One Day in Apple Grove (19 page)

He brushed his lips to her forehead and laid her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. There are things that are hard for me to talk about. Iraq is one of them.”

“I want to help.”

“I go for help every few months. I was doing all right until a certain woman turned my well-ordered existence upside down with her smile.”

“I did?”

“Didn’t you?” When she shrugged, he went on, “Since the night we rescued Jamie, my focus hasn’t been on warning signs that the PTSD was ready to break loose again…it has been on you.”

“What can I do?”

“I need you to be patient with me.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm, watching intently as she shivered.

“Will you tell me about it?”

He looked away and then back down into her upturned face. “Not yet…but soon.”

She nodded. “OK.”

“Caitlin?” Miss Trudi called out.

“I don’t believe it,” Cait groaned. “Is that brown bottle what I think it is?”

Jack laughed. “Yep—Dad’s tonic.”

“Does it taste bad?”

“If it tasted good, it wouldn’t work.”

“Lovely.” She waved at the older woman and promised Jack, “You’ll pay for this one.”

“Thanks, ladies,” he said, walking back through the plants. “I’ve got a one o’clock coming. Can’t be late.”

“What a nice young man,” Miss Trudi said. “And so good-looking too.”

Caitlin stared after him without speaking. When she turned around, Miss Trudi was holding out the bottle to her. “One teaspoonful, morning and night.”

“Oh, I couldn’t take your tonic.”

“Land sakes, child,” Miss Trudi told her. “I’ve got a half-dozen more in the house.”

Resigned, she took the bottle. “Thanks. I’ll just clean up and be on my way.”

Miss Trudi was smiling when she handed Cait a spoon.

Knowing when she’d been beaten, she took the spoon and the tonic. “Good grief, that tastes awful!”

“That’s how you know it will work, dear.”

Bending down, she nabbed the water bottle she always had on the job and drank down the rest of it. At least it cut the taste lingering in her mouth. “What’s in there?”

“Herbs and things.”

“Yuck.”

“Oh, but you should see the fire in your eyes right now, dear. Old Doc Gannon’s tonic always did work quickly.”

Cait shook her head and cleaned up her tools. Saying good-bye to Miss Trudi, she loaded up the truck and headed off to the next job on her list.

It was hard realizing that she didn’t have to stop off at Jack’s to take care of Jamie. Wondering how the little guy was doing, she decided she’d shoot off a text to Rhonda when she stopped at the shop to pick up supplies.

Rhonda didn’t have anything concrete, but she did uncover the fact that Ms. Blackwell came from a prominent Columbus family.

“Guess she didn’t earn that car she drove…probably a gift from Daddy.”

Gathering the tools and supplies she’d need for the afternoon, she was surprised, then pleased to see a text from Jack:
Dinner at my place? I’m buying.

She sent off her acceptance and focused on the next few jobs, so she could finish up on time and head on over to the place that was rapidly beginning to feel like home. If only she could find something wrong with Ms. Blackwell, she could tell the sheriff and have him go after her, so she could bring Jamie home where he belonged.

Exhausted, dirty, and beyond hungry, Cait called Jack to tell him she’d be later than expected. When he answered, she found herself smiling. “Hey, it’s me. I’m on my way home to get cleaned up…I am icky dirty.”

“What’s wrong with my shower?”

“I didn’t want to you to think I was taking advantage—”

“Cait,” he interrupted. “Don’t go home, come here…I need to see you here in the middle of my stuff. I want you in my shower. I’ve got something to tell you when you get here. OK?”

She blew out a breath and pulled a careful K-turn on Cherry Valley so she could get back on Eden Church Road. “I just turned around. I’m headed your way.”

“Good,” he said softly before saying good-bye.

Lighter in heart, she pulled into Jack’s driveway. She felt a hitch when she didn’t see Jamie’s little black fuzzy face at the window, but the welcome on Jack’s face when he opened the door and pulled her into his arms more than made up for it.

He kissed her soundly and then pushed her through the kitchen. “Hurry back.”

She put on the brakes. “But I just got here!”

He kissed her cheek and grinned. “You’re right, you are icky dirty.”

“Why you—”

“Save it for when you’re clean. I plan on getting you dirty all over again.”

With that promise held close to her heart, she dashed upstairs, stripped, and turned the spigot to scalding. As she scrubbed away the dirt and stress of the day, she realized there was no point in holding back what was in her heart—she had to tell him how she felt.

All problems—Jamie and PTSD aside—she needed Jack, wanted to be with Jack
. Loved Jack.
She had to tell him.

Squeaky clean, hair loose—since it was too wet to braid—Caitlin paused in the doorway to the kitchen. Jack was standing there looking down at the dog toy in his hand. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him, holding tight.

“I miss him so much it hurts.”

“I know you do,” she said. “I do too.”

“I didn’t even know how badly I needed a dog…”

“Not just any dog,” she told him. “Jamie.”

“Yeah.” He turned around, so that they were face to face. “I almost blew it last night and pushed you out of my life.”

She nodded. “I almost let you.”

“I can’t lose you too, Cait. I love you.”

“Thank God I’m not in this alone,” she said.

His lips found hers and kissed her softly, sweetly, reverently. “Say it, Cait.”

“It,” she teased.

He growled—actually growled—at her.

Knowing he needed to hear the words, she gave them to him. “I love you, Jack Gannon.” Letting her hands roam his shoulders and his upper back, she reveled in the strength there. Contentment filled her. As long as they could talk to one another and took the time, they could work anything out.

When he pulled back, she lifted up on her toes and pressed a swift kiss to his mouth. “Are you going to feed me soon?”

His laughter was music to her soul.

“I’ve got this really great recipe for marinated steak.”

“You’re going to cook another meal on the grill?”

He looked at her as if she’d asked him to balance the federal budget. “I’m a guy. Guys like to grill meat.”

Pushing up her sleeves, she said, “I hope you have something green in your fridge.”

“I think there’s a bag with cheese that I should have tossed out a few weeks ago.”

“Is that something else about men? They don’t eat green things?”

“Not unless they’re forced by their moms.”

“I’ve seen you eat salad before,” she said, frowning at him with her hands at her hips.

“Ah,” he said, “but that’s because I had ulterior motives. I wanted to talk you into my bed.”

Her mouth fell open in shock and he laughed, snagging her again, reeling her in for a kiss. This time it was a toe-tingling, toss-me-over-your-shoulder-and-take-me-to-bed kind of kiss.

“Maybe we could eat later,” she said, slipping out of his arms and tugging on his hand.

They were laughing as they ran up the stairs.

Jack sat up in bed and said, “Did you hear that?”

Cait brushed the hair out of her eyes. It was still dark outside. “What?”

Jack tilted his head to one side and said, “That!”

“No. What did you hear?”

He got out of bed and told her, “Be right back.”

Intrigued enough to follow him, she pulled his T-shirt over her head and walked to the top of the stairs. When she heard him calling Jamie, her heart broke. If anyone ever needed a dog, it was Dr. Jack Gannon. She vowed to get to the bottom of Ms. Blackwell’s false-sounding story, so she could find a way to get Jamie back where he belonged…with Jack.

She got back into bed but kept the shirt on. She liked the feel of the soft material as it slid off her shoulder, Jack’s were so much broader than hers.

“Hey,” she called out to him as he walked into the room. “Did you find whatever the noise was?”

He shook his head. “Must be hearing things.”

He never said a word to her about thinking it was Jamie as he climbed back into bed and pulled her close. After a few minutes, she realized that he wasn’t going to—just one more thing he kept locked inside of him, making her even more determined than ever to help him heal.

Lying there while he slept, she laid out her plan for the day: First, she was going to stop by and see Rhonda and see if she’d dug anything up about that Blackwell woman. Second, she’d catch up with Peggy at the diner and see if her friend had heard anything about the woman who claimed Jamie. Third, she was going to talk to her dad again and see what he’d come up with to help Jack.

With that busy day planned and a full schedule of handyman jobs ahead of her, Cait slipped out of bed and hit the showers. Jack was still sleeping when she was clean and dressed, so she pressed a kiss to his forehead and headed downstairs to start breakfast.

She was turning the sausage to brown up on the other side when Jack walked in, his hair still damp from his shower. Their gazes locked, reminding her of the night before and the way they’d exhausted one another before they finally drifted off to sleep in one another’s arms.

The intimacy of the moment had her belly tingling. She’d never had a relationship like this one. It had taken a man like Jack to make her realize that while she’d been in relationships with other men, not one of them had ever fully engaged her heart and her mind at the same time.

But she’d never dated anyone who’d kept something so huge from her before.
When
would
he
confide
in
her?

“Do you have any idea how right it feels coming downstairs in the morning and finding you in my kitchen?”

She laughed. “If I was drinking coffee and reading the paper, instead of making you breakfast, would it still feel right?”

He grabbed her around the waist, pulled her flush against him, and kissed her breathless. Once he set her back on her feet, he grinned. “Does that answer your question, silly woman?”

“Silly?”

“Yeah,” he said, grabbing a mug and filling it with fresh, hot coffee. “You here with me is essential…you cooking is definitely a bonus.”

Using the tongs, she lifted the links from the pan, and asked, “Over easy?”

“That’s another thing, Cait,” he said quietly. “You remember little things that matter.”

“In all fairness, you know that I like my coffee with milk and too much sugar.”

“That’s easy. It worried the physician in me,” he told her.

“Not the point.” She wiped out the pan and added margarine to it.

“Why don’t you just cook the eggs in the sausage drippings?”

She paused and looked down at the pan. “I’ve never had them that way.”

“But you scramble your eggs in the bacon fat.”

“That’s how my dad always did it.”

“So your dad’s not a fan of sausage?”

She laughed. “How did we get on the subject of what my dad likes for breakfast?”

He smiled and went to the fridge. “Just making conversation.”

She could hear him rummaging around in the fridge. “What are you looking for?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you?”

“Killing time until breakfast is ready.”

“Here,” she said, handing him a plate. “Chow down.”

She turned back to take her plate off the counter and heard him move closer. “I never got to thank you last night.”

The depth of his voice had chills tingling up her spine and tying up her tongue. Finally she managed, “For?”

“Everything.” Turning her around to face him, he pressed his lips to her forehead, cheeks, and the end of her nose. Drawing her close, he rubbed his hands up and down her back and sighed. Picking up her plate, setting it on the table next to his, he told her, “That’ll have to hold me over until I see you tonight.”

Since her legs had turned rubbery, she sat down. “Are you planning on eating and running?”

He chewed and swallowed the mouthful he’d just shoveled in. “Precautionary measures.” His dimple winked at her and she melted. “You might decide that if I kiss you again, you’ll be late, and I know how much you hate being late.”

“That’s too bad.” She speared a piece of sausage and bit into it. When she felt his gaze on her, she fought against the urge to laugh out loud.
Gotcha!

“Are you going to keep me in suspense or tell me?”

She sighed. “I was going to try to convince you to try a quickie on the table after we cleared it off and put the dishes in the dishwasher.”

His nostrils flared, and she knew he was imagining what she had while she’d been cooking. “I like the way your mind words, Mulcahy.”

“It’s a gift,” she said, sliding off her chair and rinsing her dishes in the sink. When she would have put them in the dishwasher, he stayed her hand and pulled her toward him. “But the table’s not clear.”

“We can try it out later tonight.” His eyes gleamed. “I’ve been wanting to lean you over the counter since I first saw you here. Let me tell you what I’ve been thinking.”

Caught up in the moment and his wicked whispered words, she didn’t hear the house line ringing until she heard the answering machine click on and start recording.

“Jack,” she heard a deep voice say, “are you there?”

He groaned and refastened the top of her jeans. “Later,” he promised. “I’ve got to see what my dad wants.” He picked up the phone. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

Cait could tell from his expression that it was something he needed to concentrate on, so she busied herself cleaning up. Satisfied that she’d left it at least as clean as she’d found it, she slipped out of the room and used the bathroom. Borrowing some of his toothpaste, she scrubbed her teeth with her finger and rinsed her mouth.

“I’ll have to start carrying a toothbrush and spare clothes with me.” The funny feeling inside of her had her shaking her head. “It would be easier to leave stuff here, but his parents are going to be visiting soon…not happening while they’re here…way too awkward.”

With a glance at the clock, she figured she could beat Grace to the shop and snag one of the clean shirts they kept there for emergencies. Walking back into the kitchen, she was surprised to see that he was still on the phone. He smiled up at her and mouthed, “See you tonight.”

She blew him a kiss and watched him catch it. She was grinning as she drove to town. “Clean shirt first, then Rhonda’s.”

Glad to be in a fresh shirt, she walked into the
Gazette
’s office and tapped the bell Rhonda kept on the counter. “Be right there,” her friend called out.

While she waited, she texted Peggy to say she’d be there in five.

“Hey, Cait,” Rhonda said, coming in from the back. “I was just going to call you. You’ll never guess what I found out.”

“Probably not,” she agreed. “So?”

“Ms. Bonita Blackwell’s been in the news,” Rhonda told her. “Apparently, her good works include saving the life of a little black puppy she adopted from the pound and making a huge donation.”

Cait felt her stomach slowly turn. “And?”

“She announced her engagement to a certain senator after she’d recovered the puppy she lost.”

“Interesting. Do you think she really lost Jamie?”

Rhonda shrugged. “Not sure, but her fiancé has been lobbying for stricter regulations regarding animal shelters across the state. He’s a supporter of neutering prior to adopting, not after. There’s a picture of the three of them on the Internet this morning.”

When Rhonda’s expectant gaze met Cait’s, Cait asked, “What?”

“Did Jamie have a swollen eye when you dropped him off at the sheriff’s office?”

“No.” Cait’s gut iced over as she rounded the counter to stand next to Rhonda as the woman flipped through a couple of screens.

Cait focused on the little dog’s face. “The whole side of his face is scraped up. What the hell happened to him?”

“Don’t know, but it would have been great if you had a picture of what he looked like when you turned him over to that paparazzi-loving bitch.”

Cait pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped through the screens. “I haven’t looked at it since that night, but the way Jack looked hugging Jamie, I just had to take a picture.”

“Let’s see if we can enlarge it. You’re going to need proof before you press charges of animal cruelty.”

“My charger’s in the car. I’ll go get it, then we can upload the picture to your computer.”

Jogging back to the shop, she turned to look across the street when she heard Peggy calling her name. Her friend was standing with her hands on her hips outside the diner. Cait called out, “Can you take a break?”

Peggy nodded, stuck her head back inside for a moment, and was crossing the street by the time Cait had retrieved her phone charger.

“You’ve got to see this.” Peggy caught Cait’s urgency and the two of them ran to the
Gazette
, pushing the door open. Cait said, “OK, let me just plug this into your computer.”

Once they’d selected the photo, Rhonda started playing with it, enlarging it, and brightening it so Jamie’s face was perfectly clear. “Not a scratch on him,” Cait pointed out.

“Check this out, Peggy,” Caitlin said, pointing to the picture Rhonda found on the Internet this morning.

“Oh, the poor little puppy,” her friend said. “Did someone beat him?”

“We need to tell Jack.” Her hands were shaking as she dialed his cell.

“Hey, babe,” he answered. “You need to stop distracting me.”

“You’ve got to stop by the
Gazette
,” she told him, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. “You’re going to want to see what Rhonda found out this morning.”

“I just opened up my office,” he told her. “Hang on. I’ll be right there.”

Her hands were shaking when she disconnected. Peggy took hold of them and told her, “She won’t get away with it.”

Jack pushed the door open and strode inside. “What’s wrong? Who’s hurt?”

She shook her head at him and pointed to the computer screen. “Rhonda found this picture of Ms. Blackwell and her fiancé this morning.”

Anger had his entire body going rigid. “What the hell happened to my dog?”

Cait knew exactly how he felt.

Rhonda switched screens and he blew out a breath. “I didn’t know you took that picture.”

Heart in her eyes, Caitlin laid a hand on his arm. “I wanted to wait another few days to show you. I didn’t want to make it harder since you already missed him so much.”

He hugged Cait tight to his side. “Thanks for finding this, Rhonda.”

Cait looked at her friends and said, “Can you rerun that story you did a few months ago about the Newark Animal Shelter?”

Her friend nodded. “The fundraiser?”

Cait nodded. “Can you update it with a short piece about Jack and me finding Jamie and then returning him to his owner with that picture of Jack and Jamie?”

“I love the way your mind works!” Rhonda said, making a shooing motion with her hands. “Get lost, people. I have a story to write.”

But Jack wasn’t listening; he was on the phone with Mitch. “Rhonda’s working on a story right now. The picture’s all the proof I need.” His gaze met hers as he said, “I’m gonna spring Jamie.”

“When?” Cait asked when he disconnected.

“I’ve got patients all day, but as soon as I’m finished, I’m paying her a visit.” He brushed a hand over her cheek. “You want in on it?”

“I do,” she rasped. “I knew there was something about that woman I didn’t like.”

“What if it was an accident?” Rhonda asked.

“Then she’s careless and hasn’t fulfilled the promise she signed off on when she adopted Jamie.”

“What if she calls in the big guns—her political connections?” Peggy asked.

“We’ve got both pictures taken hours apart,” Jack said. “A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

Rhonda agreed. “I’ll have the story up and viral in a half hour.”

Jack stared at Rhonda for a moment before saying, “It might help our cause if we have a reporter there, ready to do the follow-up story of the dog we rescued.”

Rhonda slowly smiled. “I can clear my calendar for the evening. Now get going so I can write!”

Jack tugged on Cait’s hand, pulling her out the door behind him. “Cait, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything until we’ve got him back.”

“What if she refuses?” Peggy asked. “What if she calls her lawyer?”

Cait thought about it for a few moments, and then said, “I think image is everything to Ms. Blackwell. She won’t want the bad press this will generate. Once Rhonda makes a promise that something’s going viral, she means it.”

Jack agreed. “Our story and that photo will be everywhere. She’ll have a lot of explaining to do once the ASPCA gets wind of it.”

Cait’s phone rang. She looked at the number and sighed. “Hey, Sis. Yeah, sorry, I’m on my way there right now.” She nodded to Peggy. “That was Grace. She said you have an emergency over at the diner.”

Peggy laughed. “I do…I haven’t seen you in a few days and needed to catch up.” With a sideways glance at Jack, Peggy said, “I hear tell that you’ve been keeping a certain doctor tied up at night. Would you care to elaborate on that?”

Jack chuckled as he pulled Cait in for a quick kiss. “See you later.”