Angel's Rest (29 page)

Of course, if she could track down her deadbeat dad, she could sic the child support police on his butt and solve all of her mother’s problems.

Lori gave her mom one more hug, then stepped back. “You concentrate on Nana, Mom. Don’t worry about things here.”

Sarah nodded and glanced back toward the house. “Don’t forget to take the deposit to the bank.”

“I won’t.”

“And be sure to lock the doors both here and at the house if you go out. If summer people are arriving already, we’d better be careful.”

“Yes, Mom. Don’t worry, Mom. Go on and take care of Nana, Mom.”

Sarah flashed her a smile of amusement and relief. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom. Go.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m gone.” She kissed Lori’s cheek.

“Drive carefully.”

At the doorway, Sarah stopped and turned. “If you have any problems—”

“I’ll call Nic or Sage.”

“If it’s serious, call Zach.”

“Bye, Mom.”

Lori shook her head and sighed, then returned to shelving the cans of corn. “Something tells me this is gonna be one interesting summer.”

In the exam room at her clinic, Nic handed the older man a box of heartworm preventative and said, “Give
this to Champ on the fifteenth of every month. Remember, he’s liable to cough a little bit as the worms begin to die, but if it he starts spitting up or the coughing becomes too intense, I need to see him. We don’t want him to throw an embolism.”

“But he should be okay, right?”

“Yes. Just remember that the goal is to keep his heart rate down, especially these first couple of weeks. No walks, and outside only on a leash.”

“All right, Dr. Nic. Thanks so much. I feel so guilty about letting the preventative slip my mind. Just one more thing Sue took care of that I’m having to learn about. She’s probably up there in heaven wanting to kick my hind end for being so careless with Champ.”

“Don’t feel bad, Bart. In a month’s time, he’ll be good as new.”

After Bart and his Lab left the clinic, Nic took advantage of the opportunity to take a seat in her waiting room and prop up her ankle. Her injuries were much improved, though if she stood too long, she tended to swell. That could be from the pregnancy as much as from the sprains. She still used one crutch when she walked, a safety precaution for added balance rather than a necessity to avoid pain.

She checked the clock. Two-fifteen. Today she planned to man the clinic until three. Though she wouldn’t admit it to Gabe, she enjoyed working part-time hours, as he’d insisted. Her energy level was up. She didn’t fall asleep before eight-thirty at night anymore. She no longer awoke every morning already tired.

Nic loved her profession and had no wish to give it up. However, she wouldn’t miss the long clinic hours she ordinarily kept during spring and especially summer to compensate for the short winter workday. Being a rich man’s wife had some definite perks.

She had flipped open a
Parents
magazine and begun
reading an article about heartburn in pregnancy when the clinic’s door chime sounded. Glancing up, she saw a woman and young man whom she didn’t recognize. Both were tall with blue-black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. Mother and son, most likely. “Hello.”

“Hi,” the woman said, her smile tentative. “Are you the vet?”

“Yes. I’m Dr. Sul—” She gave her head a shake and grinned. “Dr. Callahan. How can I help you?”

“I’m Pam Harrington. This is my son, Nathan. We, um, have come to see Gabe. Is he around?”

His sister-in-law, Nic realized, and in an instant a flurry of impressions and questions flashed through her mind. Pam and Nathan, but where was her husband? Nic prayed they weren’t here to deliver bad news in person.

They didn’t appear to be sad or upset, though. They looked curious. Nic was plenty curious herself. Pam was gorgeous; she reminded Nic of a young Sophia Loren. She wondered how much Pam had resembled her sister. The boy was tall and lanky, a teenager just beginning his growth spurt, she guessed, his coloring lighter than his mother’s. Both the Harringtons watched her closely.

Nic kept her smile in place. “I’m pleased to meet you. Gabe speaks of you often. I was sorry to hear about your husband’s illness. I hope he’s doing well?”

“Very well, thank you. He’s back at work and was well enough to attend an industry conference in Colorado Springs. Nathan and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to drive over here and surprise Gabe with a visit.” She hesitated, then asked again. “He’s not away, I hope?”

Nic glanced at the wall clock. “He’s been up at Jack Davenport’s place today taking care of something. I expect him back in about twenty minutes, though. I know he’ll be thrilled to see you.” Noting that the boy’s attention
had locked on Steve Cartwright’s Labrador pup, who was in for his shots, she added, “You’re welcome to wait for him up at the house. Or Ranger”—she gestured to the puppy—“and I would be glad for the company. Can I offer you a soft drink? Bottled water?”

A pleased glint shined in Pam Harrington’s dark eyes. “Water would be nice, thank you.”

“Nathan?”

“A Coke, please,” he said, not taking his gaze off the dog.

Nic took their drinks from the fridge, then opened the crate door and removed Ranger. “This sweetheart just had his shots and he wants to play.”

“I’ll play with him,” Nathan piped up.

“Thanks. You can take him outside if you’d like,” she said, gesturing toward a side door. “The yard is fenced.”

Once the boy and the dog were settled, Nic and Pam Harrington exchanged polite smiles and a minute or two of small talk before Nic decided to face the elephant in the vet’s office.

“Gabe told me how close he is to you, your husband, and your son, Mrs. Harrington. I imagine you have some questions about me. I’m happy to answer them if you wish.”

“Well. That’s direct.”

“I don’t see any reason to be otherwise.”

“Fair enough. And please, call me Pam. Okay, then, I admit Gabe caught me by surprise with his news about you, and I was worried. I love Gabe like a brother and I want more than anything else for him to be happy again. Gabe is … well … he’s not been himself since the accident. He said really nice things about you. Truly, he did. I just, well, I worried you’d be …”

“A bimbo?” Nic suggested, her tone dry.

Pam’s grin was sheepish. “Well, I didn’t know what to
think. Even under normal circumstances, Gabe can be a bit thick where the opposite sex is concerned.”

Nic decided she liked Pam Harrington. If the situation were reversed, Nic would have made the trip to check out the new woman, too. “I hope you will believe me when I say that I’m not out to use Gabe or take advantage of him or bring him more pain. I want him to be happy. I want to make him happy.”

“Okay, you’ve been frank with me. Let me be frank with you. Officially I’m not his sister-in-law anymore, but I still consider Gabe family. I don’t want to lose him. I know it might be uncomfortable for you, but we want him to remain in our lives.”

“I don’t have a problem with that.”

“You don’t?” Her eyes widened with surprise.

“Of course not. Gabe has suffered enough losses in his life, don’t you think?”

Warmth and welcome filled Pam’s smile. “I do. I absolutely do.”

The two women spent the next ten minutes in frank discussion about Gabe, his first marriage, and his suffering in the wake of the accident. While Nic didn’t go into private details about her marriage, she did share information about Gabe’s life in Eternity Springs.

“I was too distraught to ask him much of anything when he came to Virginia after Will had his heart attack,” Pam said. “Eternity Springs is certainly a beautiful spot. From what you’ve told me, it sounds like he found the perfect place to pull himself back together. I’m glad he came here. It sounds as if this place and these people have been just the medicine he’s needed. I think I just might like you, Nicole.”

“I think I might like you, too, Pam.”

“Okay, then, one more question. In the last email he sent, Gabe mentioned that he had some other significant
news for me next time we talked. Care to give me a hint what it is?”

Must be the news about twins, Nic surmised. Gabe still went a bit green around the gills when anyone brought up the subject. “You can ask him yourself. I think he just came home.”

“I didn’t hear a car.”

“He parks on the street until after clinic hours.” Nic motioned toward the door of the clinic, where Tiger sat waiting to be admitted. “That’s Gabe’s dog. He went with him up to Eagle’s Way today.”

“A dog? Gabe has a dog?”

“More like the dog has Gabe. Tiger has adopted him, though Gabe still tries to pretend otherwise.”

With just a hint of wistfulness in her tone, Pam said, “My sister was allergic to animals.”

Ah. That piece of the puzzle shed a bit more light on her husband’s reaction to the boxer. Nic rose and grabbed her crutch. She opened the side door and asked Nathan to bring in the puppy, then she opened the front door for Tiger. The boxer loped into the clinic, went straight to Nathan, sat, and barked twice, his personal version of hello.

The teenager grinned, and after handing the puppy off to Nic, scratched Tiger behind his ears. “Who’s this?”

“Your uncle Gabe’s dog,” his mother replied.

“Really? Cool. What’s his name?”

Nic shrugged. “I call him Tiger, but it’s just a place holder until your uncle quits being so stubborn about ownership and gives him a forever name.”

“He’s goofy-looking.”

“He’s a doll. Your uncle saved his life.” Nic repeated the story of how Gabe had rescued the dog from the bear trap. “He’s totally loyal to Gabe.”

“Gabe always liked dogs. Matty wanted one real bad. They couldn’t have one because Jen broke out in hives
whenever she touched one. They had a fish tank for a while, but I have to say, it’s hard to fall in love with a fish.”

“Unless it’s a trout on my dinner plate,” Nic agreed as she walked to the clinic’s front door and gazed up toward the house. Gabe had turned on the kitchen light. “If I know Gabe, he’s digging into the cookie jar. Shall we join him?”

“The sign is spectacular, Colt,” Gabe said as he took a tall glass from the cupboard and set it on the counter beside the fridge. He and Colt Rafferty, the wood artist with local ties whom Celeste had hired to create the healing center’s sign, had been playing phone tag all day. “I’ve never seen such detailed, intricate woodwork. It’s definitely more artwork than signage.”

“Thanks. I think it turned out nicely myself,” Colt Rafferty replied. “Was Celeste pleased?”

“Pleased doesn’t come close. She was thrilled. I thought she was going to climb on her motorcycle and do donuts in the front yard.”

Colt laughed. “Does she still plan on conducting a grand unveiling of the logo?”

“Oh, yeah. My team and I are under threat of bodily harm if we leak it or allow anyone to get a glimpse of your sign before the Fourth of July event.”

Colt sighed. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to my summer in Eternity Springs. I’m counting the days.”

“I’ll look forward to meeting you.” Gabe opened the refrigerator door and removed the milk jug. “It’s been a pleasure to work with you on this project.”

“Same here. I’m interested to see what you’ve done at Cavanaugh House, or should I say Angel’s Rest. From the way Celeste talks and what I’ve seen in the photos you sent, your work is every bit as artistic as mine is.”

Gabe smiled with satisfaction at the compliment. He was proud of the work he’d done at the estate. And he was happy to feel good about working again, period.

The two men finished up their call and Gabe poured his glass of milk and turned with anticipation to Nic’s canister set. What gastronomical delight did she have for him today?

Ever since she’d caught him scrounging for something sweet a week ago, Nic had made sure to keep her cookie jar stocked with treats from either Sarah’s or Wendy Davis’ kitchen. He and his sweet tooth appreciated the effort. Removing the jar’s lid, he peered inside. “All right. Lemon bars.”

He took two, wrapped them in a napkin, picked up his glass of milk, turned toward the table—and froze. The items slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor. “Pam?”

“Great. If those were the last two lemon bars, Callahan, I’m gonna be ticked. Nic tells me they’re totally awesome.”

Pam. Here. Oh, no
. Fear sent a cold chill through his heart. Heedless of the spilled milk and broken glass, Gabe crossed the room and grabbed her by her shoulders. “You’re here. Is it Will? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He’s great. He’s playing golf at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs today.” She gave Gabe a hug, then said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. We wanted to surprise you.”

“Mom wanted to check out your new wife,” Nathan said by way of hello.

Gabe narrowed his eyes at Pam, who shrugged without apology, then shot an impish grin toward Nic. “It’s true. I just knew you’d married a bimbo. I thought I might need to wrest you away from her evil clutches.”

Worried how Nic would react to that, Gabe darted her a look of alarm.

Wistfully she said, “I always wanted to be a bimbo. Alas, I went to vet school instead.”

Both women laughed, and the vise around his chest eased.
They like each other. Pam and Nic like each other
. A lump the size of a baseball appeared in Gabe’s throat. He closed his eyes. His heart swelled with gladness.

You’d like her, too, Jen. I know you would
.

He could almost hear her voice in his mind.
You’re right, Gabe. I would like her. She’s a good woman and she’s good for you. Don’t screw it up
.

He released a slow, heavy breath. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be all right.

Later, following a supper of hamburgers cooked on her uncle’s old charcoal grill that Gabe unearthed from storage, Nic sat in the glider on her back patio and listened to the conversation in the kitchen as Gabe and Nathan did the dishes. She couldn’t recall the last time this house had rung with so much laughter. Not male laughter, anyway. The quilt group did have fun when they met here on Tuesday nights, but that was a different sound.