Page 14

CHAPTER 14

The were driving through Fool’s Gold when Tom shook his entire body and seemed to come out of his stupor. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to zone out like that.” He looked around and frowned. “Are we almost home?”

“Yes, you were out of it after that call from Dr. Henry, so I had the waitress box up our meal. It’s in the back.”

“You paid for it?”

“I did.”

“Let me know how much so I can pay you back.”

“Don’t offend me, Tom. It’s not a big deal, if it is, then we can try this again in the future and you can pay.”

“It’s a date,” he said with a chuckle and started to feel better. “I am so sorry for the way I reacted. It was such a shock. Wait, can you pull over here?” He pointed and Lorissa did as asked and gave him a funny look.

“That’s Sheriff Jim’s personal car. I want to tell him about Mrs. Bickers.” As soon as he opened his door, the Sheriff looked up and started toward them. Tom sat in the truck, rolled the window down, and closed the door. As soon as Jim joined them, he introduced Lorissa to him. They shook hands and Jim looked at Tom in concern.

“How did it go with Mrs. Bickers?”

“Good and bad. I told her about her husband, then about Rose and Baby. The doctor said he saw movement on the monitors.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yes, but about an hour later, I got a call from him, Mrs. Bickers went into cardiac arrest, and she didn’t make it.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

“No, I thought I’d tell you. I don’t know if the hospital will let anyone know. This isn’t any of my business, but won’t it be murder charges against Mr. Bickers now?”

“Yes, or I’m assuming so because she died from the injuries he inflicted on her. Thank you for letting me know, I’ll call the DA and let him know.” The sheriff walked away, and Tom nodded to Lorissa to continue to her home.

As they headed toward her place she explained why she was going there, that the food was in a box and she didn’t want to open it and get it any colder than it might be, and she wanted to get home to Rose and Baby.

“That’s fine,” he said, and watched out the window at the setting sun. “You know, I’ve never really looked at the scenery when I come out this way. I drive by mote, and I zone out on other things while I drive. I know it’s not normal, this is nice.” They both remained silent for the rest of the drive, and this time, Tom came around and helped her from the driver’s seat. After she gave him his keys back, he went back around and picked up the box with their food in it.

“Did we really order this much food?”

“I don’t think so. I told the waitress that we had just received bad news and had to get home. She said she’d take care of it.” They went into the house, and she laughed when Rose and Baby were right there wanting to go out.

“You let the cat out?”

“Yes, she goes to the bathroom the same time Rose does. Since bringing them into the house, I haven’t had to change her litter.”

“Wow, I did not know this.”

“Yeah, I need to teach the kittens to use the litter box later, and I need to put in a doggie door, but it works for now.” She opened the door when there was scratching and the animals came back in and went to their litters. Lorissa laughed when she saw that they were all in the same area.

“Could you set up the food while I run up and change. As much as I love this dress, I don’t really want to wear it much longer.”

“Go, get comfortable, I’ll unpack this.” He set the box on the table and watched as she walked away. Five minutes later she returned and saw he was lighting the candles.

“Where did the candles come from? I have some, but they are in my emergency kit upstairs.”

“They were in the box, along with this,” he said as he held up an entire unopened bottle of wine. The same kind they had ordered glasses of.

“Wow, I can honestly say that I did not pay for the candles, nor that wine.” She dug in the box for the receipt and handed it to him.

“Wow, you didn’t. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but we will definitely have to have our second date at this steakhouse.”

“I agree.” She laughed as she took the seat he held out for her, and the two of them started eating. It was a quiet, relaxed meal where they talked to get to know one another better, and by the time they were done, Lorissa felt like she’d known him for a long time. She liked what she was getting to know about him. Sure, he was an ass when they’d first met, but he was growing on her. An hour after they finished the meal, Tom said he should go home, and Lorissa didn’t stop him. It wasn’t like she didn’t want him to leave, but she knew he probably wanted to be alone after learning of Mrs. Bickers passing. She knew that was the issue when he paid extra attention to Rose and Baby before leaving.

He gathered her in a hug, held her for a good five minutes, then kissed the side of her mouth. “Thank you,” he whispered, then turned and left her house. Lorissa waited until she saw the taillights of his truck, then settled down to continue reading the book she’d started a couple of days before. It wasn’t long before she had two heaters join her. One snuggled in her lap, while the other snuggled up against her feet.

A week later, Tom sat in the lawyer’s office and stared at him in shock. “Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry for dumping this on you, but according to Mrs. Bickers’ will, she left you, Dr. Thomas Stolls, sole custody of her Yorkie, Rose, and her Himalayan cat, Baby.” The lawyer waited until Tom seemed okay, then dropped the rest of the bombshell. “There’s a condition though.”

“Which is?”

“If you take them, then a five hundred-thousand-dollar donation will be made to your clinic in Rose and Baby’s name. ”

“I’m not saying I won’t, but if I don’t take them?”

“Then you still get them, but you don’t get the money.”

“Ah, so no matter what, I get them.” Tom laughed. “I only have one more question.”

“What’s that?”

“It might be complicated.”

The lawyer sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shook his head, and looked directly at Tom. “Hit me.”

“I’m not saying I won’t take them, I will, but I might not be able to.”

“Why not?” The lawyer demanded in confusion.

“The day of the fire, the Falco brothers saw my truck on the street, they stopped, told me what happened and before I could do anything, Lorissa Gibson took control.” He shook his head sadly. “That’s the day I was dealing with the woman named Melissa.”

“Shit, have you seen Rose and Baby since that day?”

“I have. Lorissa is a vet and farrier, she works for Erin Riceman out at Erin’s Way. Lorissa has a small, and I mean very small clinic set up at her house, but she was able to assess the situation and take care of Rose, Baby, and their litters. Lorissa has stressed the point that she wants to keep Rose and Baby for herself, and adopt the babies out when they are ready to leave the home. Currently, her grandmother wants a puppy, and her mother wants a kitten.”

“Do you see them?”

“I do. It’s not official, but Lorissa and I have been on a date, and I really like her. I want to take our relationship to the level of dating first, then onto the exclusive level. We’ve just had life interfere lately.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb here for now. I don’t see why Ms. Gibson can’t keep Rose and Baby at her home. However, if the two of you break up, then you’re going to have to gain possession of them in order to fulfill the obligations of the will.” He held up his hand to stop Tom from talking. “I’m not talking about the money now. I’m talking about making sure Rose and Baby have a safe but permanent home. I remember when Mrs. Bickers left them to you. I asked why, and she said that she trusted them with you. I’m going to go by her wishes and see that it happens if you and Lorissa can’t make a go of if.”

“And if my relationship with Lorissa blossoms into something permanent and I move in with her, or ask her to marry me?”

“Then as long as you keep Rose and Baby, there shouldn’t be a problem.” He leaned over and opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew it to hand it over to Tom. “This is all of their records. I know there is nothing left of the house and the contents, but she asked me a few years ago to keep this with her will. She never trusted her husband, and I know you have their medical files at your office, but she had these to pass along with them.”

Tom took the file and didn’t bother to open it as he stood, shook the lawyer’s hand, and joked. “Guess I better go home and tell the little woman that we have two children in our lives now.” They laughed and Tom left. He stopped at the bakery on his way out of town and made sure he had Lorissa’s favorite muffin, and coffee. He didn’t know whether he had to soften her up or not. In his mind, Rose and Baby were fine where they were right now, and after the trauma they went through, he didn’t want to disrupt their quiet life they shared with Lorissa. He grinned to himself as he pictured asking Lorissa for visitation rights for them.

Tom pulled into Lorissa’s driveway, gathered the coffee, and treats he’d picked up for the two of them and headed toward her backdoor. When he heard metal on metal pounding, he turned and headed to her farrier shop. He paused several feet away and smiled when he saw Rose and Baby sitting several feet away, but had their eyes glued on the woman inside. They turned as one, and when they saw him, they jumped up and ran to him.

Tom set the treats down and gave the animals some love, then picked up the stuff he’d sat down and started forward. Lorissa was looking at him, and he didn’t know if he liked the feeling of being punched in the heart when he saw her face glistening with sweat, her sexy body in her white, sleeveless tee, and her apron on. He didn’t have to look, because he already knew she wore jeans and cowboy boots on her feet. There was just something about Lorissa Gibson that told him she was the entire package, and that he would be stupid if he messed anything up between them ever again. With the resolve that he would do everything in his power to stay in her good graces, he held the bag holding the muffins higher, and looked at her with a grin.

“Can you take a break?”

“In about fifteen minutes.”

“Would it bother you if I watch?”

“Not at all, just stay back out of my way. I don’t want to club you with my hammer.”

“Got it,” Tom said, and found a large stump of wood, moved it over to where Rose and Baby had settled in and sat down to watch. The smoothness of her actions mesmerized him, so it took a couple of seconds to realize she stood before him.

“I’m done.”

“Oh, okay. Can we go into the house?”

“Yes, and please tell me you have at least one mixed berry muffin in that bag?” She looked at him hopefully as she took one of the coffees he offered her.

“I do.”

“Thank god,” she sighed as she sipped the cooling coffee and turned to lead the way into the house. As she walked, she looked over her shoulder at Tom. “I’m glad you stopped by, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Good, because I have some things to discuss with you, too.” They went in and Tom smiled when Rose and Baby immediately went to the kiddie pool Lorissa had set up to contain the puppies and kittens. He didn’t go inspect them, but he watched as they checked on them and settled down so they could nurse.

“Shouldn’t be long before they’re all weaned,” he observed.

“I know, that’s what I want to talk to you about.” She went to the sink, washed her hands, then turned with a questioning look. “Do you want a coffee mug?”

“Naw, this is fine,” he said as he picked up his own coffee and took a sip. “Don’t bother dirtying a cup for me.”

“Okay,” she said, and they settled at the table. Neither of them spoke as he passed out the muffins, and after eating almost all of it, she sighed and laughed. “Thank you, that hit the spot. I didn’t have breakfast, and I wanted to get those shoes done before I broke for lunch.”

“May I ask who they are for?”

“One of the horses over on New Double. Cole stopped by a couple of days ago to tell me what was up. I went over and inspected them and decided to make a completely new set for her. I’ll take them over later this afternoon to put them on.”

“Oh, okay. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I know Mrs. Bickers passed, and her husband is in jail. I know this. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Rose and Baby, but I would like to suggest that they get spayed. I don’t know how many litters they’ve had, but I think they should get fixed. That’s just my personal opinion. I believe that they should have at least one litter, then be spayed.”

“I agree, and that’s why I’m here.” He held up his hand and hurried out of the house, leaving a confused Lorissa behind.