Pearl nodded, sighed and rested her head on Tandy’s shoulder.
“Where are we going?” he asked, leading her down the hall.
“The cabin,” she said. “I need to see how salvageable it is. Or if I’m starting over. Again.” The thought of moving into the ranch house held no appeal. But real estate in Fort Kyle was lean, to put it kindly.
“I’m no expert but...” he mumbled.
She nodded. “I know.”
“But I’ll take you,” he said. “You been resting?”
It would have been easier to resist him if he wasn’t so hell-bent on taking care of her. At the hospital, he’d stayed at her bedside, held her hand through her stitches and taken notes on what the doctor said.
She laughed, patting Pearl’s back. “Yes, I’ve been resting. I feel like a slug. So does Banshee. He was about to scratch his way through the door this morning.”
“He’s too big a dog to stay cooped up.” He held the front door open for them. “He’s a damn good dog, Tandy.”
“Remember what Scarlett said about being careful with your words?” She smiled. “He is a good dog. The best dog. Did I ever thank you for him?” she asked, a little distracted by the almost blue tones the sunlight picked up in his thick black hair.
He glanced at her, his smile heart-stoppingly beautiful. “You’re welcome.” He opened the door of a brand-new dark blue four-door truck and stepped back.
“Yours?” she asked, inspecting his ride with an appreciative eye. She nodded before leaning forward to strap Pearl into her car seat. Banshee jumped up and sat on the seat next to Pearl, earning him an adoring, “Bashee” from Pearl. “You keep Banshee company, okay, Pearl?” she said before climbing into Click’s truck. “I like it,” she said, running her hand along the interior. “New-car smell?” she said.
He nodded, assessing the truck with a critical eye. “First time I’ve ever ridden in a new truck, let alone owned one. But it’s big enough for Pearl’s seat and has a hauling package.”
She studied him, hoping there was more to this purchase than just a new car. “When are you going trailer shopping?”
He grinned at her. “Soon, I guess. No rush.” His eyes narrowed. “What about you?”
“What about me?” she asked.
“Scarlett tells me Doc Edwards’s clinic is a mess.” He drove out the Fire Gorge parking lot and onto the road.
She sighed. “I’m not beat yet. It’d help if he had equipment from this century.” She shook her head. “I miss the vet hospital. Everything I needed was within reach. There was a sense of purpose and drive. I don’t get that here. Half the time I feel like I’m the only one working. Even when Doc Edwards is there, he’s not really there, you know?”
“So you’re picking up the slack?” he asked.
“I’m not a DVM—there are some things I can’t do.” Not because she wasn’t capable, but because she was a rule follower. “But I do what I can. And then some.”
His smile faded. “Guess you’re thinking about going back to Stonewall Crossing?”
“It’s crossed my mind,” she admitted.
“Gotta do what’s right for you,” he said, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel.
“I’m not leaving anytime soon. Like I said, I’m not beat yet.” She tried not to get hung up on his reaction.
Those blue-green eyes glanced her way, his posture easing. “Glad to hear it.”
“Mew-sik,”
Pearl said from the back seat. “Peez.”
Tandy’s eyes went round. “Did you say please, Pearl?” She turned, staring at the grinning toddler in her seat. “Manners and brains.”
“Peez peez,” Pearl chanted.
Click chuckled, turning on the radio. Pearl started bouncing in her car seat and clapping her hands.