Rescued By The Farmer

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to hear that.” For the first time, Bekah smiled, her eyes lighting with pure joy. Pretty as she was, the fragile-looking runaway was absolutely beautiful when she smiled.

“It’s what we do,” Sierra told her. “Our certified wildlife rehabilitator is on her way over, and she’ll know exactly what needs to be done. I set up a cage in back for the hawk, so if you bring her in, we’ll get her settled and rustle up some breakfast.”

“Does that sound good to you?” Bekah asked the hawk as she scooped her up from the table with more confidence than she’d shown earlier. “You probably can’t wait to get out of this bag.”

Once they had her safely tucked into an oversize birdcage, their patient hobbled around the papered floor, checking out her new digs. Apparently satisfied, she settled down and let out what struck him as a very human-like sigh of relief.

“She needs a name,” Bekah commented in a thoughtful tone. Then, blushing as if just realizing she’d spoken out loud, she turned to Sierra with a questioning look. “Is it all right to do that?”

Normally, they only named animals who were staying at the center because they couldn’t find a home or go back into the wild. Drew caught Sierra’s eye and gave her a subtle nod. Bekah had clearly been having a rough time, and it seemed to him that naming the hawk might give her spirits a much-needed boost.

“Sure,” Sierra replied. “What did you have in mind?”

Bekah studied the resting bird intently for a few moments, then smiled. “With all those pretty burgundy-and-white feathers, I think she looks like a Rosie.”

“Rosie it is.” Grabbing an index card and permanent marker, Sierra wrote down the name, date and her estimate of the age. When she was finished, she asked, “Would you like to help me get her breakfast together?”

“That depends,” Bekah hedged. “What are you planning to feed her?”

“Raw chicken and water for now. When she’s feeling stronger, we’ll move on to live meals, but that’ll be a while.”

“Chicken and water I can handle.”

With that decided, she held Drew’s sweatshirt out for him. When he saw the condition it was in, he chuckled and held up his hands. “That’s okay. She can keep it.”

“It’s my fault it got ruined, so I’ll buy you a new one.” It was a sweet offer, but he could tell by the hesitance in her eyes that she really couldn’t afford it.

“Not necessary. I’m happy to give my shirt to a lady anytime.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he realized they could be easily misunderstood to mean he went around handing his shirts to random women. Feeling foolish, he quickly added, “I mean, if she needs it for some reason.”

What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to lose his cool and just blurt things out that way. A strong dose of caffeine was probably in order, he reasoned. Not to mention a shower.

“Okay.” Bekah gave him a long, suspicious look, then a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He caught Sierra studying him with a curious expression, and he brushed it off with a grin. “Need anything else while I’m here?”

“I’ve got twelve kennels to clean before we open, and I still haven’t fed all of the wild babies yet.”

It was a common problem for them here. As a nonprofit clinic, they relied on donations and grants to keep everything going. That meant they couldn’t pay the staff much, and consistent volunteers were hard to come by. They’d recently lost their veterinarian, and animals of every species kept pouring in from the surrounding area every week. Shorthanded didn’t come close to describing the situation, and Drew made it a point to lend a hand whenever he could spare the time. “I’ve got an hour before anyone will miss me in the barns.”

“That would be awesome. Thanks.”

To his complete surprise, the timid woman he’d met less than an hour ago piped up with, “Are you looking for help around here?”

Sierra flashed him a questioning glance, and he shrugged to say it was her call. Bekah had astonished him, too, but he couldn’t help noticing how she was now looking Sierra directly in the eye. Standing up straighter, too, instead of trying to make herself as small and invisible as possible.

After a few seconds, the clinic’s manager replied, “We’re always looking for help. Mind if I ask what kind of job experience you have?”

“I’m not trained for anything in particular, but I’m a hard worker, and I learn fast. I was working at Jennings’s farm stand until last week when they closed for the fall. Mr. Jennings said I could use him as a reference.”

“He’s an old friend of the family.” Drew added his two cents without hesitation. “He’s pretty hard to please, so if he likes your work, you’re a keeper.”

That got him another, slightly warmer smile from Bekah, and then she turned to Sierra. “I’ll work a week for nothing, so you can check my references and make sure I’m right for the job.”

The desperation in her voice was impossible to miss, and it took all of Drew’s self-control not to pull rank and tell her she was hired. Technically, the Kinleys owned the center, and Sierra worked for them. Realistically, she was in charge of the clinic and its operation, and they’d never stepped in to tell her what to do. He wasn’t keen on changing that arrangement, but something about Bekah made him want to go a few extra steps for her.

While the two women talked about what the position involved, one of his late father’s favorite lines drifted through his memory.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Drew recalled hearing that more than once growing up, when his quick temper got the better of him, and he ended up fighting with one of his brothers or a kid at school who was pestering him. Mike was the oldest, and Josh was the youngest, so they had it easy. Erin was the only girl, which made her the princess. As the middle son, Drew had learned early on that he had a simple choice: he could either live up to his big brother’s solid example or overcome it and be his own person.

He was still wrestling with that one, and he often wished Dad was still around to give him advice. Whether he’d follow it or not was up for debate, but he would’ve appreciated the input. Unfortunately, now it was too late.

Shrugging off his suddenly melancholy mood, he refocused on the conversation that had continued along quite nicely without him. Bekah’s delicate appearance had thrown him at first, but the spirit he saw glowing in her eyes had drawn him much closer than he normally would’ve gone after such an odd first meeting. The fading bruise on her cheek infuriated him, and he honestly hoped he never discovered who was responsible for it. It wouldn’t go well for the monster who’d struck her hard enough to leave such an ugly mark behind.

To his great relief, Sierra finally appeared satisfied and shook Bekah’s hand to seal their arrangement. “Let’s go find a pair of coveralls that fit you. You’re going to need them.”

Chapter Two

Bekah wasn’t at all sure what to make of Drew Kinley.

Still dressed in the tank top and beat-up cargo shorts he was wearing when they met earlier that morning, he started working with her around seven o’clock and kept on going. He didn’t try to draw her into conversation but kept his comments to whatever task they were doing at the moment. He was pleasant and upbeat but didn’t go out of his way to make her talk to him.

Most people took her long silences as either rude or evidence that something was bothering her. It was nice to meet someone who understood her reserved nature and accepted it for what it was.

At one point, he fetched them each some bottled water. After a long swallow, he stopped long enough to call someone named Mike. “What can I say, big brother? They need a hand down here, and I’m sure you won’t miss fighting with me all that much.” After a pause, he chuckled. “Yeah, it’ll earn me some brownie points with Erin, too. Don’t think that didn’t occur to me. See ya later.”

He pocketed his phone and turned back to the straw he was pitching into several stalls set aside for larger animals. In the section he’d referred to as the nursery, three goats and a wide-eyed fawn watched him from their temporary quarters in a storage area with a Dutch door. They looked to be assessing his work, and despite the odd turn her day had taken, Bekah felt herself smiling at the image.

She hadn’t done much of that lately, she realized. There hadn’t been all that much to lift her spirits the past few months, and when she thought about it, meeting Drew was the highlight of her year. Pathetic, but true. He’d been so nice to her, she decided she should make more of an effort to be sociable. What better topic to start with than the woman he’d just mentioned wanting to impress?

“So,” Bekah commented in what she hoped came across as friendly interest. “Is Erin your girlfriend?”

He gave her the blankest look she’d ever seen in her life, then broke out laughing. “Not even close. She’s my little sister and the bane of my existence. If I can do something to get on her good side for a change, I will. So a little extra work is totally worth a few days of peace from her.”

Watching him banter back and forth with Sierra had made it plain they were nothing more than friends. For some reason, Bekah was ridiculously pleased to discover this incredibly charming man was unattached. Not that it should make any difference to her, she told herself sternly. She wouldn’t be in town long enough for it to matter whether he was single or not. She was just making conversation. “So, this place was your sister’s idea?”

“Yeah. It’s her pet project.”

He angled his head to glance over at her, and she saw humor twinkling in his eyes. When she got the joke, she groaned. “That’s a terrible pun.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” he assured her with a shameless grin. Spreading more straw, he asked, “So, what kind of job were you interviewing for over in Rockville?”

“The kind that pays.” Hearing the angry bite in her tone, Bekah winced. “Sorry, that was rude. There was some light factory work I thought I could manage. I’m sure they’ve filled the spot by now.”

“Where are you staying?”

In my car, she nearly blurted before realizing that was more than he needed to know. Beyond that, it made her sound pathetic, and she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. As her feisty Grams used to say, she was down but not out. At least not yet. “I’m looking for a place that doesn’t break the bank. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I might. Depends on you, I guess.”

What a curious thing to say. In spite of herself, she had to admit he’d snagged her interest with that one. She stopped cleaning the water bottles that hung in the cages for smaller animals and looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

Resting his arms across the handle of his pitchfork, he explained. “You seem to like the animals here.”

“Definitely,” she answered with a nod. “To be deadly honest, I like animals better than people.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“They don’t judge you or make you feel stupid when you mess things up.” One of the scruffy pygmy goats went up on his hind legs and rested his tiny front hoofs on the dividing wall. Reaching over, she scratched between his sprouting horns with a smile. “All they want is to be fed and have a safe place to sleep. Whoever gives them that is their hero, and they love you to pieces.”

Drew didn’t respond to that, and she glanced over to find him studying her with a somber expression. An angry glint appeared in his eyes again, and she recognized it from when he’d noticed the healing bruise on her cheek. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but his grim look stayed in place.

“Are you talking about these critters,” he asked gently, “or yourself?”

His perceptiveness was unnerving, to say the least, and she clamped her mouth shut to avoid stammering in shock. Once she regained some of her composure, she replied, “Let’s just say I can relate to where they’re coming from. I’ve been in some places that I have no intention of ever going back to.”

“Making a better life for yourself,” he added, eyes now twinkling with approval. “Good for you.”

“I hope so. Seeing as I don’t have much choice but to keep going forward.”

She wasn’t usually so honest with someone she barely knew, and she held her breath waiting for him to ask her to clarify what on earth she was talking about. Instead, he gave her an encouraging smile that warmed her all over.

“That’s a great way to look at it,” he said. “I think that’s a good strategy for all of us.”

Did he really? she wondered, or was he just being nice? As he got back to work in the stalls, she pondered their brief discussion in an attempt to sort through her conflicting feelings about him. She’d grown so accustomed to guys who said what they thought she wanted to hear, she was constantly on her guard around them. Because of that, she wasn’t sure how to read Drew’s wide-open, friendly personality.

Could it be that by some crazy stroke of fortune, she’d stumbled across a truly honest, straightforward man who said what he meant and meant what he said? Stranger things had happened, she supposed. She just couldn’t recall the last time they’d happened to her.

While she was lost in her brooding, the end door swung open, and Sierra came through lugging two old-fashioned milk bottle carriers filled with what looked like large plastic baby bottles topped with oversize nipples. The residents of the baby section went bananas, bleating and calling for their breakfast while Drew hurried forward to lend a hand.

“Those look kinda heavy,” he said as he took them from her.

“They are,” she acknowledged, a bit breathless. “Thanks for the help.”

“Well, you know how that works.”

Narrowing her eyes, she nailed him with a suspicious glare. “I’m not doing your laundry like I had to when my poor Angels lost the World Series to Cincinnati.”

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” he assured her smoothly, setting the formula down on a nearby hay bale.

“Then what?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” he said with a wink. “Who gets fed first?”

“I think he does,” Bekah replied, laughing as the determined pygmy goat climbed on his buddy’s back trying to get at the bottles.

“You can start with him,” Sierra agreed.

When her meaning sank in, Bekah shook her head. “You mean, you want me to do it?”

“Sure. They know how to eat, so you just hold the bottle up for them and wait till they’re done.” Bleating up a storm, the little goat was butting his head against the wall, and she laughed. “Here, let me show you.”

She climbed into the pen and lifted him out. Grabbing a bottle, she set him on his feet and sat down on the sawdust-covered dirt floor beside him. Eager for his breakfast, he latched on to the nipple and sucked down the formula like it was his last meal.

“Wow, he’s really going to town,” Bekah commented, patting his wiry brindle coat while he ate. “Are they all this easy?”

“The trick is to keep them from running over each other or you. They’re not starving or anything, but babies don’t like to wait in line, do they?” Sierra cooed, tapping him on his forehead while he gazed up at her with adoring eyes. Right then and there, Bekah decided she wanted to experience that kind of heroine worship for herself.

Hoping to make a good impression on her prospective new boss, without being told, she clambered into the pen the way Sierra had and cradled another goat in her arms. Drew held out his hands, and while she appreciated his gesture, she firmly shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

“They squirm a lot, y’know,” he cautioned her.

“That’s okay. I’m stronger than I look.”

Approval flashed across Sierra’s face, and she met Bekah’s eyes with a quick nod. Feeling as though she’d made some progress, Bekah carefully brought out the hornless goat and set her down, settling beside her the way Sierra had done. Really, all she had to do was hold up the bottle, and the little goat did the rest.

Apparently satisfied, Sierra stood and brushed off her jeans with her hands. “Well, it looks like you’re good to go. I’ll have a chat with Drew and come back in a few. Just remember—one at a time. Otherwise, they’ll stampede all over the place, and we’ll have a horrible time catching them.”

Bekah noticed the woman had implied that if she made a mistake, Sierra would help her corral the escapees. Used to fending for herself, she found it comforting to know someone would have her back if she needed them.

Rubbing the back of the slurping goat, she replied, “Oh, we’ll be fine, won’t we, little one?”

“Keep telling yourself that, and it’ll be true,” Drew told her with a smile. “I’ve gotta get going. Thanks to Rosie, I’m later for work than usual.”

“I don’t know the first thing about horses,” she confided. “It must be a fun job.”

“Some days yes, some days no. Today we’ve gotta move a dozen or so of our boarders so we can do some maintenance in their barn.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Nah. We’ve got a real steady Belgian draft horse named Gideon who’s seen it all, so he never gets rattled by anything, no matter how bad the others think it is. My brother Mike just marches him out first, and the rest of them trail after him like puppies.”

She couldn’t help laughing at the picture he painted. “Those are some seriously large puppies.”

“Most of ’em aren’t a problem when you know how to handle ’em. Mike’s some kind of horse whisperer, so the rest of us just follow his lead.”

Although his delivery was upbeat, she picked up on something below the surface that didn’t sound right to her. Inspiration struck, and she asked, “Do you ever get to be in charge when it comes to the horses?”

He looked surprised, then shook his head with a grin. “Man, you’ve got me pegged. The horses are his territory, and I’m more like a foot soldier.”

“What about the rescue center? You seem to know where everything is, so I’m guessing you put in a lot of time over here.”

“I like animals in general,” he said, scratching the head of a nosy miniature alpaca, “so I enjoy working here when I have the time. But Sierra’s in charge.”

“If you could be your own boss, what kind of business would you have?”

“Something outside,” he replied immediately, as if he’d thought about it often enough that the answer came easily to him. “Maybe a wilderness guide out west or something. I visited Mike in New Mexico once, and I couldn’t believe how incredible the desert and the mountains are. Totally different from what I’m used to, but really beautiful.”

His tone had shifted ever so slightly, the gold in his eyes warming as he stared down at her. At first, Bekah couldn’t define what had changed, then she replayed his words in her mind and wondered if he was referring to something other than the Western scenery.

“Anyway,” he went on as if nothing unusual had happened, “Sierra usually comes down to the house for lunch around noon. You’re welcome to join us if you want, meet the rest of our nutty crew.”

Out of necessity, she’d learned not to depend on anyone for anything. But he’d been so kind to her, she decided it was okay to bend that rule just this one time. “Thanks. That sounds good.”

“I’ll see you then.”

Giving her another encouraging smile, he followed Sierra from the shed, leaving Bekah in charge of feeding the babies. Glancing around, she counted heads and came up with twelve. Two down, ten to go. Surrounded by endless noise and questionable smells, she knew that some people might consider this the worst job in the world.

But to Bekah, this little barn tucked into the backwoods of Kentucky was like paradise, protected from the outside world and bursting with promising new lives. She couldn’t imagine any place she’d rather be.

* * *

“Now,” Drew began when he and Sierra were alone out front. “I don’t want to tell you how to run this place...”

“But you want me to hire Bekah,” she finished for him. The doubt in her dark eyes made it clear what she thought of his idea, but she didn’t say anything else.

Two could play that game, Drew mused. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, sparring with his last girlfriend had left him a master at verbal fencing. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

Oh, she was good. Warming to the challenge she was laying in front of him, he said, “I’m not sure. I’ve just got a feeling about her.”

“Again? How many is that this year?”

His reputation as a lady killer had been well-earned, and he laughed. “Not that kind of feeling. I mean she seems like she’s had a rough time of it lately, and she needs a safe place to land.”

While his mind accepted that explanation without question, his Irish heart had another idea altogether. This morning, he’d taken a route for his run that he hadn’t used in months and had hit that section of road just after Bekah’s frightening encounter with Rosie. Something—or someone—had brought them together for a reason. He might not understand why just yet, but he couldn’t shake the belief that he and the enigmatic runaway were meant to connect on that lonely back road.

He and Sierra stared at each other for several seconds, until she finally broke the silence. “I don’t know.”

“Aw, come on,” he pleaded, which was a big stretch for him. He made it a point never to want anything so badly he’d get down on his knees for it. But this was different. Every instinct he had was warning him that Bekah was in trouble and needed help. His help. “She stopped to take care of a hawk that dive-bombed her car and scared her half to death. You’ve seen for yourself how great she is with the animals.”

“We’ve stretched our budget as far as it will go this year. I can’t pay her much more than nothing until January.”

“I don’t think that’s an issue for her. She just needs a job.”

“We don’t know anything about her. She could be in trouble, or running from the police or something.”

The image of that fading bruise refused to leave him alone, and he frowned. “She’s definitely running from something, but my gut tells me it’s not the law.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m supposed to hire someone for a sensitive job like this based on your gut?”

She had a point, he had to admit, and knowing his family, they’d agree with her. Then a solution hit him. “I’ve got a buddy who works in the county sheriff’s office. I can have him run a background check on her, off the record. Would that make you feel better?”

“I guess.”

He could tell he had her on the ropes. Sierra was a caring soul with a generous heart, and he knew she felt genuine sympathy for their mysterious visitor. Now to knock her over the edge and get a full-on yes for his true plan. “One more thing.”

“Here it comes,” she grumbled, glaring up at him. It was a good thing they were such solid friends, or he’d have been worried she might smack him. “What?”

“Judging by the condition her car’s in, I’m pretty sure she needs a place to stay.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Lancelot,” Sierra retorted crisply. “My studio apartment’s more like a closet with a futon in it.”

“Okay, then I’ll ask Mom. I’m sure she can find a spot for Bekah at the house till we come up with something better.”

“Like what?”

Drew mulled the problem over for a minute, then grinned. “What about the old stable manager’s office out back? It’s got a bunk and its own bathroom, along with a small kitchen. I can get a mattress from Mom, and her old fridge is still on the service porch, just waiting to be donated.”

“That room’s filthy, and no one’s used it in years.”

“So it’s perfect. Bekah won’t be in anyone’s way, and she can have some privacy. Beyond that,” he added, going in for the kill, “she’ll be on-site all the time. Once she’s trained, she can take over the morning chores, and you won’t have to come in at the crack of dawn. Ever.”

Glowering at his logic, Sierra opened her mouth to protest, then slowly closed it. She chewed on his proposal for a minute and finally relented with a sigh. “Okay, we’ll give her a try. After your friend checks her out,” she added, stabbing Drew’s chest with a finger for emphasis. “I’m responsible for this center and every one of the animals living here. I won’t risk all that because you’ve got a feeling about a girl.”