Angel's Rest(87)

“Hi,” the woman said, her smile tentative. “Are you the vet?”

“Yes. I’m Dr. Sul—” She gave her head a shake and grinned. “Dr. Callahan. How can I help you?”

“I’m Pam Harrington. This is my son, Nathan. We, um, have come to see Gabe. Is he around?”

His sister-in-law, Nic realized, and in an instant a flurry of impressions and questions flashed through her mind. Pam and Nathan, but where was her husband? Nic prayed they weren’t here to deliver bad news in person.

They didn’t appear to be sad or upset, though. They looked curious. Nic was plenty curious herself. Pam was gorgeous; she reminded Nic of a young Sophia Loren. She wondered how much Pam had resembled her sister. The boy was tall and lanky, a teenager just beginning his growth spurt, she guessed, his coloring lighter than his mother’s. Both the Harringtons watched her closely.

Nic kept her smile in place. “I’m pleased to meet you. Gabe speaks of you often. I was sorry to hear about your husband’s illness. I hope he’s doing well?”

“Very well, thank you. He’s back at work and was well enough to attend an industry conference in Colorado Springs. Nathan and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to drive over here and surprise Gabe with a visit.” She hesitated, then asked again. “He’s not away, I hope?”

Nic glanced at the wall clock. “He’s been up at Jack Davenport’s place today taking care of something. I expect him back in about twenty minutes, though. I know he’ll be thrilled to see you.” Noting that the boy’s attention had locked on Steve Cartwright’s Labrador pup, who was in for his shots, she added, “You’re welcome to wait for him up at the house. Or Ranger”—she gestured to the puppy—“and I would be glad for the company. Can I offer you a soft drink? Bottled water?”

A pleased glint shined in Pam Harrington’s dark eyes. “Water would be nice, thank you.”

“Nathan?”

“A Coke, please,” he said, not taking his gaze off the dog.

Nic took their drinks from the fridge, then opened the crate door and removed Ranger. “This sweetheart just had his shots and he wants to play.”

“I’ll play with him,” Nathan piped up.

“Thanks. You can take him outside if you’d like,” she said, gesturing toward a side door. “The yard is fenced.”

Once the boy and the dog were settled, Nic and Pam Harrington exchanged polite smiles and a minute or two of small talk before Nic decided to face the elephant in the vet’s office.

“Gabe told me how close he is to you, your husband, and your son, Mrs. Harrington. I imagine you have some questions about me. I’m happy to answer them if you wish.”

“Well. That’s direct.”

“I don’t see any reason to be otherwise.”

“Fair enough. And please, call me Pam. Okay, then, I admit Gabe caught me by surprise with his news about you, and I was worried. I love Gabe like a brother and I want more than anything else for him to be happy again. Gabe is … well … he’s not been himself since the accident. He said really nice things about you. Truly, he did. I just, well, I worried you’d be …”

“A bimbo?” Nic suggested, her tone dry.

Pam’s grin was sheepish. “Well, I didn’t know what to think. Even under normal circumstances, Gabe can be a bit thick where the opposite sex is concerned.”

Nic decided she liked Pam Harrington. If the situation were reversed, Nic would have made the trip to check out the new woman, too. “I hope you will believe me when I say that I’m not out to use Gabe or take advantage of him or bring him more pain. I want him to be happy. I want to make him happy.”

“Okay, you’ve been frank with me. Let me be frank with you. Officially I’m not his sister-in-law anymore, but I still consider Gabe family. I don’t want to lose him. I know it might be uncomfortable for you, but we want him to remain in our lives.”

“I don’t have a problem with that.”

“You don’t?” Her eyes widened with surprise.

“Of course not. Gabe has suffered enough losses in his life, don’t you think?”

Warmth and welcome filled Pam’s smile. “I do. I absolutely do.”

The two women spent the next ten minutes in frank discussion about Gabe, his first marriage, and his suffering in the wake of the accident. While Nic didn’t go into private details about her marriage, she did share information about Gabe’s life in Eternity Springs.