Chapter Fourteen
MATO
IT ONLY takes us fifteen minutes to get to the hospital, and when we pull up to the front doors, Breanna comes out with a man behind her, I’m assuming it’s Ricky from the call earlier.
She has blue gloves on, and her hair, which was threaded through her ball cap this morning, is in a braid, and she has one of those doctor beanie hats on.
Opening the back door, I step out of the way so she can do what she needs to do.
Koda is sitting on the seat between the dog and the door, and I say, “Koda, move to the other side so they can get her, bud.” He moves to Mama’s other side.
Breanna steps up to the truck, and she stops, her body jerking in surprise as she takes in Koda sitting in the seat.
I watch in slow motion as her eyebrows twitch together, and she sucks in a breath as she takes in the native boy in my truck who looks like he could have been born around the time I left.
Fuck!
It only takes her a second to compose herself, but the damage is done, I can see the shock and hurt on her face. She and the guy, Ricky I’m assuming, pull Mama out and carry her in the front door that’s being held open by another woman with Toy Story pictures all over her scrubs.
Goddamnit!
Koda jumps from the truck and follows them in, his eyes glued on the poor dog who hasn’t moved. They disappear behind a door that says, ‘Staff Only’, and Koda and I are standing in an empty waiting room.
Even though the process for dropping off a large animal would be outside in the gravel circle drive, minimizing the need for a waiting room, Breanna has made the room warm and comfortable. Heavy timber beams support the vaulted ceiling, and framed pictures of horses and cattle hang around the room.
One picture I recognize as Marley’s backside as she stands with a horse in her paddock. It’s a scene I’ve seen a hundred times, but something about the way the horse is looking at her and the small space between them almost makes it an intimate moment between pet and owner.
The couch, loveseat, and chair with ottoman are all worn brown leather and remind me of the furniture in the Harlow house, giving the space a lived-in look. Magazines are scattered over different surfaces next to informative pamphlets and ads for all things ranch.
I set my hand on the back of Koda’s neck. “Try not to worry, bud, Breanna will take care of her.”
We sit in the waiting room for about forty-five minutes before she steps out, and I can tell by the look on her face that it’s not good news.
Koda steps right up to her, his eyes wide. “Is she okay?”
I step up behind him, sliding my hands in my pockets.
Keeping her eyes on Koda, she bends down on one knee, making her just at his height, and holds her hands out, palms up, in front of her. Koda’s chest starts to rise and fall faster, and it reminds me that, regardless of his bravado, he’s still just a young kid.
He drops his eyes to her hands and fists his hands at his sides as he shakes his head.
Breanna nods and places her hands on her knee.
“When the car hit her, it broke her back, honey; that’s why she wouldn’t move.
But she also had some internal bleeding, those two things made it impossible to save her. ”
Fresh tears run down Koda’s cheeks, and he nods, keeping his gaze on the floor as if he’s afraid to let us see him show emotion.
“It looks like she had puppies very recently. Do you have them?” She asks Koda.
He shakes his head. “They’re under the train car, behind the bushes. She’s been guarding them all week.”
Breanna smiles. “And you’ve been taking care of her?”
He nods.
“I’m sure you made things easier and safer for her.”
Her voice is soft and reassuring as she talks to him. She’ll be a great mother.
“I don’t think her puppies are big enough to take care of themselves, though. If they need to be bottle-fed and you don’t have a way to feed them every day, we can bring them here until they are old enough to find good homes. Is that okay with you?”
He nods; he’s still trying not to cry. “Can I see them?”
A big smile breaks across Breanna’s face, and she touches his chest with the tip of her finger. “I’ll do ya one better, will you help me get them?”
His entire demeanor changes, his shoulders lift, and his face is serious as he quickly bobs his head. “I’ll help.”
“Good.” She pushes herself up, and without looking at me, she says, “I’ll follow you,” her voice tense. She turns to go back through the door she came from.
“Breanna, stop.” I say, and luckily she does, turning to face me. I pull my keys from my pocket and turn to Koda. “Hey, bud, will you wait for me in the truck?”
She watches him go out the door before she says, “I don’t care, Mato. You don’t owe me an explanation. What you did and who you did, possibly when you were with me, is none of my business. Let’s just get this over with.” Her eyes are glassy, and it breaks my fucking heart.
She turns to walk away again, so I blurt, “He’s not my son, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She stops, her back to me. “I caught him breaking into my gym last week, and I’ve been giving him things to do for cash.”
Her shoulders relax the tiniest bit. I want to tell her I know about the baby, I want to make sure she knows she is the only person I’ve ever made a child with, and I want to beg her to forgive me, but now is not the time.
She nods her head, “Okay,” and walks through the door.