Chapter Fourteen
Archer
“Archer!”
I push aside the arms that are trying to restrain me, angrier than I’ve ever been in my life.
Beth isn’t a possession. She doesn’t belong to anyone, least of all Jude, who’s treated her with disrespect and has now done the worst thing possible in my eyes in physically hurting her, because I saw her wince when he grabbed her arm.
I want to hit him again, but as I struggle, someone turns me around to face them and says again, urgently, “Archer!” It’s Leon, and he stares into my eyes and says clearly, “Snap out of it.”
I blink a few times, and the red mist slowly fades.
“I’m all right,” I say as he holds me by my upper arms. “It’s okay, I’m all right.”
He releases me, and I look across at where Hal is helping Jude up. Jude shakes off Hal’s hand, but Hal slides it under Jude’s arm, says to Leon, “I’ll deal with him,” and physically propels Jude across the Quad toward the Forever Home.
I look back at Leon, who blows out a breath. “Jesus, don’t do that to me,” he says.
“I’m sorry,” I grunt. Except I’m not. I’m not sorry at all.
He gives me a wry look as if to say, Don’t lie to me, then says, “Come on, let’s go into the boardroom.
” He leads the way across the Quad into the office building, and Stefan and I follow.
I’m conscious of people standing around who’ve obviously witnessed our altercation, and a few more peering through the windows, and feel the first twinge of guilt.
I’ve just had a fistfight with my best friend in full view of everyone at the Ark. Wow. That’s a first.
Leon crosses the office to the boardroom, and we go in. “Sit down,” he commands, gesturing at a chair. I pull it out and lower myself into it, feeling like a sulky teenager, while he sits at the head of the table, and Stefan takes the seat opposite.
Nix, Leon’s wife and PA, comes in and says cautiously, “Everything okay?”
“Well, Archer and Jude have just played out a scene from Gladiator in the Quad, but yeah apart from that everything’s great.” He scowls.
Her lips twitch. “Coffees all round?”
“Please.”
She goes off to make the drinks.
Leon leans back and runs his hand through his hair. I exchange a look with Stefan, who seems amused more than anything.
“Never thought of you as a boxing guy,” he says, “but you’ve got a mean right hook on you.”
Leon gives a short laugh, and my lips curve up as the two of them chuckle.
“Jude couldn’t have looked more surprised if you’d hit him with a wet fish,” Stefan adds. “Your street cred’s gone up by a few thousand percent, anyway.”
He’s making a joke to lighten the atmosphere, but the reference to how this might have affected my reputation feels as if he’s thrown a bucket of cold water over me.
I’m supposed to be a respectable pillar of the community.
I’m a therapist, for crying out loud, someone other people come to for help and guidance.
If my father knew what I’d done…
I lean forward on the table and cover my face with my hands, sink my hands into my hair for a moment, then lean back again. “I am so sorry,” I say, meaning it this time. “I shouldn’t have done that in the Quad.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” Leon’s brows draw together. “But I understand why you did it.”
Anger flares inside me like a lit match. “He hurt Beth.” I say the words to Leon, but I know I’m defending myself to my father.
Leon nods. “I know, I saw.”
I blow out a breath and look out of the large window that faces the garden behind the Ark.
What a fucking mess. Jude said, “I think of you like a brother,” and I feel the same way about him.
I love the guy, and what Beth and I did might have been understandable, and arguably not cheating, but it was unforgivable.
Jude still loves her, and he wants—wanted—to try to work things out.
But I ruined that, and I don’t know if our friendship will ever recover from it.
The door opens, and Nix comes in with a coffee pot and cups. “Lunch is ready,” she says. “Can I bring it in?”
We’re supposed to be having a working lunch today to talk about the movement of staff between PAWS and the Ark. I’m not sure if Noah will be back at some point, or whether Leon will want to continue without him, but he says, “Please,” and Nix goes off to get it.
She comes back with Wren, who works in the break room kitchen, both of them carrying trays that they put on the table in front of us. There are plates of club sandwiches, small quiches and pies, sushi, and cakes, and my stomach rumbles.
“Thanks,” we all say, and they smile and head out, closing the door behind them.
I help myself to a few sandwiches and some sushi, and tuck in, hoping it’ll settle my uneasy stomach.
“I mentioned to Beth about her staying on our relief list if she goes to PAWS,” Stefan says. “Do you think this might have changed her mind about going?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly.
“So… are you two an item now?” Leon asks.
I shake my head. “We haven’t really discussed it. She wanted some time to think about things.”
“She won’t go back to Jude, surely?” Stefan says.
“I wouldn’t think he’d want her back now,” Leon replies.
“She was adamant their relationship was over,” I can’t help saying, feeling a tad defensive.
“He doesn’t want children, and she does.
She said things haven’t been great for some time.
” But I know I sound like a petulant teenager, trying to make excuses for my behavior.
I don’t need Leon’s pointed stare to know I should have left the two of them to work out their differences before I made a move on her.
Leon checks his phone. “Noah says he’s on his way back. Look, for now why don’t we go through the general staffing lists and talk about anyone else who you think might be interested in helping at both sites.”
He opens the folder next to him, pulls out a list, and starts going through it. I try to concentrate, forcing my brain to think about who I want at PAWS.
Five minutes later, the door opens and Noah walks through. “Hey guys,” he says, pulling out a chair next to Stefan. He looks at the plates. “Wow, that looks good. I’m starving.” He starts helping himself to sandwiches and sushi.
Leon waits for him to settle, then says, “Everything okay?”
“Yep.” Noah takes a bite of a sandwich, then looks at me. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” I say softly. “How’s Beth?”
He sighs and leans back. “She’s okay. Upset, obviously.”
I feel a tug of shame. “Yeah.” I sink my hand into my hair. “I’m sorry guys, I feel as if I’ve screwed everything up.”
Noah smiles then. “Nah, I don’t think so. Beth told me she was planning to tell Jude tonight that their relationship was definitely over. She said it had been going wrong for some time.”
Relief settles over me. At least she’s backed up my story.
“She told us she’s looking for a place to stay,” Noah says, “so Abby and I have offered her the cottage.”
“Oh, Noah, that’s great,” I reply, genuinely pleased.
“Yeah, Abby’s showing her around. I got the feeling she’s not enjoying being at her sister’s right now.”
“I think their marriage is on the rocks,” I say.
“Aw, that explains it. Anyway, she seemed very happy about the cottage. At least it will give her some space to think.” He eats a piece of sushi in one bite, then pours himself a coffee.
“Look, obviously this is a difficult situation for everyone. I know Leon’s not keen on employees having relationships at work, but I think it’s inevitable when people spend more time there than at home.
I never blame anyone for developing feelings for those they work with.
But we do need to think about what’s best for everyone going forward. ”
“Did Beth say anything about working at PAWS?” Stefan asks.
Noah nods. “She seems keen. I think she’s worried that you might be uncomfortable having her there now, though.” He looks at me.
“I’m not,” I say softly. “She’s a great veterinary nurse, and I’d love to have her working there.
Whether we get together or not, we’re both professional people, and I think we can work it out.
Honestly, I think my relationship with Beth—both personal and/or working—is less of an issue than my friendship with Jude. ”
“He’ll see her working at PAWS as her choosing you over him,” Noah points out.
“Yeah.”
“Obviously, PAWS is going to have close contact with the Forever Home,” Leon says, “sourcing therapy dogs from time to time, especially when Cullen moves full time to PAWS. Jude would have been the natural coordinator, so we’ll have to see how that goes.”
“I’ll talk to him,” I say. “When things calm down. We’ll make things work.” I sound more confident than I feel. Jude could easily turn bitter and refuse to talk to me, which would make communication between both places extremely difficult for me and unpleasant for everyone else involved.
“What about Dane?” Leon suggests.
“Dane Harper?” My eyebrows rise. Dane is a qualified vet, and he works mainly for the Animal Welfare Team under Hal, so he’s out and about in the animal ambulance a lot of the time.
He’s probably the nicest guy I’ve ever met, and one of the funniest, although his light dimmed somewhat after his wife—who was his childhood sweetheart—passed away from breast cancer.
“Would he be interested in working with us?”
“Yeah,” Leon says. “I think it’ll be good for him. It’s the anniversary of his wife’s passing soon, and I think he’s feeling unsettled, understandably so. You mentioned the possibility of having a mobile outreach unit, right?”
“Yeah,” I say, “the Healing PAWS bus.” The plan is to take therapy animals to people in places that couldn’t otherwise come to the center—very rural communities, retirement homes, maybe even the local prison.
“He could head that,” Leon suggests. “Take one of your therapists out to places. And you don’t have a lead vet yet, right?”
“No.”
“He’d be good,” Stefan says. “He’s a great vet.”