On Monday, Logan took Susan back to the airport—a strangely silent trip. Then he returned to Aspen Creek and discovered two emergency calls added to his already full schedule.
The rest of the week sped by—equally hectic, despite the fact that few mares were still foaling in late May, and the breeding season for next year was essentially over.
He’d barely seen Darcy since dinner last Sunday afternoon beyond some passing, casual greetings at the clinic. But today he was done and back at the clinic by five, determined to catch her before she went home. He’d spent the week feeling edgy and out of sorts, like he’d lost something but didn’t know how to get it back.
And he suspected Susan had something to do with it.
He waited until Kaycee and Marilyn left for home at five thirty, then found Darcy in the lab running a CBC in the hematology analyzer. “Is this for someone in an exam room?”
She shook her head. “A dog we’re keeping overnight. What’s up?”
“I couldn’t get a thing out of my sister before she left, but I get the feeling that she might have been—” he searched for the right word, but when it came to Susan, that could be a challenge “—intrusive.”
Darcy’s shoulders sagged as she turned to face him. “I honestly had no idea what she was talking about, but she seemed to think an awful lot of hanky-panky was going on around here. Apparently—don’t laugh—between you and me.”
“I figured as much.”
“She also hinted at all sorts of big secrets in your past. And—” Darcy gave a helpless laugh “—I actually think she threatened me, sort of. Not that I took her seriously. I mean, she’s got to be under five feet tall.”
“That’s where a lot of people underestimate her,” he said with a wry smile. “She wrestled me to the ground and broke my arm when she was only ten.”
“Maybe so. But as an adult, she seems like a wonderful sister who just wants to watch out for her brother, and I respect that.”
He sighed, remembering some of the times when she’d tried to interfere a bit too much. “I’d like to discuss this a little more, but not here. Could you meet me for dinner tonight—just you and me?”
Her gaze flickered. Then she turned back to the analyzer. “I’ve got Emma, remember?”
“Could you find a sitter for an hour or two? There’s a little restaurant out by the lake. Excellent food, and it’s quiet.”
“I just don’t have anyone I can call on such short notice.”
“At least let me stop at your house so we can measure the cabinets. Then you can get them ordered whenever you’re ready.”
“The sooner the better.” She glanced up at the clock. “I’ll have just forty-five minutes before I need to pick her up, so we’ll have to make this quick.”
After closing up the clinic and setting the alarm, Logan followed Darcy to her house and parked in front. From inside came the sound of loud barking until Darcy unlocked the door and called out Bonnie’s name.
“I’m glad to have an alarm system again,” she said with a smile as she let the dog out into the backyard. “She sounds so fierce, no one would ever guess she’s such a softy.”
“So it’s worked out well?”
“More than. She’s housebroken, she doesn’t chew on things and she’s totally devoted to Emma—follows her around like a shadow and sleeps on the foot of her bed.” Darcy filled a stainless-steel dog bowl with kibble and set it back down on the floor. “I always recommend that clients check the local shelters for an older dog before bringing home a puppy, and this is why. How’s Cedar?”
“A little better,” he admitted. “I brought her home a week ago. She’s had three dips in scabicide, so the mange is clearing up and her bald spots have peach fuzz coming in. I keep telling her she’s quite the fashion plate, but I don’t think she believes me.”
Darcy laughed. “Just don’t let her look in any mirrors.”
“The housebreaking is going fairly well. I don’t think she’d ever been inside before, so that scared her. And she hadn’t ever learned all of the good citizenship rules. But it’s coming along. Once her coat has grown back, I’ll start taking her to the clinic and on calls with me so she’s not alone all day.”
“A perfect life, then, if she can be with you 24/7.” She looked at her wristwatch. “So, what did you want to discuss? I’ll need to go after Emma before long.”
He blew out a long sigh. “As I started to say at the clinic, I want to apologize for my sister. When she got Emma excited about riding Drifter last Sunday and sent the two of us off to the barn, I figured she had a reason. I thought she might pry a little, but not that she’d go so far.”
“She’s worried about you.”
“But it wasn’t appropriate for her to interfere, or to try to warn you away.”
“It was lovely to see someone who cares so much for family that they’ll try to intercede. But as much as I do like her, it wasn’t really necessary.” Darcy gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “You’d already made it clear that you aren’t looking for any relationships here in town. It sounded to me like you were saying ‘been there, done that, not going through it again.’ And as you might imagine, I can totally empathize. So, case closed.”
“I need to talk to you about something else that I should have told you already, but it’s a little complicated, and we don’t have enough time.” His gaze fell on a stapled, typed list several pages long that she’d left on the counter. “Veterinary equipment?”
A blush rose to her cheekbones. “With costs, for either a storefront office or a mobile vet clinic. It makes me a little dizzy to look at those numbers, but I want to be prepared either way.”
“You talked about buying into the practice. Staying on board,” he said slowly. “Is that off the table now?”
“Of course not. But we haven’t really sat down to talk it over yet, either. Without any concrete numbers, I don’t know which direction is the best way for me to go. So I just want to keep my options open.”
He nodded. “I need to talk to the bank and also my lawyer. When I get something drawn up for you to consider, I’ll let you know.”
“Perfect. So, what do you think of the kitchen floor?”
He surveyed the bare hardwood, impressed. It still needed all the steps of finishing, but the vinyl was gone, and a thorough sanding made it look a hundred times better. “You did all this?”
“Worked on it every night. The bedroom floors are completely done. Last night I ran the barrel sander and edger over the kitchen floor, so next I can apply the sealer.” She reached for a tape measure on the kitchen counter. “Once we take the measurements, I can do some ordering.”
“What have you decided?”
“At first I wanted to just reface the cabinets. But after studying the poor condition of these, I’d rather replace them all. White upper and lower, with granite counters—ideally white with gray veining.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ve chosen the style of cupboards in a catalog at the lumberyard. The lower ones have soft-close drawers, and some have special dividers. There are even toe kick drawers at the very bottom, floor level, to add more storage.”
He looked at her in awe. “You amaze me.”
“The floors have taken hours of unskilled labor and a lot of YouTube videos while trying to get it right. The cabinets I just need to choose.”
“I mean everything. Your skill as a vet and dedication as a mom. Doing all of this work on the house yourself would overwhelm a lot of people. And then there’s your cooking. That dessert you brought Sunday night was amazing. Cloud—”
“No, kladdkaka.” She grinned, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Pays to know a Scandinavian, I guess. We have the best desserts. And that one took just ten minutes in the oven.”
“I’ve never had anything like it. It tasted like chocolate silk.”
“Well, now. You might need to stop by now and then for supper, just to see what we’re having.”
They got down to work taking measurements, then checked them a second time.
By then it was time to go. They both headed out the front door onto the porch, and she locked the door behind them. “I really appreciate your help with this. I’ll order the cabinets tomorrow and let you know when they’re ready.”
He gave her a quick one-arm hug, then caught her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. “I just hope you’ll like it all when you’re done.”
The shadows under the covered porch and the lowering sun made the space seem more intimate somehow, more private. When he drew her a little closer, she didn’t resist.
And then, without a plan or even conscious thought, he bent down and kissed her.