Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
“What the fuck are these?” Lyra kicked an open moving box, jostling the books inside as she balanced a cup carrier with iced coffees. It was Sunday, and Hurricane Carolyn was almost upon them.
The wind had picked up, and the swiftly encroaching clouds made the atmosphere heavy.
“I swear to god, if you say you’re moving to Baltimore—”
“I’m not,” Cassie said, holding up her hands in defense. “I turned the zoo down. The clinic is opening as planned. I just…can’t live in this house anymore.”
She was beyond bedraggled. Her hair was up in the messiest bun ever recorded. There was packing tape stuck to her paint-splattered T-shirt, and she’d taped cardboard over the window that faced Noah’s house so she didn’t have to look at him.
“You can’t live in your beautiful, colorful, feminine sanctuary that you lovingly remodeled and Will and I moved you into what, two months ago? Yeah, I see why you need to leave,” Lyra said. She stooped over to pet Taco, who was sitting on her foot and pawing at her knee.
“I can’t live next to Noah,” Cassie said quietly.
The cup carrier hit the dining room table with a thunk. Great, another thing she loved that she needed to give away.
“If only someone had warned you about him.” Lyra took a long, slow sip of coffee.
“You’ve been waiting to bust that one out,” Cassie said.
“It gives me no pleasure. So where are you going?”
“Easton, I think. I’m going to have to rent for a little while.”
“Well, I don’t like the thought of you being further away. But I’m really glad you’re not giving up the clinic.”
Cassie shook her head. “I’m done with men taking away things that I’ve built.
Noah is never going to forgive himself for Bobby’s death, and I refuse to make myself miserable by trailing around after him, hoping that he’ll choose me over his own misery one day.
This is my town, and I’m staying. If anything, he should move,” she said vehemently.
Sure, his mom lived here and he ran a successful business here and he owned half the apartments in town. But still. Fuck ’em.
“I love this energy,” Lyra said. There was a beat of silence. “You fell in love with him, didn’t you?”
Cassie waved a hand. “Of course I fell in love with him. I’m a simple woman. If the universe puts a tattooed, emotionally wounded, furniture-making lumberjack in my path, I will fall head over heels. It’s basic science.”
Lyra settled into a barstool, dangling her legs. “I’m sorry, Cass. I hoped by now he would’ve recovered from what happened. But you can’t force someone to heal.”
“I know. What was he like before Bobby died?”
Lyra pondered for a minute. “He was fun. He loved the beach. Watersports. Kayaking. Volleyball. He used to have gatherings at his house all the time. He made amazing smoked ribs. Then Bobby died, and he closed in on himself. Disappeared into work.”
Cassie stopped with one hand on a picture frame. “I didn’t even check in on how you were feeling yesterday. How are you?”
Lyra shrugged. “The death date doesn’t bother me as much as other holidays. Especially his birthday. I made a two-tier carrot cake the year after he died. His favorite. It sat in my fridge for months until Andi threw it away.”
Cassie rose and went over to her sister. They shared a long hug.
“In happier news,” Lyra said, “we raised enough money for the sanctuary’s new fences. Gloria said it’s probably enough to keep them going till next season too.”
Cassie blew out a long breath. “That’s great news.” Huck and the band of misfits had a home for another year. “Now I can focus on work. Which is good because I have to vaccinate twin chihuahuas first thing tomorrow morning. I guess we’ll be breaking in the bite-proof gloves early.”
“Better you than me.” Lyra hopped out of her chair. “Okay, what can I help with? I only have an hour, but I’m great at packing.”
“Want to tackle the kitchen together?”
Lyra tied her hair back into a ponytail. “Let’s do this.”
When Lyra left an hour later, her absence made the house feel empty. It was quiet except for the wind howling outside. Cassie had packed her speakers away, so she couldn’t even blast her music.
There were a thousand things she needed to do—find a dog-friendly apartment, go over the schedule tomorrow one more time, call a Real estate agent, get her spare switched out for a new tire. But everything inside her was just…stuck.
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she had fallen hard for the broody, mysterious guy next door. There was a special kind of cruelty in meeting the potential love of your life, only for them to be too burdened by their past to be able to choose you.
Their life could’ve been beautiful. He was fast to protect and even faster to lend a helping hand. He listened. He didn’t try to interfere without permission. He was kind, and quiet, and good. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Really, it was her own fault. She knew the dangers—everyone had quite literally yelled it at her since she’d moved to town. Yet she allowed herself to be drawn in. By his kindness, his quiet, caring nature, and by that stupid hypnotic physique.
Had she been too harsh on him? He had finally told her his darkest secret, and she’d essentially told him to kick rocks.
There was a deafening scraping outside, and Taco scurried behind her. She hesitantly approached her sliding back door. Her patio table and chairs were now in the backyard. The wind was getting ridiculous.
At least the kitchen was packed up. It was a good thing she hadn’t gotten too comfortable here. Four plates and four bowls packed up a lot faster than the wedding china Dave’s elderly grandmother had insisted on buying them.
She peeked out the window. Trees were whipping in the wind, and rain splattered her windows. She turned on her TV and flipped through the channels until she found a local station.
A news reporter stood on the shoreline of the bay, buffeted by winds and rain.
“Hurricane Carolyn is battering the coast and the bay area. Sustained winds in excess of sixty miles an hour have been recorded as far west as Ellicott City. Residents are urged to take shelter inside and stay away from windows.”
The reporter paused, pressing a hand to her ear.
“We just received word that the Maryland Transportation Authority will be closing the Bay Bridge until further notice. Water is encroaching on Kent Island, and thousands of Fourth of July travelers will be stranded in eastern Maryland during the closure.”
Good lord. Hopefully Lyra’s café would be okay.
As she rolled a final pair of jeans in her bedroom, the TV and ceiling fan suddenly shut off. Great. Just what she needed, a power outage in the middle of packing her life up for the umpteenth time in two years. At least she’d remembered to charge her phone last night.
The device vibrated on the bed. Probably Sammy checking in on her. She hadn’t taken the news of their father’s betrayal well.
Cassie picked up the phone to find an unfamiliar Maryland number. Was a prospective patient injured in the storm?
“Hello?”
“Dr. Thompson?” Wind whipped in the background of the phone call.
“Yes?”
“This is Remelda Reyes from the Maryland Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program.”
That was quite a mouthful.
“Oh, hi. What can I do for you?”
“You’re currently located in eastern Maryland, correct?”
“That’s right. Aster Hollow.”
“We’re in a bit of trouble here.”
Cassie’s stomach hardened.
“There’s a small pod of bottlenose dolphins stranded in a channel on the beach in Ocean City.
The storm surge pushed them into it. Our usual volunteer veterinarian was in Baltimore this weekend for a wedding, and now that the bridge is closed, she’s stuck over there.
Delaware’s already handling a stranding at Bethany Beach.
All the other vets we called with marine mammal experience are out of town for the holiday.
We got your name from the National Aquarium.
They said you used to work there, did a marine mammal rotation with them. ”
Cassie bit her lip. “Oh, I’m wildly unqualified to care for dolphins. I haven’t worked on one since that rotation, and that was close to a decade ago.”
“You’re all we have, Dr. Thompson. One’s tail is tangled up in fishing line, and we think he may be injured. We need to be sure before we can move them.”
She stood up. An animal was in need, and it was her duty to help—even if she wasn’t exactly a world-renowned dolphin expert. Maybe she could download an audiobook or find a podcast about dolphin anatomy and care to play on the way?
“Okay. Of course I’ll help.”
Her mind started racing. She needed to stop at the clinic and grab the portable ultrasound and some other things. Every second counted. Shit, who would watch Taco?
“Let me just grab my field bag, and I’ll get on the road. Keep them wet and cover them with a bedsheet or some material until I get there—I don’t know why I’m telling you that, you’re the stranding people. You know more than I do.”
She was babbling.
“It’s probably going to be at least two hours until I get there,” she said. “Maybe more, if there’s flooding.”
“That’s okay. We really appreciate you coming out. We’ll meet you at 120th Street. You can park on Assawoman Drive and cross the dunes. Be careful.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
Cassie hung up and called Lyra. After a hurried conversation, Cassie was in the car with Taco. Her Range Rover splashed through the deep puddles littering the streets. She dropped Taco off with Lyra and headed for the clinic.