Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
WADE
I shouldered through the door into the offices for the vet clinic. I was beyond frustrated today. When Jackson had called over and said he had forgotten a box of emergency supplies for the vet clinic, I had happily volunteered to drive them over.
Lucas was standing in the hallway, his daughter Rylie leaning against his hip as he idly stroked his fingers through her hair while he talked to Shay. “Well, you can count me among the people that are relieved that stallion is gone,” he said.
“What’s a stallion, Daddy?” Rylie asked, looking up at Lucas.
Lucas smiled down to her. “It’s a man horse,” he explained.
“Mischief’s a boy, and you like him,” Rylie returned, referring to a rescue horse beloved on the farm and well-known for his antics. Mischief was prone to jumping out of the pasture, but he was a friendly guy so he caused little fuss.
Shay was grinning at this exchange when she looked up to see me coming down the hall with two boxes in my arms. “Have fun figuring out how to explain that,” she said to Lucas with a soft laugh.
“Better yet, you can help me with these boxes,” I offered.
Lucas looked downright relieved. “Mind if I steal your dad?” I asked, glancing to Rylie, who had stepped away from her father’s side and was presently looking up at me.
Her dark curls bounced when she shook her head. “I’ll help too,” she announced.
“Sweet pea, those boxes are almost as heavy as you,” Lucas said with a smile. “How about you be in charge of the door?”
“I can do that,” Rylie chirped.
“Thank you, Wade,” Shay said as she reached me.
“Jackson tied up?” I asked.
“Yes, emergency surgery. A dog got hit by a car.” Shay’s lips twisted with a sigh.
“He’s already in there doing surgery, but that’s when he realized we had a new order of surgery supplies.
When the delivery guy came, he left them over at the lodge instead of bringing them to the clinic,” she explained as she hurried ahead of me to open the door into the supply room here.
I set the boxes down while Shay stayed behind to sort through and organize them on the shelves.
Rylie was already stationed by the door when I approached. She promptly opened the door, using both hands to turn the stainless-steel knob.
“Thank you, Rylie,” I drawled as I passed by.
“You’re welcome, Wade!”
I might’ve still been stewing over that mysterious snippet of conversation I heard in the parking lot last night between Dani and a customer, but I could use the distraction of Rylie’s innocent cheer.
Lucas’s daughter was around more often since he and Valentina had gotten together.
Lucas frequently stopped by to pick up Valentina at the clinic where her office was.
She handled all of the accounting and bookkeeping for the lodge, the rescue program, and Jackson’s vet clinic.
She also picked up shifts at the restaurant when needed.
Rylie’s mother had passed away before Lucas and Valentina got together. While his life was mostly work and being a father, now that he had a reason to hang around, we saw him more often, and by extension, Rylie.
When I returned to the parking lot, Lucas was standing at the back of my truck. “Everything in here?” he asked as he reached for a box.
“All of it. You can handle it, man. You’re strong,” I teased.
Lucas chuckled. “Right.”
“Well, Jackson’s got the hard job since he’s doing emergency surgery. I figure I can handle the grunt work.”
“True,” Lucas replied. With Rylie doing the honors at the door several more times, he and I had everything unloaded within a few minutes.
“Are you here to pick up Valentina?” I asked as we paused in the hallway.
“Uh-huh,” Rylie announced, answering for him as she spun in a circle, stopping in front of us.
Lucas smiled down at her. Looking back to me, he added, “I thought Valentina was here, but she’s over at the restaurant. She said one of the waitresses called out with a cold.”
Glancing at the clock mounted above the door at the end of the hallway, I commented, “Well, it’s certainly busy tonight over there.”
“So I hear. That’s why we’re gonna head home so you don’t miss your bedtime.” Lucas glanced down at Rylie.
“How will Valentina get home?” she chirped.
“Shay said she’d give her a ride.” Looking back to me, Lucas explained, “Valentina’s car is in the shop.
I’ve been telling her I knew there was something up with the brakes, and she finally took it in.
I wish she’d get a new one, but she’s not going for it yet.
” At that, he reached for Rylie’s hand. “We need to go. It’s only a half an hour until your bedtime. ”
I waved good night to them, then found myself standing alone in the hallway. With nothing to do, my mind immediately spun back to wondering why the hell I didn’t know Dani had been in the hospital in high school.
What for? My thoughts turned that question over and over, getting nowhere since I had no clues to guide me. I didn’t know why, but I sensed it had something to do with the way she broke things off with me.
I knew it would be hours before I could get some time alone with her, but I intended to talk to her tonight.
Hours later, after heading out to Lost Deer Bar to grab a drink and pass the time with a game of pool because I was too fucking restless to stay at home, I parked in the staff parking lot behind the lodge restaurant.
As I walked past the kitchen entrance, I heard the distinct sound of Gloria, the massive pig who had the run of the farm and was beloved by the staff and guests.
Pausing, I glanced in the direction of the sound to see Gloria making her way toward me, her feet shuffling through the frosty leaves.
“Hey girl,” I called, pausing because no matter how anxious I was to find Dani, it just wouldn’t do to ignore Gloria.
Gloria ended up at the rescue program Jackson ran after she turned out not to be a mini pig. She was anything but mini as pigs went. She reached me, nudging my knee with her nose as I leaned down to scratch between her ears. “Shouldn’t you be in your stall?” I asked conversationally.
“Yes, she should.” Shay’s voice reached me as she rounded the corner of the building.
“I obviously didn’t latch the barn door after the evening feeding.
” She stopped beside us, glancing down to Gloria and commenting affectionately, “It’s too cold for you to be out and about.
I bet you thought you might come get some dinner scraps. ”
Gloria lifted her head and eyed Shay before stepping closer to her and pressing her round body against her hip. Shay glanced at me. “I’ll walk her back to the rescue barn. See you tomorrow.”
“’Night,” I replied, watching as they began walking toward the path that led toward where the clinic and rescue barns were.
After another moment, I strode through the trees, my gaze scanning until it landed on Dani’s cabin. When I saw the lights on, the tension bundled tight in my chest eased slightly.
Stepping onto the small porch, I lifted my fist, hesitating slightly.
Not giving myself a chance to debate the wisdom of this, I let my knuckles fall sharply on the door.
After a moment, I heard footsteps, and Dani swung the door open.
She’d changed out of her work outfit and wore a faded cotton sweatshirt and leggings that hugged her curvy hips, with bright blue socks.
She looked so gorgeous, I lost my breath for a moment.
Her face was rosy as if she’d just washed it, my eyes narrowing in on the freckles dancing over her nose.
Fuck me. All I had to do was look at her and I wanted her.
Swallowing, I asked, “Can I come in?”
Her eyes searched my face for a few seconds before she nodded. “Sure.”
Stepping back, she opened the door wider to let me pass. A gust of cool air blew in as Dani moved to close the door behind me. The silence came abruptly when the door clicked shut.
Turning, I found Dani with her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest. Her thumb and forefinger were rubbing the faded cuff of her sleeve.
I suspected she knew I had overheard the end of her conversation in the parking lot.
Lifting my eyes, I saw the resolute set of her jaw and the tension at the corners of her eyes.
One of the things I had always loved about Dani was she didn’t hide much. She was pretty open book with her emotions practically written in bold magic marker on her face. The downside to that was when she was trying to hide something, it was more obvious.
She walked past me toward the small kitchenette in the corner. “Do you want some hot cocoa?”
Somehow, her question seemed entirely out of place. A chuckle rumbled in my chest. Looking over her shoulder, she shrugged. “It’s cold out,” she said, her voice a little frayed on the edges.
Following her over, I sank down into one of the chairs at the small round table when she gestured toward it. “Sure. Never any good reason to turn down cocoa, right?”
“Especially not if I’m adding some marshmallow vodka.”
“Damn. Never had that, but it sounds good.”
I watched as she puttered around, filling a tea kettle, heating milk, and getting out actual chocolate to melt into the milk. This was Dani. Of course, she didn’t do the powdered type of hot cocoa.
After a few minutes, she sat down across from me, her knees bumping into mine before she drew them back quickly.
Her eyes met mine across the table. Before I had a chance to ask, the truth flew out of her mouth and slammed into me.
“I got pregnant. And if you remember, I was away that summer after we …” She paused, circling her hand.
I didn’t need her to explain that she was referring to the one and only time we had sex, so I simply nodded as shock reverberated through me.
“My dad freaked out and told me I couldn’t see you again.
It turns out I had an ectopic pregnancy and had a miscarriage. I almost bled to death.”
My breath simply left my lungs. I felt as if a boulder slammed into me. My chest ached, and I felt physically sick. Just as I reached for her hands—because I needed to touch her—the kettle whistled right behind us.