“I’m so sorry,” she said as she jumped from the car. “I know I’m late.”
Cade ignored her apology. “The animals are waiting.”
“What kind of day did they have? Are they settling in all right?”
“I don’t know. I’m not an animal psychiatrist. Besides I had other things to do today than watch them. This is a working farm, remember.”
“Oh.” She tried not to sound as disappointed as she felt. It wasn’t as if being concerned about these animals was his job. He was only providing the lodging and food, not the attention they needed. It would be up to her to give the pets love and affection.
The cats were lying around in the remaining light, apparently content. She wondered if they’d spent the day sunning themselves. Megan took a few minutes to give them individual attention. Samson wasn’t around, but that wasn’t cause for concern. No doubt he was hanging out with Delilah in the corral. The dogs tolerated his presence much better than the cats tolerated Delilah’s.
When she stood and turned, Cade was still standing there. He’d obviously been watching her. Had he expected her to immediately start cleaning up after the animals? She’d get to that in time. To her it was more important to take care of the animals’ emotional needs before seeing to their physical ones.
He shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “If you want to know how the animals are adjusting to living here, you can check with my dad. He was around the house all day and spent some time with them.”
Megan smiled tentatively. Maybe Cade wasn’t as unfeeling as he appeared. Of course, it was hard to be certain about anything when it came to him. His behavior was so inconsistent. It was as if he was engaged in some internal battle. She’d always thought the images of a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, each trying to influence someone’s behavior, were ridiculous. Cade had her reconsidering that opinion. If ever a man was conflicted, it was him.
Not that he was alone in being torn. She was suffering from the same affliction. Despite her hard and fast rule about never trying to win the heart of someone who wasn’t inclined to love her, she couldn’t stop wondering “what if” when it came to Cade Battle.
When he’d dropped her off last night, she’d imagined what it would be like to kiss him good-night. Her heart had nearly leaped from her chest at the ridiculous notion. Not that she could ever find out now, even if he ever did show interest. He was a client and she had a strict rule against dating clients or former clients. It was imperative that she keep her professional and personal lives separate. She’d worked hard to get her education and become a lawyer. Her career meant everything to her and she had no intention of jeopardizing it. Not that Cade had given even the slightest indication that he was interested in her as a woman. Still, it was good to remind herself of her rule before she let her imagination lead her down a path she shouldn’t travel.
“Thanks. I’ll talk to your dad before I leave. Now I think I’ll play with the dogs for a bit before I clean up after them. Then I’ll feed them. If that’s okay with you.”
“It’s fine.”
She walked toward the corral where the dogs had spent the day. She’d only taken a couple of steps when she noticed that Cade was walking beside her. Taking his presence as a sign that he was making an effort to be friendly, she decided to do the same. “How was your day?”
He seemed surprised by her question, and a few seconds passed before he answered. “Fine. July is one of our busier months. The days are longer but sometimes it feels like there won’t be enough daylight to get everything done.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about the cats and dogs. I intend to keep my word to take care of them so there won’t be even more on your plate.”
“I know that. And if I seemed hard or unfeeling the other day, I apologize.”
“An apology isn’t necessary, but I appreciate it just the same.”
“And I’m also sorry for snapping at you just now. It was totally uncalled for.”
She nodded. “Accepted.”
They reached the corral and he opened the gate for her. Although a couple of the dogs lifted their heads when she entered, most of them remained lying down. Were they sick? She looked at Cade, who grinned sheepishly. “I might have thrown a few balls around with them while I was waiting for you to show up. They seemed to enjoy it.” And just like that, a part of her heart that she’d intended to protect at all costs began to sing. She struggled to cut off the music. She wasn’t going to make another mistake.
“Mrs. Crockett’s backyard was pretty small, so there wasn’t much room for them to run around. Having all this space must seem like heaven to them.” She’d tucked a couple of balls and a rope in a bag, intending to play with the dogs for a while herself. That plan went by the wayside quickly. The dogs were exhausted. They’d probably spent a good deal of the day chasing each other.
She called the dogs and they walked over, wagging their tails when she rubbed them. A couple barked and ran around her feet before sitting down. As she’d done with the cats, she gave each one individual attention, using their names as she talked to them.
Several stainless steel bowls were filled with water. Imagining that the bowls had been sitting out for a while, Megan grabbed one to add fresh water. To her surprise the water was cold. “I gave the dogs water a few minutes before you arrived,” Cade explained. “I didn’t know how much later you were going to be.”
“Thanks.”
There were several chew toys lying around the corral, and she looked at Cade, who shrugged. “My dad. He thought the dogs would like toys to play with when they got tired from running around. And when you go into the barn, you’ll notice some cat toys as well as a couple of cat mansions.”
“Cat mansions?”
“Yep. Two of them.”
“More gifts from your dad?”
“He wouldn’t buy for the dogs and leave the cats with nothing. That would be playing favorites, something he would never do.”
Megan leaned against the rail fence encircling the large grassy corral and looked out over the vast farm. “Your dad is really great. You’re so lucky to have him around.”
“I know. He’s one of a kind. When Chase and I were growing up, all of our friends wanted to hang out here because of how cool my parents were.”
“What happened to your mother, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“She died last year. Cancer.”
“I’m sorry.”
He blew out a breath, and she knew he was gathering his emotions. When he spoke again, his voice was choked. “It came out of nowhere. Mom had always been healthy. She didn’t drink or smoke and she watched what she ate. Living on a farm, she got plenty of fresh air and exercise. She did everything right and still got sick. She fought hard to beat it. She did chemo and had radiation treatments, but nothing worked. All they did was make her sicker. Day by day she got weaker and weaker and there was nothing we could do to help her. It seemed as though she was sick for a long time, but the end came so fast. It just happened all of a sudden. One minute she was there and the next she was gone.”
Megan could tell from his bewildered tone that he was still trying to make sense of something that didn’t make sense and never would. She’d fought that same fight for years before she’d finally accepted the truth. In life some things happened without rhyme or reason. Trying to comprehend the incomprehensible would only lead to heartache. Yet she also knew that acceptance was a process, so she didn’t try to impart any words of wisdom. And who knew, maybe he was the rare person who would find a way to make sense of it all.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, at a loss for anything else to say.
“The neighbors were great, which is one of the reasons Dad was so insistent that we pay it forward by taking in Mrs. Crockett’s animals.”
“Right. Speaking of them... I’d better ge
t to cleaning up before the light fades.”
She’d brought a pooper scooper and Cade provided a bucket, so she got busy cleaning the corral. Pee-Wee barked softly when she came near him, but other than that, the dogs largely ignored her. When she was done, she lugged the bucket to the gate. She had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do with the poop.
She was opening the gate when Cade returned. He took the bucket from her.
“Thanks. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with it.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Are you sure? I promised not to add to your workload.”
He laughed. “It won’t take more than a minute to dispose of this. I can spare that much time.”
“Thanks. I’ll get started on the litter boxes.”
“Be my guest.”
Once she’d scooped the litter boxes, she washed her hands. Cade had written measurements for the food, so she mixed the old and new food into the bowls and set them out. The cats, except for Samson, who was hanging out with the dogs, had followed her into the barn and immediately went to their bowls to eat. Megan was about to go and get the dogs when she heard them running into the barn beside Cade.
“I thought I would help you out a little.”
“Thanks.” The dogs raced to their bowls and began to gobble down their food. Instead of going back to whatever he’d been doing, Cade leaned against the door, his arms folded over his muscular chest. No doubt he was used to the commotion a bunch of animals caused when they ate. She’d never been at Mrs. Crockett’s house at mealtime, so yesterday was the first time she’d witnessed the animals eat.
“The dogs sure do eat fast,” Megan said.
“You should have seen them this morning.”
Megan slapped a hand on her forehead. “I didn’t come out this morning. It didn’t even cross my mind that I needed to.”
“How do you think the dogs and Samson got to the corral? Someone had to let them out and give them water all day.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to add to your workload. I’ll stop by in the mornings from now on.”
“That’s not necessary. My dad helped. To be honest, I think he likes having them here. When I got back from taking you home last night, I found him in the barn, checking on them. It’s good for him to have things around for him to love and care for.”
“He has you.”
“Yes, but I can take care of myself. Besides, I don’t live this close to him.”
“You don’t live here? I thought you did.”
“I live on the farm, but I have my own house. It’s about twenty minutes away on the eastern section of our property. It can get pretty quiet and empty around here once everyone has gone home. I know that’s the time when my dad misses my mother the most, so I eat dinner with him a few times a week to keep him from getting lonely.”
Megan’s heart swelled at Cade’s words. “You are such a good son.”
He seemed embarrassed by her praise and looked down at his shoes for a moment. When his gaze returned to hers, it was filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. “I didn’t always appreciate him. Or my mother, for that matter. It took losing her to realize how much she meant to me. Of course, it was too late to show her. I’m determined not to make the same mistake with my father.”
She nodded. Not a day passed that she didn’t wish she’d had more time with her family and the ability to tell them how much she loved them, so she understood what he meant. “I’m sure he appreciates having you around.”
“I hope so.”
The animals finished eating and began to wander around the barn. The sun had faded and the once hot day turned cooler. Most of the cats migrated to the cat mansions, as Cade had referred to them, and found places to lie down. There were two identical cat houses, each with four enclosed cubbies, four round beds, and several thick scratching posts. He’d placed one in each of their large stables between the beds she’d bought. The cats were definitely living in the lap of luxury.
The dogs, on the other hand, weren’t as ready to settle down, so she and Cade let them go outside, where they walked around the corral for a bit. While the dogs enjoyed the outdoors, Megan and Cade leaned against the rail. Neither of them spoke, but the silence between them was companionable. After a while the dogs began to wind down and one by one came to the gate. Once the dogs were in the barn, they settled into their beds. Megan once more said good night to each of the pets before going to her car. She was surprised to see Cade waiting for her.
“I guess it’s a wrap,” she said, stretching. She covered a yawn.
“One day down, countless more to go.”
“I need to check Rebekah and find out how the adoption process works. Hopefully she’ll have an adoption fair soon and families will fall in love with the pets. Or maybe when space opens up they’ll be able to move to the shelter. Whatever happens, I’ll let you know so I don’t disrupt your life more than is necessary.”
He smiled as he opened her car door. “Don’t worry about it. A little disruption is good for the soul.”
That comment caught her off guard. He might think disruption was all right, but she’d had enough to last a lifetime. Now she just wanted a calm and predictable life.
Chapter Six
Cade was always an early riser, but he woke earlier than usual and headed to his father’s house. After parking his truck in his usual spot beneath a tall tree, he checked on the animals. As they had yesterday, the cats ignored him. He got the feeling they believed the barn was their domain and he was the intruder. If there was one thing this hotel for animals gig was teaching him, it was that cats were not to be bothered unless they wanted to be bothered. The dogs, on the other hand...well, he was learning why they were considered man’s best friend. The minute he walked into the barn, they began barking and jumping around his feet, obviously thrilled to see him.
He let the dogs into the corral so they could run a bit and then got their food and water ready. Hooking his foot on the bottom rail, he watched them play for a few minutes before he went into his father’s kitchen. Reginald was pouring a mug of coffee.
“Good morning, son.” Reginald filled a second mug with coffee and passed it over.
“Thanks.” Cade breathed in the aroma before taking a sip. Perfect. Nobody made coffee as good as his father’s. When he’d moved into his own house four years ago, Cade had followed his father’s directions to the letter but couldn’t duplicate the brew. After many unsuccessful attempts, he’d finally given up and started joining his parents in the mornings.
“Do you have time for breakfast?”
“Of course.” Cade sat at the table and stretched his legs in front of him. Though he couldn’t make coffee, Cade was an excellent cook. His mother had spent hours teaching him and he’d memorized most of her recipes. Still, Reginald was the king in his kitchen now and a firm believer that too many cooks could spoil the meal. To Reginald, two was one too many. So instead of helping, or getting in the way, as Reginald called it, Cade watched as his father chopped mushrooms, tomatoes and onions for omelets, then shredded a brick of cheese. When his father started to fry a ham steak, Cade recalled Megan’s appalled reaction when he’d told her Little Piggy had been delicious and he laughed out loud.
“Something tickle your funny bone?” Reginald asked.
“Yes. I was just remembering something Megan said.”
“Well, don’t keep it a secret.”
Cade recounted the story and he and his father laughed together. When he’d stopped laughing, Reginald stirred a splash of milk into the eggs and then poured the mixture into a frying pan. He kept his back to Cade while he worked. “Megan is a nice girl.”
Cade grunted his reply, signaling his disinterest in continuing the conversation.
“Pretty, too. Being new to town, she can’t know many people.” He added
the vegetables and cheese to the pan. “And from the sound of it, she spent most of her time with Mrs. Crockett and her menagerie. Now, Mrs. Crockett was a nice woman, but I don’t imagine a ninety-year-old woman showed her much of Spring Forest.”
Cade knew his father well, so this conversation, while unwanted, was not unexpected. What Cade didn’t know was the best way to end it. He decided to give silence a try.
Reginald slid the omelet onto a plate and immediately got to work on the next. He dropped four slices of bread into the toaster and continued his matchmaking without missing a beat. “Now, a young man like you could show her a few of the sights.”
“I’m busy, Dad. I’m already taking care of her animals in the morning even though I don’t have time for the hassle.” Not that it was entirely a hassle. He was discovering that he liked the animals even the cats who probably couldn’t care less how he felt about them. He hadn’t had a pet growing up, not unless you counted his horse, so it was kind of nice to have animals around that showed affection. He had a soft spot for Delilah. And Delilah seemed to like him, too. Whenever he was near, she’d follow him around or sit at his feet.
“That’s true. The farm is busy this time of year.” Reginald said, taking the second omelet from the pan and sliding it onto a plate. He added toast and ham to each plate and carried them to the table, setting one in front of Cade and keeping the other for himself. “Still, Megan is alone now and needs someone to show her around.”
Cade nodded and dug into his food. “This is good. Thanks.”
“Maybe that Jamison kid can take her around,” Reginald mused.
“You mean Keith?”
“Yep. He’s a nice young man.”
“He got married four months ago. I doubt his wife would appreciate you setting him up on a date.” Reginald knew very well that Keith had gotten married. He’d gone to the ceremony. He was just trying to goad Cade into hanging around with Megan. Cade wasn’t going to fall for it.
“I suppose not. Well, I’ll think of someone. It’s not right for a young girl to be all alone in a strange town. Actually, when you think of it, she’s all alone in the world.”
The City Girl's Homecoming Page 7