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Stepping closer, she said in a quiet voice, “I know you’re just being friendly, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. I don’t have the time or the energy for anything else.”
After a moment, he gave her a lazy grin. “Meaning me?”
“Yes. I’m not sure what you’re after, but trust me—you’re better off looking for it somewhere else.”
“I’m not after anything, darlin’,” he informed her in the slow, easy drawl that must make other women drool all over his scuffed work boots. “Just a smile. I’m thinking even a busy lady like you might have the time and the energy to give me one of those.”
That he’d perfectly echoed her earlier comment impressed her to no end. Because of her looks, most men treated her like a miniature Barbie doll and never even considered the possibility that she had a brain and ideas that might be worth listening to. She could probably tell many of them the true meaning of life and they wouldn’t register a single word she said.
Apparently, Josh Kinley was a different sort altogether. And since he’d been so great to a stressed-out woman he’d just met, she decided it was okay to offer him the smile he’d asked her for.
“There it is,” he approved, returning it with a blinding one of his own. “Just made my whole day.”
He took over unloading the large truck with an efficiency that suggested to her that this wasn’t the first time he’d managed such a big job. She manned the outer door, watching the two men thread through the pet store shelving, carrying furniture and boxes as if they handled this kind of assignment every day.
When the driver returned, her section of the truck was empty, and he was much more cheerful than he’d been when he’d first arrived. He handed her a copy of her receipt and even touched the bill of his baseball hat when she tipped him. “That’s real nice of you, miss. You and your niece have a good day, now.”
Heather could hardly believe this was the same surly man who’d pulled up half an hour ago and had been a whisker away from taking off with all her worldly possessions. When she said as much to Josh, he shrugged. “When you treat folks well, they do the same for you. Mostly, he looked hungry, so I bought him breakfast. No big deal.”
“It was for me,” she corrected him. Fishing a couple of twenties out of her wallet, she held one out to each of them. “You two really saved me this morning. Thank you.”
“Just tell my wife I pitched in,” Cam suggested. “We’ll call it even.”
She agreed, and he clapped Josh on the back before heading back into the restaurant. Still holding the money, she looked up at her rescuer. “Please let me pay you.”
“I got my smile,” he reminded her, blue eyes twinkling in fun.
“That’s not nearly enough for the amount of work you did.”
“Well, now, I guess that depends on the smile, doesn’t it?”
This charming country boy was hard to resist, but she’d been schooled by men far more calculating than him. Calling up what she called her bad-news face, she replied, “I suppose so.”
The cool gesture seemed to make no dent in his sunny disposition, and he went on as if she hadn’t just shot him down. “Now that your stuff is off the sidewalk, I figure you’re going out to the rescue center. I’m headed that way myself, so you can follow me if you want.”
“I have a navigation system in my car,” she informed him politely.
“Yeah, that might not work so far out of town if you lose the signal. But I’m sure a smart cookie like you can find the clinic on your own.”
That didn’t sound promising to her, and she found herself missing the convenience of street signs that directed people to where they wanted to go. Pushing the thought aside with a mental sigh, she decided not to make a challenging day even worse by being late for her first day of work. “On second thought, it might be best if I follow you. Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
He flashed her another grin and headed for a double-cab green pickup sporting the logo from his shirt on the driver’s door. He climbed inside and reached down to adjust the radio before starting the engine and pulling out onto Main Street. As she watched him drive away accompanied by a honky-tonk tune, Heather wasn’t entirely certain what had just happened. Putting away her money, she got into her car and prepared to play follow-the-leader.
Having spent so many years living in metropolitan areas, Heather had grown accustomed to traveling a certain number of blocks, turning at this light and that numbered avenue. This morning’s commute was something completely foreign to her. The small business district gave way to a string of old homes surrounded by large yards whose neighbors hadn’t bothered to put up fences to separate one plot from the next. The result was a pleasant blending of lawns and gardens, giving the town a picturesque country vibe even a devoted city girl like Heather could appreciate.
As they drove farther from town, the homes grew sparser, and she admired the lush countryside dominated by expansive farms that had been carved out of rolling acres of bluegrass and wildflowers. When they reached the sign for Gallimore Stables, she glanced out to take in the scope of the property Josh’s family owned. Traditional white fences stretched as far as she could see, framing horses and ponies of every size and color. At the end of a gravel drive, a large white farmhouse with a wraparound porch beckoned visitors to stop and visit for a while. Erin had told her that the place had been in the Kinley family for generations, and despite some serious financial setbacks, they were all doing everything in their power to keep it that way.
Heather hadn’t seen her childhood home since her parents had sold it to fund an early retirement traveling the world. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be so connected to a piece of your family’s history, being there year after year, building memories that would last beyond your own lifetime. That was what she wanted for Bailey, as much as for herself. A place to belong, where they’d always feel at home.
Hopefully, putting aside her old dreams and coming to Oaks Crossing would prove to be the first step to a better life for both of them.
* * *
Heather Fitzgerald wasn’t at all what Josh had been expecting.
With a cloud of curly blond hair and a killer pair of baby blues, the petite vet looked more like a shoe-in for prom queen than someone capable of managing sick and injured animals. Then again, he spent his days wrestling with cranky field hands, tractors and harvesters, working sunup to sundown to wring every ounce of profit out of his end of their struggling horse farm. It didn’t leave him much spare time for pondering what made folks tick.
As so many Kinleys before him had done, when it rained too much, he stared at the sky and prayed for the sun to come out again. And when the soil got too dry, he prayed for rain, season by season, methodically rotating the crops in each field to keep the fertile acreage as productive as it could possibly be. It wasn’t an easy life, but the land was like a member of the family to him, and he loved it with everything he had.
Many of his childhood friends had moved away after graduation, but at twenty-seven, Josh couldn’t envision being truly happy anywhere else. If only his high school sweetheart, Cindy O’Donnell, had felt the same way, he’d be married and a father by now. Sadly, she’d left him behind to strike out on her own, and he’d finally come to realize that, much as he’d loved her, they simply weren’t meant for each other.
Ever since he could remember, he’d known that this was where he belonged. While so many people fretted over where to go and what to do, he sat back and listened to them, grateful that he’d been planted in the right place. All he needed to make his life complete was a family of his own. More than anything, he wanted the kind of strong marriage his parents had built together, something that would last through the good times and the bad. But since losing Cindy to the big, bad world, he’d gone through enough failed relationships to know that wanting something wasn’t enough. You had to make it happen.
His two older brothers were happily married now, and they’d both told him the secret was to find a woman capable of loving him for who he was. Unfortunately for him, their advice had ended there, leaving him as clueless as ever.
Josh checked his rearview mirror to make sure Heather was still with him before taking the fork that snaked through the woods on its way to the clinic. She matched the maneuver, and before long they pulled into the gravel lot in front of the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center. Located on a few acres at the edge of the main farm, it was surrounded by trees and unspoiled meadow, the perfect spot for a place devoted to caring for animals.
He pulled in and parked off to the side to leave a closer space for Heather’s car. She was the doc, he reasoned, so she deserved the VIP treatment. Now that he thought about it, they should designate a spot for her so visitors and volunteers didn’t block her entrance if she had to come in quickly and take care of an emergency.
Josh got out of his truck and strolled toward the main building, assessing the best place for her to park in the future. When she arrived and stepped out of her car, he heard her call out his name. “Did you lose something?”
“Just thinkin’,” he replied, and he pointed to the pavement in front of the clinic while he explained.
He’d expected her to be on board with the perk, maybe even a little flattered that he’d thought of it. But she surprised him by shaking her head. “That’s really not necessary. Anywhere is fine.”
She’d initially struck him as a bit of a princess, accustomed to having people help her at the drop of a hat. That she actually seemed to have an independent streak was a pleasant surprise to him. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t, but I appreciate the offer.”
There was that prim, overly polite tone again. Easygoing by nature, Josh normally accepted people as they were, figuring it was their right to choose their own attitudes. But he had to admit that her rapid shifts from sweet to stern were beginning to bug him. Add that to the fact that she’d all but ordered him to back off earlier, and he counted two strikes.
And everyone knew you got only three.
Unwilling to blow them all at once, he put aside his curiosity about the pretty veterinarian and motioned her toward the glass front door etched with the clinic’s logo. “Ladies first.”
She gave him a long, uncomfortable look that made him feel like a new species of bug. Finally, the cynical glint in her eyes mellowed, and she offered him a tentative smile. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
That got him another clinical stare. “You said that before, when we were in town. You really mean it, don’t you?”
“Wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”
“In my experience, most guys aren’t that honest.”
“Well, ma’am,” he responded in his best down-home accent, “I think you’ll find we do things a little differently around here.”
“I’ve never lived anywhere other than Michigan,” she confided. “I guess I have some things to learn about how things work in Kentucky.”
Josh had no doubt that before long she’d have men lined up to give her a few lessons on the subject. Not him, of course, he thought with a muted grin. She’d made it plain that she wasn’t interested in him. While he didn’t understand her chilly behavior toward him, he’d been raised to have a healthy respect for women. Especially the feisty ones.
When he realized she still hadn’t made a move to go inside, he turned to her with a sympathetic smile. “Nervous?”
“A bit.” Peering into the vacant lobby, she frowned in concern. “This is my first time being in charge of a veterinary practice, and I’m not sure what to expect.”
In her confession, Josh heard that she wasn’t worried about the actual doctoring, but about handling the people involved. Inspiration struck, and he said, “Around here, we get some of every critter around. How ’bout a tour of the animals before you meet the staff?”
“Are you sure? I mean, don’t you have other things to do?”
Josh had never had to contend with a nerve-racking first day on the job, or moving with a child hundreds of miles from the only home he’d ever known. But he could imagine it was pretty intimidating, even for this intelligent woman making a career in such a challenging field. His late father had taught them all that a little patience went a long way with most creatures, whether they were the four-legged or the two-legged kind. “Yeah, but they can wait a while longer.”
He skirted the kennel building and took her out to where temporary corrals held an interesting collection of wild animals healing before being released back into the forest. Today, the group included a mother duck with a broken wing and her fuzzy yellow brood of ten, an injured armadillo and a llama that had escaped from somewhere and taken up residence in a local farmer’s herd of dairy cows.
As they strolled along the enclosure, Josh filled her in on how each animal had come to be here and what he knew of the plans to rehabilitate and release them back to their homes. While he was talking, a new arrival ambled over and eyed them with obvious curiosity.
Heather’s eyes just about popped out of her head. “Is that a bear cub?”
“Yeah. My niece and nephew named him Teddy. You’ve never seen one?”
“Sure, in zoos and on TV. Never up close like this.” She glanced around and said, “Mama bears don’t normally stand by and just let you scoop up their babies. I wonder where she is.”
Josh had a hunch about what had happened to the absent mother, but he kept his mouth shut to avoid distressing this lovely city girl with one of the less appealing facts of country life. But she was a sharp woman, and after thinking on it for a few moments, she frowned. “Hunters, right?”
“That’d be my guess. Bears are pretty smart, so they don’t tangle with cars, and not many big trucks come through here.”
“What a shame,” she commented sadly, hunkering down to greet the orphaned cub that was coming to the rail of his enclosure to check them out. Unlike many folks who visited, she was smart enough not to reach through the fence to pet him. In spite of her caution, Josh had no trouble picking up on her sympathy for Teddy. Apparently, neither did the bear, which sidled over and gazed curiously at her. “What’s going to happen to this poor baby?”
“There’s a wildlife rehabilitator who works here as a volunteer. She’ll figure out what he needs and make sure he can take care of himself when they let him go.”
Heather stood and faced Josh, interest lighting her eyes. “You seem to know a lot about this place. I thought you were in charge of the farm.”
Josh couldn’t keep back a laugh. “Not hardly. Big brother Mike runs the horse training business, and Drew’s our foreman when it comes to the farmwork. I manage the fields and try not to lose us too much money.”
When he laid it out that way, he realized that his job didn’t sound like much, but it had taken up most of his waking hours since he was ten years old. While he didn’t usually dwell on the impression he made on folks, he couldn’t help wondering what this highly educated woman thought of his very simple existence.
“I’ve never lived on a farm myself, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that.”
Josh pretended to consider her comment before shaking his head. “Nope. That pretty much sums it up. Works for me, though. I like keeping things uncomplicated.”
“So do I,” she agreed with a quick laugh. “Unfortunately, in my world they never seem to stay that way.”
“You’re talking about your niece?” She nodded, and he took the opportunity to find out more about her. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“There’s not that much to tell. When Bailey was two, her mother, Polly, died from complications after an operation. My brother Craig had his hands full working and being a single dad. Bailey was visiting me this past February, and I got a call from the Michigan State Police.” Her chin began to tremble, and she paused for a deep breath before going on. “Craig’s car hit a patch of ice and ran straight into a bridge support on the interstate. He died on impact, and Bailey’s life changed forever.”
“And yours,” Josh added somberly. That explained her immediate connection to Teddy. An orphan like Bailey, he was alone in the world and needed someone to take care of him until he could fend for himself.
“I love her to pieces,” Heather murmured with a gentle smile. “But she’s still lost without her daddy. It breaks my heart to see her suffering, and I wish there was more I could do to help her.”
“I’m not a dad myself, but from what I’ve seen in my own family, kids need love and attention more than anything. Give her those and some time, and she’ll be okay.”
She stared up at him in obvious amazement. “That’s incredibly good advice.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am, and that almost never happens.”
Heather eyed Josh with the kind of respect he seldom received. Being the youngest Kinley, and laid-back to boot, meant that folks often didn’t take him seriously. This pragmatic woman, with her quick mind and gorgeous blue eyes, had apparently noticed something in him that most people missed.
It seemed to him that there was more to this jaded city girl than met the eye. And he was just intrigued enough to wonder if she might eventually give him the chance to get to know her better.
Chapter Two (#u6134e45e-428e-53ea-b74e-d9bdb569173d)
The guided tour gave Heather an opportunity to get her bearings and develop a sense of the place where she’d be working. Huge oak trees outlined the clearing that housed the clinic, kennel and a couple of barns that Josh had explained were reserved for injured wild animals that people had brought in for care. A structure with several brand-new sections of lumber amid more weathered planks caught her eye, and she asked, “What’s back there?”
“Feed and bedding storage,” he explained in a somber tone. “We had a bad fire in there last fall, but fortunately my sister-in-law Bekah was here to sound the alarm, and no one was hurt. Now there’s a fire detection and sprinkler system, but the staff decided that it’s still a good idea to keep the dry stuff away from the animals.”
“That makes sense.”
“So, that’s everything out here. Ready to go in and meet the rest of your crew?”
“Sounds good,” she responded, hoping she sounded confident and dependable. She might be the new kid in town, but she was a full-fledged veterinarian now, and she was more than capable of managing a small clinic like this. At least, that’s what she wanted everyone to believe. If any of them suspected that she was a step short of terrified, they’d never give her the respect she needed if she was going to be effective. Not to mention, she didn’t want anyone expressing any doubts to their boss. Succeeding here was crucial for Bailey, and unusual as this assignment might be, Heather knew she’d have to find a way to make it work.
From Josh’s long, assessing look, she realized that despite his casual manner and country boy grin, he wasn’t the least bit fooled by her bravado. She waited for him to call her out, but instead he gave her an understanding smile. “Would you like me to stick around and introduce you to everyone?”
She had to admit she liked the way he asked her for her approval rather than simply bulldozing ahead. So many people—especially men—took one look at her and assumed that she wasn’t capable of managing difficult situations on her own. Stumbling across a guy who thought otherwise was a wonderful surprise. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“Not a problem. First days are tough.”
He strolled past her to open the door and stepped aside to let her go in first. Bolstered by his encouraging words, she walked through it feeling prepared for whatever might await her on the other side. The lobby was no longer empty, and when she saw what was going on, her confidence began to waver.
There, on a blanket in the middle of the floor, lay a motionless cat that had obviously been hit by a car. As if that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, two women were sitting cross-legged beside her, staring down at something she couldn’t see. Edging closer to avoid startling anyone, Heather understood why.
Three tiny kittens were curled up in a towel stretched across one of the nurse’s laps, eyes closed while they mewed silently, hunting for their mother. The other woman was cooing at another set of four, gently stroking them while they cried. At one point, she lifted her shoulder, wiping tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her blood-stained T-shirt.
Finally, she sat back with the tiniest kitten Heather had ever seen cuddled against her chest. “I count eight altogether, Bekah. How are yours doing?”
“Shaky but still with us,” the other woman replied in a sad voice. “I don’t know how you managed to save all these babies, Sierra.”
“God wanted all of them to make it, so He made sure they were on the side of the road where I’d see them,” she commented, touching noses with the tiny creature in her arms. “I just wish we could’ve saved your mama for you, little one.”
“Awesome job, you two,” Josh approved quietly. “And you couldn’t have arranged a better way to impress our new vet if you’d tried.”
The two women traded a shocked glance before looking up at her, and Heather realized they’d been so focused on their patients, they hadn’t noticed her come in. Instantly, she knew she was in the right place. She’d have no trouble working with people who were that devoted to the animals they cared for.
“Don’t let me interrupt what you’re doing. But if you’d like a hand, I’ll be happy to help.”
