Her Country Boy

Big-city veterinarian Heather Fitzgerald didn’t plan on having kids...until her niece is orphaned one tragic night. Soon she’s trading in her ambitious life for a small-town animal rescue. Heather didn’t expect to fall for tiny Oaks Crossing...or its most charming bachelor farmer. But when Josh Kinley saves her niece from a near-tragic accident, he becomes more than her hero. Josh never thought he’d fall in love again—and most assuredly not with another city woman. But he can’t resist the two adorable Fitzgerald females. Now if Josh can only convince Heather to put down roots and make a home with him...

One thing was missing.

“Hey, you.” As if he’d heard her thoughts, Josh appeared.

“I thought you’d ditched me.”

“Not hardly,” he drawled with a lazy grin. “Been arranging a horse for your niece.”

Heather smiled. “How do you always have a solution to my problems?”

“A knack for being in the right place at the right time, I guess.”

And for stepping up to do more than any girl had a right to expect, she thought.

That’s when she realized she could be in trouble with this country boy. She’d always been too independent to lean on someone, too afraid they’d leave.

Would Josh?

“That’s a serious face,” he teased, ticking her nose. “What’s going on in that pretty head?”

“Just thinking. You know, guys usually tell me I’m too much work. Why don’t you feel that way?”

She held her breath to hear his reply.

“Some things are worth the effort. And—” he pulled down his hat in a rakish pose “—there’s nothing I like more than a good challenge.”

MIA ROSS loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at miaross.com.

Falling For The Single Mom

Mia Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

We live by believing, not by seeing.

—2 Corinthians 5:7

For all the kind, compassionate people

who care for the animals we love.

Acknowledgments

Grateful to the very talented folks who help me

make my books everything they can be:

Melissa Endlich, Giselle Regus and

the dedicated staff at Love Inspired.

More thanks to the gang at Seekerville,

www.seekerville.net, a great place to hang out with readers—and writers.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network of

supportive, encouraging family and friends.

You inspire me every day!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

This was not happening.

Unclenching her teeth, Heather Fitzgerald called up the sweet smile that had gotten her out of so many scrapes in the past. “But you don’t understand. All this—” she motioned at the large moving truck “—wasn’t supposed to be here until Wednesday. This is Monday.”

“Lady, you’re the one who don’t understand,” the driver retorted in a manner that clearly announced he couldn’t have cared any less. “I start in Cincy, then make a loop around four different states before I head back home. Sometimes it takes me a week, sometimes more’n that. This time, it took less, and I’m here now. If you want your load delivered later, I should be coming through here again in two or three weeks. But it’ll cost you to store this stuff at our facility till then, and I can’t make you any promises about when it’ll actually show up.”

After four years in college and four more slaving away day and night to get her veterinary degree, Heather had become adept at scheduling her life to the nth degree and keeping everything on track. It was midway through April, and the past few months had wreaked havoc with her normally precise planning. Somehow, using grit and bullish determination, she’d managed to squeak through with her sanity intact. Most of it, anyway.

So, because she was desperate, she decided it was time to try a different tactic. While she was far from the helpless female he obviously assumed her to be, she figured it couldn’t hurt to appeal to his male pride. Pulling out her phone, she called up her ace in the hole.

“I hate to be a pest about this, but I really can’t let these things be shuttled off to who-knows-where. My niece—” she showed him a picture of five-year-old Bailey “—has been living out of her suitcase since we arrived in town this past weekend. She became an orphan recently, and it’s very important that she feels at home here as soon as possible.”

“I’ve heard every story in the book,” he grumbled, but he gave the screen a cursory glance before frowning. “I think you’re yanking my chain about her being your niece. She looks just like you.”

“Of course she does,” Heather snapped, dangerously close to being out of patience. “Her father was my brother.”

She could tell by the softening of his features that he was beginning to waver. Rubbing his neck, he said, “I’d like to help you, but I got other people’s things on here, too, y’know.”

“Come on, man” came a mellow drawl from behind her. “Give the lady a break.”

Turning, she found herself nose-to-chest with a dark green T-shirt sporting an embroidered running horse over script that read Gallimore Stables—Oaks Crossing, Kentucky. As her gaze traveled upward, it connected with the bluest pair of eyes she’d ever seen in her life. Set in a tanned face that showed evidence of plenty of outdoor time, they crinkled when her rescuer smiled and held out a large hand covered in scars. “You must be Dr. Fitzgerald. I’m Josh Kinley, your new boss’s little brother.”

He was hardly little, she thought. Well over six feet tall, he had the rangy build of someone who spent his days working hard. Wearing a wide-open expression and a quick smile, he was nothing like the pale, stressed-out men she’d spent most of the last few years with. Then again, they’d all been studying their brains out, just like her. “I wasn’t expecting a welcoming committee, but it’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here. The rescue center’s been without a bona fide vet for over a year now. We’re all real glad you accepted Erin’s offer to come down here.”

“It’s a great situation for me, too. Especially since it included an apartment.” Sure, it was above a pet supply store called Pampered Paws, but it had two bedrooms and would have come furnished if she hadn’t had her own furniture. That reminded her of her current predicament, and she cast a look over her shoulder at her neatly labeled boxes, sitting just out of reach in the back of the truck. So close, and yet so far—that seemed to be the story of her life these days. “For now, I have to figure out how to get our stuff unloaded so this man can leave on time.”

“I might be able to help you with that.”

“How? Some of that furniture is pretty heavy.”

“No doubt.” Giving her a you-can-count-on-me grin, he sauntered over to where the driver was standing with his hands in his pockets. “So, where’d you start out this morning?”

“Louisville. Why?”

“That’s a ways from here. You’ll find the best breakfast in three counties at the Oaks Café,” Josh replied smoothly, nodding toward the restaurant next door. “Give us half an hour, and your meal’s on me.”

“Well...” Thinking it over, the mover scratched his thumb over his chin. “Okay. Thanks.”

“You help me, I help you,” Josh told him with a grin. “That’s how we do things around here.”

Exactly why she’d taken this job, Heather mused as the driver waved on his way into the diner. Her job at a prestigious Detroit clinic had been a dream come true, but Bailey had been raised in a small town and hadn’t adjusted well to the culture shock of living in such an urban area. Although she hated to give up what she’d worked so hard to achieve, Heather instinctively knew that her niece would do best in the kind of environment she was accustomed to, surrounded by good, honest people who not only knew their neighbors but cared about what happened to them and their children.

It was the kind of childhood she and Craig had enjoyed. Thinking of her older brother still made her sad. As much as she missed him, she couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it was for Bailey, who’d lost her mother so young, he was the only parent she remembered having.

“Are you okay?” Josh asked, his brow creasing in a frown.

Oh, he was a sweetheart, this tall country boy with the rugged good looks. If she hadn’t been totally consumed with learning how to be a single parent and settling into her new position, he was exactly the kind of guy she could have gone for in a major way. But life was what it was, and Heather had no intention of allowing herself to get waylaid by distractions, no matter how hunky they might be.

“I’m just trying to figure out what you have in mind,” she said. “I’m no expert, but it seems to me that half an hour isn’t going to make much difference here.”

“Well, now, that’s where you’re wrong.” Flashing her a mischievous grin, he strolled into the same diner he’d just sent the driver to. A couple of minutes later, he came out with a tall, dark-haired man who looked less than friendly. In fact, he made Heather think of a grizzly bear.

“Heather Fitzgerald,” Josh began, motioning from her to his friend, “this is Cam Stewart. Erin’s husband and all-around muscle.”

Cam made a disparaging noise but shook her hand gently enough. “Welcome to Oaks Crossing. How are things going so far?”

“Fine, but our stuff arrived here earlier than I expected, and the movers I originally scheduled for Wednesday are busy with other customers and can’t get here until this afternoon. At the earliest,” she added wryly.

“You hired movers?” Josh laughed. “What for?”

Mild as it was, the mocking didn’t help her mood the slightest bit, and she bit her tongue to keep her simmering temper in check. “Erin said she’d try to find me some help, but I haven’t heard back from her yet.”

“I got nothing better to do just now.” Looking at Cam, he grinned. “Gimme a hand?”

“Why not? It’ll save me from mopping up the gallon of ketchup my new waitress just spilled in the storeroom.”

“Good deal. Heather, can you work the door for us?”

And just like that, she had all the help she could ask for. “The boxes are labeled. Would it be too much trouble for you guys to put them in the right rooms?”

“No trouble at all,” Josh assured her. That got him a menacing look from his friend before Cam hauled himself into the back of the moving truck. “Don’t mind him. His bark is worse than his bite.”

Punctuated by a broad wink, the old cliché made her difficult morning a little easier to take. “Did you just make a veterinarian joke?”

“That depends. Did you like it?”

His playful expression made her think of a big puppy whose only goal in life is to make everyone he comes across love him. At twenty-six, she’d spent many years with serious students determined to do everything in their power to make themselves successful. At the time, she’d assumed those days would be the most difficult she’d have to endure for a long time to come. But now, they paled in comparison to losing her only sibling and becoming an instant parent to a grieving child.

Despite what he’d told her, she recognized that Josh was going out of his way to lighten her mood, and she didn’t want him to think she was standoffish. On the other hand, she didn’t want to mislead him, either. Aside from being a nice guy, he was her boss’s brother. She was keenly aware that her current employment situation was tenuous at best, and she couldn’t afford to have any misunderstandings between them.

Stepping closer, she said in a quiet voice, “I know you’re just being friendly, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. I don’t have the time or the energy for anything else.”

After a moment, he gave her a lazy grin. “Meaning me?”

“Yes. I’m not sure what you’re after, but trust me—you’re better off looking for it somewhere else.”

“I’m not after anything, darlin’,” he informed her in the slow, easy drawl that must make other women drool all over his scuffed work boots. “Just a smile. I’m thinking even a busy lady like you might have the time and the energy to give me one of those.”

That he’d perfectly echoed her earlier comment impressed her to no end. Because of her looks, most men treated her like a miniature Barbie doll and never even considered the possibility that she had a brain and ideas that might be worth listening to. She could probably tell many of them the true meaning of life and they wouldn’t register a single word she said.

Apparently, Josh Kinley was a different sort altogether. And since he’d been so great to a stressed-out woman he’d just met, she decided it was okay to offer him the smile he’d asked her for.

“There it is,” he approved, returning it with a blinding one of his own. “Just made my whole day.”

He took over unloading the large truck with an efficiency that suggested to her that this wasn’t the first time he’d managed such a big job. She manned the outer door, watching the two men thread through the pet store shelving, carrying furniture and boxes as if they handled this kind of assignment every day.

When the driver returned, her section of the truck was empty, and he was much more cheerful than he’d been when he’d first arrived. He handed her a copy of her receipt and even touched the bill of his baseball hat when she tipped him. “That’s real nice of you, miss. You and your niece have a good day, now.”

Heather could hardly believe this was the same surly man who’d pulled up half an hour ago and had been a whisker away from taking off with all her worldly possessions. When she said as much to Josh, he shrugged. “When you treat folks well, they do the same for you. Mostly, he looked hungry, so I bought him breakfast. No big deal.”

“It was for me,” she corrected him. Fishing a couple of twenties out of her wallet, she held one out to each of them. “You two really saved me this morning. Thank you.”

“Just tell my wife I pitched in,” Cam suggested. “We’ll call it even.”

She agreed, and he clapped Josh on the back before heading back into the restaurant. Still holding the money, she looked up at her rescuer. “Please let me pay you.”

“I got my smile,” he reminded her, blue eyes twinkling in fun.

“That’s not nearly enough for the amount of work you did.”

“Well, now, I guess that depends on the smile, doesn’t it?”

This charming country boy was hard to resist, but she’d been schooled by men far more calculating than him. Calling up what she called her bad-news face, she replied, “I suppose so.”

The cool gesture seemed to make no dent in his sunny disposition, and he went on as if she hadn’t just shot him down. “Now that your stuff is off the sidewalk, I figure you’re going out to the rescue center. I’m headed that way myself, so you can follow me if you want.”

“I have a navigation system in my car,” she informed him politely.

“Yeah, that might not work so far out of town if you lose the signal. But I’m sure a smart cookie like you can find the clinic on your own.”

That didn’t sound promising to her, and she found herself missing the convenience of street signs that directed people to where they wanted to go. Pushing the thought aside with a mental sigh, she decided not to make a challenging day even worse by being late for her first day of work. “On second thought, it might be best if I follow you. Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

He flashed her another grin and headed for a double-cab green pickup sporting the logo from his shirt on the driver’s door. He climbed inside and reached down to adjust the radio before starting the engine and pulling out onto Main Street. As she watched him drive away accompanied by a honky-tonk tune, Heather wasn’t entirely certain what had just happened. Putting away her money, she got into her car and prepared to play follow-the-leader.

Having spent so many years living in metropolitan areas, Heather had grown accustomed to traveling a certain number of blocks, turning at this light and that numbered avenue. This morning’s commute was something completely foreign to her. The small business district gave way to a string of old homes surrounded by large yards whose neighbors hadn’t bothered to put up fences to separate one plot from the next. The result was a pleasant blending of lawns and gardens, giving the town a picturesque country vibe even a devoted city girl like Heather could appreciate.

As they drove farther from town, the homes grew sparser, and she admired the lush countryside dominated by expansive farms that had been carved out of rolling acres of bluegrass and wildflowers. When they reached the sign for Gallimore Stables, she glanced out to take in the scope of the property Josh’s family owned. Traditional white fences stretched as far as she could see, framing horses and ponies of every size and color. At the end of a gravel drive, a large white farmhouse with a wraparound porch beckoned visitors to stop and visit for a while. Erin had told her that the place had been in the Kinley family for generations, and despite some serious financial setbacks, they were all doing everything in their power to keep it that way.

Heather hadn’t seen her childhood home since her parents had sold it to fund an early retirement traveling the world. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be so connected to a piece of your family’s history, being there year after year, building memories that would last beyond your own lifetime. That was what she wanted for Bailey, as much as for herself. A place to belong, where they’d always feel at home.

Hopefully, putting aside her old dreams and coming to Oaks Crossing would prove to be the first step to a better life for both of them.

* * *

Heather Fitzgerald wasn’t at all what Josh had been expecting.

With a cloud of curly blond hair and a killer pair of baby blues, the petite vet looked more like a shoe-in for prom queen than someone capable of managing sick and injured animals. Then again, he spent his days wrestling with cranky field hands, tractors and harvesters, working sunup to sundown to wring every ounce of profit out of his end of their struggling horse farm. It didn’t leave him much spare time for pondering what made folks tick.

As so many Kinleys before him had done, when it rained too much, he stared at the sky and prayed for the sun to come out again. And when the soil got too dry, he prayed for rain, season by season, methodically rotating the crops in each field to keep the fertile acreage as productive as it could possibly be. It wasn’t an easy life, but the land was like a member of the family to him, and he loved it with everything he had.

Many of his childhood friends had moved away after graduation, but at twenty-seven, Josh couldn’t envision being truly happy anywhere else. If only his high school sweetheart, Cindy O’Donnell, had felt the same way, he’d be married and a father by now. Sadly, she’d left him behind to strike out on her own, and he’d finally come to realize that, much as he’d loved her, they simply weren’t meant for each other.

Ever since he could remember, he’d known that this was where he belonged. While so many people fretted over where to go and what to do, he sat back and listened to them, grateful that he’d been planted in the right place. All he needed to make his life complete was a family of his own. More than anything, he wanted the kind of strong marriage his parents had built together, something that would last through the good times and the bad. But since losing Cindy to the big, bad world, he’d gone through enough failed relationships to know that wanting something wasn’t enough. You had to make it happen.

His two older brothers were happily married now, and they’d both told him the secret was to find a woman capable of loving him for who he was. Unfortunately for him, their advice had ended there, leaving him as clueless as ever.

Josh checked his rearview mirror to make sure Heather was still with him before taking the fork that snaked through the woods on its way to the clinic. She matched the maneuver, and before long they pulled into the gravel lot in front of the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center. Located on a few acres at the edge of the main farm, it was surrounded by trees and unspoiled meadow, the perfect spot for a place devoted to caring for animals.

He pulled in and parked off to the side to leave a closer space for Heather’s car. She was the doc, he reasoned, so she deserved the VIP treatment. Now that he thought about it, they should designate a spot for her so visitors and volunteers didn’t block her entrance if she had to come in quickly and take care of an emergency.

Josh got out of his truck and strolled toward the main building, assessing the best place for her to park in the future. When she arrived and stepped out of her car, he heard her call out his name. “Did you lose something?”

“Just thinkin’,” he replied, and he pointed to the pavement in front of the clinic while he explained.

He’d expected her to be on board with the perk, maybe even a little flattered that he’d thought of it. But she surprised him by shaking her head. “That’s really not necessary. Anywhere is fine.”

She’d initially struck him as a bit of a princess, accustomed to having people help her at the drop of a hat. That she actually seemed to have an independent streak was a pleasant surprise to him. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“I won’t, but I appreciate the offer.”

There was that prim, overly polite tone again. Easygoing by nature, Josh normally accepted people as they were, figuring it was their right to choose their own attitudes. But he had to admit that her rapid shifts from sweet to stern were beginning to bug him. Add that to the fact that she’d all but ordered him to back off earlier, and he counted two strikes.

And everyone knew you got only three.

Unwilling to blow them all at once, he put aside his curiosity about the pretty veterinarian and motioned her toward the glass front door etched with the clinic’s logo. “Ladies first.”

She gave him a long, uncomfortable look that made him feel like a new species of bug. Finally, the cynical glint in her eyes mellowed, and she offered him a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

That got him another clinical stare. “You said that before, when we were in town. You really mean it, don’t you?”

“Wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

“In my experience, most guys aren’t that honest.”

“Well, ma’am,” he responded in his best down-home accent, “I think you’ll find we do things a little differently around here.”

“I’ve never lived anywhere other than Michigan,” she confided. “I guess I have some things to learn about how things work in Kentucky.”

Josh had no doubt that before long she’d have men lined up to give her a few lessons on the subject. Not him, of course, he thought with a muted grin. She’d made it plain that she wasn’t interested in him. While he didn’t understand her chilly behavior toward him, he’d been raised to have a healthy respect for women. Especially the feisty ones.

When he realized she still hadn’t made a move to go inside, he turned to her with a sympathetic smile. “Nervous?”

“A bit.” Peering into the vacant lobby, she frowned in concern. “This is my first time being in charge of a veterinary practice, and I’m not sure what to expect.”

In her confession, Josh heard that she wasn’t worried about the actual doctoring, but about handling the people involved. Inspiration struck, and he said, “Around here, we get some of every critter around. How ’bout a tour of the animals before you meet the staff?”

“Are you sure? I mean, don’t you have other things 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.

Chapter Two

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. “Would you like me to stick around and introduce you to everyone?”

She had to admit she liked the way he asked her for her approval rather than simply bulldozing ahead. So many people—especially men—took one look at her and assumed that she wasn’t capable of managing difficult situations on her own. Stumbling across a guy who thought otherwise was a wonderful surprise. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

“Not a problem. First days are tough.”

He strolled past her to open the door and stepped aside to let her go in first. Bolstered by his encouraging words, she walked through it feeling prepared for whatever might await her on the other side. The lobby was no longer empty, and when she saw what was going on, her confidence began to waver.

There, on a blanket in the middle of the floor, lay a motionless cat that had obviously been hit by a car. As if that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, two women were sitting cross-legged beside her, staring down at something she couldn’t see. Edging closer to avoid startling anyone, Heather understood why.

Three tiny kittens were curled up in a towel stretched across one of the nurse’s laps, eyes closed while they mewed silently, hunting for their mother. The other woman was cooing at another set of four, gently stroking them while they cried. At one point, she lifted her shoulder, wiping tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her blood-stained T-shirt.

Finally, she sat back with the tiniest kitten Heather had ever seen cuddled against her chest. “I count eight altogether, Bekah. How are yours doing?”

“Shaky but still with us,” the other woman replied in a sad voice. “I don’t know how you managed to save all these babies, Sierra.”

“God wanted all of them to make it, so He made sure they were on the side of the road where I’d see them,” she commented, touching noses with the tiny creature in her arms. “I just wish we could’ve saved your mama for you, little one.”

“Awesome job, you two,” Josh approved quietly. “And you couldn’t have arranged a better way to impress our new vet if you’d tried.”

The two women traded a shocked glance before looking up at her, and Heather realized they’d been so focused on their patients, they hadn’t noticed her come in. Instantly, she knew she was in the right place. She’d have no trouble working with people who were that devoted to the animals they cared for.

“Don’t let me interrupt what you’re doing. But if you’d like a hand, I’ll be happy to help.”

“Sierra Walker, Bekah Kinley, this is Heather Fitzgerald.” Josh made the introductions, pointing each of them out as he spoke so they’d know who was who. Then he knelt to gently wrap the dead cat inside the blanket. “You ladies tend to the babies while I take Mom out back to the pet cemetery and find a nice spot for her.”

After he’d gone, Heather felt a little lost. Falling back on years of crisis training, she summoned a helpful smile and asked, “What would you like me to do first?”

“If you can take this one,” Sierra replied, handing off the helpless scrap of fur, “Bekah and I can scoop up the rest, and we’ll take them all back to the nursery.”

A quick peek told Heather the kitten she held was a female, and she instinctively brought the small cat into her neck where it could snuggle against her warm skin. The fuzzy darling nosed its way into a dangling lock of Heather’s hair and let out a sigh that would have shattered a heart made of granite. Heather followed the other two women into a small room whose floor was occupied by nests made from flannel sheets and soft blankets.

They settled the litter of kittens in one of the cocoons together, and Heather sat down to get a better look at them. Their colors ran the spectrum of browns from tiger to calico, ranging in size from small to downright tiny. If any of them weighed a pound, she’d be astounded. Not wanting to disturb them any more than necessary, she lightly passed a hand over each one, feeling for injuries or labored breathing that would indicate distress.

The seven larger ones seemed more or less stable, and they clustered together in a warm lump, using each other for pillows. The runt didn’t seem even remotely interested in joining the group, and she collapsed in an exhausted pile at the edge of their nest, her face pinched and her delicate frame shuddering with every shallow breath.

“I don’t like the looks of this one,” Heather commented somberly. “Do you have an incubator?”

“Sort of.” Sierra half closed the door and took something from a hook attached to the back. She held it out with a grin. “It’s a sling they sell for mothers of preemies. The fabric is soft and light enough to let them breathe. I’ve found it works well for critter babies, too.”

“What a great idea. If you don’t mind, we can take turns with it.”

“You want to papoose a kitten while you’re working?” Bekah asked.

Heather answered by pulling on the hammock-like device and carefully setting her frail charge inside. “She’s not that heavy, so as long as I’m not seeing patients, I can manage.”

“I’ve never met a vet who’d even think of doing that,” Sierra informed her with a smile. “I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

The quick, heartfelt approval chased off the last of Heather’s lingering nervousness. “We’re more than just coworkers here. We’re a team, and everyone should pull their own weight, including me.”

“Of course, these days some of us have more weight to pull than others,” Bekah joked, smoothing her hands over a modest baby bump. The rings sparkling on her left hand caught Heather’s eye, and she felt a twinge of envy for the pretty young mother-to-be. Then again, she reminded herself, she’d chosen to postpone having children until after she was firmly established in her own veterinary practice. It was a logical decision, and she was comfortable with the choice she’d made.

Most of the time.

“Will we be throwing you a baby shower soon?” Heather asked.

“I’m not due until August, so it’ll be a while still.”

“What are your plans after that?”

“I’d like to keep working here, but that will depend on the baby,” she answered truthfully. “Family first.”

“Absolutely,” Heather agreed, fearing that she might have overstepped her professional boundaries. Most people she’d worked with were stiffly polite, not open and friendly like these two. Now that she thought about it, Josh and Cam had made her feel right at home, too. Apparently, the residents of this small Kentucky town were the warm, welcoming type. This made her hopeful that Bailey would enjoy Oaks Crossing more than she had Detroit.

“Speaking of family,” Sierra said while she mixed kitten formula in a container, “Erin told us you have a niece who lives with you. Does she like animals?”

“Loves them. She’s settling in at the day care in town, but I’m planning to bring her to work with me sometime next week to see the menagerie we’ve got here. I’ll have to make sure she never sees this little darling, though,” she added, ticking the sleeping kitten’s pink nose with her fingertip. “I’m afraid if that happened, we’d end up keeping her.”

“Occupational hazard.” Sierra chuckled. “If my landlord allowed pets, I’d have a dozen of them.”

“When they’re old enough, Erin will take them to Pampered Paws and display them in the front window,” Bekah assured her, rubbing the striped forehead gently. “These cuties won’t last more than a few days there.”

It hadn’t occurred to Heather that living above the pet store would mean that she and Bailey would be walking past adorable babies every day. While she was practical enough to bypass the temptation, she wasn’t sure that a five-year-old would understand why they couldn’t adopt some of their furry visitors.

Then again, if they already had a cat, she’d have a built-in excuse to say no to more. It couldn’t hurt to think about it, anyway. A pet might also coax Bailey out of her shell and help her adjust to her new home more quickly. Because Heather wasn’t used to worrying about anything other than her job, she felt very out of her element trying to help her troubled niece.

While she was debating, Josh poked his head in through the open top half of the Dutch door. “Everything good in here?”

“More or less,” Sierra replied while she filled small bottles and capped them with even smaller rubber nipples. “We could use an extra set of hands, though. Have you got time?”

He sent Heather a questioning look, which she didn’t understand. Then it occurred to her that while she considered herself an outsider, the others already viewed her as being in charge of the clinic. It didn’t feel quite right to her, but she assumed she’d get used to it. Eventually.

“The more the merrier,” she said.

“My mom always says that,” he commented as he joined them, closing the door to keep anyone from escaping.

“Mine, too,” Heather told him with a smile. “That’s how my dad ended up starting out his retirement touring Europe in an RV with her, a Pomeranian and four parakeets.”

“Sounds loud.” Josh chuckled, taking a bottle from the counter before sitting on the floor beside the kittens. His long legs stretched out in front of him, he lifted a bawling tiger and cradled it against him in a practiced motion.

The small room didn’t have much space for spreading out, so Heather resigned herself to settling next to him with a bottle of her own. “I’m guessing you’ve done this before.”

“Everyone in the family likes to help out down here when we can. Except Mike,” he added with a grin. “Our Kentucky cowboy’s got his hands full wrangling all those horses.”

“I noticed them in the fields when we were driving out here. It looks like you have everything from Thoroughbreds to Shetland ponies.”

“My great-grandfather started out training horses for the military in World War I, then Dad trained racehorses. After he passed away, that business disappeared and we came pretty close to losing the farm. Mike’s kind of a horse whisperer, and he came up with the idea to school retired racehorses and sell them to folks for riding.”

“What about the others? I saw a Belgian in the front pasture, grazing next to an Arabian.”

“Mike rescues some from bad situations, others come from owners who can’t keep ’em anymore and want them to have a good home. If they don’t get adopted, they stay here with us,” he added, grinning down at the slurping kitten. “We’re just a bunch of softies around here, aren’t we?”

Heather smiled at the sight of the tall, brawny farmer cuddling the helpless animal, speaking to it in the kind of gentle tone most people reserved for children. While she had no intention of complicating her life any further right now, she couldn’t deny that he had a special brand of bright, sunny charm.

It was a good thing she’d already committed to staying single for the sake of Bailey and her career. Otherwise, Josh Kinley might have proved to be impossible to resist.

* * *

“Hello?”

It was Thursday afternoon, and Josh was buried underneath the oldest tractor in the county, trying to wrestle the drive belt back into place, when he heard a now-familiar voice. Hauling himself out hand over hand, he looked up to find Heather staring down at him with an amused look on her face.

“Hey there, Doc. What brings you out here?”

“It’s my lunch hour, so I decided to go exploring.” She looked around her at the overgrown field, out toward the neatly plowed acreage in the distance, and then back at him. “I’m not an agricultural expert, but this looks like it’s pretty far from where you’ve been working. Do you mind if I ask what you’re doing?”

The crop portion of the farm was his domain. His brothers and their few hired hands were fully occupied with the horses, so Josh was used to doing his own thing without anyone questioning him. As much a part of him as his blue eyes, these rolling hills were the legacy Josh hoped to pass along to his own children someday.

Lately, though, the red numbers had been sinking lower by the month, no matter how hard they all worked. If they didn’t come up with something brilliant to bring in some cash on a regular basis, they’d be forced to sell off chunks of land for the first time in the farm’s long history. And that would be the beginning of the end for Gallimore Stables.

Josh was known as the upbeat one in the family, and for their sake he kept his outlook rosy. But even a determined optimist like him had to acknowledge that something concrete needed to be done, and quickly. So he’d devised a plan but hadn’t told anyone, not even Mom. But he’d been dying to share it with someone, and since it didn’t impact her directly, Heather seemed like a good choice.

“Well, I could tell you,” he said with a grin, “but you have to keep it to yourself.”

Enthusiasm sparkled in her eyes, and she nodded. “I promise.”

After describing the circumstances to her, he explained what he was up to. “So, I did some research and found out that a lot of corn in Kentucky is sold to the ethanol market. To be made into gasoline.”

“I know what ethanol is,” she informed him tartly.

Smothering a grin, he went on. “I got the idea when my nephew Parker built a biodiesel engine for a science fair. I had let this section go fallow to rest, so it was ready for planting this year. I’m just putting in a different kind of corn this time, and then I’ll pray the prices stay where they are till harvest time.”

“That’s a good idea. I hope it works out the way you want it to.”

Her cautious tone made him frown. “You sound like someone who has some experience with plans going awry.”

“More than I’d like,” she admitted softly, as if she hated to confide that to him. Uncertainty darkened her eyes before giving way to the cool look he’d noticed earlier. “When I saw you over here I thought I’d come see if I could help somehow.”

Josh glanced over her neat blouse and trousers, down to the sensible but pretty shoes she was wearing. “You sure about that?”

“I might be a city girl, but I’m no stranger to dirt. Besides, I owe you for the time you spent with the moving van and all those kittens the other day. What can I do?”

She seemed bound and determined to lend him a hand, so Josh hunted for something she could do that wouldn’t leave her either filthy or hurt. “Well, I guess you could brace this for me—” he grasped the shifter “—while I rethread the belt onto the pulleys.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she admitted with a cute half grin, “but I understand the bracing part. Just let me know when I should let go.”

“Will do.”

As he slid back underneath the ancient machine they called The Beast, Josh couldn’t keep from wondering if a walk was all that had brought her so far from the center. While he maneuvered the pieces back into alignment, he asked, “So how’re you getting along down there?”

“Fine. I’m learning about the animals a few at a time. Bekah’s wonderful with them, and Sierra’s very knowledgeable about everything.”

Josh picked up on the annoyance edging her tone and chuckled through the clanking of his wrench. “Yeah, she’s kinda bossy. I think that’s why Erin hired her. They’ve got the same charge-ahead approach to stuff.”

“So, you’re the youngest in your family?” When he grunted a reply, she went on. “I was, too. It’s not easy, is it?”

She was getting at something, but Josh had no clue what it might be. Distracted by his fascinating visitor, he lost his grip on the belt and the entire pulley system let go, jamming his hand against the rusty metal housing. Biting back a curse, he scrambled free to check the damage.

“Oh, that looks bad,” Heather announced, crouching down for a closer inspection of his hand. Then she gave him a knowing look. “You’re thinking something really bad right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell my mom.”

“Tell her what?” Heather teased, adding a wink. So far, she’d given him the impression that she was a fairly serious person. Coming from her, the playful gesture seemed out of place, but he welcomed the glimpse of her lighter side. Maybe the classy vet wasn’t so prim and proper, after all. “I’m assuming this kind of thing happens a lot on a farm. Do you have a first aid kit?”

“Behind the seat.”

She climbed up the metal steps and unhooked the faded red case that hung from a set of rusty hooks. When she rejoined him, she opened it and eyed the scant contents with a doubtful expression. Picking up a tube of antibacterial ointment, she squinted at it before giving him a chiding look. “This expired five years ago.”

“Huh. How ’bout that?” That made her glare, and he held up his uninjured hand in a placating gesture. “Don’t blame me. Most of the time, I just wrap a bandanna around something like this and keep on working.”

“It’s a wonder you’ve never gotten an infection. Or tetanus,” she added ominously, eyeing the bleeding gashes on his hand.

“I got my shot.”

Again with the suspicious stare. “When?”

He had no idea. His years drifted from season to season, dictated more by what was going on around the farm than by the calendar. When you spent most of your life waking with the sun and finishing in the glare of tractor headlights, it was easy to lose track of pretty much everything else. To his mind, one of the best inventions ever was the automated payment system. Ever since Bekah had walked him through covering his handful of bills that way, he hadn’t missed a single payment. It was awesome.

“That’s what I thought,” Heather continued, adding a sigh that made it clear he wasn’t the first person she’d run across who ignored what she considered to be the important things. Glancing around, she stopped when she noticed something in the distance. “Is that a house?”

“Yeah, it’s mine. Why?”

“I don’t suppose you have something there to get this cleaned up properly?”

“’Course I do,” he retorted. “I’m not a moron.”

“Good. We’ll do what we can there and then you should get to the nearest clinic. You really need to have that looked at by a doctor.”

“You’re a doctor.”

“A people doctor,” she corrected him in a clipped, don’t-mess-with-me tone. “I can do the basics, but this needs to be stitched, and you need a specialist for that. You shouldn’t take injuries like this lightly, Josh. They can get worse in a hurry.”

Normally, he hated being lectured as if he were a troublesome child, but this one came in a voice laced with genuine concern. Realizing that this compassionate woman meant well, he put aside his aversion to being told what to do and nodded. “Okay, but that storm’s coming in real fast, and I wanna finish plowing this section before it starts raining. I’ll go into town to see Doc Sheppard when I’m finished.”

“You’ll go now,” she insisted, glowering at him. When he glowered back, she gave him a wry smile. “Or I’ll tell your mom.”

“You haven’t even met her yet.”

“Imagine how awkward that would be for all of us. ‘Hello, Mrs. Kinley, nice to meet you. By the way, your youngest son is a stubborn mule who cares more about working over a few extra acres than taking care of his health. I just thought you’d like to know.’”

“All right, I get it. Man, you’re a pain,” he added as he got to his feet and glared down at her.

“That won’t work on me, country boy,” she informed him airily as she rose to stand. “I’ve seen the business end of an angry bull up close, so you don’t scare me.”

Brushing past him, she started off at a pace quick enough that he had to hurry to catch up. Her legs were a lot shorter than his, so it took him only a few strides. “Why was he mad?”

“Who?”

“The bull,” Josh pressed. “Was he mad at you or someone else?”

“Some genius trucked his favorite cow off to another farm while he was watching. They’d been together for years, and he didn’t appreciate them taking her away from him.”

Her perception of the animal’s emotions impressed him. Petite as she was, mothering a helpless kitten had seemed like a natural fit. It should have been a real stretch for him to picture her facing down a raging bull, but for some reason he had no trouble envisioning it. Maybe it was the spunky attitude she’d shown, or her no-nonsense approach to his injury.

Or maybe it was something else completely. Since he’d never met anyone like Heather, he had no frame of reference to enable him to make that kind of judgment. So he did what he usually did when he was perplexed by an unanswerable question. Put it out of his mind and moved on.

“How are the kittens doing?”

“The bigger ones seem comfortable enough, but the tiniest one worries me. She doesn’t seem to feel connected to them at all.”

“Maybe she’s not.” Heather gave him a quizzical look, and he explained. “This time of year, there’re lots of new kittens around, either in people’s outbuildings or the woods. The mothers instinctively move them from spot to spot, and it’s not uncommon for one of them to get hit. If the kittens are out in the open, someone will bring them in to the center like Sierra did today.”

“Do you have a lot of barn cats on the farm?”

“About a dozen, I’d guess. They’re great for rodent control, so we’re happy to have ’em.”

“Are they catchable?”

“I guess we could figure out a way to get ahold of them,” he replied. “Why?”

“If we neuter them and give them some basic vaccines, they won’t add to the feral population, and the ones you have won’t pass along any nasty diseases.”

“Huh. I never thought of that.”

“Most people don’t,” she commented sadly. “In rural towns like this, you don’t even notice wild cats because there are so many places for them to hide. But many of them are sick, and they keep adding to their numbers until the health of the entire population is compromised. You don’t hear anything about it until a rabid stray bites a person, and then it’s all over the news for a few days before some other story takes over.”

The bitterness in her tone got his attention more than the words. “It sounds like you’ve been up on this soapbox before.”

“For all the good it’s done,” she said bitterly. “The last clinic I worked at during my residency, they called me the ‘crazy cat lady,’ and not in a nice way.”

“Gave them a reason to ignore you.”

“Yes,” she acknowledged with a shocked expression. “How did you guess?”

“Happens all the time when someone has the nerve to buck the system. If folks can write a crusader off as nutty, they can ignore the problem. I just can’t imagine anyone doing it to someone as smart as you.”

Heather had given him plenty of looks in the short time they’d been acquainted with each other, but this was one he hadn’t seen yet. Shining in those incredible eyes was a combination of gratitude and astonishment. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but she’d finally quit glaring at him, so he figured that was a good sign.

“You think I’m smart?” When he nodded, she shook her head with a quick laugh. “Most guys can’t see past the blond hair and blue eyes. What makes you so different?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” he was quick to correct her, “you’re cute as a button. But Erin threatened me with grave bodily harm if I even thought about making a play for you.”

“Really?” Now those eyes gleamed with something he’d seen plenty of in his lifetime: feminine interest. “And if she hadn’t?”

“We’d be having dinner tonight.”

For some reason, she laughed. “Oh, you’re a real piece of work, country boy. What makes you think I’d say yes even if you were allowed to ask me out?”

“I don’t know, darlin’,” he drawled with a lazy grin. “Past experience?”

“You realize that sounds arrogant, right?”

“Confident,” he corrected her smoothly as they arrived at the front porch of a light gray cottage with white shutters. “After all, I’m a Kinley boy.”

“Meaning?”

Grinning, he went up the steps and opened the screen door for her. “Ask around town. I’m sure you’ll find out all you wanna know.”

“Please,” she scoffed, rolling those gorgeous baby blues. “I’m too busy to waste my time with gossip. I’ll just figure it out on my own.”

“I take it that means you’re planning to stay in Oaks Crossing awhile.”

“It depends on how Bailey does here, so I’m still working on that one. I guess we’ll have to see.”

“I guess we will.”

His response got him another curious look, but she didn’t say anything more as she went through the screen door he opened for her. Following her inside, he had to admit that Heather Fitzgerald was the most intriguing woman he’d ever run across. Nothing like the sweet, uncomplicated girls he preferred, she had the kind of depth a laid-back guy like him was probably safer admiring from a respectable distance.

It was a good thing Erin had proclaimed her off-limits, he mused with a grin. Otherwise, he might have been tempted to bridge that gap and discover what it was about her that made him want to break the rules.

Chapter Three

Heather went through Josh’s front door and into a living room that clearly announced the owner wasn’t around much. The couch and mismatched chairs looked old, the throw pillows were faded and the windows were unblocked by drapes. Through an open side door, she glimpsed a bedroom that looked as if it had recently been through a mini tornado.

In short, the single-story cottage was the very definition of a bachelor pad. Then she noticed the collection of framed pictures on the dusty mantel and walked over for a better look. The people in them bore an unmistakable resemblance to one another, and she smiled at the scenes of picnics and muddy backyard football games. In one, a much younger version of her new boss, Erin, was standing atop a pyramid, arms extended in triumph. Recognizing Josh on the bottom row, Heather asked, “How old were you in this one?”

“Oh, thirteen maybe. Those are my older brothers, Mike and Drew, on either side of me. Right after Mom got this shot, the foundation guys pulled out, and everyone but Erin landed in a pile on top of us. The princess ended up breaking her arm.”

“That wasn’t very nice of you.”

Unfazed by her scolding, he chuckled. “You should’ve heard what she was yelling at the time. That wasn’t very nice, either.”

Heather hadn’t met all the Kinleys yet, but from what she’d gathered, they were one of those big, raucous families that had a lot of fun together. She’d been so occupied by their move that getting acquainted with the rest of Erin’s family hadn’t been a priority for her before. But now Heather found herself looking forward to meeting the rest of the clan.

“All right,” she said briskly, heading for the kitchen. “Let’s get that hand cleaned up so you don’t scare the doctor half to death when you show up at his office.”

“I really can drive myself,” Josh argued while she rummaged through a small bank of cupboards for a clean towel and some peroxide. “You don’t have to babysit me like I’m ten.”

Heather glanced out the window at his vintage green pickup and then gave him a raised-eyebrow look. “I’m guessing that monster has a standard transmission?”

“Yeah. So?”

In answer, she dabbed at the slice cutting across his palm that still hadn’t stopped bleeding and held a thick gauze pad in place before wrapping a thin dish towel around his hand. Leveling a stern glare at this unexpectedly stubborn man, she announced, “You’re not using this hand until it’s been stitched and dressed by a professional. Period, end of story.”

“You sound like my mom.”

“Good, then I must be doing it right.” Tying the makeshift bandage to keep it in place, she grabbed the keys from their hook by the back door. “Now, let’s go. I have plenty of other patients waiting for me at the clinic.”

In truth, she didn’t know that for certain, but she was hoping that the softhearted farmer’s affection for the animals would nudge him to get moving in the right direction. He didn’t protest any further, which she was grateful for, and they walked out to his truck together. She wasn’t used to dealing with patients who talked back, and it was more than a little unsettling.

This one surprised her by strolling to the driver’s door and opening it for her. Considering the fact that he was probably miffed at her right now, the gentlemanly gesture made her smile. “Thank you.”

“Sure. Doc Sheppard’s on Main Street, up a ways from the Oaks Café, right across from the park. It’s a big old Victorian, gray with a red front door and black trim around the windows. You can’t miss it.”

Armed with those directions, Heather engaged the clutch, dropped the truck into Reverse and stepped on the gas. With a stomach-rolling lurch, the pickup flew backward for several yards before her reflexes kicked in and she managed to slam on the brakes.

“Not a word,” she cautioned, easing the shifter into first gear.

He obliged her, but she could almost feel him grinning at her. When she flicked a look toward him, he pulled a sober face that did nothing to mask the humor glinting in his eyes. Deciding to let her irritation go, she focused on moving through the gears on the old truck without shredding the transmission. By the time they got to town, she had the hang of it and parked in a small lot beside a graceful old home with a wrought iron signpost that read Henry Sheppard, MD.

“I’d love to have my office in a place like this someday,” she commented while they walked to the side door marked for visitors. “The house itself is gorgeous, and he can’t beat the commute to work.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice.”

Once they were inside, she waited while Josh spoke to a receptionist who looked as if she might have been an original occupant of the stately home. “Hi, Mrs. Sheppard. Is the doc available?”

Tsking at him, the physician’s wife came around the desk to frown at Josh’s towel-wrapped hand. “Oh, that looks bad. What have you done this time?”

When he explained, she shook her head with a sympathetic expression. “You poor dear.” Then she turned her attention to Heather, offering a slender hand. “You must be the new vet everyone’s been buzzing about. I’m Louise Sheppard, otherwise known as the doc’s wife. Welcome to Oaks Crossing.”

Everyone? Heather echoed silently. She’d been here only a few days, and she was already the hot topic around town? In Detroit, she’d been just another face in a very large crowd, so she wasn’t accustomed to being singled out this way. She did her best to summon a friendly smile. “Thank you.”

“How does your niece like our day care?” the woman continued. “My daughter-in-law Tammy started it over the winter, and she’s thrilled to have another preschooler in the class.”

“This is her first week there, but she seems to be doing fine. Shouldn’t you be getting the doctor to have a look at Josh’s hand?” she added as politely as she could.

“Of course. How silly of me to be rambling along when there’s work to be done. You have a seat, and I’ll go let Henry know you’re here.”

Within a few minutes, a plump woman was escorted into the waiting room by a tall, white-haired man wearing an open lab coat over a navy polo shirt and khakis. “You get that prescription filled,” he told her, “and I’ll be calling you tomorrow morning to see how that cough is. Meantime, get some rest and have your daughter make you that wonderful peach cobbler of hers. Best medicine around,” he said with a wink that suggested he’d sampled the dessert himself.

The woman thanked him and beamed at Josh, who’d jumped up to hold the door open for her. “Such a good boy. Say hello to your mother for me.”

“Will do, Mrs. Gilbert. Hope you’re feeling better soon.”

Covering her mouth with a lace-edged handkerchief, she coughed and held up a hand in farewell as she left. Once she was gone, the doctor turned to Josh with a stern look. “What have you done this time?”

Heather noticed that he’d repeated his wife’s earlier question word for word, and she wondered how often Josh had been here with injuries over the years. With a sheepish look, Josh unwrapped his hand and stood patiently while the physician assessed the damage. Then the doctor did something that stunned Heather.

Angling a glance at her, he asked, “What do you think?”

She waited a beat so her surprise at being consulted wouldn’t come across. “Several stitches will close up the wound itself. The metal was rusty, so if he’s due for a tetanus booster, this would be a good time for it.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Nodding, he smiled proudly at her as if she were his star pupil. Foolish as it seemed, she felt a sense of pride at having earned the approval of such an experienced medical professional. “Come on back, son, and we’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

Suddenly, what had been a straight wind began to howl in the eaves of the old house, and Josh scowled at the ceiling. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“I’ve heard worse,” Dr. Sheppard assured him on their way toward one of two examining rooms. “Just look at it this way—the rain will give you a day off to watch TV and rest your hand.”

Josh grumbled a reply, but she didn’t catch the words before the door closed behind him. Since she had the keys to his truck, Heather realized that she’d be waiting around until he was finished. So she took the opportunity to sit down and check in with the clinic.

“Hi, Sierra, it’s Heather. My walk got interrupted by Josh hurting his hand, so I’m in town with him at Dr. Sheppard’s. I shouldn’t be much longer. Do you need anything in the meantime?”

“It’s pretty quiet here, so we’re focused on those drop-off kittens. Bekah and I can handle things until you get back.”

When she’d accepted Erin’s job offer, Heather hadn’t anticipated inheriting such an accomplished staff. Yet another pleasant surprise in this picturesque town that she hadn’t even heard of until a month ago. By the time she checked her few emails and responded to a thumbs-up text from Bailey’s day care teacher, Josh emerged from his ordeal with a much thicker wrapping on his injured hand and a lollipop in the other.

“I was brave,” he explained before popping the treat into his mouth.

“It’s a good thing you’re built sturdy,” the doctor teased him with a chuckle. “’Cause you sure do take a beating on that farm.”

As if on cue, a gust of wind banged several of the hinged wooden shutters against the side of the house. Before anyone could comment on the noise, a boom of thunder rattled the air, followed almost immediately by a flash of lightning.

Then a deafening crack split the air, unlike anything she’d ever heard in her life. Josh’s eyes zoomed in on something outside, and he tossed away his lollipop as he ran from the lobby. “Doc, call the fire department!”

Following his line of sight, Heather saw what had propelled him to make such a dramatic exit. On the other side of the town square was the old Colonial that housed the day care Mrs. Sheppard was so excited about. The front section of the house had been crushed under an enormous oak tree, obviously felled by the lightning strike.

Bailey.

Stifling a horrified scream, Heather raced after Josh, only to be thrown back by a stiff wind driving a wall of rain so fierce, it nearly knocked her down. Struggling against the storm, she doggedly fought her way across the park, arriving at the building a few seconds after Josh.

The door to a side landing was open, and three women stood there, apparently trying to decide how to best get the children to safety. Dodging fallen limbs and a tangle of branches, Josh pushed toward the porch with Heather close on his heels. When they reached the house, she was terrified to see that the tree had only partially fallen, the rest of it hanging precariously by what appeared to be nothing more than a few splinters.

“Everyone okay?” he asked no one in particular, glancing at the roiling clouds overhead.

“I think so,” one of the teachers said. “We’re counting heads right now. We need to get out of here before the rest of that tree comes down on us.”

“Good idea,” he replied in a voice that Heather thought was abnormally calm considering the perilous situation. “How many kids are here today?”

“Ten, and they can all walk on their own.”

“They’ll fit in my truck. I’ll be right back.”

Heather gave him back his keys and begged him to hurry, but he was already dashing across the park. She stayed behind to help gather the children together, all the while searching the frightened group for Bailey. Just as Josh’s truck pulled up alongside the landing, the fourth teacher joined them, a grim expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Heather demanded, feeling panic starting to creep in. “Where’s Bailey?”

“She went to the bathroom just before things got bad. I tried yelling in to her, but I couldn’t hear anything over the wind. I didn’t see her anywhere else, so I think she’s still in there. I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t get through to her. We’ll have to wait for the fire crew.”

The emergency siren in town began wailing as the young woman sent a look toward the front section of the house buried beneath the trunk of a tree at least six feet in diameter. Seized with dread, Heather took one step in that direction before a pair of strong hands clamped down on her shoulders to stop her.

Infuriated by the manhandling, she jerked free and glowered up at Josh. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Give these ladies a hand getting the kids over to the church,” he replied in that calm, steady voice, cradling her trembling hand in his as he pressed his keys into her palm. “You’ll all be safe there until the storm’s over.”

“I’m not leaving Bailey here. She could be hurt.” Or worse, she added silently.

“I’ll get her, and we’ll meet you over there in a few minutes,” he said as if they were discussing plans to rendezvous at the playground. When she refused to move, he gave her a gentle smile. “I promise.”

Recognizing that she wouldn’t be much help with the dangerous heavy lifting he’d have to do just to reach the bathrooms, Heather reluctantly gave in. “She hasn’t met you, and she’s been taught never to go anywhere with a stranger. Her safe word is unicorn. That little girl means everything to me,” she added as tears slipped down her cheeks. “Please don’t let anything happen to her.”

“I won’t.”

With that simple vow, he was gone.

* * *

The restrooms were at the very front of the house, and Josh carefully picked his way through the rubble, moving as quickly as he dared. If he could safely slide an obstacle aside he did, but for the most part he was ducking and crawling. Built of century-old oak, the remaining trusses overhead didn’t look like much to him, and the groaning timbers indicated that the structure wouldn’t hold up much longer.

After what felt like forever, he found the door to the girls’ bathroom lying askew on the floor, the painted picture of Little Bo-Peep torn from all but one of its screws. The jamb was cockeyed but more or less intact, and he murmured a quick prayer for Bailey’s safety before stepping inside. The lights had been knocked from their sockets, so the only light came from a small window. Dust and debris hung in the air like a dense fog, making it nearly impossible for him to see.

Taking out his phone, he turned on its flashlight and swept the room, hunting for a child who was probably scared out of her mind. A huge limb had crushed the stalls, but thankfully no one was in either of them. The shrieking wind died down for a few seconds, and he heard a whimper off to his right. He swung the light around to find a dust-covered little girl cowering under one of the sinks.

“Hey there,” he said in a purposefully casual tone. “I’m thinking you must be Bailey Fitzgerald.”

Blue eyes wide with fear, she mutely stared back at him. She was holding her left arm but otherwise appeared to be unharmed. The roof shifted ominously overhead, and he realized that if he didn’t get her out of here quickly, they might be trapped inside when the rafters caved in. He didn’t dare crawl over to her, for fear of disturbing the pile of debris that was currently holding up what remained of the ceiling.

Since she was much smaller than him, he thought Bailey could wiggle out of her hiding place and over to where he was standing without compromising the stack. Hoping to coax her into the open, he forced a grin. “I’m Josh Kinley, Erin’s little brother. Your aunt sent me in here to make sure you washed your hands.”

That got him nothing, and panic started creeping up his spine. If she wouldn’t come to him, he’d have to go in after her and risk toppling the pile onto them both. Just when he was beginning to think that was his only option, he remembered what Heather had told him about unicorns. He didn’t know what a safe word was, but he figured he had nothing to lose by trying.

“Your aunt said that when I found you, I should tell you ‘unicorn.’”

Like a key to a lock, the single word opened her up, and in a trembling voice she said, “I’m scared.”

“I know, but you’re gonna be fine. If I hold this beam up, do you think you can crawl over here?”

She nodded, and he braced his hands on the timber to keep it steady while she shimmied across the floor. When she reached him, he let the beam go and swept her into his arms, backing into the hallway as quickly as he could. Several chunks of ceiling rained down on them, and she shrank against him with a fearful scream. Hunching around her to protect her as much as he could, he hurried from the collapsing building, maneuvering around upended furniture and sections of the roof that were hailing down on him at an alarming rate.

Each chunk was larger and heavier than the last, and by the time he burst from the side door, every inch of him felt as if it had been bruised in a fight. But Bailey was in one piece, and that was all that mattered. Josh didn’t stop to check her over but ran straight to the church, where an anxious Heather was waiting just inside the entryway doors, her worried gaze fixed on the ruined day care center.

When she saw them coming, she bolted down the front steps and into the driving rain. She met them in the middle of Main Street, oblivious to the storm still raging around her. Without a word, Josh handed Bailey over to her, watching as they hugged and cried in a touching reunion that might have ended so differently.

“My arm hurts,” Bailey said as they made their way up the steps to where it was warm and dry. It struck Josh that the small white chapel was serving as a sanctuary for all of them, and he looked up with a grateful smile. He was too exhausted to do more than that, but he was sure that God knew what he meant.

“Doc Sheppard can take care of that,” Josh assured her, nodding to where the kind man was tending to one of her classmates. “And if you’re brave, he’ll give you your choice of lollipops.”

“I like grape.”

“Yeah? Me, too.” Grinning at the resilient child, he shifted his gaze to Heather, whose face was beginning to regain some of its color. “How ’bout you?”

It was obvious she was still trying to shake off their ordeal, though she looked up as if thinking it over. “I like cherry.”

“I’ll ask the doctor to give you a cherry one, Aunt Heather,” Bailey suggested. “You were brave today, too.”

“Thanks, bean. I appreciate that.” Wrapping her in a hug, Heather looked up at Josh with tears of gratitude shining in her eyes. “I know it’s not close to being enough for what you did, but thank you.”

“Aw, it was nothin’,” he replied, ticking Bailey’s nose with his finger. “Always glad to lend a lady a hand.”

“You’re a hero,” the girl informed him. “Like Superman.”

“Well, now, that’s kinda cool.”

“Yes, it is,” Heather agreed, “but right now, I think we should get you both taken care of.”

“I’m fine,” Josh assured her. When she nodded at his left hand, he looked down to see that the nice, neat wrapping was now filthy and shredded into several pieces. “Huh. How ’bout that?”

Tired and half-drowned, the three of them crossed the church to where Doc Sheppard was using one of the front pews as a makeshift office. He gave Josh a proud smile, then turned his attention to Bailey. “And what brings you by to see me, young lady?”

“My arm hurts. And I like grape lollipops.”

“I see you’ve been talking to Josh.” The grandfatherly man chuckled as he examined her arm. “He’s one of my best customers, you know.”

While he chatted with Bailey and assessed her injuries, Heather glanced over at Josh and gave him a sweet smile that warmed him from his dripping hair to his waterlogged boots. He didn’t want to ruin one of the antique oak pews, so he braced his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the carpet runner that stretched the length of the side aisle to wait for his turn with the doctor.

What a day, he mused, taking advantage of the relative calm to close his eyes. Right now, that plan of watching TV that Doc had mentioned was sounding pretty good to him.

Chapter Four

Heather wasn’t sure what to do next.

The kindly doctor had cleaned and inspected Bailey’s elbow, then checked her over and pronounced her slightly bruised but ready to go. With a grape lollipop tucked in her mouth, Bailey seemed none the worse for wear as they followed Josh out to his pickup, which the day care class was calling the Rescue Truck.

Heather’s nerves were another story altogether.

She’d never been so terrified in her life, and when she reached out to tousle her niece’s hair for the third time, Bailey pulled away as she buckled her seat belt.

“I’m fine, Aunt Heather,” she announced in an overly patient tone that betrayed her annoyance. “You can stop smushing me.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m not good in a crisis.”

“Seriously?” Josh teased with a sidelong grin at her. “You’re a vet.”

“Human crisis,” she clarified, frowning back. “I can’t believe you’re being so blasé about this. If it weren’t for you...” She trailed off, unable to complete the thought. If she was being honest, she had to acknowledge that she hadn’t yet accepted her brother’s sudden death, and she was still learning to navigate her responsibilities as a guardian. If anything happened to Bailey, she’d never forgive herself.

The twinkle in his blue eyes dimmed a bit, chasing away the smile. “My turn to apologize. You might not wanna hear this, but I know how you feel.”

Her favorite phrase, she thought bitterly. She’d heard it so many times at the funeral, she’d barely managed not to scream at the well-meaning guests. Smothering that same impulse now, she summoned the tone she’d cultivated for chauvinistic professors who’d dared to question her choice of career. “About what?”

“Your brother,” he replied quietly, staring out the windshield as he pulled onto Main Street. “We lost my dad in a car accident a few years ago. It changes your perspective on things.”

She gave him a long look, but he didn’t meet her eyes. When she realized that was his intent, she decided it was probably best for both of them. After the scare she’d had, seeing sympathy in the eyes of this selfless, courageous man might just make her cry. She was fairly certain that was the last thing either of them wanted. “Yes, it does. Thank you for understanding.”

He nodded, then angled a glance down at Bailey. “How’s your arm feeling?”

“Okay. Can I turn on the radio?”

“Sure, sweetness. Pick whatever you want.”

“Sweetness?” she echoed, grinning up at him. “That’s a nice nickname.”

“Then it’s yours. You were pretty awesome today, so I’m thinking you should get whatever you want.”

She cast a woeful look through the rain-streaked window at the park. The powerful storm had moved on, but not before dropping several enormous limbs on top of what had been a sprawling wooden playground only a few hours ago. “Mr. Kinley, do you think someone can fix that?”

He hesitated, and Heather guessed that he was trying to come up with a way to be truthful but encouraging. Most adults would’ve patted Bailey on the head and told her not to worry about it, but not Josh. He was treating her with the same respect he’d shown Heather, and she appreciated his generous attitude toward her niece. She didn’t know him well, but she couldn’t deny that there was a lot to like about this tall, easygoing country boy.

“I’d imagine so,” he finally replied, “but not for a while. It’ll take some serious cash and a lot of hours no one has to spare this time of year.”

Bailey sighed. “I saw a bunch of kids playing over there yesterday. It looked like they were having a lot of fun.”

Josh’s eyes flicked toward Heather, but she had no idea what he was after, so she kept quiet, waiting to hear what he’d say next.

“Tell you what,” he said as he stopped for an elderly couple in the crosswalk. “I’ll start pulling a crew together to make the repairs on one condition.”

“What?” Bailey asked eagerly.

“You and your aunt have to help raise the money we’ll need to replace the materials.”

“I don’t know, Josh,” Heather said instinctively. “With my new job, I’m going to be awfully busy.”

“And I’m just a kid,” Bailey added. “What can I do?”

“Folks need a good reason to donate money to the project. Who better to ask them than a girl who’s going to enjoy the end result?”

“What if they say no?” she asked.

“Then you ask someone else,” he replied with a chuckle. “That’s how the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center operates all year long, and they’re doing it well enough to bring your aunt here, aren’t they?”

“I guess.” Hope shone in Bailey’s china-blue eyes that were so much like Craig’s as she looked at Heather. “Is it okay?”

After the day the little girl had endured, how could she possibly say no? Besides, Josh was in the middle of planting season, and he’d volunteered time he clearly didn’t have to spare. It wasn’t as if she could claim to be busier than he was. “Of course it is. Maybe some of the kids in your class will help, too. Then you’ll be raising money and making friends at the same time.”

Josh flashed her a grin of approval that went a long way toward soothing her frazzled nerves. Her last boyfriend had broken things off when Bailey moved in with her, claiming he didn’t have the energy for a child during his residency. Heather had decided that she and Bailey would be better off not relying on someone else who’d leave when things didn’t go his way.

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