Angel's Rest(86)

“No.” Lori pursed her lips and shook her head. “He’s a summer guy looking for work. Ali Timberlake’s son.”

“Really? That’s cool. It’s early yet for summer people, though. He might have better luck in a couple of weeks.” Sarah shrugged, then said, “Lori, I called Nana’s doctor and she wants to see her this afternoon. Can you hold down the fort here?”

“Absolutely. How is Nana doing?”

Sarah winced. “Her meds need tweaking a bit, I’m afraid.”

Lori reached out and gave her mother a hug. Poor Mom. No wonder she acted so cranky all the time. She got it from both ends, didn’t she? Her baby was growing up, and a horribly sad illness was slowly stealing her mother away. At least the family’s financial situation had improved in the past six months. Celeste Blessing’s healing center was proving to be a great kick-start for Eternity’s economy and Lori’s college fund. With any luck, she’d hear good news about the Davenport Foundation scholarship in the next few weeks, and that would relieve some of her mother’s concern.

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

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

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

“I won’t.”

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

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

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

“I love you, too, Mom. Go.”

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

“Drive carefully.”

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

“I’ll call Nic or Sage.”

“If it’s serious, call Zach.”

“Bye, Mom.”

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


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

“But he should be okay, right?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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