CHAPTER ONE #2
“No,” I say. “This kitten is a stray and could have any number of diseases. It’s also in a delicate condition health-wise. I don’t want to risk any injury to it or your son.”
“I’ll be careful,” Aiden says.
“No.” I set the kitten in the cat carrier, using my body to block Aiden from reaching past me and grabbing the kitten, and start toward my truck.
“I didn’t get to hold the kitty,” Aiden wails.
I keep walking. Aiden is now his mother’s problem.
“We’ll go to your aunt’s house later,” Mrs. Simms says. “You can hold her cat.”
“But Warrick always scratches me when I hold him.”
I am not surprised.
I settle the kitten in a compartment in my truck, give it water and a tiny bit of food, and head out. I don’t know how long the kitten’s been without food or what it’s used to eating, so it’s always best to start off small.
Unfortunately, our animal control office doesn’t have an on-site veterinarian. Our small town is growing, but it’s been hard to find skilled vets who want to live in a smallish university town in the mountains of southwestern Virginia.
Locals drive over an hour to the next town to get their pets seen. A trip I’d rather not make at the end of my shift.
Which leaves me with only one option. I call our local large animal vets. Their receptionist, Cassandra, answers on the third ring. “What have you got for me?”
Cassandra has all the animal control officers’ numbers programmed and knows when we’re calling. “Stray kitten. Might be sick, malnourished.”
She humphs. “When you going to go back to school and get that veterinarian’s degree? We sorely need the help.”
I have told just about everybody I know how much I want to be a veterinarian. It just seems to come up in conversation. And I really can’t let go of the dream. “Around about the time I win the lottery.”
She snorts. “You and me both, honey. I’ve heard the local shelter is fully stocked, that what you heard?”
“Yep. I’m going to take this baby to the Weston farm as soon as it’s cleared by a vet.”
“Jared’s at the farm now, checking on a goat. You have time to head out there?”
“I’m closer to the Weston farm than I am to you.”
“Perfect. I’ll let Jared know to expect you.”
I’m already smiling as I head toward the Sanctuary farm run by the Weston sisters.
The sun is shining, and the drive, with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance and the fall colors brilliant oranges and reds, is gorgeous.
Plus, not only do I like Dani and Honey Weston, who run the farm, but I love visiting the wide variety of animals they’ve rescued.
It’s a happy place in a world that doesn’t always treat animals well.
As I start down the long dirt driveway to the farm, a truck rolls toward me from the other direction. It’s small, battered and old, and it pulls off into the grass to let me by.
As I pass, the man behind the wheel smiles and waves.
He’s got broad shoulders and a ball cap covering his hair, but it’s his eyes that hold my attention.
Not just because they’re a vivid shade of emerald, but because of the way my heart skips a beat and something like warmth spreads through me.
It’s so intense I almost run off into the grass myself.
“Get a grip,” I mutter, as I focus on the driveway. I mean, the guy was cute, with a lean face and a neatly trimmed beard, but it’s not like he was the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.
I shake off the odd reaction and make my way slowly toward the farm.
Asher jogs up before I’m even out of the truck. He’s shirtless, wearing man leggings, and holding a goat in his arms.
“Hey, sis,” he says. “Dani said you were on the way, so I brought you a friend to hug.”
I roll my eyes, but can’t fight my smile. My brother is a complete idiot and a total goofball, but he’s also the most awesome person I know. I’m so glad he decided to move back here last year.
I hug him and the goat. “Why aren’t you at the gym?” Since he and his wife, Clover, opened their gym last spring, he’s given up the concept of days off altogether.
“That new staff member I told you about needs a day to prove she can handle things without me and Clover there. She’s great, but she doesn’t totally believe in herself yet. We’re giving her two hours alone before we head back.”
“And you’re working out here?” I ask because he’s clearly dressed for a workout.
He scrunches his brow in confusion, then looks down at himself like he forgot what he’s wearing. “Oh, right,” he says with a sheepish grin. “I slipped and fell in the mud trying to help Dani get an over-friendly goat out of the pigsty.” He gestures at me. “Looks like you fell in the mud, too?”
I glance down at my uniform. I am covered in dirt from crawling under the porch.
I didn’t even brush myself off. I shrug.
It’s part of the job. “Something like that.” I head to the side of the truck and pull out the kitten.
The water and food I gave her are gone. A very good sign. “You know where Jared is?”
“Over by the llama barn the last time I saw him.”
I nod and head that way with the kitten. I find him right where Asher said he’d be, talking to Dani Weston.
Jared smiles over at me as soon as he sees me heading his way. He’s a handsome guy even with a man bun and in the coveralls he wears for work.
“Hey, Amelia,” Dani says, hurrying over for a hug. She’s looking farm girl chic, with her hair in pigtails and wearing daisy-print overalls. “How’s Harper?”
“She’s great,” I say. I’m still a little overwhelmed by how enthusiastically this family has claimed me as one of theirs just because my brother married their sister. Overwhelmed but grateful. “Thank you for sending over those cranberry muffins for her. You are her new favorite.”
“That’s why I did it.” Dani grins triumphantly. “Are y’all coming over for the playdate on Saturday?”
Dani and her family host animal play dates every couple of months for locals to visit with the animals, play games, have something to eat, and, hopefully, donate to the cause. “I can’t get out of work. But Asher’s going to bring Harper. She’s so excited.”
“That the kitten?” Jared asks, nodding toward the carrier.
I hand it over and let him and Dani ooh and aah over the baby. As I expected, Dani’s more than willing to take care of the kitten until we can find it a home, and Jared promises to give the kitten a check-up as soon as he’s able.
I leave Jared and Dani with a smile and a wave as I hurry back to my truck. The day has gotten away from me and, if I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late to pick up Harper from daycare. Again.
***
I’m almost finished cleaning the dust and mud from the day’s activities off my truck when my boss, Shaleigh, pokes her head out the side door of our office building. “Talk to me before you leave,” she says.
I sigh and text the daycare to let them know I’m going to be a little late picking Harper up.
They don’t care. They’re there until six, but I’m usually there by five thirty, and I don’t want them to think I’m not going to show.
I don’t want them to say something in front of Harper and make her think I’ve forgotten her.
I finish wiping down the cage that held a dog before the kitten rescue and put away the cleaning supplies. I’m hoping Shaleigh has good news to share, like a promotion for me, but judging by her serious expression, I’m betting on bad news.
Shaleigh’s behind her desk, a calendar of cats on the wall.
October’s is a tiny kitten climbing out of a pumpkin.
She takes off her glasses and shakes her head.
She’s shaved her thick curls into a buzz cut that looks amazing on her.
She has one of those heads that are perfectly shaped and a fine-boned face that’s made for a short cut.
Her face looked just as good with the long braids she wore last month and the natural do she had the month before.
She’s one of those women who seem to be effortlessly stylish and feminine. While I’m most comfortable in sweatpants and no make-up.
I start toward the chair in front of her desk, but she holds up a hand. “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but you’re filthy, and these chairs are impossible to get clean once you’ve rubbed dirt in them. Ask me how I know.”
I glance down at myself. Before I walked in here, I tried slapping off the worst of the mess, but it made no difference. I still look like I rolled around in the dirt.
“I had to crawl under a porch to rescue a kitten.”
“Procedure is to leave a live trap,” Shaleigh says. “Why didn’t you follow procedure?”
“The homeowner said her husband would shoot the kitten if I didn’t remove it from the premises before he returned home.”
Shaleigh doesn’t seem at all surprised by my story. Which either means she’s come to expect it from me or she’s gotten a call about the incident already. My stomach sinks. I have a bad feeling I know where this conversation is going.
“So you risked yourself instead,” she says, shaking her head. “We have procedures for a reason. If you were injured because they were wrong about the animal, our insurance wouldn’t cover you.”
She’s right. I hate it, but she is. “I was careful. I’m always careful.” I have a child who needs me. I have to be careful.
“According to ‘the homeowner,’” she says, making air quotes with her fingers. “You were also rude. You told a mother how to parent her child and made a little boy cry.”
I roll my eyes. Ever since our local city government started texting survey forms to every person who interacts with a government employee, the number of complaints I’ve gotten has gone way up.
We’ve made it too easy for people to criticize every little thing.
“The kid was blocking the crawl space I needed to get into, and the mother refused to do anything about it.”
Her lips quake, but she manages not to smile. “Which I agree is annoying, Amelia. Why don’t you tell me what I’m going to say next since you’ve heard it so often?”