Chapter 2
Grace
“Don’t look now, but you’re about to be devoured by a shark.”
I almost spit out my chardonnay and after the long week, every drop of the icy cold juice of the gods was precious. With a napkin pressed against my lips, I resisted choking. Heading to the emergency room on a Thursday evening wasn’t on my bucket list.
Darlene Taylor, one of two best friends and the woman most likely to end up in jail for castrating her boyfriend then marrying him, ribbed me with her elbow. She was on fire tonight, her disdain for all humanity a product of the flesh-eating monster she was attempting to convict.
Her words, not mine. The poor guy’s crime was extortion, not murdering woman in their sleep, but to her, every man was a vicious predator.
She’d been my friend from high school and when I’d moved back, it was as if we’d never lost touch, which we had. My fault. I’d promised when I left the postcard town, I wasn’t looking back.
Fate had had other things in mind.
Tragic, terrible things.
Nope. I wasn’t going down that one-way road to hell. If I did even one more time, I might never return.
After successfully resisting choking to death, I casually glanced to my right.
While I wasn’t certain if she was talking about the dude a few stools away from me, his pink shirt clashing with his what I guessed were painted-on jeans that had survived the eighties, or the gray-haired cowboy who could be my grandfather, I was still forced to bite back a laugh.
“You’re in a savage mood,” I told her, trying to curtail her foul mood by looking her directly in the eyes.
“That bastard might just get off. Can you believe that?” She lifted her glass toward the bartender, eager to suck down her second glass of wine.
“Since when did wine suddenly become classified as a shooter?”
She rolled her eyes. “You have no idea the assholes I’m forced to deal with. Meanwhile, you work with sweet little furry animals. Oh, the little babies. Such munchkins and they’d never do something like rip your heart out and feed it to the local Rottweiler.”
“Wow. I’m glad to see you’re over your breakup. Trust me. My business isn’t all about cuddly creatures either.” I lifted my arm to show her the latest set of teeth marks imbedded into my skin.
“Ouch. What did that?”
“A pet snake. Don’t ask. He wasn’t too happy to see me either.”
“I thought you were a veterinarian,” she teased. “Not Miss Kingdom of the Wild.”
“I am, but apparently, I’m an expert with every creature.”
“Does that include men?” she asked, her voice dropping to the sultry tone that had nothing to do with passion. The tone should be considered a clear warning shot across the bow for any man.
“Why do you ask?” Then I felt a presence. Not just a presence, but one attacked to a stinky aftershave that immediately made me sneeze three times.
“Hiya, sexy. What do you say I buy you a drink so you can soothe your stuffy nose.”
Darlene rolled her eyes while I sucked in my breath. “Does that line typically work for you?” I threw my head in his direction, not at all shocked to see Mr. Slick in pink himself.
“When I want it to,” he said with such confidence I almost punched him in the gut.
“Well, not tonight. I’m with a friend. But thank you.” I started to turn away when he continued to push.
“I don’t mind enjoying the two of you together. Trust me. I can handle you both.”
Did he actually growl like some wild animal?
Darlene’s eyes flashed and before I could stop her, she stepped around me and into his face. “That’s my girlfriend you’re talking to and about.”
“I understand. Like I said,” he said, his voice dropping to a lower octave. “I can handle you both.”
“As in her girlfriend. As is no one touches my babe’s hot, wet pussy but me.”
Now I spit out the wine.
I wasn’t entirely certain if he even said anything, but when I managed to glance over my shoulder, not only had the cretin left the bar, but it appeared he’d left the restaurant.
“You are terrible,” I told her, choking on my laughter.
“Did you want to go home with Mr. Click Bait?”
“No, but I do have a reputation to uphold,” I shot back, shaking my head.
She winked, lifting her glass. With the television over our head, she was suddenly paying more attention to the screen than to her girlfriend.
“Did you forget about me?” I mused. “Your boring best friend.”
“Did you hear about the fire?”
“What fire?”
Her entire face pinched. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry I mentioned it.”
“You don’t need to treat me with kid gloves. What fire?”
“A sporting goods store on the edge of town. Huge fire.”
“That’s terrible. Was anyone inside?” A shiver shifted down my spine.
“Four people.” Her face clouded over. “Okay, let’s talk about something else. Like you finding a hunky man. Time for you to get married.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You’re not getting any younger.”
Thank God, my phone rang. “That is so not going to happen. I have a reputation.” A fake laugh left my lips as I scrambled to find my phone in my way too large purse.
“What reputation? I can’t remember the last date you were on. You can’t develop a reputation until you actually go on a date.”
“Look who’s talking,” I teased, surprised and pleased to see my godfather on the line. “Let me get this. Hey, Landen. How are you?”
“I’m doing well, but I have a fawn who needs your expert attention. Is there any chance I can meet you at the sanctuary?”
“A fawn? What happened?”
“Hit by a car. Poor little baby.”
I laughed. My godfather was a big strapping man with a penchant for furry creatures.
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” The sanctuary.
Otherwise known as my parents’ ranch where I’d worked hard to make a place to protect and nurture injured animals, creating an extension of my work as a veterinarian.
At least I had a few people who believed my idea was a good one.
However, not everyone in town was thrilled and I couldn’t understand why.
“Good deal. I can always count on you.”
I also knew him well enough to realize the fawn was an excuse to check on me, a deed he held with the highest regard.
In his eyes, I was still the little girl who’d sat on his lap pulling on his beard.
While I adored the man, he’d found creative ways to keep his eye on me, refusing to believe I was no longer that little girl.
“Do you have to go?” Darlene whined.
“You know how Landen is. He’ll contact your father to do a welfare check if I don’t return home.”
Her pout was adorable. “You’re right. Then I’ll never hear the end of why I took you out drinking. Go. I’ll be fine all by myself. Alone. With these ruthless men.”
Laughing, I pulled out a twenty.
“No, you don’t. I convinced you to come out and keep me from killing the bastard who likely won’t spend a day in jail. I’ll pay for the drinks.”
“Be good. I don’t want to get a call in the middle of the night to come bail your ass out.” As I continued laughing, I grabbed my purse.
“You’re such a mean girl. So mean.”
“But you love me.”
“Maybe I’ll question that,” she called after me while I headed to the door, praying I didn’t meet Mr. Pink Shirt along the way.
When I made it to my truck and after jumping inside, I said a silent prayer the engine would turn over.
Like just about everything else in my life, my truck had seen better days.
The whir when I turned the key caused my stomach to jump. While I was no mechanic, I’d managed to kind of keep her running for a few months. Namely because I’d spent every last dollar on the sanctuary.
I rolled over the steering wheel, pouting while saying a silent prayer. I loved my work. I adored the animals, preferring them to people, but something had to give. After taking a deep breath, I stroked the dashboard. “Come on, baby. A little fawn needs our help.”
When the engine fired right up, I pumped my fist.
“Good girl. Very good girl.” As I headed out, the sun was just going down, the swirl of vibrant colors highlighting the gorgeous mountain range.
I’d never thought I’d return home, but now, I was glad I had.
Missoula was exactly as I’d remembered. A little larger.
A few more bars and liquor stores, but other than that, idyllically the same.
Which was also why returning brought heartbreak.
As I headed home, I did what I could to shove aside the sadness. Every memory was bittersweet, but also very special. They were all I had of my little family.
I made good time, the traffic lighter than usual, but by the time I pulled down the long driveway, the sun had finally set. At least I’d remembered to leave the outside light on.
With my keys in my hand, my beautiful dog barking her hearty welcome, I headed to the front door. With the first step onto the creaking wooden porch, the light flickered once then snapped off, leaving me in total darkness.
“You have got to be kidding me.” While I wasn’t typically prone to allowing little things to get me down, a perpetual glass is always half full kind of girl, I was weary from the constant issues with the house.
My parents had done a lackluster job at fixing the typical problems associated with an aging house.
They’d had their reasons, but I couldn’t keep a contractor on call twenty-four/seven.
Money didn’t grow on trees. Besides, they’d put all their money into building the veterinary clinic on the property, which now I was grateful for.
The state-of-the-art equipment meant I could hit the ground running with my own practice.
Now I just needed more clients.
As soon as I opened the door, my little wiggle buddy and pillow thief Ellie May launched her full weight into my arms, knocking me against the open door and almost onto my butt. Her tail was going ninety miles an hour, her backside wiggling as if I’d been gone for days, not a couple of hours.