I flipped through the open tabs on my laptop screen until I found the calendar. “Full day. Oh, uh… it looks like Shannon Cafferty’s new foal is scheduled for a checkup. Do you want to take that one?”
I didn’t feel ready to face her again, even in professional circumstances.
“Why don’t you do it? Since you’re finishing up here, might as well say goodbye to the sweet little baby you brought into the world.” She paused. “And I bet Shannon would appreciate hearing about your future plans straight from you, all things considered.”
I had to wonder what “things” she might be referring to. Besides the obvious. I didn’t think Ruth knew that Shannon and I were in a relationship.Had been.Had been in a relationship.
“Sure, okay.” I glanced back at the calendar. It was jam-packed, but I didn’t want Ruth out in the field treating patients, not while I was still on the payroll. “Hey, I can handle everything on the docket on my own tomorrow. You can take it easy. Maybe just stick around the office and catch up on paperwork, okay?”
Ruth gave me a half smile. “You’re not making this firing situation easy, you know that?”
I managed a smile back at her. “Until the end of the month, I’m here to help, no matter what.”
Too bad it wouldn’t be enough.
THIRTY-SEVEN
SHANNON
Ihad scheduled the checkup before everything had blown up with Declan and completely forgotten to reschedule it. Vida was doing fine, there was no need for the appointment, and I didn’t want to see Declan anyway. I hoped that he’d be smart enough to send Dr. Wilcox instead of doing it himself.
When I heard tires crunching on the gravel driveway, though, I knew exactly who was coming. Dr. Wilcox drove like the senior citizen she was. Declan always tore down the driveway like he couldn’t wait to see me.
Even now.
My heart still contracted painfully every time I thought about how close we’d come to perfection. But I couldn’t get past what he’d done. And based on the way he’d reacted when I threatened to pull my support, he was probably equally pissed with me. Whatever we’d had had turned ugly, and I dreaded the thought of seeing him.
I hoped that tending to Vida would be enough to keep us from talking about anything real. I wasn’t in the mood to bicker with him, or worse yet, feel sad about how everything was ending.
The foal toddled around the oversized stall while Belle looked on, ever the proud mama. Even though the pregnancy had been a mistake, I was happy it had happened. Belle seemed invigorated by her new baby, and Vida was yet another link to the way things used to be, when my mom was still around. Belle wouldn’t be around forever, but through Vida, she could live on. And then, once I started breeding her, my mother’s and Belle’s legacy would go on potentially for generations. Depending on how Iris’s pregnancy panned out and the health of her baby, I was open to using AI as a means to breed horses. I might even be a bit excited about it—except I didn’t want Declan to be the one to do it. I’d need to talk to Julia Lett to see what her experience with AI was like.
Actually, the truth was that I very much wanted Declan involved. At least Ihadwanted that right up until he’d overshared with Becca.
I moved to the edge of the stall and tried to ignore the melancholy feelings swirling in my chest. I needed to be stoic for the appointment. Like it was no big deal to be a few feet away from Declan, close enough that I’d be able to smell his warm cinnamony scent. I was still furious with him, but I also missed him.
So very much.
“Hey.”
How could one word convey so much? I could hear Declan’s sadness, anger, and concern in the single syllable.
“Hey.”
I was still upset, there was no denying it, and I could tell that he wasn’t past what I’d said to him, but the heaviness between us was charged with more.
An unmistakable feeling of loss.
“Vida’s looking great. She seems strong.”
When I finally glanced at him, I was struck by how weary he looked. The bags under his eyes were made more prominent by his sallow skin.
“She is. Everything is fine. I probably should’ve canceled the appointment. You don’t have to stay.”
Vida dashed in a circle and gave a little kick as if to prove my point.
Declan cleared his throat. “I actually wanted to talk to you, so it works out well for me to be here.”
A thrill passed through me. Maybe he wanted to figure everything out, find a way to move forward? But based on Declan’s expression, it seemed like whatever he wanted to say wasn’t something I’d enjoy hearing. I braced myself for the battle to come.
