The Texan’s Bride(37)

Backing out of the CEO’s parking spot, she realized the truck was big. She’d never driven anything this huge, but she’d manage. First, she adjusted the mirrors so she could see traffic and then she donned her sunglasses. The August sun was blinding. A car honked and she became aware she was in the middle of the parking lot. She pressed the gas pedal and shot out for the ride of her life.

Luckily she made it to Gavin’s without anyone honking at her again. Her heart stopped when she saw Mirry. She was lying in a basket, covered in a multicolored cotton blanket inside a kennel. An IV was in her taped-up right paw and liquid dripped from a bag. Her swollen body had several long stitched-up wounds, as did her neck. Around her neck was a rubber ring that looked like a doughnut.

“She’s better,” Gavin told her. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but her pulse was very low last night. This morning it’s stronger.”

“Can I sit with her for a while?”

“Sure.” Gavin brought her a chair and she sat talking to the unconscious dog. It was hard to explain her attachment to Mirry. But Mirry needed someone and Jessie desperately needed someone, too.

“I’m sorry, Mirry. Gavin’s going to make you all better,” she was saying as Gavin walked in over an hour later. “She’s not waking up.”

“I have her heavily sedated. I don’t want her trying to move her neck.”

She reached for her purse on the floor and stood. Thank God Rosa had put her purse and phone in the case. She’d hate to drive that big truck without a license. “Thank you, Gavin. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

He glanced at his watch. “If you’ll wait thirty minutes, we can have lunch together.”

“I can’t.” She hated these conversations. “I’m scheduled at the women’s shelter and I have to see my doctor about my dog bites.”

His eyes lingered over her. “You look great.”

“Thank you,” she replied, wanting to slither away. She didn’t like hurting Gavin. “I was lucky Cadde arrived when he did. The dog didn’t have a chance to get a good grip on me before Cadde shot him.”

“The hero, huh?” Gavin said in a cold voice she’d never heard before, and she thought it was time to tell Gavin the truth.

“Cadde and I are trying to make our marriage work.”

“I figured that out last night. He’s a take-control type of guy…the kind women like.”

She wasn’t discussing Cadde with Gavin. She hugged Gavin briefly. “Thank you for everything.”

“Jessie,” he called as she walked toward the door.

She looked back.

“When he breaks your heart, I’ll be waiting.”

“Please don’t do that,” she said, and left feeling as low as pond scum. Why did no one ever listen to her? She’d told Gavin two years ago there was nothing romantic between them, but he always let his feelings show. She’d have to find another vet.

Putting Gavin out of her mind, she called her medical doctor and the receptionist said they could work her in at three. She stopped for a hamburger and ate it in the truck. A spot of mustard on the leather steering wheel caught her eye. Oh, no! As hard as she rubbed with a paper napkin, she couldn’t get the stain out completely. She licked the napkin and rubbed again. There still was a slight smudge. Maybe Cadde wouldn’t notice. Maybe men didn’t notice things like that. It was a truck, she told herself. Men in Texas equate their trucks with their identity. And Cadde’s had a smudge on his. He would notice.

She made her way to the women’s shelter, watching the traffic carefully. Fran let her in and they walked to her office. Fran didn’t say anything, just fiddled with papers on her desk.

“How did it go with Nina’s aunt?”

Fran grunted. “The woman has a three-bedroom house and was happy to offer Nina and the kids a home.”

“That’s…wait…was? What happened?”

Fran removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes in a tired way. “A caseworker from CPS talked with Nina yesterday as did the police. The worker also visited Vernon in jail. He was allowed to call Nina.”

“What?”

“Yeah.” Fran shoved her glasses back on. “CPS is working to keep the family intact. Vernon has agreed to counseling with Nina once a week and a CPS worker will drop by unexpectedly to check on things.”

“Nina agreed to this?”

“Oh, yeah. You know she’s always spouting what an excellent provider Vernon is, what a good person he is and how he gives her money for the kids. I think she has a file folder of excuses for Vernon.”