CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rori blinked in the darkness, trying to figure out what had woken her. When her phone rang, she stared at it for a moment before reaching out to grab it from the floor.
Lee
Clearing her throat, she tapped the screen to answer the call, hoping that she didn’t sound too hoarse from sleep. Although surely Lee would realize he’d woken her since it was just after midnight.
“They think the dog’s in labor,” Lee said when she answered. “You still up to going?”
“Yep. I am.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Rori tossed back her blanket. “I’ll be ready.”
As soon as she hung up, Rori quickly changed out of her pajamas into a pair of jeans and a vet clinic T-shirt, just so she looked like she belonged there. After splashing a bit of water on her face to help her wake up, she redid her ponytail, which had come loose in the couple of hours she’d been asleep.
She was waiting inside the entrance of the apartment building when she got a text from Lee that he was there. The low rumble of a car engine greeted Rori as she stepped out the front door. Turning, she spotted the headlights and headed in that direction.
By the time she reached the car, Lee was standing beside the open passenger door. He smiled at her. “Good evening. Or is it good morning?”
“It feels like morning.” She stifled a yawn. “A very early morning.”
“If they offer coffee, I’m going to be taking it.”
“Yep. Me, too.”
Once they were both in the car, Lee pulled away from the curb.
“It’s like there’s no one else up,” Rori said as he drove through the quiet streets of Serenity.
“Yeah. Probably the only people awake are at the bars.”
Rori looked at the houses as they passed them. Most of the windows were dark. Streetlights cast pools of light on the sidewalks, but there was no one walking on them.
“Did you bring your smelling salts?” Lee asked.
Rori gave him a grin. “I did. It took a little searching, but I found some.”
She’d found them online and placed a small order. When they’d come earlier that day, she’d gone ahead and tucked a packet into her purse, knowing that she might have to leave quickly. Which was what had happened.
“I don’t think you’ll need them.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I have confidence in you.”
Rori could count on one hand the number of times someone had said that to her. Because of that, she really hoped she didn’t let him down. So far, she hadn’t been faced with anything she couldn’t handle. However, she had no idea if she was going to hit her squeamish point that night.
Soon, they left Serenity behind, and Lee guided the car along darkened roads. Rori leaned her head against the glass of the window and stared up at the night sky.
“It’s almost a full moon,” she said. “I hadn’t noticed that.”
“Our long hours of sunlight during the summer mean we often don’t realize where we are in the moon cycle.”
That was very true. She didn’t necessarily want to test how safe Serenity was after dark, so she was always home by the time the sun set. She also didn’t have a great view of the sky from her basement apartment.
“Lots of stars out too.”
Over the years, she hadn’t spent a lot of time admiring the night sky, but now she wondered if she could somehow take shots of it. That might be something to spend some time researching.
The night was beautiful, and, if she allowed herself to think it… romantic. But that wasn’t why they were out together.
A sigh escaped her before she could stop it, and apparently it had been loud enough for Lee to hear.
“Everything okay?”
“Yep. Just appreciating the beauty of the night. It’s definitely sigh-worthy.” And Lee was swoon-worthy, but she was going to have to limit her swooning to her dreams.
As they turned into a driveway that was lit by lampposts on each side, Rori said, “Wow. That’s a big house.”
The two-story house sprawled at the loop end of a circular driveway, and light spilled from every window on the main floor and a few on the second floor.
Lee pulled to a stop in front of the main entrance and turned off the engine. “Well, here we go.”
They got out of the car, and Lee opened the back door and removed a black bag similar to the one Dr. Carl used when he left the office on big animal calls. Together, they walked up a sidewalk formed with elegant pavers.
Before they reached the front door, it swung open to reveal the silhouette of a slender woman. As they reached her, Rori could see that they were close to the same age.
“Are you Dr. Halverson?” she asked, her gaze on Lee.
“I am,” he said.
“Please, come in.”
She stepped back and motioned them into the house.
Lee rested his hand on Rori’s back, gently urging her to precede him inside. The woman shut the door, then turned to face them with a smile. She was exquisitely beautiful, with perfect, lightly tanned skin and long dark lashes framing blue-green eyes. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun that had probably taken her ages to fix.
“I’m Carisa Montgomery,” she said, holding out her hand first to Lee, then to Rori.
“This is Rori. She’s new at the clinic, so I’ve brought her along to observe.”
The smile Carisa offered Rori was warm and friendly. “I’m observing too, so we can do that together.”
Rori had assumed that whoever they dealt with would be stuck up, like her mom was. The friendliness of Carisa’s smile was unexpected and refreshing.
“So where’s the mama?” Lee asked.
“She’s in the laundry room.” Carisa gestured for them to follow her.
Rori hoped there would be enough room for all of them because she wanted to stick close to Lee. As they walked along hallways with fancy artwork, Rori was glad that she’d already stayed in a mansion while looking after Queen Charlotte. If she hadn’t, she would have been in awe of everything they passed.
As it turned out, the laundry room could still awe her. It was almost the size of her whole apartment. There would have been room for all of them from the clinic—plus a few—to observe the birth.
“Oh, good,” Lee said as he walked toward a square fenced in area that stood about knee height. “You got a whelping enclosure.”
“I ordered a bunch of supplies to be sent here when I knew for sure this was where she would give birth.”
Lee stopped at the edge of the enclosure and put his bag on the floor. Bending over, he stroked his hand over the dog’s head. “Hey there.” He glanced over his shoulder to where they stood. “What’s her name?”
Carisa joined him at the enclosure. “Penelope.”
“That’s a cute name.”
“I named her after my favorite character on my favorite show.”
“Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds?” Rori asked.
Carisa grinned at her. “Yep!”
That she had something in common with this wealthy, beautiful young woman was shocking to Rori. It was hard to think that was possible, but maybe it was. Lots of impossible—at least impossible in her mind, anyway—things had happened since coming to Serenity.
Rori walked over and peered into the enclosure. “Oh. She looks like Elsa.”
“Elsa?” Carisa asked.
“Elsa is Lee’s dog.”
“Is she a King Charles Spaniel too?”
Lee dropped to his haunches and continued to slowly pet the dog. “Yes.”
Rori looked more closely at Penelope, noticing that she was shivering and kind of snuffling around in the towels and blankets inside the enclosure.
“Why is she shaking like that?”
“That’s a sign of her being in labor.” Lee stayed crouched down near the dog as he glanced up at Carisa. “Has she had a litter before?”
“No. This is her first.”
“Was it planned?” Lee asked.
“Yes. A friend of mine has a male King Charles Spaniel, so we decided to do one litter with them. I don’t plan to keep breeding Penny, but we each wanted another puppy.”
“When did you first notice the signs of her labor?”
Rori listened as Lee continued to ask Carisa questions. She had thought she was just coming to watch puppies being born, but she was actually learning some things. There probably wouldn’t be much chance of her putting that information to use, but it was good knowledge to have since she worked in a vet clinic.
As she watched them interact, she couldn’t help but notice the way Carisa responded to Lee. She seemed so secure in herself, laughing easily in a way that was definitely friendly and maybe borderline flirting.
Rori shifted her gaze from the pair back to Penelope. The small dog was clearly uncomfortable, and Rori felt for her. However, it didn’t look like Lee was too worried about what was going on.
“Would you guys like some coffee?” Carisa asked. “I put the pot on after I called you.”
“I’d really appreciate some,” Lee said.
“Hot or iced?”
“I’ll go for hot.”
“How about you?” Carisa asked as she turned to Rori.
“Iced?”
“You’re not sure?”
“I’m not a huge coffee drinker, so I’m not sure which I’d prefer.”
Carisa’s smile grew, her eyes lighting up. “Leave it to me. I’ll make you the most amazing iced coffee drink ever.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
When Carisa left the room, Lee said, “I think this is the biggest laundry room I’ve ever been in.”
“Me too. It’s about the size of my apartment.”
Lee glanced around. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s just a studio. The perfect size for me.”
Lee didn’t look convinced, but Rori didn’t want him to feel sorry for her. She was building her life in a way that she felt comfortable with. Of course, her apartment would be more comfortable and homier with furniture, but that would come in time.
“Have you got yourself a bed yet?”
“Not yet, but I’ve got a couple of options.”
“Will you need help getting whatever you decide on to your apartment?”
“I don’t think so. I’m considering one of those mattresses that comes compacted in a box, so I should be able to get it delivered.”
Lee narrowed his gaze at her for a moment, his dark gaze questioning. “I’m sure we could find you some furniture, so you don’t have to buy everything.”
“You don’t need to do that.” Though Rori appreciated his generosity, it wasn’t his responsibility.
The decision to move to Serenity had been hers and hers alone, so she needed to prove that she could take care of herself. For some reason, it was important to her that Lee and everyone else did not see her as weak and dependent on others to survive.
A noise from Penelope drew Lee’s attention. He leaned over the edge of the enclosure to observe her. “I think we might see a puppy soon.”
“Really?” Rori went down on her knees so that she could rest her arms on the top edge of the enclosure and watch what was happening.
He glanced over at the door. “Hopefully, Carisa will be back in time.”
Rori tried not to wonder if he wanted her there for more than just a puppy’s birth. She couldn’t blame him if he did. Though she’d anticipated a snobby person, Carisa seemed genuinely nice.
“Here we go,” Carisa announced as she walked into the room with a tray holding a large mug and two glasses with lids and straws.
“Just in time,” Lee told her. “I think the first puppy is about to make an appearance.”
“Ooooh.” Carisa set the tray down on the counter and came over to the enclosure, dropping down to kneel beside Rori.
Lee opened his bag and pulled some things out. “Do you have some towels I can use?”
Carisa picked up a couple of towels from a basket that sat near her and handed them to Lee. Cooing softly to her, she reached out and ran a gentle hand over the dog’s head.
By the time the first puppy emerged, Lee had a few things set out on a towel, and he’d pulled on a pair of gloves. Rori braced herself for what was to come, suddenly wishing she’d searched for a video so she was a bit more prepared.
It looked like Carisa was totally ready for everything that was transpiring, which made sense, since it was her dog going through the process.
Lee didn’t intervene at all, just kept watch over what was unfolding. Even when the puppy was born, he didn’t do anything.
Rori had to avert her gaze a few times over the next few minutes as the dog did what was required of her. It seemed that perhaps it was a bit more than she could handle, but she was determined to stick it out. She didn’t want Lee to think she was weak. And she didn’t want to have to use smelling salts in front of Carisa.
“Good job, girl,” Lee said, his voice soft. “You’re already such a good mama.”
Carisa took a picture of the puppy. “I need to send this to my friend. To let her know the puppies are arriving.”
Once the first puppy was settled with the mom, Carisa got them their drinks. And like she’d promised, Rori’s iced coffee tasted amazing. Carisa beamed when Rori complimented her on it.
When the second puppy was born about half an hour later, Penelope turned her attention to it, and Lee picked up the first one. With gentle movements, he checked the puppy over, including opening its mouth.
“What are you checking in the mouth for?” Rori asked.
Lee glanced at her and smiled. “I’m making sure that her palate is intact.”
“Her?” Carisa asked.
“Yep. First one is a girl.”
Carisa bent her head over her phone. “I want to make note of all the details of the puppies.”
Lee set the puppy back down in the enclosure, placing it close to the mother.
Over the next two hours, they watched as Penelope birthed an additional three puppies. Lee repeated the process of checking each one over, giving Carisa the information she wanted for her records.
Rori loved watching Lee work and his gentleness with the puppies. It reminded her of how he’d been when holding Charli’s baby. Did he treat everyone with the same gentleness?
“It’s so amazing to see her doing this,” Carisa said. “With just her animal instincts to guide her.”
“It is very awe-inspiring,” Lee agreed. “Knowing that without those instincts, the puppies would perish if the mom delivered on her own. Whenever I witness these instincts in animals, it just reinforces my belief in God as our creator.”
Carisa tilted her head as she looked at him. “Are you a Christian?”
“Yes, I am.”
A beaming smile grew on Carisa’s face. “I am too. So are my parents. Do you have a church you attend here?”
Rori kept her gaze on Penelope and the puppies as she listened to Lee and Carisa talk about the church. An ache grew in her heart. In such a short time, the pair had connected in a way Rori had never experienced with someone herself.
Yet again, she was on the outside looking in.
Pressing her clenched hands against her chest, Rori leaned against the enclosure, trying to keep her hands from shaking. It was such a stupid response whenever her emotions welled up inside her. When they just couldn’t be contained.
She’d learned early on not to let her tears flow when feeling hurt. Tears had never benefited her, and in some cases, they’d actually led to more hurt. Tears had given people power over her, and that had never, ever been a good thing.
Over time, she’d learned to hold her emotions back when they threatened to spill out in the form of tears. However, the trade-off, for whatever reason, was that her hands shook. Thankfully, that was easier to hide or explain away than tears were.
“Well, that appears to be the last puppy,” Lee said at last.
Penelope had seemed to settle and was snuffling each of her puppies, licking them and caring for them in her own way. She showed none of the signs that she had as they’d waited between pups.
“Five puppies. Three boys and two girls,” Carisa announced.
“Do you hope to sell any of them?” Lee asked.
“I hadn’t planned to. Just give them away to friends. Do you know anyone who wants a puppy?”
Lee glanced at Rori, but she had no idea why. She’d mentioned getting a cat because it seemed to suit her lifestyle better. “I’m not sure. I could ask around at the clinic. My nieces really want one. But as long as Elsa and I are living with them, I’m pretty sure my sister is going to say no to that.”
As Penelope took care of her puppies, Lee spent a few minutes going over what Carisa should keep an eye on with regards to both the mom and her babies. It seemed like Carisa had done plenty of research into everything surrounding her dog giving birth because her responses seemed well-informed.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming out so late at night to help Penelope. I really appreciate it.”
“It wasn’t a problem,” Lee said as he gathered up his things, dropping his gloves into a nearby trash can. “I’ll come back and check on them in a couple of days.”
“And maybe I’ll see you in church on Sunday. We’ll have to see if my mom is up to it.” Carisa paused. “She’s been dealing with some things, which is why we came here. She’s always loved our time spent here, so my dad is hoping it will do her mental health some good.”
“Well, if she needs any medical attention, my brother is a doctor at the clinic in town. Give me a call, and I’ll put you in contact with him.”
“Oh, that’s good to know. If he’s half as good a doctor as you are a vet, my mom would be in good hands.”
Rori folded her arms across her waist as she waited for them to end their conversation. Tiredness filled her, dragging her down, and all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and sleep.
“It was nice to meet you too, Rori,” Carisa said, a warm smile on her face. “Will I see you at church on Sunday as well?”
“Probably,” Rori replied, unwilling to commit one hundred percent to anything right then.
She really wasn’t on board with watching her crush fall for someone else, and it appeared that he might be on his way to doing that. Even she could see the connection between them.
“Well, I hope I do.”
Carisa walked them to the door, then they said goodnight before heading for the car.
The drive back to Serenity seemed to take a lot longer than the drive out had. Silence lapsed between them, but thankfully, Lee had the radio on so it didn’t feel as awkward as it might have otherwise.
“I guess I’ll see you in a few hours,” Lee said when he pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building.
“Yep. Thank you for letting me tag along tonight. It was great to see something that’s tied to what you do at the clinic.”
Lee smiled at her. “I enjoyed having you along. If you want to go back out there when I check on the pups next week, just let me know.”
Rori wasn’t terribly excited about going with Lee now that the thought was in her mind that he and Carisa might like each other, but she just said, “I will. Have a good night.”
Opening the door, she quickly exited the car and headed for the entrance to the apartment building. When she reached it, she realized that she could still hear the rumble of Lee’s car. Rori had expected him to drive away as soon as she got out, but apparently, he was waiting for her to go inside.
That he cared enough to make sure she made it safely inside eased some of the ache in her heart.
With a final wave, Rori opened the door and stepped into the small foyer. Through the glass next to the door, she watched as his car pulled away from the curb.
After the red glow of his taillights had disappeared, Rori made her way to the stairs that led down to her apartment. She used the bathroom, then changed back into her pajamas.
As she lay on the air mattress, she set her alarm for half an hour later than usual, deciding that she’d take her car instead of walking so she could get a little extra sleep. Four hours of sleep wasn’t much, but since it was Friday, she figured she could muddle through and catch up on her missed sleep on Saturday.
Sleep didn’t come right away as Rori replayed the ups and downs of her emotions over the last few hours. And if a few tears soaked into her pillow, that was okay. It was safe then.
Her tears only ever fell in the darkness.