Chapter Excerpt #2
“She’s a grown woman who has worked this ranch for longer than any of us have been alive, and running it just fine without Dad.
I’m sure she’ll be here any minute and laugh off our concerns.
” Carson’s words painted a picture of a calm, unconcerned son, but the look in his gaze and leaving a drink unfinished spoke volumes to just how concerned he was about their mother’s tardiness.
What in heaven’s name could she be up to?
“Loud noise reactivity. Perceived confrontation. German Shepherd. What time?” Sarah Sue Conroy tapped the pad she’d used to scribble data on the most recent dog needing to be homed.
Even with years of experience as the foster coordinator for a non-profit military canine organization, thanks to an onslaught of military working dogs recently coming through the system, her usual sources for fosters were growing slim.
There had to be an answer and she’d better find it before Tuesday morning at zero nine hundred hours when this poor boy’s last chance for being homed ran out.
A few more details and requisite polite exchange of weather, family, and allergy season, and she disconnected the call, bringing her laptop screen to life.
“I have to run.” Her father grabbed a protein bar off the counter and shoved it in his jacket pocket, then casually pilfered one, then two, of the chocolate chip cookies she’d made earlier in the day. “Mary Mahoney has finally gone into labor for real.”
“Finally?” Sarah had been daughter to a country doctor long enough, and spent enough summers playing receptionist and aide to know almost as much about medicine as her father—though every med school in the world would probably disagree with her.
Still, even she knew that every pregnant woman eventually had a baby.
“She’s ten days overdue and every time Braxton Hicks start she’d be in my office convinced this was the time.”
“How do you know this isn’t another false alarm?” As sure as she knew her name was Sarah Sue Conroy, she knew there would be a definitive answer.
“Heard it in her voice.”
And that was why her dad was so very good at what he did.
She still remembered the time that Mrs. Harper had called to tell the doc that she was having strong twinges and was going to climb into the tub to relax before the main event.
When her husband called back an hour later in a panic, her father told him to hold the phone close to his wife’s face so Sarah’s father could listen.
A few long moments later and the well-loved old doctor informed Mr. Harper not to wait for him, but rather to take his wife to the hospital and don’t worry about the speed limits, the sheriff would understand. An hour later, Faith Harper was born.
Her father paused long enough to kiss her on the temple.
“It’s nice to have you back. Not much about the chaos in today’s world I’m happy about, but at least one good thing has come from it.
If the business world’s acceptance of folks working from home means having you here instead of Austin, then it’s a welcome change. Love you.”
“Love you too. And it’s nice to be back.
” In the half a dozen years since she’d moved to Austin, she hadn’t realized just how much she missed living in a sleepy town.
Apparently, she missed it all a lot. A whole lot of lot.
Especially chatting over dinner about anything from Mildred McEntire’s latest bedazzled outfit, to who’d won that day’s corn hole match at the park, to the latest fight at the town council over their beloved town of Honeysuckle, Texas.
Nary a week went by when there wasn’t a disagreement of some kind between the faction who wanted to promote the honeysuckle arts and crafts that filled the Main Street shops with everything from candles to potpourri, and the faction who felt being corn hole capital of Texas was the bigger advantage for promotion dollars.
But if her new working arrangements panned out, fingers crossed, maybe, just maybe, she could move home for good.
“Odds are I’ll be home late.” Her dad stood at the open front door.
“First babies usually take their sweet time. If I am, you go ahead and take the casserole out of the oven and invite yourself over to the Sweets. Alice would probably enjoy the company. Even though it’s been over a year, she’s still a bit out of sorts over losing Charlie, not that she realizes it.
” He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head with a sigh. “Anyhow, company would do her good.”
“Will do!”
The front door closed in the distance and Sarah pushed to her feet.