Chapter 18

When Allison took Lizzie to pick up Gypsy the next morning, Shane had already left for the day.

“He had a lot of barn calls to make,” Sandy said. “Some horses down in the South County area are showing signs of encephalitis, and he needed to check them out ASAP. He was gone before seven, but Gypsy is doing well, and you can take her home. Carrie will bring her out and give you instructions for her care.”

Allison bit her lip and handed the leash to Carrie. She had hoped he would be here, so she could…could what? Offer an apology? Admit she was bullheaded? But she feared a mere, I’m sorry, wouldn’t fix what was wrong between them.

She waited until the recent tech school graduate went into the kennel before turning back to Sandy. “Can we put this on my account until the first of the month? I know I still have a balance, and I’ll pay it up when the board checks come in July. Things are just a little tight right now.” She hated owing Doc Brewster, but the extra care for Pride, and then the tire she’d had to replace, had put a definite crimp in her budget.

“Sure, hon, that’s fine,” the kind receptionist assured her. “Doc knows you’re good for the money. By the way, have you been up to see him lately? He’s talking they may let him out here soon, but he’s got a long row to hoe before he can come back to work.”

“I’m sure.” Allison sighed and tamped down guilt because she hadn’t been back to see Doc. Life had become just too crazy lately.

Carrie led Gypsy out, and the collie went right to Lizzie, leaned against her and wagged her feathery tail. The vet tech handed the leash to her and talked over the two printed sheets of directions with Allison. She gave Gypsy a parting pat on the head. “You stay away from those old coyotes now. They’re nothing to mess with.”

Lizzie’s glance jumped to Allison’s. “Was it…?”

“We don’t know for sure,” she answered quickly, “but probably.” No need to get into a discussion here about what had taken place at her farm.

Before anymore could be said, she hustled her daughter and dog out into her vehicle. She lifted Gypsy onto the blanketed back seat and secured her. In a few moments, they were on the highway back home.

“I don’t think it was a coyote,” Lizzie finally said. “I’ve heard them yip before, and this…didn’t.”

Allison couldn’t argue with her, nor did she want to encourage the young mind to keep thinking about the terror of two nights ago. “I know, and Officer Williamson is looking into it. Let’s hope he has a better answer.” Except he’d given his answer, and it was the easiest one, not what she herself believed.

At home, she settled Gypsy in a crate in the house to keep her from moving around too much, and then students began to arrive for the afternoon group lesson. Jenny’s mother dropped her off, and the high school girl set to work helping the kids saddle up the horses.

To Allison’s relief, the lessons went off without a hitch and the horses all behaved themselves, in spite of having been kept inside the past two days. But when Jenny would have let them out to pasture for the rest of the afternoon, Allison had to stop her.

“I’d like them to go back in their stalls. I…have plans this evening, and I’ll feed them early.” It was as good excuse as any, even if it wasn’t really true.

“Uh-oh, you must have a date with the hot vet,” her part-timer teased. “I heard he’s taking over Doc Brewster’s practice for good. Bet you’re happy about that,” she added as she led a suddenly antsy Major to the barn.

The sorrel wasn’t happy about not getting his usual run in the pasture, and Allison knew this couldn’t go on for much longer.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She led two of the other equally unhappy horses inside. “Doc Brewster is doing well, and knowing him, he’ll probably be back to work by end of summer.” And then will Shane leave?

“Well, my mom is good friends with Sandy, and she thinks Doc Brewster is going to retire. Do you think he will? I mean, it would be really cool if your boyfriend took over and—”

“Not my boyfriend,” Allison stated. Especially not after last night. He hadn’t phoned her at all today. Would he call tonight?

She turned to putting the horses in their respective stalls. When finished, Jenny had already left the barn and was outside talking to one of the moms, Betsy Finnegan. The teenager shook her head and shrugged then pointed toward where Allison stood.

Now what?

The Finnegans had boarded their horse here for nearly two years, and their daughter, Bethanne, took lessons twice a week. Their child could be a little bossy, and Betsy catered to her every whim, but they were dependable and always paid their board on time.

Allison could tell as Betsy approached she was clearly upset about something. “Hi, Betsy, what’s up?” She tried to keep her voice upbeat.

The woman pushed back her coppery hair and shifted her oversized designer purse on her shoulder. “Well, Bethanne is having a birthday party sleepover this Friday night, and Lizzie is invited, but I have to ask you about something I’ve heard.”

“Of course.” Her pulse took a sudden leap.

The well-kept woman hesitated and chewed her bottom lip. “I was talking to Sylvia at Jackson’s General, and she mentioned you’ve had problems out here with coyotes bothering the horses. Is that true, and has anything happened to endanger anyone?”

How on earth did Sylvia know what was happening here? Mentally, she ticked off the people who knew. Shane, Mark Williamson, Sandy, and the vet tech. She’d not mentioned it to anyone else. But someone had, and of course Sylvia would have been only too happy to pass on what she knew.

“I’m not sure who Sylvia has talked to, but there is nothing dangerous going on here. We had an incident the other night, but the horses are all fine. It’s all under control.”

The redhead didn’t appear convinced. “Hmm. Well, I certainly hope so. We would hate for anything to happen to Bethanne’s Apollo. You know we have hopes for them on the show circuit next year. Perhaps you should consider getting someone out here to trap the animals causing the problem? Or just shoot them.”

Allison flinched at either solution. “Shooting around the horses isn’t an option, but I do have the conservation officer checking into it, so you needn’t worry about Apollo. You know my first concern is for the safety of all the horses and the children who come here.”

“I’m sure that’s true, and we trust you, but we might have to think about moving to a different boarding barn if anything else happens.”

“It won’t.” She glanced to where two of the other mothers were still talking, and she could see them shaking their heads. Had they all heard something?

After studying Allison for a moment, maybe gauging how upset she was by all this, Betsy waved a manicured hand. “Anyway, like I said, I really came over to invite Lizzie to Bethanne’s sleepover this weekend. We’ll start about six on Friday. They’ll be watching movies and eating pizza. I hope she can come. I’m even happy to pick her up for you.”

It was just the sort of thing she had wanted for her daughter, some normal girl-type activities. “Of course she can come. Sounds like a fun time for the girls. Thanks for inviting her.”

“It’ll be good for Lizzie. Don’t forget, have her bring a sleeping bag and pillow.”

Allison nodded and was relieved when Betsy and the other mothers left for the day. How much they’d discussed what might have happened here at the barn she could only guess, but knowing how news good or bad traveled, it was only a matter of time before a lot more folks would hear some version of the truth. And yet, she could not bring herself to tell them the truth.

****

Shane packed up the equipment he had used at the last barn call of the day and started for home. Inoculating the horses in South County and treating a couple of sick cows and a colicky horse had kept him busy all afternoon, and he’d had little time to think about the conversation with Allison the night before. But once he got on the highway, his last words to her came back to haunt him, and he could have kicked himself for being so curt. She had every right to feel the way she did. Circumstances had been hard for her, and yet she’d made the best of it and carved out a life for herself and Lizzie. Did he have the right to come into it now and demand she change just for him?

In spite of the surprise of discovering he was a father, he wanted to be that father, more than anything he’d wanted in a long time. And he wanted Allison to be his wife. Could he still convince her they could be a family?

Only one way to know, and he made up his mind on the drive back to the clinic not to wait any longer to find out.

When he pulled into the drive at Allison’s Farm, a peaceful and serene scene greeted him. The sun would soon set and golden light spilled across the pastures, orchard, barn, and farmhouse. It reminded him of the first time he’d seen the farm, when he’d come to apply for a job, a desperate kid from the city in need of a home and a reason to make something worthwhile of himself. He’d found all that and so much more, only to lose it for what he thought would be forever. Now, here he was back again and determined this time not to lose the only thing that had ever really mattered to him.

He found her sitting on the porch swing, her gaze focused on the gnarled apple trees and the path into the woods. With one sneakered foot, she pushed herself slowly back and forth and looked for all the world like a child lost in her thoughts.

Shane paused at the foot of the steps and cleared his throat. She brought her gaze back from wherever it had wandered and settled it on him. A sad smile touched her lips, and it tugged at his heart just as her smile always did.

“You’re here.”

“Am I welcome?”

She shifted over on the swing and made room for him.

Without hesitating, he went up the steps and sat down next to her, careful to still keep a few inches between them. “I thought I’d stop in and see how Gypsy is doing. Has she gotten around much today?” A safe topic.

“Lizzie had her on the leash a little while ago, and they walked around the yard a bit. She ate a good supper.”

He nodded and rested his hands on his knees, wondering how to tell her what was in his heart. To his surprise, she turned his face to hers and kissed him, her hand curving along his jaw and slipping around the back of his head to pull him closer. His thoughts spun for the moment. Did she know how much he loved her?

She ended the kiss with a sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. Relieved, he drew her closer and pressed his face into her hair.

Lizzie found them that way and clicked her tongue in make-believe disapproval. “All right, you guys. What’s going on out here?”

Allison smiled and pushed away from him. “I was just taking a nap. Is dinner ready yet?”

Their daughter snapped the dishtowel she held and flung it over her shoulder. “It is. Mac and cheese and fresh green beans from the garden. I just picked them this morning. Will you be eating with us?”

She pinned him with what he was now recognizing as her “Lizzie look.”

Shane dipped his head to peer into Allison’s face. “Will I?” Are we okay now?

“If you like.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “I think mac and cheese was always one of your favorites, and it is Grandma Ellie’s recipe, not from a box.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” He rose, and taking her hand, pulled Allison up after him. She leaned into him a little, and he so wanted to kiss her again.

Later.

“I’ll set another place.” Lizzie held the screen door for them, motioning her mother in first, and when he walked past her, his daughter gave him a nudge and mouthed the words, Did you ask her?

He quickly shook his head.

“When?” This time she whispered.

“Soon,” he side-whispered back.

Allison stopped ahead of them. “What’s going on with you two?”

Silence hung in the air, and Shane went to pull out a chair for her then winked at Lizzie. “Just saying how much I love mac and cheese.”

Allison glanced suspiciously between them, then, with a shrug, sat down.

After an enjoyable family dinner, he helped clear the dishes and spent some time checking Gypsy’s injuries. The collie made no protest and seemed to know his gentle hands had saved her a few nights before. Thank goodness he’d been here. Another loss would have been devastating for Allison.

Not long after, he sat with her on the sofa while their daughter fed the kittens. Like fat little fur balls, they tumbled across the floor and pounced on each other in play.

“Wynkyn is the fastest. He doesn’t want to stay in the basket anymore.” Lizzie snatched him from scooting underneath a bookcase. “Blynkyn is shy, and Todd is always happy.” She sat on the sofa and cuddled the three fluffy babies. “I’m glad you brought them to me to take care of. Just think what might have happened to them if you hadn’t.”

Pride filled his chest. “You’ve done a great job, too. Look how much they’ve grown already.” He tickled Wynkyn’s tummy, and the kitten nibbled his finger. “You should think about being a vet someday.”

She seemed to contemplate this. “If I did, maybe we could work together.”

“I would like that, Shortstuff,” Her sweet little face, so intent, gave him another rush of emotion, one he could only figure was fatherly love as he thought about what the future might bring. “I would like that a lot.”

When she took the kittens up to her room with her, Shane turned to Allison. “I was at the hospital to see Doc the other day. He’s doing well, but he’s decided not to return to work. He’s retiring.”

That bit of news knitted her brows. “I guess that’s not surprising, after what he’s been through, but what will happen to the clinic?”

He paused. Did he tell her now?

Go for it!

“He’s offered it to me.”

She contemplated that a moment. “Are you sure it’s what you want?”

“I guess that depends.”

“On?”

You. But this isn’t the moment. It has to be just right.

He leaned back on the sofa and chose his words carefully. “I guess we need to talk, but not right now. Not here.”

She tipped her head in question, and he leaned closer. “I think we should go out. Just the two of us. A nice dinner. After all that’s happened here recently, you deserve a night out and a little R and R.”

She laughed softly. “R and R sounds lovely, but as you well know, there is never any rest around here, let alone recreation.”

“Well, I think tomorrow night would be the perfect time to start a new tradition. Just you and me and some alone time. Maybe we can talk your pal Jenny into staying with Lizzie.”

She laughed. “Actually, you seem to have planned it just right. Lizzie has a sleepover at Bethanne Finnegan’s house tomorrow night. It’s a first for her.”

He tried to place the name. “Finnegans. Did I ever know them?”

She shook her head. “They moved here a few years ago. Bethanne is in Lizzie’s class at school. I’m hoping it will be good for her to go to a party for a change instead of hanging out with me and the horses.”

Shane plucked at her ponytail and wound the honey-colored strands around his fingers. Still as soft as the silk he remembered. He drew her close and kissed her for a long time while he imagined so much more.

“So, will you go out with me?” he finally asked against her lips.

“Sounds like you’re asking me on a date.”

Her fingers played a soft tune at the back of his neck, and he suppressed the shiver of pleasure that threatened to ripple through him. “I am. We haven’t been on a date in a long time. I think we have a lot of catching up to do.”

And I have something very important to ask you.