to do?”
Josh had never had to contend with a nerve-racking first day on the job, or moving with a child hundreds of miles from the only home he’d ever known. But he could imagine it was pretty intimidating, even for this intelligent woman making a career in such a challenging field. His late father had taught them all that a little patience went a long way with most creatures, whether they were the four-legged or the two-legged kind. “Yeah, but they can wait a while longer.”
He skirted the kennel building and took her out to where temporary corrals held an interesting collection of wild animals healing before being released back into the forest. Today, the group included a mother duck with a broken wing and her fuzzy yellow brood of ten, an injured armadillo and a llama that had escaped from somewhere and taken up residence in a local farmer’s herd of dairy cows.
As they strolled along the enclosure, Josh filled her in on how each animal had come to be here and what he knew of the plans to rehabilitate and release them back to their homes. While he was talking, a new arrival ambled over and eyed them with obvious curiosity.
Heather’s eyes just about popped out of her head. “Is that a bear cub?”
“Yeah. My niece and nephew named him Teddy. You’ve never seen one?”
“Sure, in zoos and on TV. Never up close like this.” She glanced around and said, “Mama bears don’t normally stand by and just let you scoop up their babies. I wonder where she is.”
Josh had a hunch about what had happened to the absent mother, but he kept his mouth shut to avoid distressing this lovely city girl with one of the less appealing facts of country life. But she was a sharp woman, and after thinking on it for a few moments, she frowned. “Hunters, right?”
“That’d be my guess. Bears are pretty smart, so they don’t tangle with cars, and not many big trucks come through here.”
“What a shame,” she commented sadly, hunkering down to greet the orphaned cub that was coming to the rail of his enclosure to check them out. Unlike many folks who visited, she was smart enough not to reach through the fence to pet him. In spite of her caution, Josh had no trouble picking up on her sympathy for Teddy. Apparently, neither did the bear, which sidled over and gazed curiously at her. “What’s going to happen to this poor baby?”
“There’s a wildlife rehabilitator who works here as a volunteer. She’ll figure out what he needs and make sure he can take care of himself when they let him go.”
Heather stood and faced Josh, interest lighting her eyes. “You seem to know a lot about this place. I thought you were in charge of the farm.”
Josh couldn’t keep back a laugh. “Not hardly. Big brother Mike runs the horse training business, and Drew’s our foreman when it comes to the farmwork. I manage the fields and try not to lose us too much money.”
When he laid it out that way, he realized that his job didn’t sound like much, but it had taken up most of his waking hours since he was ten years old. While he didn’t usually dwell on the impression he made on folks, he couldn’t help wondering what this highly educated woman thought of his very simple existence.
“I’ve never lived on a farm myself, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that.”
Josh pretended to consider her comment before shaking his head. “Nope. That pretty much sums it up. Works for me, though. I like keeping things uncomplicated.”
“So do I,” she agreed with a quick laugh. “Unfortunately, in my world they never seem to stay that way.”
“You’re talking about your niece?” She nodded, and he took the opportunity to find out more about her. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“There’s not that much to tell. When Bailey was two, her mother, Polly, died from complications after an operation. My brother Craig had his hands full working and being a single dad. Bailey was visiting me this past February, and I got a call from the Michigan State Police.” Her chin began to tremble, and she paused for a deep breath before going on. “Craig’s car hit a patch of ice and ran straight into a bridge support on the interstate. He died on impact, and Bailey’s life changed forever.”
“And yours,” Josh added somberly. That explained her immediate connection to Teddy. An orphan like Bailey, he was alone in the world and needed someone to take care of him until he could fend for himself.
“I love her to pieces,” Heather murmured with a gentle smile. “But she’s still lost without her daddy. It breaks my heart to see her suffering, and I wish there was more I could do to help her.”
“I’m not a dad myself, but from what I’ve seen in my own family, kids need love and attention more than anything. Give her those and some time, and she’ll be okay.”
She stared up at him in obvious amazement. “That’s incredibly good advice.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am, and that almost never happens.”
Heather eyed Josh with the kind of respect he seldom received. Being the youngest Kinley, and laid-back to boot, meant that folks often didn’t take him seriously. This pragmatic woman, with her quick mind and gorgeous blue eyes, had apparently noticed something in him that most people missed.
It seemed to him that there was more to this jaded city girl than met the eye. And he was just intrigued enough to wonder if she might eventually give him the chance to get to know her better.
The guided tour gave Heather an opportunity to get her bearings and develop a sense of the place where she’d be working. Huge oak trees outlined the clearing that housed the clinic, kennel and a couple of barns that Josh had explained were reserved for injured wild animals that people had brought in for care. A structure with several brand-new sections of lumber amid more weathered planks caught her eye, and she asked, “What’s back there?”
“Feed and bedding storage,” he explained in a somber tone. “We had a bad fire in there last fall, but fortunately my sister-in-law Bekah was here to sound the alarm, and no one was hurt. Now there’s a fire detection and sprinkler system, but the staff decided that it’s still a good idea to keep the dry stuff away from the animals.”
“That makes sense.”
“So, that’s everything out here. Ready to go in and meet the rest of your crew?”
“Sounds good,” she responded, hoping she sounded confident and dependable. She might be the new kid in town, but she was a full-fledged veterinarian now, and she was more than capable of managing a small clinic like this. At least, that’s what she wanted everyone to believe. If any of them suspected that she was a step short of terrified, they’d never give her the respect she needed if she was going to be effective. Not to mention, she didn’t want anyone expressing any doubts to their boss. Succeeding here was crucial for Bailey, and unusual as this assignment might be, Heather knew she’d have to find a way to make it work.
From Josh’s long, assessing look, she realized that despite his casual manner and country boy grin, he wasn’t the least bit fooled by her bravado. She waited for him to call her out, but instead he gave her an understanding smile.
