Chapter Fourteen
When Meredith arrived at the ranch, the house was empty.
She skipped dinner and retreated into the quiet of her bedroom. Instead of packing her bags to leave, she lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She thought about her future. She thought about Wade Hendricks, and how much she’d like to be with him, at least once, before she moved on.
Didn’t she deserve that? Simple human companionship, and a single night of pleasure? Sure, he was a jerk sometimes, but she imagined he would be a generous lover. He wasn’t the type of man to leave a woman unsatisfied.
Chico whined at the foot of the bed, so she leaned over to pick him up. He licked her cheek in gratitude.
“Your breath is terrible,” she said.
To her chagrin, tears blurred her vision. The idea of kissing only this snaggle-toothed dog for the rest of her life threatened to send her over the edge. She swiped away the tears in annoyance. Chico licked her face again.
She didn’t surrender to self-pity, because she was Meredith Rose, of the Plainview Roses.
She didn’t wallow in despair or cry into her pillow.
She was tough as nails. She could haul bales of hay, repair a fence, and milk a goat.
Sniffling, she rose from the bed and lost herself in a series of chores.
Chico stuck close to her heels, as usual.
She was about to make herself a snack when she heard King outside the kitchen door. He emitted three short barks.
She opened the door to investigate. King raced toward the dog run, his long legs galloping. She followed him toward a soft shape in the dark. It was Daisy. The Australian shepherd was stretched out on her side, head lolling and paws twitching. Foam dribbled from her mouth.
Meredith dropped to her knees beside the dog.
Tremors continued to rack her body. Her eyes were wild and insensible.
Meredith didn’t know what to do, other than take her to the vet.
This was an emergency. Racing into the house, she grabbed her purse, the keys to the Subaru, and a blanket off the bed.
Her heart lurched with panic as she opened the hatchback.
Daisy hadn’t moved from the slumped position. Meredith gathered her into the blanket and lifted her gently. Wade’s truck pulled into the driveway as she carried Daisy toward the Subaru. He parked and rushed toward her.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Meredith said, smothering a sob. “I found her like this.”
He stared without comprehension as she placed the dog in the back of the vehicle. Daisy’s legs were stiff, her eyes rolling.
“Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s the fucking dog.”
Her face crumpled. He was angry, and she didn’t know why.
“Where’s my mother?”
“She went out.”
He cursed under his breath. “Can we have one night around here that isn’t a total clusterfuck?”
Meredith couldn’t stand here arguing with Wade. “I need to take her to the vet.”
“Which vet?”
She drew in a shaky breath. “The emergency one.”
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Give me the keys,” he said. “I’ll drive.”
Meredith fished the keys from her pocket and handed them over.
Then she closed the hatchback and got in the passenger side.
Wade climbed behind the wheel, still cursing, and adjusted to seat to accommodate his longer legs.
Even at the maximum, he barely fit. He shoved his phone at her before starting the engine.
“Find an emergency vet,” he said.
She stared at the little icons. One looked like a map, so she selected it. She knew how to use voice dictation, so she pressed that button with a shaky finger. “Emergency vet,” she said, holding the phone close to her mouth.
The screen glowed with indecipherable options.
“Which way?” he demanded.
Her eyes filled with tears again. “I can’t read it.”
“What?”
She handed him the phone. “I can’t read it.”
He took the device from her, made a quick choice, and stuck the phone in the cup holder.
It began to dictate directions in soothing female tones.
Meredith turned around and focused on Daisy for the remainder of the drive.
The dog recovered slowly from the episode.
Her eyes became more alert, and her stiffness eased.
She began to respond to Meredith’s voice. Her tail thumped under the blanket.
“She getting better?” Wade asked.
“I think so.”
“We’re almost there.”
Meredith smoothed a hand over Daisy’s sweet head. The dog’s muzzle was damp. Maybe she’d been bitten by a snake or eaten something poisonous. Meredith ran her fingers through Daisy’s thick fur, but she didn’t find any wounds.
The emergency pet clinic was on the west side of Lost Lake, near one of the routes she’d investigated earlier. Wade pulled into a shopping center with a grocery store and several restaurants. He parked in front of the clinic and hopped out.
Meredith had planned to carry Daisy, but Wade did the honors while she held the door. Inside, an employee led them into an exam room. They waited together in taut silence amidst the smells of antiseptic, flea shampoo, and pet dander.
A harried-looking veterinarian entered the room with a stethoscope around her neck.
“I’m Dr. Munroe,” she said, nodding at Wade and Meredith. “And who’s this?”
“Daisy,” Meredith murmured.
“What’s going on with Daisy?”
Meredith told the vet how she’d found Daisy in a collapsed state. Dr. Munroe did a thorough examination and recommended some lab tests.
Meredith gave her permission, and the woman looped a leash around Daisy’s head.
Daisy followed her obediently out of the exam room.
Wade and Meredith returned to the front office to fill out paperwork.
She accepted the clipboard with a weak smile and sat down.
She wrote her name, and Daisy’s name, with careful script.
Then she got stuck. Paperwork was difficult for her when she was calm.
Under stressful circumstances, it was impossible.
She hazarded a glance at Wade, who was studying her intently.
“You want me to do it?”
She passed him the clipboard, cheeks heating.
“How old is she?”
“Three.”
“Spayed?”
“Yes.”
They went through the rest of the information quickly, and he turned in the paperwork. The receptionist gave a quote for services that made Meredith’s heart sink.
“I don’t have that much cash on me,” she whispered to Wade.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said.
Relief washed over her. “I’ll pay you back.”
He shrugged, unconcerned with the amount.
“It’s going to be about an hour,” the receptionist said. “You’re welcome to wait here in the lobby, or you can leave and come back.”
Wade inclined his head toward the taco place next door. Meredith accompanied him without argument. She was too upset to eat, but she could hardly begrudge him a meal. They both used the restroom to wash up before choosing an outdoor table.
“You don’t have to wait with me,” she said to him. “I can call a cab.”
He ignored her suggestion. “How many tacos do you want?”
“None.”
He went inside to order and came out with two bottles. One was a Mexican beer, the other a Mexican soda. He set both down on the table, making a gesture for her to choose. She selected the soda.
“What flavor is this?” she asked.
“Grapefruit.”
She took an experimental sip. It was tart and sweet.
“I thought it was my mother,” he said abruptly. “When I saw you carrying the dog. I thought it was her.”
Meredith was still tied up in knots over the shock of Daisy’s collapse, but she felt a pang of sympathy for Wade.
She couldn’t imagine how he’d felt when he’d found his brother after the gunshot accident.
The fact that Meredith had been indisposed herself last night might have triggered more bad memories for him.
“I reacted badly,” he said.
“No,” she argued. “I’m glad you were there to help.”
They sat in silence for a moment, then a waitress came out with a loaded tray.
Wade spoke to her in Spanish, effortlessly charming, and she fluttered her lashes at him as she placed several plates on the table.
There was an array of tacos. Meredith recognized the carne asada. Another type she’d never seen before.
“Is this pineapple?” she asked.
“Yeah. Try one.”
She took a tentative bite of the taco, which was a mix of spicy pork and sweet pineapple, drizzled with a green sauce. It was delicious. She ate two of the tacos on the plate. There was one left over, which he demolished in three bites.
“Do you want more?” he asked.
“No, thanks.”
He glanced at the restaurant’s facade, as if he wasn’t quite satisfied. Instead of ordering another round of tacos, he relaxed into the metal chair and sipped his beer.
“I guess I owe you an explanation,” she said.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
Meredith contemplated that. When he’d asked her personal questions, she’d been evasive, even dishonest. That didn’t sit well with her.
She didn’t want to leave it like this, unfinished.
He deserved the truth. Also, how could she expect him to confide in her, or talk to his mother about Billy, if Meredith couldn’t open up to him?
“Do you want to hear it?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, his gaze cruising over her. “I do.”
She realized she’d misjudged him. She’d assumed his interest in her was purely sexual, but she hadn’t given him the opportunity to get to know her on a deeper level. When he’d tried, she’d shut him down.
“My mother died when I was fourteen. It was a combine accident. My father was operating it.” She swallowed hard. “He didn’t take any time off to grieve. He never even discussed it. He just … carried on as if nothing happened. I think he buried his heart with her, and there was nothing left for us.”
Wade didn’t say anything, but he reached out to hold her hand. She knew he understood about untimely deaths and stilted communication.