“Terrific.” Physically he’d been ready for Lark’s enthusiastic embrace, but the strength of her jubilation sent his emotions reeling. “She’s a great dog.”
Lark broke off the hug and bent to love up the Aussie. “I knew you’d like her.”
Keaton watched the pair with bemusement. When had making her happy begun to rule his world? “She fit in at the ranch like she’d always lived there.”
“I’ll bet she was happy to be working again.”
“So, are you thinking about keeping her?”
He’d stopped by the pet store and bought the necessities. Food, bowls, a comfy bed for Nicki to sleep in.
“Let’s see how she does with Grace.”
Lark’s eyes widened. “I never thought about that. She’s probably never been around children, much less babies.” The dog had finished wolfing down dinner and now bumped against Lark’s legs. She squatted down and took Nicki’s face in her hands. “What are you going to think of her? I wonder.”
Grace woke shortly before dinner and Lark put her in her swing while she prepared a bottle. Keaton was in the living room, working on reports, when he heard Lark laugh. He glanced up and caught sight of the dog staring at the baby in the swing. Nicki’s head was cocked in a quizzical manner, but she was completely calm. Grace was wide-awake and staring back.
“Grace is too far away to see the dog, isn’t she?” Keaton asked.
“I think she can see Nicki, but maybe not perfectly.”
While they watched, the Aussie nudged the swing with her nose and it moved. Grace grunted in her preemie baby way and waved her arms.
“I think they’re bonding,” Keaton said, setting aside his paperwork.
“Whatever they’re doing, it’s awfully cute.”
With his heart thumping harder than normal, Keaton stared at the scene and felt a stab of envy for his absent brother. Even though Jake wasn’t here to share these first few months with Grace, Keaton had no doubt that his brother would eventually show. Then it would be Skye, Jake and Grace together and both Lark and Keaton would be alone once more.
Unless Keaton took steps to keep their story from heading down that path. Lark was worth fighting for. Being with her made him happier than he’d ever been. What he needed to do was find a way to convince her they should take a shot at a relationship. And he’d better get on that fast before Skye woke up or Jake came to town, because if he waited too long, she might slip right through his fingers. And what a loss that would be.
“Keaton and I adopted a dog.” Lark was sitting beside Skye’s bed two days after Keaton brought Nicki home. “At least I think we both have. I’m not really sure whom Nicki actually belongs to. She’s an Australian shepherd. If you’ve heard about the breed, you know they’re really smart and good at herding.” She paused. “I guess since they have shepherd as part of their name, it makes sense that they’d been good at herding.”
These one-sided conversations with her sister had gotten easier in the three and a half months that Skye lay asleep. And if Lark kept up a rambling monologue, it was easier to ignore that her sister never responded.
“I know I’ve said it before, but I totally understand now why Holt men are so attractive. But Keaton isn’t anything like Jake. He’s quiet and serious. Jake was outgoing and great with people. They’re as dissimilar in personalities as we are. And yet they each manage to be our perfect match.”
Lark glanced around. She was keeping her voice low, but she worried that Marsha or one of her minions might overhear. The last thing she needed was for that bit of gossip to make its way around the hospital. She’d be the laughingstock of the ICU staff if they thought she had feelings for Keaton. Several times she’d made it completely clear that her relationship with Keaton was strictly about taking care of Grace.
“I think I’m falling in love with him, Skye.” Lark set her forehead on her sister’s hand and struggled to draw air into her tight lungs. “That makes me some kinda hypocrite, doesn’t it?” With her voice muffled, she continued. “I was so awful to you when I found out you were running away with Jake. I couldn’t understand how you could pick him over our family.”
Four years later, Lark flushed with shame at the way she’d spoken to Skye. Lark had been convinced her sister was doing the wrong thing. She’d been smugly confident that as the older sister, she knew what was best. What would have happened to Skye if she’d listened to Lark? Grace never would’ve been born. Vera would have continued to hammer at Skye’s spirit, criticizing every choice Skye made because it wasn’t what Vera would have done.