Czytaj książkę: «Hometown Hearts»

Chapter One

“Good boy, Toby.” Dr. Cheyenne Granger laughed as the hound dog standing on her examining table swiped her chin with his tongue. She may have been just out of vet school but she was so happy with her choice of profession she could not contain her joy. She wrapped her arms around the elderly canine.

“You are such a good patient.” She lowered him gently to the floor and gave his ears a rub. “Are we friends again?”

Big chocolate eyes forgave her for having stuck him with a needle a few moments before.

“Thanks, buddy.” No one on earth could forgive the way a dog could. “Are you ready to find your mom?”

Toby swiped her face a second time and wagged his tail. “Yes! Let’s go!” he seemed to say as he tilted his head to one side and glanced toward the closed door.

“Then lead the way, handsome.” She seized his leash. Toby knew the path down the short hallway past the patient rooms to the waiting area where the air-conditioning blew against the hot summer Wyoming sunshine. Several dogs panted with nervousness alongside their owners, waiting for their appointments. One particularly unhappy cat yowled from a carrier in the corner.

“Toby!” Terri Baker Gold rose from one of the cushy chairs and hurried over. The dog gave a cry of relief and raced into his owner’s arms. “What a good boy. Did you think I wouldn’t be waiting for you? I would never leave you, baby.”

The hound licked Terri’s chin at the reassurance. Happy that his appointment was over, he wagged his tail and looked expectantly at the door.

“We should get the results from the lab in a few days. I’ll give you a call. Other than that, I’ve sent a prescription over to the pharmacy.” Cheyenne grabbed a biscuit from the bowl on the counter and held the bone-shaped treat out to Toby. “You let Terri know if you don’t feel better, okay, boy?”

The old dog took the treat politely, crunching away with canine satisfaction on his face.

“Thanks, Cheyenne.” Terri, a lifelong friend, smiled. “Nate must be thrilled to have you join his practice.”

“He hasn’t tossed me out yet,” she quipped from behind the counter where the receptionist, Tasha Wisener, chatted on the phone. Multiple lines were lit up; another busy day. “I’m the one who is thrilled to be here. I’m grateful Nate has taken me under his wing. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”

“Especially with so much going on in your family.” Terri opened her purse and pulled out her checkbook. “The Grangers have had two weddings already with two more to come. Then there’s Rori’s pregnancy and rumors about Frank and Cady.”

“Yes, and you’re about the hundredth person who has hinted for insider information on Dad’s intentions toward a certain inn owner.” She couldn’t help laughing. Her dad’s quiet romance with Cady Winslow had become the talk of the town. “I’m the last to know anything. Besides, even if I did know something and admitted it, guess what would happen next?”

“Me. I would happen,” Tasha intervened. She hung up the phone and tapped a few computer keys. Terri’s bill popped out of the printer. “I would repeat it, my mother-in-law would get wind of it and the whole county would know by nightfall. Nothing is private in a small town.”

“And if it is, not for long.” Cheyenne grabbed the next patient’s chart—the Stone family, who didn’t yet have a pet of their own but had been to the clinic twice already. Little Julianna had a rescuer’s heart.

Wondering what had brought the Stone sisters in today, Cheyenne straightened her white coat, opened the door and walked into the cozy examining room. Sunlight streamed through the window and tumbled onto the soft, buttery walls and tile floor. Two chairs flanked the window, one filled by a tween wearing a frown, a fashionable summery top, shorts and matching sandals. The other girl, grade school–aged Julianna, clutched a shoe box. Tiny holes had been punctured in the lid to let in air.

“Cheyenne!” Her brown pigtails bobbed as she held out the box. “It’s a baby bird. A hawk caught him and I waved the yard rake at him until he let the baby go.”

“Sorry,” Jenny apologized with a big-sister-in-charge attitude. “I told her not to bother. But she insisted. I don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

“I can’t let her suffer.” Julianna blinked back tears and her button face crinkled with the pain she felt for the bird. “It says in the Bible that God loves the sparrows. This is a finch, but I’m sure He loves finches, too.”

“I know He does.” Cheyenne took the box gently, worried over what she would find inside. “I’ll take a look and see what we can do to help this little guy.”

“She’s a girl, or I hope she is. I named her Tomasina. Everybody needs a name.” Julianna sniffled, doing her best to be brave and hold back her tears of concern. Her sister fought the same concern by lifting her chin as if she so did not care.

Cheyenne wasn’t fooled. This was the sisters’ third visit since she’d joined Dr. Cannon’s practice. She understood what the girls could not say. She carefully placed the shoe box on the metal examining table and eased off the lid.

Tucked in the corner and huddled in a cozy bed made of a soft hand towel—a brand-new guest towel by the looks of it—lay a baby goldfinch, tiny and fragile. Broken bits of down littered the towel. The creature trembled, terrified and in pain.

Julianna squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers steepling in prayer. Cheyenne could feel the force of it from where she stood, a child’s pure, unselfish wish. Surely the good Lord would hear such an honorable request.

“Hey, Tomasina.” She spoke softly, willing all the calmness she could into her voice. “It’s good to meet you. I imagine you are really missing your mama.”

The baby bird tilted its head to focus on her. The little heart beat wildly, tapping against the fluffy down on its breast. How terrifying this had to be and how alone the chick must feel.

“You are safe, little one.” The finch was too young to fly and probably too paralyzed with fear to move. Tenderly, she scooped the tiny bundle into the palm of her hand and held it carefully so the bird felt secure. Sure enough, talon marks tracked around the exposed abdomen, puncturing the skin where claws had dug in. They didn’t look too deep, but with such a tiny creature they didn’t have to be.

“See, right here?” She took the time to hold the finch for Julianna’s inspection. The girl came closer, eyes wide and bottom lip trembling when she saw the contusions. “That’s where she’s bleeding. I need to clean the wounds and tend them.”

“She’s not going to d-die?”

“I don’t know, but I promise to take good care of her.”

“I know you will.” Julianna gently stroked the bird’s soft head with the tip of her forefinger. “You’ve got to be all right, Tomasina. Be sure and do what Dr. Granger says.”

The little girl was too cute. Cheyenne bit her lip. The bird in her hands relaxed a bit. Maybe the creature realized she was not in any danger or perhaps her fear was too overwhelming. She needed to get the little one into the back and cared for. “If you girls want to go home, I’ll call you and let you know how she’s doing.”

“Will it be very long?” Julianna took charge of the abandoned shoe box and lid. “Can we stay?”

Hard to look into those big brown eyes and say no. “Go ahead and hang out in the waiting room but give your dad a call. He needs to know where you are. This could take a while.”

“Oh! Dad.” An “uh-oh” look puckered her adorable face. Julianna seemed to expect her father might not be pleased with this latest development.

Probably the dad feared he was about to be surprised with a vet bill. Well, she would waive the charges, just as she had before. The last thing she wanted was to make Julianna think she shouldn’t step up and help God’s creatures. She opened the door. While she hadn’t officially met Dr. Stone yet, she’d heard good things about him. She had spotted him enough times around town, at Cady’s inn and her sister’s wedding to have gathered an impression about the man.

Serious. Subdued. Not exactly social. Striking, broad shoulders…wait, where had that come from?

She saw the girls off in the direction of the waiting room before heading into the back with the bird huddled in her palm.

“The Stone kids again?” Ivy Tipple, their tech, looked up from checking on the black Lab in one of the kennels recovering from his emergency surgery, the blood pressure cuff in hand.

“How did you know?”

“Who else would bring in a baby bird, considering this economy and the cost of a vet bill? Do you need a hand?”

“No, go ahead and finish with Buster. He’s looking much better.” The Lab’s tongue still lolled but his eyes were open.

“He’s doing well. He’s going to survive his fight with that coyote. Way to go, Buster.” Ivy knelt to her work, catching the swish and pulse of the Lab’s heart with the Doppler. The sound filled the back room, and Cheyenne gave thanks for the steady beat. The Lab had a close call.

“His blood pressure is not only up, it’s perfect,” Ivy announced. “You did good today, too, Doc.”

“Just doin’ my job.” The one God had blessed her with. She opened the nearby cabinet with her free hand, sorting through the supplies she would need, praying she could make a difference for the little creature in her palm. She couldn’t disappoint Julianna Stone with her big, soulful brown eyes.

“It’s a personal call, Doctor.”

Adam Stone didn’t need to ask who it was from. He knew only three people in this small town well enough to be called personal—two of whom were his daughters. He wasn’t interested in making friends during his temporary stay. No, this extended visit to Wyoming was not permanent. He did not anticipate getting attached to anyone in this tiny rural town. “Have them hold. I’ll be right there, Mildred.”

“All right.” The matronly woman closed the door to the exam room, leaving him alone with his patient.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized, although the elderly lady seated on the table didn’t seem to mind the intrusion.

“Oh, I know what it’s like to have young children.” Mrs. Tipple’s face was wreathed with lovely good humor. “Mine were a handful. I don’t know how working women do it these days. I couldn’t keep up with my brood and that’s all I had to do. I think I’m still worn-out from it.”

A sweet lady. “Your daughter was in last week. She’s fifty-five, so it’s been a while since she was twelve.”

“Yes, but it seems like yesterday. You just wait. Time flies. There’s no stopping it.” Mrs. Tipple’s eyes twinkled. “So, how’s my ticker?”

“Your heart is stable for now. I’ll call in your medication renewal.” He offered the lady his hand to help her down. “You’re still using the pharmacy in town?”

“For the last sixty years.”

Hard to beat that. He’d learned that Wild Horse, Wyoming, was about as stable as life could get. He opened the door for his charming patient. “You call me if you have any concerns.”

“Yes, Doctor. You have a nice day, now.”

“You, too, Mrs. Tipple.” He waited while the elderly lady tapped out of the doorway on her sensible heels before he headed to his office at the end of the hall. One of the lines was flashing and he grabbed the receiver. “What is it this time?”

“Dad?” There was noise in the background making it hard to hear his youngest daughter. “Are you in a good mood?”

“Not really.” Julianna’s question was always a sign that he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say. He dropped into his chair. “What have you done now?”

Before she could answer, he dug out an aspirin bottle from his top desk drawer. He figured he might need it, as single parenting was harder than it looked. A strange yowling carried across the line, interrupted by a dog’s ringing bark.

“Daddy, don’t get mad.” Hard not to recognize her guilty tone. “I had to help her.”

“Help who?”

“Tomasina.”

Tomasina? He racked his brain for any information associated with that name. No children, no neighbors, no neighborhood pets that he could think of. He pried the lid off the bottle. “Time to explain, young lady.”

“She could be dying, Daddy.” Julianna sniffled. Her feelings were so tender and drove up the high notes in her voice. “I had to bring her here.”

The picture came clear. A dog barked in the background again, harmonized by an cat’s howl and a woman’s voice telling Grover to sit like a good boy. No mystery where the girl was.

“Haven’t I told you not to go across town to the vet’s office without clearing it with me?” He shook out two aspirin and popped them into his mouth, not even bothering with water.

“Y-yes.” Julianna’s tone went to a near whisper. His guess, she was kneeling on the floor, holding herself in, contrite and wounded. She’d been fragile since the divorce. “Daddy, are you mad?”

“Very.” He didn’t know how to begin to explain it all. “Tell me about Tomasina.”

“I couldn’t let her get gobbled up.” Misery quivered in her voice. “She was bleeding, so I held her while Jenny made up a shoe box like a nest and we hurried to the vet, except we had to walk careful so we wouldn’t shake Tomasina.”

Still no idea who or what Tomasina was, but it didn’t matter. His daughter felt it was her duty to save everything and everyone. He was at a loss how to make her understand. She couldn’t save the world. Why wasn’t she like other kids, busy playing with their toys, wanting the latest video game and trying to listen to unacceptable music on their MP3 players?

She was too much like the boy he’d once been, thinking God cared for every creature great and small.

“Dr. Stone?” Mildred tapped on his open door. “Your four o’clock canceled. Just thought you should know.”

“Thanks. Why don’t we call it a day?”

Mildred nodded, bustling off to close up shop and forward the calls to his cell because there was no answering service to hire in this town.

“Stay right where you are, Julianna.” He rubbed at his right temple. The pain in his skull drilled like a jackhammer. “I’ll be over in five minutes.”

“Am I gr-ounded?”

He winced at how little and young she sounded. He shrugged off his white coat. “We’ll see. Is Jenny with you?”

“Yes, but don’t punish her. Please? It’s not her fault. I made her come with me.”

That was Julianna, caring about everyone ahead of herself.

“I’ll take that into consideration.” He pushed out of the chair, hung his coat over the back of it and grabbed his keys off his desk. “I’m on my way.”

“O-kay.” She gulped audibly, fearing her punishment to come.

Grounding her was not working. He hung up the phone and marched to the door, remembering his patient. Mrs. Tipple had said her children had been a full-time job in and of themselves. He wished he had that kind of time to give to them. He’d wanted to hire a babysitter but Jenny had raised an earsplitting argument, pointing out that she was old enough to be a babysitter so she did not need one.

Life was changing and it was getting more complicated. But the girls were prospering here, where the pain of their mother’s abandonment wasn’t a constant reminder. That was the reason he’d locked up his town house, put his practice on hold and moved to Wyoming for the rest of the summer.

All this change, as temporary as it was, was tough on him. He called a goodbye to Mildred and pushed out the back door of the practice the town doctor had asked him to join. He breathed in the scent of freshly mown grass on the warm breeze and felt calmer. Overhead, leaves whispered from the old maples marching on both sides of the narrow street.

“Howdy, Doc!” Chip Baker shouted over the sound of his lawn mower and touched the brim of his cowboy hat.

“Hi.” He beeped the remote to his BMW.

“Your girls wandered by here a little bit ago,” Chip called out, always a friendly sort. “They looked in a real hurry. Something about a sick bird.”

The mystery of Tomasina solved. Someone from the house next door came out to complain to Chip about the noise, so Adam slid into his car, started the engine and was more than happy to drive away from the scene.

Dappled shade tumbled over him as he headed down the street. Folks sat on front porches sipping tea. He spotted more than half a dozen women out working in their flower beds as he drove past and two people waved him to a stop on his way to Main Street to tell him about his daughters.

People were definitely friendly here, and it made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t unfriendly as much as private, and the fact that everyone knew what his girls were up to besides him didn’t sit well. What kind of father was he? He pulled into one of the parking spots in the vet clinic lot, his head still pounding. Frustrated, he tossed his sunglasses on the console and felt a brush against the side of his face, something as soft and rare as an angel’s wing.

He looked up, inexorably drawn to the front window. There in the lobby speaking with his daughters was the loveliest woman with red-brown hair, big blue eyes and a sweetheart’s face. Amazingly lovely. She made the world disappear when she smiled at his girls.

The infamous Dr. Granger. The gorgeous Dr. Granger. He watched as she smoothed a lock of flyaway hair out of Julianna’s eyes. The woman wasn’t only stunning, but kind. His palms broke into a sweat just like last time he’d spotted her from afar. His heart skipped a beat. He forgot to breathe. He felt a little unsteady.

She moved out of sight, bending down as if to kneel before his daughters and became lost in the glare of the sun on the glass. Although she vanished from his view, his heart smarted as if stung.

It wasn’t a good sign. Not good, at all.