Call it fate, p.19
Call it Fate, page 19
I watched distractedly as Milo repeated his behavior with Zach. What was his friend doing here?
As if reading my mind, Zach arched an eyebrow at his friend. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you call?”
“I thought you might like some company. I didn’t realize it was a crime to check on one’s friend after some unexpected news. But I can see someone beat me to it.” He shot a withering glance at me.
“This is Emalee. Iain’s mom. Em, this is Clay Porter.”
Neither of us held out our hands, nor did we offer the usual “pleased to meet you,” greeting. No point in lying.
I turned to Zach. “Maybe we should go.”
Zach shook his head and hooked his arm around my shoulder. It wasn’t an unusual move for him, but it felt like a silent message to his friend.
I felt trapped in the middle of a staring contest.
“You’re always welcome here but not if you try to make Em feel uncomfortable. I hope you understand she and Iain are my priority. I don’t want that to come between the two of us. And it won’t, as long as you respect my choice.”
They locked eyes until Clay held up his hands as if acquiescing. There wasn’t time to say anything more because Iain came charging up the stairs. Milo abandoned all of us adults and jumped on Iain, easily knocking him to the ground. Iain’s laugh was infectious as he rolled around, doing his best to avoid Milo’s slobbery, if enthusiastic, tongue.
“Dad! He’s awesome! Best day ever!”
Iain’s comment broke the immediate tension.
Clay went out to get his suitcase.
“Don’t go,” Zach said to me. “Clay just needs to get to know you. He’s a good guy. I haven’t had a chance to catch him up on everything.”
There wasn’t a chance in hell I would get Iain out of the house without a fuss, not after he just met Milo. “Okay, just don’t leave me alone with him. I’m not sure which of us is feeling more stabby.”
Zach helped bring Milo’s stuff into the house, and I offered to make dinner. Zach helped me while Clay showed Iain some of Milo’s tricks. It wasn’t what I would call relaxed, but with Iain’s innocent comments, we all managed to laugh and get through dinner without any further issues.
Zach was helping a sleepy Iain get settled in my car when Clay called my name. Hesitantly, I walked over to him on the front stoop. Clay raked a hand through his hair before looking at me. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for behaving like an asshole earlier. It’s not a good excuse, but I’ve been busy with a pretty nasty case, and I haven’t kept up with Zach for a couple of weeks. I’m afraid it colored my attitude today. That, and I knew how much losing you last time messed with him. I just didn’t want to see that happen again.”
“My friends felt the same way. The jury is still out with Chase, my cousin. So, I understand. I’m glad Zach has a friend like you.”
He smiled, but I held up my hand. “But don’t try to intimidate me again. Zach and I are working things out, and his happiness is important to me. But I won’t sit back and allow anyone to come between us or him and his son, not even his friend.”
His eyes widened, and his mouth twitched. I waited for the fallout, but instead, his face broke out into a huge smile; his eyes lit up, and I saw a small dimple in one cheek that I previously hadn’t noticed. “I hear you loud and clear.” He cocked his head as he stared at me. “I think I like you for Zach after all. He needs people in his life who stick up for him and not their own interests.”
“Oh, believe me, I have my own interests in him.” I winked to signal we were good.
Clay walked me to the car, where Zach stood watching us with a guarded expression. He visibly relaxed when he saw the two of us smiling. Things were looking hopeful after all.
Chapter 26
Zach
* * *
The days passed, and I’d settled into a good routine, both with the clinic and time spent with Iain and Emalee. I felt a sense of settlement that I never expected to find. I no longer filled my days with appointments and volunteer hours. Instead, I looked forward to going home and having Em and Iain over or meeting them at The Dogtrot. And having Milo back with me helped a lot, too.
“Hey, Doc, I just squeezed in an extra appointment this afternoon,” Lucy called into the office where I was updating some charts on my past two patients. “I know that makes it tight, but I think you’ll understand when you meet them. They’re in room two.” She cast pleading eyes toward me. “I really hope you can help him. Here’s the file.”
I was worried, especially after my other emergencies, but this time, I was better prepared for the unusual. I glanced at the chart, relieved to see it was a dog, but it was still a special case, one that went straight to my heart. I grabbed my stethoscope and headed to the exam room.
With a soft knock on the door, I poked my head in. “Sergeant Connelly, I’m Zach Abbott. I’m filling in for Doc Claypool.” I headed in the direction of the man who’d seen the ravages of war. He turned his head toward the sound of my voice, but his eyes didn’t meet mine. He held out a scarred hand. I grasped it, not at all repulsed by the mottled skin that had been damaged by fire. I’d seen similar several times before.
“Doc, nice to meet you. Call me Harrison, please.”
“Harrison, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And this must be Lessa.” I squatted down to scratch the ears of the golden retriever who sat at his owner’s feet. To my surprise, she lifted a paw as if shaking my hand as well, making me chuckle.
“Just ‘cause she’s got four feet instead of two don’t mean she shouldn’t have manners,” Harrison joked. He must have known what Lessa did because his head never turned our direction. “Her name means protector of humanity. Turned out to be a right good name for her.” He patted her head while he spoke. “She’s saved a lot of lives.”
“Did you teach her that?” I asked, settling onto the rolling stool to chat while I observed the loyal dog who nuzzled her human in return.
“Sure did. Found I had a lot of time on my hands when I came home. It was something to do.”
I nodded, even though I knew Harrison couldn’t see me. “Tell me what I can do for her.”
Harrison’s face grew solemn. “Well, I’ve noticed a lump on her left back leg. My wife tells me she can’t see a tick or anything, so I’m here to find out what it is and see what you can do for her. She’s been my constant companion since we came home six years ago. She was my bomb-sniffing partner in Afghanistan. She saved my life more than once and some others, too, so I figure it’s my turn to do everything I can for her. She’s slowed down some, but she’s still guiding me around obstacles, keeping me safe.”
“Well, Lessa, let’s see what’s there, shall we?”
“Up,” Harrison commanded, his tone firm but still soft. I had a feeling Harrison didn’t do much of anything with force. How he came out of combat with a gentle nature still intact was a mystery to me. I guessed for some people, when you’d seen the worst of humanity, it was easier to take lesser things more in stride.
I maintained a meaningless dialogue with the animal while working my hands across her body until I reached her back leg. Sure enough, there was a lump almost the size of a golf ball on her leg.
After examining it, I praised Lessa for letting me look at her and sat back on the stool.
Harrison turned his head in my direction. “What’s the verdict, Doc?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely subcutaneous. It could be a fatty deposit, which isn’t uncommon in older dogs. But I’ll have to run some tests to know for sure. She also seems quite arthritic in the back legs. I see she isn’t on any pain meds. I can give you something that might make her more comfortable.”
Harrison nodded. “Please.”
“I’ll aspirate the lump. Then we can see if we’re dealing with anything more serious. Do you mind if I take her to the back to do that? It should only take a minute or two. I’ll have Katie escort you back to the waiting room.” I nodded to the tech who had stepped into the room when I opened the door to get her attention.
When Harrison handed over the leash, I lead Lessa to the back and got the sample I needed and told the tech the meds I wanted for the dog. I hoped the lab work didn’t send back bad news. I could tell Harrison depended on his canine partner, emotionally if not physically.
I brought a slow-moving Lessa back to the waiting room, where Harrison sat with another woman. As soon as she saw me, she whispered something to Harrison and then hurried over to me while the golden retriever sat at her owner’s feet and rested her head on his knee. His hand automatically went to her ears.
“Hi,” she said in a hushed voice. “I’m Noreen, Harrison’s wife. Can I talk to you a moment?”
“Of course.” I gestured for her to follow me to one of the exam rooms. I knew Harrison couldn’t see, but I could tell he was alert to what was happening. I gestured for her to have a seat. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Connelly?”
She waved her hand. “Noreen, please. We don’t stand on much formality.” Her hand joined her other, the two of them wringing each other. “It’s just… I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just be blunt. Harrison loves that dog. I do, too, but he’d give up our everything we have for her. The truth is, Doc, we don’t have much money, and I know she is old. It’s getting hard on her to get around. I guess what I’m saying is, I want Lessa to be comfortable, but we need to save for a new eye dog for Harrison. He won’t talk about it, but I have to deal with reality.”
I’d been leaning against the metal exam table while she talked, watching her eyes fill with tears as she explained her dilemma. Now I sat on the rolling stool and slid in front of her, looking her in the eye. I saw the wariness and concern about the situation.
“Noreen, Lessa is obviously a special dog. She instinctively knows how to help Harrison, even without specific training. I don’t know what the lab results will show, but we’ll deal with that when we have answers. In the meantime, we can make her more comfortable, and I bet you’ll see a new spring in her step. As for a seeing-eye dog, I know of a few groups. If you’ll permit me to make some inquiries on your behalf, I might be able to help you whenever the time comes.”
Her smile was tremulous, but it was genuine. “Thank you, Doc. We’ve been putting off coming in for so long, but with that lump, we just had to do it. We’ve only lived here for a couple of years since we moved back to help take care of my grandparents. We don’t have any other family, and as silly as it sounds, Lessa is part of it. We want to do what’s best for her.”
“It’s not silly at all. Don’t you worry about a thing. She’s served Harrison and her country well. Now, it’s our turn to help her.”
“Thank you, Doc. I know Harrison is probably going stir crazy, worrying what I’m talking to you about.”
“We’ll just tell him the truth, that you’re worried about your girl there.”
I escorted her back to the waiting room. When Sarah rang up the bill at the front desk, I winked at her and said loud enough for Harrison and Noreen to hear, “Make sure that comes out of the New Leash on Life fund.”
Sarah gave me a curious look but grinned. “Sure thing, Doc.” She brought the meds for Lessa and handed them to Noreen and went over when they should be given. Noreen and Harrison were all smiles and “thank yous” as they left with meds, no bill, and best of all, hope. Sarah had a trail of tears down her cheeks as we watched Noreen and Lessa guide Harrison back to the car.
Using the back of her hand, she dashed at her eyes. “What was that about, Doc? What’s the New Leash on Life fund?”
“It’s a relatively new charity to help take care of vets and service dogs. I think Lessa qualifies.” I handed her my credit card. “Charge all of Lessa’s expenses to this.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Just how new is this charity?”
I grinned at her. “About five minutes old.”
She beamed at me. “You’re somethin’ else, city boy.”
Chapter 27
Emalee
* * *
“I can’t believe Tilly had the audacity to walk in there with that damn raccoon. What did Zach do?” Megan asked while the rest of the group howled with laughter. I had caught them up on some of Zach’s more interesting cases he’d shared with me.
My close group of friends and I were gathered in the back of what locals called the ABCs of Sterling Mill, small businesses owned by triplets: Addison, Brynn, and Celine. Ironically, their interests also started with the same letter as their name: art, books, and cocktails. They capitalized on the idea and built three separate businesses that connected to each other. Patrons could wander through each without going back outside, and they seemed to blend flawlessly together.
We currently were in the cocktail section after having browsed the other two stores. Ferg’s was great for a livelier atmosphere; Celine’s Twist was better for quiet drinks around a table.
Already, we were on our third drink, which just made the story of one of Sterling Mill’s other little animal quirks seem even funnier.
“Well,” I said after stifling my laughter, “once he picked his jaw up from the ground, he said he went into a professional mode. Fortunately, Rocky seemed to like Zach, or at least, his shiny stethoscope. Turns out, Rocky isn’t a boy, and she’s pregnant, much to the delight of Tillie and the disgust of Wanda, who thinks Tillie is growing her army of petty thieves.”
Cam sucked down the last of her Cranberry Kiss and bobbed her head at me. “You better be careful at this year’s Derby Day. Can you imagine the havoc a group of little masked bandits could wreak?”
“Your man certainly seems to have a way with animals. No wonder he’s such a good vet,” Megan commented. “It was amazing how Sterling reacted to him.”
“Yeah, that was lucky.” Cam laughed. “Can you imagine if Sterling continued barking and going ape shit? I would have loved to have seen Mayor Bowen’s face. He can’t stand disorder. I swear, if that man swallowed a lump of coal, he’d shit a diamond.”
We all laughed. Everyone in Sterling Mill knew how our mayor loved order and discipline. Any kind of community upset would put him into a tailspin, and he would hound his council and the townspeople, usually the downtown shop owners, until the issue was resolved. It wasn’t all bad, though. The park was always kept clean and nicely planted, downtown sidewalks were litter free, and housing communities were routinely patrolled by local law enforcement.
Celine brought over another tray of our drinks and smiled. “Y’all seem to be havin’ a good time. Can I get you anything else?”
“Can you sit a minute?” I invited. I hadn’t seen Celine in a while. She and her sisters were a year behind me in school, but they’d always been nice. Creative as heck, too. Several pieces of her sister Addison’s artwork were on display at a museum in Nashville, and from what I’d heard, several had even sold.
She glanced around. “Sure. Thanks.”
Everyone greeted her, and we complimented her on the drinks. No matter how hard I tried to replicate her lemon drop at home, I could never quite get it the same.
Megan drummed her fingers on the table and stared at everyone. “So, are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room, or are we going to finally talk about Zach?”
“I thought that’s what we were doing earlier?” Teagan wrinkled her brow.
Megan rolled her eyes. “Not about his vet skills.”
“Whatcha talkin’ about?” Celine’s pretty nose wrinkled.
“Surely, you see the resemblance to Iain?”
“I haven’t actually met him, so…”
“His eyes are exactly the same as Iain’s,” she exclaimed.
“What does that…Oh! Oh, my.” Celine blinked at me. “Iain’s daddy is in town?” She glanced at the others at the table. “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
Four sets of eyes stared at me, waiting for an answer.
“It’s neutral. Iain gets along great with him and was very accepting. Zach and I are finding our place in each other’s lives. It’s complicated.”
Megan leaned forward. “And how about his bedroom skills? I bet he’s learned a thing or two since you last saw him.”
I scowled at her. The sting of him having sex with other women soured the drinks and food I’d consumed. “I wouldn’t know. We’ve only kissed, so—” I slapped a hand over my mouth when she clapped her hands and raised them in victory.
“Hallelujah!” she sang.
I could feel the heat flare in my cheeks. I’d fallen neatly for her little trap. “You’re cut off,” I said, reaching for her cocktail glass. But she pulled it back where I couldn’t reach it without making a mess.
“The way I see it,” Megan continued, “you guys would still be together if it wasn’t for the circumstances that separated you.”
“It’s not like they can just pick up where they left off,” Cam pointed out.
“But if there’s still an attraction after all these years, that’s got to mean something,” Teagan countered. “And we know there’s still an attraction. People all over are saying they see it.”
“What?” I sputtered, but it was like no one heard me.
“It’s like destiny,” Celine added. “Maybe it’s their fate to be together.”
“And now that they’re together, they can remember why they fell in love in the first place.”
“But the doc is only here for a short time,” Cam objected. “What happens then?”
They all looked at me. “What are you going to do?”
I glared at them across my glass. “Well, why don’t you guys tell me? You seem to be figuring it all out for me.” I glared at them over the edge of my glass, which was mysteriously empty once again. I refilled it.
“Oh, don’t be like that,” Cam said. “We’re just happy for you. You’ve got this second chance to at least see if it’s still as good as the first time.”
