Josh pretended to consider her comment before shaking his head. “Nope. That pretty much sums it up. Works for me, though. I like keeping things uncomplicated.”
“So do I,” she agreed with a quick laugh. “Unfortunately, in my world they never seem to stay that way.”
“You’re talking about your niece?” She nodded, and he took the opportunity to find out more about her. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“There’s not that much to tell. When Bailey was two, her mother, Polly, died from complications after an operation. My brother Craig had his hands full working and being a single dad. Bailey was visiting me this past February, and I got a call from the Michigan State Police.” Her chin began to tremble, and she paused for a deep breath before going on. “Craig’s car hit a patch of ice and ran straight into a bridge support on the interstate. He died on impact, and Bailey’s life changed forever.”
“And yours,” Josh added somberly. That explained her immediate connection to Teddy. An orphan like Bailey, he was alone in the world and needed someone to take care of him until he could fend for himself.
“I love her to pieces,” Heather murmured with a gentle smile. “But she’s still lost without her daddy. It breaks my heart to see her suffering, and I wish there was more I could do to help her.”
“I’m not a dad myself, but from what I’ve seen in my own family, kids need love and attention more than anything. Give her those and some time, and she’ll be okay.”
She stared up at him in obvious amazement. “That’s incredibly good advice.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am, and that almost never happens.”
Heather eyed Josh with the kind of respect he seldom received. Being the youngest Kinley, and laid-back to boot, meant that folks often didn’t take him seriously. This pragmatic woman, with her quick mind and gorgeous blue eyes, had apparently noticed something in him that most people missed.
It seemed to him that there was more to this jaded city girl than met the eye. And he was just intrigued enough to wonder if she might eventually give him the chance to get to know her better.
The guided tour gave Heather an opportunity to get her bearings and develop a sense of the place where she’d be working. Huge oak trees outlined the clearing that housed the clinic, kennel and a couple of barns that Josh had explained were reserved for injured wild animals that people had brought in for care. A structure with several brand-new sections of lumber amid more weathered planks caught her eye, and she asked, “What’s back there?”
“Feed and bedding storage,” he explained in a somber tone. “We had a bad fire in there last fall, but fortunately my sister-in-law Bekah was here to sound the alarm, and no one was hurt. Now there’s a fire detection and sprinkler system, but the staff decided that it’s still a good idea to keep the dry stuff away from the animals.”
“That makes sense.”
“So, that’s everything out here. Ready to go in and meet the rest of your crew?”
“Sounds good,” she responded, hoping she sounded confident and dependable. She might be the new kid in town, but she was a full-fledged veterinarian now, and she was more than capable of managing a small clinic like this. At least, that’s what she wanted everyone to believe. If any of them suspected that she was a step short of terrified, they’d never give her the respect she needed if she was going to be effective. Not to mention, she didn’t want anyone expressing any doubts to their boss. Succeeding here was crucial for Bailey, and unusual as this assignment might be, Heather knew she’d have to find a way to make it work.
From Josh’s long, assessing look, she realized that despite his casual manner and country boy grin, he wasn’t the least bit fooled by her bravado. She waited for him to call her out, but instead he gave her an understanding smile. “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.