Finally A Bride

“I can,” he said at last.

“Great.” Brodie popped the rest of the toast in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “We talked to Haley about it this morning, and we’d like you to go meet with her. She said she would be available most of the day.”

Not what Gavin wanted to hear, but since he had to see her later anyway... “I can speak with her when I take Eli to visit Buddy.”

“She wanted to spend a bit more time with you than that, I think,” Savvy said. “She mentioned y’all deciding which animals to bring, setting up the groups of kids, scheduling dates for traveling to the Cutter Ranch and so on. We were hoping you could meet during the day, while the kids are at school, so y’all could have more time to iron out all the details.”

More time with Haley Calhoun? Again, not what he wanted.

“I can call her. We can discuss it over the phone, I’m sure,” he offered. When he watched Brodie and Savvy exchange a disappointed look at his suggestion, he added, “Or I could ride over there after we get done with this meeting.”

Gavin knew that would be better, instead of him trying to cover the program information over the phone, but he wasn’t all that keen on more one-on-one time with Haley. Their brief interaction at the fire pit last night had left him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit. In fact, he’d awakened this morning thinking he should have turned around when he’d heard her crying.

But he’d walked away.

“That’d be great,” Brodie said, moving on to the next topic of discussion.

* * *

Haley gently pinched the skin behind Buddy’s neck between her thumb and forefinger and frowned as the tiny tuft stayed tented before gradually returning into place. She’d started him on a slow IV for fluid replacement therapy last night and had hoped for a better response by this morning.

“Come on, little guy.” She tenderly stroked the brittle fur on his back. “Eli needs you to be okay.”

Buddy squinted one eye to look at her, then closed it, as if he didn’t have the energy to respond. He hadn’t minded the IV, hadn’t squirmed when she’d checked his vitals, hadn’t done much of anything this morning.

Which didn’t do a thing to alleviate Haley’s concerns.

She’d even called Doc Sheridan to get his advice on how to handle the tiny puppy, and he’d concluded that she was doing everything he would’ve done. Which also didn’t sit well. She would have loved to have heard of something she’d forgotten, some minor detail that would cause Buddy to take a turn for the better, preferably before Eli came to visit.

She updated his chart, then glanced at the library book Eli had given her yesterday afternoon. As promised, she’d read the story to Buddy last night. Even though it was a “chapter book,” she’d finished the entire thing, not because she’d thought Buddy wanted to hear it, but because it made her feel good to know she was doing something Eli wanted.

Roscoe barked from the next room, which set off a string of happy yelps and barks from Honey and Sugar in the adjoining kennels. She’d placed Buddy away from the others to keep him in the quietest spot possible, but now she opened the door so the boarded animals could see they weren’t alone. As she suspected, the barking settled down to happy yips.

A bell dinged as the front door opened.

“Dr. Calhoun? It’s Gavin Thomason. Are you here? I need to speak to you.” The tone was stiff and sharp, as though he couldn’t wait to get the conversation over with...or as though hoping she wasn’t around.

“Bad news for him,” she said to Buddy. “I’m here.” She rubbed a finger beneath his chin then closed the gate to the kennel. “What could have gone so badly in his past to make him such a bear?”

She walked to the lobby and found the brooding grizzly looking as appealing as yesterday in a bright blue pullover, jeans and hiking boots. And while she’d thought she may have imagined how muscular he’d seemed before, now she easily verified she hadn’t missed the mark.

He was as fit as she’d thought.

And as handsome.

And as dark and broody.

Savvy had said he’d been through a lot in his past. Even though Haley had no idea what, she’d give him the benefit of the doubt and attempt to be cordial. She managed a smile. “Hello, Mr. Thomason. I was just checking on Buddy in the back.”

His brow furrowed. “Is he not doing well?”

And there was the doubt in her abilities once more.

Haley swallowed past the urge to snarl. “He’s a little better than yesterday. Still not great, but he’s only getting started absorbing liquids.”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay, good.”

Haley waited a beat and, feeling awkward at the tension caused by his mere presence, asked, “Was there something else you needed?”

“Brodie and Savvy wanted me to meet with you about the new program.”

“Oh, right. She told me you would be my contact for Willow’s Haven. I’d hoped we could get everything organized today and start the program this week.”

His eyes widened slightly, brow furrowed again. “Right. Well, anyway, I made a list of kids in each cabin and divided them into groups that should be manageable when you bring the animals to the home and when they travel to the Cutter farm.” He pulled several folded pieces of paper from his back pocket.

A loud meow echoed down the hallway and she turned toward the sound. “Oh, that’s my phone.”

“Your phone?”

“I have animal ringtones. It probably isn’t important, but you never know. Do you mind if I take the call?”

Both eyebrows lifted, blue eyes studying her as though she was the most bizarre female on the planet simply because she had animal ringtones. But he nodded. “Go ahead.”

She held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.” She darted toward Doc Sheridan’s old office, where she kept her personal belongings, the meowing growing louder with every ring.

Most of her clients dialed the landline unless they had an emergency after hours, so she assumed this was probably either her mother checking in or her grandfather just wanting to chat. If so, she’d let them know she had someone in the office and that she’d call them back.

But when she looked at the Caller ID on the display, she saw Landon Cutter’s name.

“Hey, Landon, Roscoe will be ready to pick up anytime you like,” she said upon answering.

“Haley, it’s Georgiana. Landon dialed your number and then handed me the phone while he’s with Brownie in the barn. I’m sorry to bother you but...we’re...having a difficult time.”

Georgiana was Landon’s wife. Though she was quite capable of doing pretty much anything, she was blind, which explained his dialing the number and handing her the phone.

“What’s going on with Brownie?” Abi’s favorite horse was due to foal in two weeks.

Georgiana’s voice quivered as she spoke. “She’s dropping her foal now, Haley. It’s too early, so Landon’s worried. I am, too. Thankfully, Abi is at school, so she doesn’t know what’s happening. Can you get here? Soon?”

A swift kick of adrenaline swept through Haley’s veins while she pivoted and grabbed the emergency farm call bag. “I’m on my way.”

“Do you think the foal will be okay this time, Haley? I mean, it coming this early—that isn’t good, is it?”

“Mares can successfully foal outside of the typical gestation range,” Haley said, reciting what she knew to be true even if not always likely. She’d been with Doc Sheridan last year when Brownie had lost her first foal, and she’d seen Abi’s tears.