16. One Small Step For Man
Chapter 16
One Small Step For Man
A week later, Marcus was no closer to answers than he’d been before. There’d been no further incidences. No further feelings of being watched. No cigarette butts or strange cars parked along the roads leading to Phail. Not a damn thing.
He had the evidence logged and cataloged, waiting to help nail this bastard if he showed up again.
Maybe the man had recognized the competence of the team surrounding Elina and had taken off. That would be great, but it also meant he couldn’t afford to let down his guard. Ever. Which was sure to drive Elina nuts at some point.
Today, he had another goal he wanted to accomplish. After the one night Elina had returned to stay in the B&B. He picked her up there early in the morning so they could head to the diner for breakfast. It was a great way to start the day.
Not as good as making love to her in the morning would be, but he hoped that would happen soon. Very soon. When he rang the doorbell at the B&B, Carl opened it with a frown. “She’s looking at rentals.”
Marcus suppressed his grin. Good to know he had some backup in getting his goal accomplished. “I know.”
“Are you going to do something about that?”
“Hope so.”
Carl nodded. “Good. Can’t be soon enough.”
Elina had mentioned the B&B had been booked for leaf-peepers, and she had limited time left. She would need a place to stay. If she wanted to stay. Looking at rentals was a very good sign.
Before he could say anymore, Elina descended the stairs with Finch on her heels. The pup seemed to have doubled in size since arriving in town. He’d also attached himself to Elina at every opportunity. Smart dog.
He didn’t see the kittens, but he was sure they were causing havoc somewhere. Finch approached and nuzzled Marcus’s hand. He no longer needed to bend to reach under his chin. “You’re going to be as big as Snoops.”
“Who’s Snoops?”
He grinned at Elina. “A cranky old donkey out at Kimi’s place. Why don’t we take a ride out there after breakfast? You’ll love what they’re up to at Shaggy’s Place.”
Between the two of them, Kimi and Garrett had taken in a wide variety of animals. Their properties combined Kimi’s veterinary business, Garrett’s equine and canine therapy center, and their combined Petting Pharm.
She smiled. “As long as we’re not bothering them.”
Carl laughed. “They love having visitors and showing off their animals. Just don’t come back with a parrot.”
Elina’s eyes widened, but neither he nor Carl spoiled the surprise. Canuck was quite the experience.
Marcus held Finch’s leash and took Elina’s hand as they walked along the sidewalk. Well-behaved dogs were allowed in the diner as long as they stayed put. Finch had proven himself responsible, and he loved watching all the activity from his place beneath the booth. He also loved the dog treats Ginny baked.
No one called out to them or approached, so Marcus figured this was as good a time as any. “I know your time in the B&B is coming to an end soon. I’d like to offer a suggestion.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “I’ve been looking at rentals online, but they’re mostly for entire houses. I don’t want or need that. Do you know of a room I can rent somewhere?”
“Move in with me.”
Her steps faltered, and she stared at him. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “As serious as I can be. If you like, there’s a spare bedroom, although I’d rather have you share mine. I know it’s fast but it feels right. I’d like to share my space with you. I’d like to wake up with you next to me every morning.”
Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkled. “I’d like that, too.”
“So you’ll move in?”
She nodded and threw her arms around him. “Yes.”
Unable to stop himself, Marcus pulled her even closer. He kissed her like it wasn’t early morning in full view of everyone in Phail. They were all in his business, anyway. It would take about ten minutes after Elina’s bags were in his house for the entire town to know. They’d probably all cheer and bring casseroles.
He managed to pull back from the kiss, but he pulled her in for a hug. “Just so you know, even if the B&B was empty, and there were lots of short-stay apartments available, I’d want you to move in. It feels right, Elina. Completely right.”
Her arms tightened around him, and she nodded into his chest. When she looked up, her smile was misty. “It really does.”
He considered dragging her back to his place right then, but Troy called to them from outside his store. “You guys heading to the diner, too?”
With a sigh, he kissed Elina. “We’ll celebrate later.”
She laughed, and they joined Piper and Troy for more shakshuka.
Once they’d ordered, Piper asked. “Is the station almost ready? What else do you need to get done? I’m sure we can rally the troops for whatever you need.”
He smiled and shook his head. “The troops have been rallied enough. I’ve had so much more help than I anticipated.”
Troy laughed. “Then you’re not as smart as I thought. The town needs you and appreciates you. We’re all happy to help.”
Marcus didn’t know what to say to that, so he answered Piper’s question about the progress. “All the rooms have been painted. Trim is up in most of them, with only a few rooms to do. Bathrooms are updated, but we’re waiting for the sinks to be delivered. And the washer and dryer.”
Elina nodded. She’d helped daily and knew the progress as well as he did. “We’ve probably only got a few hours of work left, and then Marcus can get his things moved in.”
Her words had her eyes widening, and she turned a grin his way. He squeezed her hand, knowing he had a dopey smile on his face. It couldn’t be helped.
Troy, always intuitive, squinted his eyes as he studied them. “Need help moving your things?”
Marcus nodded. “Probably tomorrow or the next day.”
Troy grinned. “I was actually asking Elina if she needed help moving into your place.”
Piper and Elina both gaped while Marcus shot his buddy a death glare. But he didn’t have to worry, Elina laughed. “Didn’t realize you were psychic.”
Troy laughed. “Just one of my many skills.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “I’m happy for you. Let us know when we can help with either move.”
And so the gossip train began.
E lina gawked at the sight in front of her as she exited Marcus’s car. Fenced areas covered the space in front of a large barn. More animals than she’d ever seen in one space filled them.
Three horses stood in the closest area, grouped in the corner and watching them. They were bigger than the horses she’d seen overseas. Those had lived in desert or mountain areas. These looked like they were built for speed and strength.
Another paddock held sheep and cows. When Marcus joined her, two peacocks walked around the corner of the barn and headed for the horses. Three goats followed. The lead one spotted her and Marcus. It studied the humans for a second, then bounced over and bleated at them.
Marcus laughed and scratched the head of the lead goat. “This is Popcorn. The others are Raspberry and Butter. They’re friendly. Actually, they’re more than that. They’re self-appointed therapy goats. No animal can stay depressed with these three around, and they help all the newcomers adjust.”
Finch obviously remembered the goats as he hurried forward to butt his head against them. Then he moved into his sniffing routine while the goats danced around the three of them, demanding the humans give them some love as well.
A loud bray from the side had her spotting who had to be Snoops, the cranky donkey. A tiny goat curled up nearby.
“Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox.”
Elina whirled at the voice right behind her. Instead of a person, she found a colourful parrot sitting on the fence post, staring right at her. She laughed. “Hello, there. Are you named after Michael J. Fox? He’s a pretty fabulous guy.”
“Shania Twain, Shania Twain.”
She grinned. “Well, okay then. You’re not Michael, and I’m not Shania.”
“Keanu Reeves, Keanu Reeves.”
Laughing, she turned to find Marcus smiling, too. He gestured to the bird. “This is Canuck. He only speaks in Canadian celebrities.”
The parrot bobbed his head and showed off his wings. “Donovan Bailey. Donovan Bailey.”
She didn’t know the names, but she’d be looking them up.
Kimi approached from between the fences. “I see you’ve met Canuck.”
“Terry Fox, Terry Fox.”
Kimi tapped the bird’s beak. “Hello, my friend.” She glanced at Elina. “I’ve learned a ton about Canada since he arrived one day. He just flew in and landed on a fence post beside Snoops, and started speaking. Hasn’t stopped since. No one has claimed him, so he’s still here.”
The parrot spread its wings and flew over to the donkey’s paddock, calling out about Christine Sinclair.
“He’s amazing.”
Kimi laughed. “He is. I’ve put out all kinds of notices on social media and to other vets in neighboring states and provinces, but no one has claimed him yet. I’m kind of hoping things stay that way. He’s happy here.”
Elina looked around the property she could see. “I can see why. This place is incredible.”
Kimi grinned. “This is just the front yard. Let’s follow Pretty and Awesome so you can see the rheas.”
The peacocks, appropriately named Pretty and Awesome, strutted back around the side of the barn.
“Nina has named almost all the animals. She has fun doing it, and she’s come up with great names.” Kimi brushed her hand over an orange cat sitting on a fence post. “This is Molly, proud mom of Ginny, Ron, Fred, and a bunch more.”
Elina met the rheas which looked like small ostriches, and they all had names starting with R. She wasn’t sure how anyone could tell them apart. Then, she met pigs named Jenny, Tadpole, and Chickadee. Pygmy goats with munchkin names. Three alpacas who’d been found wandering in the woods were bonding with an equal number of ponies. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin. And a llama named Gandalf.
Then they found chickens who liked to swarm humans they thought might be carrying food. Chickens with names like Harriet, Hazel, and Harmony. And a rooster named Radar, who strutted as grandly as the peacocks. Finch played with most of the animals, although he and the llama kept side-eyeing each other and kept their distance.
Elina didn’t know all the names or references Nina had chosen, but she now had a list of books and movies to check out.
When they moved over to Garrett’s half of the property, they spotted him working with a horse in the huge backfield. There were at least a half-dozen other horses across the field and more ponies grazing in another corner. It was like the pictures she’d seen of the American pioneer days.
Garrett waved but didn’t take his attention from the horse. As they approached, she realized he was talking to the animal and stroking its head. Kimi had them slow by the fence.
Three other dogs sat inside the fence, watching Garrett and the horse. “Those are Olaf, Astro, and Star. Once upon a time, the boys were forced to participate in dog fights. Thankfully, Star never experienced that. They’re much happier here and are really sweet dogs.”
Finch whined, and Kimi reached down to pat his head. “You want to see your friends? Go.”
Finch tried to wriggle under the bottom fence rail, but he was too big. Kimi stroked his body. “You’re growing fast, buddy. Here, climb through this part.” She showed him how to get through the middle rails, and he turned to lick her face before prancing off to play with the other dogs.
Kimi rose with a laugh. “We’ll give Garrett some space. Elmo has only been here for a few weeks, and this is his first day out in the paddock with the other horses. He was found on an abandoned farm. Locked in a barn with no food or water. His trust of humans is a little low.”
Elina had to blink back tears. “No kidding. I’m so glad he found his way here, where he’ll have a good life.”
Marcus wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him. Looking around her, it was easy to believe there were more good people in the world than bad. And she was thankful there were people like Marcus who spent their lives helping the good while tossing the bad into cells.
A shiver of delight ran through her as she remembered their conversation from the morning. She was going to move out of the B&B and into his place. She was going to stay and find out exactly how far their relationship could go. Her heart had tumbled into love. Marcus had said he was falling but hadn’t clarified his feelings since. She wasn’t sure if he was thinking about long-term love or if he wanted to get there. But now, they had time to explore their feelings.
Elina was still looking over her shoulder and worrying about someone coming to attack Marcus, but most of the time, she was able to simply live her life.
Like these animals, she had a fresh start in a wonderful place, and she was going to make the most of it.