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“I’m not married.” A couple times he’d come close, but nothing had worked out.
“Oh.” Emily brought her hand to her hair and fiddled with it. “I assumed— Never mind. I didn’t realize there were any ranches in San Diego.”
The comment puzzled him. “I’m sure there are, but I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been there once or twice, and not for long.”
Her turn to look confused. “I’m pretty sure Taylor said she was from San Diego.”
He nodded. “She is.”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you her father?”
No one ever understood until he explained. Dani, Sly and their families knew the facts, as did the teachers and counselors at Taylor’s school. Now Emily would, too.
“It’s complicated,” he began, giving her an out if she didn’t want to know. She nodded, and he went on. “Taylor’s mother and I were involved. We moved in together when Taylor was about five. Four years later, Annabelle broke things off and kicked me out.”
She’d stuck with him while he finished college, assuming that eventually they’d marry. Then immediately after earning his undergrad degree, he’d started vet school. Annabelle had continually pushed him to propose, but between school and a part-time job, he’d been too busy to think about much else. That was his excuse, anyway. The truth was he hadn’t been ready for marriage. Hell, he’d never even told her he loved her. He’d liked her fine, but hadn’t been capable of taking the next step. Tired of waiting for that ring on her finger, Annabelle had ended the relationship.
Story of his life.
“I see.” Emily frowned. “If you don’t mind my asking, why is Taylor living with you now?”
“I’m getting to that. In the years we lived under the same roof, she and I grew close. Annabelle never knew who Taylor’s father was. Although it wasn’t me, Taylor considered me to be her father, and I loved her like a daughter.
“At the time, we lived in Sacramento,” he went on. “I moved out, and a few days after the breakup, Annabelle packed up and left. She didn’t tell me about that or say where she was going, just cut me out of Taylor’s life.” Not all that different from what Seth had done with Dani and Sly, he’d come to realize a few years later. Standing on the other side of the fence had sucked, big time. “I tried to find them, but never did,” he finished.
He’d missed the girl terribly and knew she was likely missing him, too. “Fast-forward six years. I was still in Sacramento, with my own veterinary practice.” A few months earlier, his mentor from his undergrad days, Professor Greenfield, had died of cancer. Like Seth, the professor had been estranged from his family. Filled with regret, he’d begged Seth to make up with Sly and Dani before it was too late.
Seth had been mulling that over, assuring himself that he had plenty of time to make amends with his siblings, when the bomb that had radically altered his life had dropped. “Annabelle’s attorney contacted me with the news that she’d been in an accident and had passed away,” he said. “There was no other family, and in her will, she’d named me to assume guardianship of Taylor.”
Annabelle’s passing at the young age of thirty-five, the same age Seth was, had added a sense of urgency to make up with Sly and Dani sooner, rather than later. You never knew when your time was up.
“What a shock that must have been for both you and Taylor,” Emily said. “Poor girl. It must be hard to lose your mother at such an early age.”
Seth knew way too much about that. He’d lost his own mother when he was ten. Less than a year later, his father had followed her. “I think her death knocked us both to our knees,” he said.
As bad as he’d felt for Taylor, at first he’d balked at the idea of assuming responsibility for the girl he hadn’t seen in six years. But if he didn’t step up, she would go into foster care. Seth couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let her go through that.
After both his parents died, Dani had been shuffled into foster care. She’d lucked out, though, when Big Mama, her foster mom, had adopted her. Meanwhile, Seth and Sly had been shipped off to Iowa to live with an uncle who never tired of reminding them that he hated kids. No child deserved to live with a man like that.
“No wonder,” Emily murmured.
“Pardon me?”
“Taylor seems to have a bit of an attitude.”
And then some. Seth nodded. “The adjustment has been rough on her. On both of us.”
He was at his wits’ end. In the weeks since they’d moved here, no matter what he did, Taylor had shown nothing but contempt and loathing for both him and Prosperity. She hadn’t made a single friend or become involved in any school activities.
This dog shelter was the first thing she’d expressed an interest in. Seth needed Emily to give her a chance. “Be honest with me,” he said. “Are you going to let Taylor work here?”
Emily caught her full lower lip between her teeth. “Before we talk about that, I’d like to show you around. It’ll only take a few minutes. We’ll go out through the front door, so you can let Taylor know. She can stay here and keep Susannah company.”
Curious to see the place that had finally piqued Taylor’s interest, Seth readily agreed. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Two (#ulink_b80b90e2-f86b-5998-905a-2d113a598e6b)
“Tell me about the dogs,” Seth said, as Emily led him toward the kennel.
At five feet ten in her bare feet and even taller in boots, she didn’t have to look up at people all that often. But Seth was several inches taller, and she had to do just that to meet his eyes. They were an unusual shade of silvery blue, and looked especially striking against the afternoon sky.
“I take in animals that have been abandoned and sometimes abused,” she said. “My job is to find them permanent homes with loving families.”
He absorbed her words with a somber expression. “You haven’t chosen easy work.”
“No, but it can be so rewarding.”
Seth listened thoughtfully. “Is that how you got Susannah?”
Emily nodded. “She was one of the first dogs to come here when I opened my doors.” The whippet, with her injured leg, malnourished body and trembling fear, had quickly wormed her way into Emily’s heart.
“How did you get into this work?” Seth asked.
“My very first job was with a woman who groomed and boarded dogs while their owners were out of town,” Emily said. She’d taken the job so that she could help her struggling mother make ends meet. “She had a soft place in her heart for abused dogs, and fostered and adopted a few while I worked for her. Like all living creatures, they need love and affection, along with a strong dose of patience. Give them those things, and they’re loyal friends for life.” Unlike people, who could walk away at any time and break your heart. “I’ve been in love with dogs ever since.”
“Running this place can’t be cheap. How do you fund it?”
“Through private donations, most of which I raise at an annual fund-raiser the first Saturday in November,” she said. “But I couldn’t do it without my volunteers.” Mentally, she crossed her fingers that she could persuade Seth to sign on as one of them. “The dog groomer I just told you about? She comes in a couple times a month to bathe and groom the dogs. The rest of the time, I get to do the job.” Emily wrinkled her nose.
“I’ll bet that gets messy.”
He flashed a smile she felt clear to her toes. It had been over a year since she’d even noticed a man, and Seth Pettit was a seriously attractive male, tall and solid, with a broad forehead and a strong jaw. She smiled back. “Even when I wear protective clothing, I usually end up a dripping mess. You don’t want to see me when I finish that job.”
He chuckled at that, and so did she.
“You do this full-time?” he asked.
She shook her head. “There isn’t enough money for that, so I double as a web designer—I create and maintain websites. I enjoy the work, plus I get to set my own hours.”
“I’ve been told I should put up a website, but I’m not sure I need one.”
“Can’t hurt,” Emily said. Wanting Seth to know more about the shelter, she gestured around. “Isn’t this a nice space? It used to be part of a ranch that was subdivided and sold off. I rent it from a couple who love animals. They even adopted one of our dogs. They didn’t mind when I turned the garage into a kennel. As long as I pay the rent on time, they’re happy.”
At the kennel, she opened the door and led Seth inside. He moved slowly and deliberately toward the cages, letting the dogs take him in.
“Hey, there,” he greeted them.
Each one took note of his low, soothing voice, and a few wagged their tails.
It was obvious that Seth Pettit had a way with animals. Probably with women, too, Emily guessed, with another flutter of interest.
But she wasn’t about to see him as anything but a potential volunteer veterinarian at the shelter. Her life was very full and a lot simpler without a man in it, and she liked it that way.
After a moment, they headed outside again. “I’m impressed with what you’re doing here, Emily.” He held the door open for her. “Now I understand why Taylor wants to work here.”
“About that,” Emily started, ready to work a deal. It was chilly now, and wishing she’d put on a sweater, she chafed her arms. “Our dogs need friendly, warm volunteers. And Taylor—”
“Hear me out.” Seth held his hand palm up, silencing her. “She’s not a bad kid. She just needs a little time to get used to all the changes in her life. I’m no therapist, but I know in my gut that doing her community service here would be really good for her. What can I do to convince you to let that happen?”
His eyes pleaded for understanding. He didn’t know that he’d provided the perfect segue to the subject Emily wanted to broach. “Funny you should ask,” she said. “The vet who has volunteered here since I opened the shelter just retired unexpectedly. I need a replacement.”
Seth eyed her. “You’re asking me to volunteer at The Wagging Tail.”
Crossing her fingers at her sides, she nodded. Only a few yards from the front office now, they stopped to finish the conversation before stepping inside.
“I have an awful lot on my plate right now,” he said.
“You’re building a practice and settling in. I understand. I’m not asking you for forty hours a week, or even twenty. I just need someone to perform routine health checkups on any new animals we take in, get them vaccinated, and whatever else they need. And of course, to give them the medical attention they might need if they get injured or sick while they’re here.”
“How much time are we talking?”
“You saw for yourself that I only have room for six animals. There are also two quarantine huts where new arrivals stay until they’re cleared to join the others. Probably one to two hours per week, barring unexpected emergencies.”
“So one day a week for two hours?” Seth asked.
“Or more, depending on when we take in a new animal and if someone gets sick. I’ll try not to bother you at night or on weekends.”
“You’ll give Taylor a job if I agree to this?”
Emily nodded.
“Throw in a free website consultation and design and I’ll do it. For one semester, while Taylor’s here. But understand that if you need me at the same time as someone in my practice, they come first.”
A semester was better than nothing. Who knew, maybe she’d convince him to stay on permanently. At the very least, she had a few months to search for someone else.
Relieved, she smiled. “Fair enough. Thank you, Dr. Pettit.”
“I go by Seth.”
“Okay, Seth. Please call me Emily. Community service begins on Monday.”
“Great. Do me a favor, and don’t tell Taylor about our arrangement. Let her think she got the job because you want her for herself.”
“I can do that,” Emily said. “I’ll call her tomorrow and let her know.”
He nodded. “We have a deal.”
They shook on that. Seth’s big hand almost engulfed hers. His grip was firm and strong and warm, and for some reason, Emily wanted to hold on for a while.
Way too attracted to this man, she quickly let go, pivoted away and hurried toward the front door.
* * *
“I DON’T SEE why you need to volunteer at The Wagging Tail while I volunteer there,” Taylor said as Seth drove home. “That is, if Emily chooses me.”
Taylor didn’t want him involved in anything she did. In her life at all, for that matter. He stifled a weary sigh. “The vet who was helping Emily retired, and she asked me to help out. I’m only going to do it until January, and my own business comes first. Trust me, I won’t get in your way.”
Taylor snickered. “You’re always in my way.”
Seth missed the days when she’d been little and carefree, and had simply taken him at his word. But those times were long gone, and a lot of baggage had filled the gap in between. “I’ll only come to The Wagging Tail when Emily calls, and if she hires you, to pick you up—that’s it,” he said, striving to sound patient. At Taylor’s stony look he added, “If she doesn’t have a vet to handle her dogs’ medical issues, she’ll be forced to shut down.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. “I guess it’s okay, then.”
One hurdle successfully crossed. Relieved, Seth rolled the truck up the cracked blacktop driveway of their house. He pulled into the carport. Before he even killed the engine, Taylor slipped out the passenger door. Without a thanks-for-the-ride or a backward glance, she pulled a house key from her jeans pocket and headed for the house.
Seth followed. As a kid, he’d always been ravenous when he got home from school. He was pretty sure she must be, too. But she went straight through the kitchen and toward the stairs.
Wafer thin, she was way too skinny. He couldn’t let her disappear into her room without something to eat. “Hold on,” he called out. “Want a snack?”
“No, thanks,” she said over her shoulder.
“It’s okay to eat in your room or anyplace in the house. It’s yours, too. You don’t have to hide upstairs.”
“I’m not hiding and I’m not hungry.”
She spent way too many hours texting and fooling around on FaceTime with her friends in San Diego. Time she should be spending making new friends and getting involved at Trenton High.
But as she continually reminded him, her home was in San Diego and there was nothing for her here. And he reminded her that she lived in Prosperity now. She didn’t like that at all.
At least she had her community service work lined up—a first step toward settling in. Seth hoped.
She was almost up the stairs now. “Do your homework before you talk with your friends,” he called out.
Muttering, she took the last few steps quickly. Seconds later her bedroom door closed. Loudly.
Seth muttered, too. For his own benefit, he’d talked with a couple specialists about the situation. He wanted Taylor to meet with the school counselor or see a social worker or therapist, but she refused. He knew that he couldn’t force her to get help.
He was in his “office,” for now a corner of the living room, tackling paperwork and thinking about ways to drum up business, when his cell phone rang.
“This is Zeke Jones,” a gravelly voice said. “I got your name from Barton Michaels.” Michaels owned a ranch where Seth had treated a sick heifer the previous week, and had gotten Seth’s name from an ad he’d placed in the Prosperity Daily News. “Got a cow with a bad case of pinkeye,” Zeke went on. “It’s in both eyes, and I’m worried about it spreading through the herd. She’s starting to lose weight, too.”
This was not good for Zeke, but Seth was pleased for the referral from Michaels. “Where are you?” he asked. He jotted down the address. Although it was nearly dinnertime, he said, “I’ll be over shortly.”
After disconnecting, he headed upstairs to tell Taylor. Maybe she’d come with him. Through the door he heard loud music from The Wanted, a band she listened to constantly. He knocked a couple times before she heard him.
“What do you want?” she asked through the closed door.
“Open up.”
