“Do you think it’s bird flu? Oh, I hope it isn’t that. Tory would be devastated,” Chad said. The worry in his voice indicated how much he cared for his husband.
I grimaced. Bird flu was always worrisome. If thiswasan outbreak, I’d be forced to call the department of public health, and they would most likely want to see the birds euthanized to avoid spread. I’d had to assist with euthanizing all the birds at an egg ranch when I was in school and it had been devastating. Having to put down an animal, any animal, was always an emotional experience, and the farm had had about a thousandbirds. It’d taken hours. In the aftermath, once I’d taken three scalding showers, I’d pounded shots with the other students who’d helped until my brain and body were numb.
“I’m not seeing any discharge from their eyes or nose, so I’m hoping that it isn’t avian flu.”
“Oh, thank God. Honey! The cute little vet doesn’t think it’s the bird flu,” Chad shouted and I waved my hands to stop him.
“I said I didn’t know yet, but… never mind.” Chad was already jogging across the pasture to a sobbing Tory. That was another part about dealing with folks who were new to raising animals. They tended to jump to conclusions, and usually assumed the worst. I grabbed a few more stool samples as I walked toward them.
Far too many hours later, I loaded all the samples into my truck and peeled off the oversized coveralls that Chad had thoughtfully given me to wear. The man outweighed me by at least sixty pounds, but the gear did its job. I would need to pick up a few more of them if I was going to make any more house calls like this. It definitely saved my clothes and probably kept those powerful beaks from breaking my skin.
“Thank you again, Dr. Morris,” Chad said. Tory had run out of steam long before we’d finished separating the birds and had gone inside to lay down. I didn’t blame him. I wanted a nap too after the day I’d had.
“I’ll get the samples sent out and call you with the results. Once we figure out what it is, I’ll be back with the right meds to treat them. In the meantime, keep them as stress-free as possible and make sure they have access to lots of water. I gave you a list offood suggestions that should help to keep the diarrhea down. If things get worse, call me immediately.”
“Got it. Please send your parents our regards and tell Linda that we still use those lovely dishes she made as a wedding present every day.” Before I could answer, Chad pulled me into a hug. “Thank you,” he said again.
I patted him awkwardly on the shoulder for a beat before I finally managed to extricate myself from him. The older man managed to keep himself far cleaner than I had and I didn’t want to get anything on him. “I will. I better get going.”
On the way back to town, my phone rang. It was Ruth. I put her on speaker.
“Hey, Dr. Wilcox. I’m on my way back to town now.”
“Is it the flu?” Always straight to the point.
“It’s presenting more like a bacterial infection, but I won’t know for sure until the samples are analyzed. I’ve already notified the lab that they’re coming and asked that they put a rush on the processing,” I told her.
“Good, good. I’m glad you were available to take the call or I’d have had to reach out to the university for assistance.”
“I left them with instructions and what to look out for. They know to call me if there’s any sort of change. I should be back to the office in about an hour and I’ll get all my notes typed up.”
“Do that. I just sent you tomorrow’s schedule. You’re going to have a full day. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“All right. Good chat,” I said to no one because she’d already hung up.
My phone rang again and I answered it, assuming it was Ruth.
“Declan? Your mother wants to know how the birds are doing.”
“Hey, Dad. Some of the emus are definitely sick but I don’t know what it is yet. Why don’t you call Chad and he can fill you in?”
“I was hoping to get the answer from you. Those two talk more than we do.”
I laughed at that, and we caught up for another minute or two before wrapping up the conversation. As I crested the hill into town, I slowed my speed. The sun was going down and it lit up the area in a reddish-orange glow. The view was gorgeous and I pulled over so I could take a picture. Views like that were why I loved the area so much. It looked like a living painting. On a whim, I texted it to Shannon, wishing she were here to share the moment. She’d been continuously on my mind ever since that kiss in the barn and I couldn’t wait to see her again.
TWENTY
SHANNON
I’d had this dream before. The one where Declan was interested in me, where after a heated, amazing kiss, he asked me out instead of mumbling about a girlfriend and leaving me standing there under the mistletoe with my face red. Yeah, I’d had this dream lots of times.
But this time, it wasreal.I was actually spread out on a blanket a few feet away from him, having a picnic with Declan Morris who might, wonder of wonders, actually have feelings for me in return.
I glanced over at him and smiled. He’d outdone himself.
Instead of taking me out to dinner or a movie, he’d surprised me and brought me to the town hall—which also happened to be the tallest building in town—for a rooftop picnic. He’d thought of everything, from the backpack filled with savory small bites, to the wine and goblets, to the thick blanket. The evening had been the perfect mix of good food and conversation, and I’d loved every minute of it, but each time our gazes had caught or our fingers had brushed, I’d felt my temperature rise another degreeand by this point, I was yearning for more than just talk, even as I tried to play it cool.
“I’ve never been up here before. From the street, it doesn’t look like there’s a flat area—all you can see is the gable. How did you get access?” I asked, leaning back on my elbows and gazing up at the stars, which seemed to sparkle brighter than ever. Suddenly, a series of shooting stars burst across the sky. “Oh! Look.”
