran his fingers through his damp hair. "How was your day?"
She leaned forward. "Man, it was busy. I loved it."
"Getting more patients?" He flashed a grin.
"Yep, and the local farms are calling in, requesting I start farm visits. It feels good." She twirled around on the stool and laughed. "I'm growing faster than I thought possible."
"I bet. Congratulations." He leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss. A few seconds later, he groaned and sat back.
"Enough about me. How did your day go? I kept looking out in the waiting room hoping you'd stop by so I could get my Ranger fix." Her lips came out in a pout.
"I wanted to, believe me," he said, giving her another kiss. "I went over to Cartland to pick up some supplies and didn't get back until later this afternoon."
The burger and fries she'd ordered arrived, and she slid the plate between them. "Here...I'll share half my dinner with you."
She recounted the story of Gabby and her rabbit, Bonny. Before she knew it, she'd eaten more than her share of the food.
"We probably should have ordered you a meal. I didn't think I was this hungry." She laughed. "Do you want to get another burger?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm good. I ate lunch today, and I'll bet you a nickel you skipped your noon meal."
She wrinkled her nose and nodded.
"You want to get out of here?" Bobby lifted the corner of his mouth.
"Absolutely." Samantha slipped a ten-dollar bill under the edge of her plate. She put her hand on his arm at the sight of him pulling a wallet out of his back pocket.
"Next time, when you eat more than I do, you can pay." She winked.
***
Bobby continued driving past the clinic and headed out of town. She glanced outside, then
gazed over at Bobby, who was smiling at her.
"Okay, spill. Where are we going? Are we going to your house?" She laid her hand on his thigh.
He laughed and smacked his hand against the gearshift. She lifted her eyebrow.
"Samantha...do you even know where rangers live?" He snorted.
"I imagine in houses, like everyone else." She rolled her eyes. "I don't think the county expects their employees to sleep in Smokey the Bear's cave."
"Rangers only work during camping season, between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Then they go back to their real homes. In the meantime, while I'm working, I live in a very small travel trailer," he explained. "That's the reason I always go to your house and never invite you to mine. The trailer might be self-contained, but you would need a can opener to help squeeze in there if I were in there too."
"So, where do you live in the off-season?" The question slipped out before she could stop herself. She clamped her lips shut. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
What if he lived somewhere far away? What if this relationship they'd formed was just another seasonal romance to him, and he left her without a backward glance after his job was over?
"I have a house on the northern coast in Oregon. It was originally my granddad's. He was a commercial fisherman back in the day. Since he passed on, I've taken care of the place. You'd really like it." Bobby glanced over at her and smiled.
The coast? That was at least three or four hours away. A lump caught in her throat. She missed him already.
She wanted to kick herself for not asking this question earlier in their relationship. How many hundred other things did she not know about Bobby?
She turned on the radio and fiddled with the stations, as she concentrated on not crying. Life wasn't fair sometimes. She realized her big mistake was relying too much on Bobby and thinking their lives ran alongside each other. She blamed no one but herself.
He didn't even know about Parker or her plans for the two of them. All this time, she'd forced the issue to the back of her mind. But why? She knew why. She was too scared to face the possibility of Bobby not accepting her brother, knowing he'd spent time in prison.