Authors: Margaret Daley
When Abbey hung up, Dominic lowered the cell phone and glanced around his office, not really seeing anything. All he could picture was Abbey watching him entering the airport terminal, strands of her hair dancing about her face. An intensity had reached across the distance between them, tempting him to walk back to her and kiss her goodbye. He hadn’t, but that was all he’d thought about on his flight down to Houston.
With a sigh, Dominic realized he’d moved over to stand at the window of his office high-rise in Houston. He stared at a landscape of buildings that he had become familiar with the past seven years. And for the first time he missed the green stretch of pastures when he peered out of a window at Winter Haven Ranch. There was something comforting when he looked at the sea of grasses and trees, occasionally dotted with horses or cattle grazing, even with all he had been handling lately.
Unhappy with his view, Dominic rotated around to take in his office that, until this morning, he hadn’t set foot in for over six months. A massive oak desk dominated the large room, with a couch and two wing chairs on the right side, while on the left was a round table with six chairs for small meetings. He’d lived here six or seven days a week, often spending twelve or fourteen hours at work, dealing with one crisis after another. But nothing had prepared him to handle the situation he was in now—being guardian to his sister, who was hurting so much and keeping it all bottled up inside her.
When he heard her cry out in the night, he was there to hold her. But no amount of coaxing could get her to tell him what was bothering her so much that she would wake up screaming—even months after the accident. A counselor hadn’t been able to help yet. Would a dog help Madi like Abbey thought? He’d heard of therapy dogs. He had to admit Gabe had made his sister laugh more than she ever had before.
A knock at the door pulled his attention back to what he’d returned to Houston to do. “Come in.”
His CFO, Samuel, entered the office. “The department heads are here to meet with you in the conference room. They’re especially eager to discuss the situation in Costa Sierra.”
“Did you see the employees who were hostages at the funeral yesterday? I could see how hard the funeral was on them. Are we doing everything we can for them and their families?” The only burials worse than the one yesterday were Dominic’s parents’ funerals.
“We have them with the best counselors in Texas.”
“I know. But the faster we can move our factory to the United States, the better I’ll feel.”
“We’re looking at possible locations in Texas and the surrounding states first. I’ll have a list of possibilities to you by the end of the month.”
“In the meantime we need to fortify our security in Costa Sierra. I don’t want anyone else kidnapped, no matter who they are.” Dominic shuffled some papers on his desk until he found the ones he needed for the meeting.
“It’s already being done. Dominic, we’ve worked together for years. Don’t worry about the company. You need to be with your sister. Family comes first.”
“And I’m keeping you from yours. How do you manage to have a wife and two sons and still do your job and mine?”
“I have a wife and two sons who are my life. I make sure I have quality time with them. That’s more important than quantity. You just haven’t found the right woman to give you a more important reason than work to live. Besides, the staff you’ve hired is excellent. They do their job, which makes mine much easier.”
When he listened to his longtime friend, sadness engulfed Dominic. How had he let his life become so all consumed with work? Could he even change, especially now that he was responsible for Madi? Did he want to?
* * *
“You can’t have Gabe. I’ve called dibs on him first.” In the courtyard, Mr. Johnson waved his hand toward the bichon that Madi cradled in her lap. “You can have—what do you call her?”
“Cottonball.” Madi answered, a twinkle in her gaze.
Mr. Johnson’s eyes grew round. “Oh, no, they’ve found out you’re here with Gabe.”
Abbey turned around. Surprise streaked through her. The number of patients coming out into the courtyard had doubled since the last time she’d visited. This had been planned with Mr. Johnson as a quick outing for Madi on Saturday and an opportunity for the man to have some special one-on-one time with Gabe. It didn’t appear that would be the case, and from the frown on Mr. Johnson’s face, he wasn’t too happy.
“This is
my
time,” Mr. Johnson grumbled.
“I’ll share Cottonball with them. You don’t have to share Gabe.”
“Well, well...” The old man flapped his mouth as though he didn’t know what to say to Madi.
Abbey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the flabbergasted look on Mr. Johnson’s face. She turned to the group moving toward them in walkers and wheelchairs. Two staff members accompanied these patients.
The small frail woman from Thursday shook her finger at Mr. Johnson. “Shame on you for not telling us Abbey was bringing Gabe and that other dog to see us.”
“
Us?
They came to see
me.
” Beet-red, Mr. Johnson thumped his chest.
“My lands, how can you hog both dogs?” another eightysomething lady muttered. “Abbey, we need more.”
“Yes, Mrs. Parks, I’ll have to check with Mrs. Rosen if I can bring more than one or two.” She’d snuck in Cottonball the other day, but she’d seen the look the director had given her.
The nurse’s aide from Thursday pushed a patient over to where Abbey stood with Madi.
“My supervisor said something to Mrs. Rosen about how happy the patients on her wing were when they came in from being with Gabe and this dog.” She waved her hand toward the bichon as Madi passed her to the wheelchair patient with short black hair.
Madi glanced at the nurse’s aide. “I call her Cottonball.”
“What a cute name.” The older woman took Cottonball, shaking so badly that Madi reached and helped to place the dog in the lady’s lap. “I used to have a white dog. Heinz 57 breed.”
“What’s that?” Madi asked.
“A huge mix of many different kinds of dogs, but he was so sweet. I miss him.”
“I had a dog named Zoe. I miss her.”
The black-haired woman patted Madi’s arm. “We have to remember all the good times we had with them. I won’t ever forget Butch.”
“I won’t forget Zoe, either.” Madi rolled her chair closer to the lady.
That was the first time Madi had ever talked about Zoe dying. She still wouldn’t talk about her parents, even when she’d woken up again last night, this time calling out for her mom over and over. She wouldn’t say anything to Abbey other than asking if she would stay with her until she fell asleep.
After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Johnson relented and let one of the four men in the courtyard take Gabe. Using his walker, the gentleman helped pass Gabe from one patient to the next.
Madi grinned at Mr. Johnson. “That’s so sweet what you did. Look at their smiles.”
Mr. Johnson harrumphed. “Yeah, but I’d still like to have more quality time with Gabe.”
Hearing Mr. Johnson planted the seed of an idea in Abbey’s mind. She needed to think about how it could work, but once she figured out some of the details she intended to come back and see Mrs. Rosen. In the meantime, she hoped others would tell the director how effective the dogs were for the patients.
Later, on the ride back to the Winter Haven Ranch, Madi chattered the whole way about the different people. “The only grandparent I met was my mom’s dad. He lives in Florida and came for the funeral. He was very sad. I didn’t like seeing him cry.”
“I know what you mean, but crying is a form of emotional release. We need to, sometimes.”
“I’ve cried over Zoe.”
Yes, but have you over your parents?
Dominic told Abbey he hadn’t seen his sister cry once about her mom and dad. What was she keeping to herself? Dominic said the counselor Madi was seeing thought the girl wasn’t dealing with something. Maybe it was the crash itself, but if it wasn’t that, what was she trying to avoid?
“For the longest time after my daughter died, I wouldn’t even say her name out loud. I wouldn’t admit that she had died until my father had our pastor come over to my house. He planted himself in my living room and said he wouldn’t leave until he’d really talked with me.”
“How long did he stay?”
“All day. I even tried to ignore him. But I couldn’t. He helped me with my chores, chatting about things that were unimportant. He had lunch and dinner with me. I finally told him he had to leave.”
“Did he?”
“No, he looked at me with the kindest eyes and asked me if I was ready to talk about Lisa. He wanted to hear about her life.” Abbey turned into the ranch’s drive and brought the SUV to a stop, her body trembling at the onslaught of memories deluging her when she thought of the four-hour conversation with her pastor. She’d laughed, cried, got angry and even rejoiced at the end that Lisa was with Jesus and not in pain anymore. She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, “So anytime you want to talk about your parents and some of the fun times you had with them, I’ll listen.”
Through the rearview mirror Abbey saw Madi drop her head until her chin touched her chest. She waited a few minutes, but the girl didn’t say anything so Abbey put the car into Drive and headed for the house.
* * *
Saturday night Abbey left her bedroom to fix a cup of tea before turning in for the night. First, she would check on Madi to make sure she was sleeping okay. Since she had put her to bed only an hour ago, she should be all right because her nightmares usually didn’t occur until later in the night.
As she approached the girl’s room, Abbey heard talking. She slowed and listened to the child.
“If I don’t sleep, I don’t dream, but I’m getting sleepy.” Her voice dragged with each word Madi said.
Abbey inched toward the bedroom, the door opened partially the way Madi liked it. Abbey peeked inside. The girl had both dogs on her bed, Gabe stretched out on one side while Cottonball was on the other. She cuddled the smaller animal against her chest as she stroked the Lab.
“I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. I don’t want to dream about the crash. I don’t want to hear my mom....” Cottonball snuggled closer to the child’s face and licked her on the cheek. “She screamed....” Her eyes slid closed.
Abbey crept into the room. The pain she heard in Madi’s voice brought tears to Abbey. Through blurry vision she saw the girl’s eyes pop open while she sucked in a deep breath.
“Can’t sleep,” Madi murmured.
Abbey crossed to the bed, her gaze linking with Madi’s. “I thought you’d be asleep by now with all we did today.”
Madi gave her a tired grin. “It was fun except for my exercises.”
“Well, it’s time to go to sleep. We’ll be up early tomorrow so we can get ready for church.”
“I know, but...” Madi sighed.
“But what?”
“I don’t want to sleep.” Madi yawned.
“Why are you fighting it?” She prayed the child would confide in her.
“I just don’t.”
“Are Cottonball and Gabe keeping you up?”
Madi shook her head. “I’ll try to sleep.”
“Sleep is important to our bodies. When you’re rested, you heal faster, and I know you want to feel better.”
“Yes.” Another yawn escaped Madi’s mouth, and her eyes closed. “You aren’t taking them away, are you?” She nestled into the covers.
“No, honey. Cottonball and Gabe will be right here with you.”
“Good.”
Abbey waited ten minutes before she left Madi. If there was a problem, Gabe would find her downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, Mrs. Ponder stood at the sink rinsing out her mug.
The housekeeper swung around. “I thought you’d fallen asleep. I was going to bed.”
“Madi was trying to stay up. I didn’t want to leave until she was sleeping.”
Since that first night, she and Mrs. Ponder had shared a cup of tea and talked before going to bed. Although there still was a certain formality between them, she had come to respect the woman and what she had gone through. She had shared the death of her son with Abbey, and Abbey had shared Lisa’s death with Mrs. Ponder.
“I can stay if you want to talk.” Mrs. Ponder dried her hands on a dish towel.
“No, that’s okay. I think I’ll take my tea upstairs. I’m in the middle of reading a good book.”
“Then good night. See you in the morning.” Mrs. Ponder headed toward her suite of rooms on the first floor.
Abbey turned on the burner with the kettle on it, then wandered around the kitchen until she stopped at the large bay windows that overlooked the backyard. A security light glowed in several places around the house and illuminated the pool and the garden of flowers in full bloom.
When the security system began beeping, indicating someone had come in or gone out, she whirled around and hurried to see what was going on. Rounding the corner into the hallway that led to the foyer, she literally ran into Dominic.
Chapter Seven
“W
hat are you doing here?” Abbey asked as Dominic grasped her by the arms, steadying her.
One of his eyebrows rose. “I live here.”
“I mean now. It’s late, and I thought you were returning tomorrow afternoon.” His hands still clasped her arms, and the feel of them on her sent her heartbeat speeding.
“I pushed everything forward as much as possible. I didn’t want to be away too long.” He finally released her and rubbed the five-o’clock shadow along his jawline. “I’ve been up since 5:00 a.m. trying to get finished.” He cocked a grin. “I know I should have called, but I wanted to surprise you and Madi. I was hoping to get back before she went to bed.”
The curve of his mouth and the scent of his spicy aftershave enticed her to remain near him in the hallway. But the shriek of the kettle went off.
“You didn’t miss Madi by much.” Abbey turned toward the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder at him. “I found her talking with Cottonball and Gabe, trying to stay awake. She told them she didn’t want to fall asleep and dream.”
“Then how did you get her to sleep?” Dominic trailed her into the kitchen.
She removed the kettle from the burner. “I told her how important it is to rest her body. I also assured her Cottonball and Gabe would be right there with her. But I don’t think that’s what really got her to sleep. I wish my sage advice was what did the trick, but I think it was because we did a lot today and she was worn-out.”
“How did she like the nursing home? As much as your dad’s animal hospital?”
Holding up the kettle, she asked, “Do you want some tea?”
He shook his head. “I’m a coffee drinker.”
“She enjoyed herself, but her favorite place is the animal hospital. She’s already asked me if she could go back and visit the puppies born a few days ago. So how did your trip go?” Being in his kitchen as if she belonged there added a hint of nervousness to her voice that she hoped he didn’t hear.
Dominic sank into a chair at the table. “We’re definitely looking into moving the factory in Costa Sierra to a place in the United States. It’ll be an exhausting search for the perfect place but necessary.”
Abbey sat across from Dominic, seeing the tired lines in his face, the loosened tie about his neck and the finger-tousled hair as though he’d been wrestling with something. “Why don’t you build the factory here in Cimarron City? This is your hometown. You have a ranch here and this area could use the infusion of jobs.”
For a long moment he stared at her, a blank expression on his face. Had she overstepped her boundaries again? What did she know about a big company like his? She was sure there were a lot of considerations concerning a factory move. “Forget I said anything.”
A smile broke out on his face. “No, that’s brilliant. I was trying to find a place within a couple of hundred miles of Houston, but I really don’t have to. My headquarters can be moved here, if I want.”
Abbey lifted her mug to her mouth and sipped. She loved seeing his smile, from the dimples in his cheeks to the tiny lines at the corners of his eyes to the glittering fire in his blue eyes. “Sometimes we’re so close to a problem that we don’t see a solution before us.”
“I know that my profit could be more if I continued to open new factories in other countries rather than the United States, but I’ve often been someone who goes against the grain. I have several factories in Texas and Louisiana, but three years ago, we were looking at ways to increase the company’s profit and built our next factory abroad.”
“Is your company publicly owned?”
“No, and I’m the major shareholder.”
“I know this sounds like a cliché, but money isn’t everything.”
“I’m discovering that since coming back to the ranch. But with that said, my company must make money to stay in business. I might be able to use the fact my products are made in the U.S.A. to my advantage. Up until recently we’d been looking to build another factory in the Far East. Maybe it’s time to rethink those plans, too.” He reached toward her and clasped her hand. “Thank you for helping with Madi but also for suggesting Cimarron City.”
She wasn’t sure what was relaxing her more, the tea or his touch. All she wanted to do was melt against the back of the chair and stare into his handsome face. When he slipped his hand away from hers, a jolt shook her. What was she doing? He had enough to cope with, and she certainly didn’t want to become involved in a relationship. She was still trying to work herself through what her husband had done. Recently, she’d realized she hadn’t come to terms with Lisa’s death three years ago as much as she had thought. And rage toward Peter simmered in the pit of her stomach, just waiting to rise to the surface. Again she questioned the wisdom of getting more deeply involved with Dominic and his eight-year-old sister.
Abbey rose. “I’d better...”
He came to his feet, too, the action disrupting her thoughts. He moved around the table until he stood inches from her. Her throat went dry. His gaze held her as though his arms were around her. “I’m glad to be back here. I can’t believe I’m saying that. There was a time I thought I would never return to this ranch. Now it’s mine. You’re part of the reason for those feelings. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving Madi with just anyone. Please let me pay you for your services. I know we talked about this before, but you spent two and a half days with my sister. I know how time-consuming she can be—”
Anger washed over her. She pushed past him. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Madi. I don’t want your money. I thought I made that clear. Maybe you’ve been gone too long from Cimarron City, but here people often help people without putting a price on it.”
“You took a day off from work. One of your vacation days. At least let me pay you for that.”
All the warm, fuzzy feelings that had swept through her earlier were gone, replaced with disappointment, irritation and—she couldn’t even decide what else she was feeling at the moment. She clenched her hands and started for the staircase, intending to pack and leave now that Dominic was home.
When she placed her foot on the first step, his hand clasped her arm and halted her progress. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m used to paying for what I need or want.” He turned her toward him. “Please accept my apology.”
She glared at him, trying to figure out why she was so angry. No,
hurt
by him. She’d thought they were friends. Friends helped each other without expecting anything in return.
A bark behind her sent her rotating toward the staircase and fixing her gaze on Gabe. “Madi is having a nightmare.” She hurried up the steps with Dominic right behind her.
Passing her, he went into his sister’s room first and sat on the bed as he leaned forward and woke her up. “Madi, wake up. It’s a bad dream. That’s all.”
His sister’s eyelids slowly lifted. “Dominic, you’re home.”
“Yep, couldn’t stay away from you too long.”
“I’m glad you’re back.” Madi threw her arms around Dominic.
Abbey backed away from the bed. This was a good time for her to leave. Five minutes later she took her suitcase downstairs and set it by the front door. She couldn’t leave without at least telling him she was going. Plus, she needed to decide what to do about Cottonball, Gabe and the plans she’d made with Madi for tomorrow morning.
When she returned to Madi’s room, Dominic held his sister in his arms, whispering over and over she was okay while Madi cried. Abbey backed away. She heated up water in the kitchen, fixed herself some tea, then took a seat on the bottom of the stairs to wait for Dominic.
Spending time with Madi these past few days had made her realize what she’d lost all over again. She had to deal with feelings she’d tried to bury for three years. And she couldn’t do that. Yet how could she not be involved in Madi’s life? She cared for her—and for Dominic. He was grasping for what to do with this new situation. She knew what it was like to have your old life ripped from your hands and given a new one—one you didn’t want.
She cupped the mug and sipped the hot tea, relishing its warmth. What did she want to do? She liked her job at the hospital, especially because she was helping others through difficult times, but what she really enjoyed the most was bringing Gabe or one of her other therapy dogs to see patients at the hospital or the nursing home. She remembered the laughter and smiles she’d seen earlier today from the patients at the home. One man had enjoyed tossing the ball for Gabe to retrieve. Mrs. Parks had been in charge of Cottonball as the bichon was passed from one person to the next. She made sure everyone got the same amount of time with the dog. Next week she would pay Mrs. Rosen another visit. Patients, family members and staff had been telling the director how nice it was to have an animal at the nursing home. But was it enough?
Lord, I have to give this to You. If You want the dogs to be part of the nursing home, please smooth the way with Mrs. Rosen.
“I wondered where you’d gone.” Dominic’s deep, husky voice came to her from the second-floor landing.
She saw him descend the stairs and sit next to her.
“That was rough. She was glad to see me but wondered where you were.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to interfere. I went to pack my bag.”
“Pack your bag?”
Staring at her luggage, she gestured toward the front door. “Yeah, I figured with you home, I should leave.”
He placed two fingers under her chin and turned her head so she looked into his eyes, full of weariness. The past few days were written all over his face. “First, you are not interfering. I know in an emergency I could have left her with Mrs. Ponder, but that would have been hard on Madi and Mrs. Ponder. Madi told me how much fun she’s been having with you and Cottonball and Gabe. She’s enjoyed having an outing every day. I should have realized she needed more activity. When we went out, we went to the hospital or doctor’s office mostly.”
“She’s been recovering from a trauma. Her body is just beginning to really heal itself. I found with Lisa, even when she was sick, she needed as normal a life as possible. Madi missed the last five months of school because of her injuries. She’s been missing her friends lately.”
“Why hasn’t she said anything to me?”
“She didn’t tell me. She told Cottonball, but with me, she acted like it wasn’t that important that her friends have seemed to move on. What’s happened to her has thrown her into a whole new life. Like you.”
His eyebrows dipped down. “Why does she talk to Cottonball and not me?”
“She just sits there and listens. That’s safe. Madi is wrestling with so many strange emotions. It’s better to use Cottonball or Gabe as a sounding board. They don’t talk back or judge.”
“What’s she going to do when you take them home with you?”
“I need to talk to you about that. I’ll leave both dogs here tonight and pick them up tomorrow, unless you want to keep Cottonball. How do you feel about having her here permanently?”
“I know Madi was upset about losing Zoe. That’s the only grief she’s ever really displayed openly, other than at the funeral for her parents. And even then she only cried during the memorial. As I’ve mentioned to you, I’ve tried talking to her about her dad and mom, but she doesn’t say much to me or her counselor. It’s very frustrating.”
“I know. Maybe she’s grieving Zoe’s death as a symbol for her parents, too. When you talk about a person being dead out loud, that makes it more real, and right now with all the injuries and surgeries she suffered, she isn’t ready to deal with that.”
“Makes sense.” Leaning forward, he propped his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together, staring at the marble floor of the foyer. “Even I have a hard time believing they’re gone. I think Cottonball would be a good addition to our family. I want to do everything I can to help Madi.”
“You remember me mentioning Emma, my friend who trained Gabe? I could talk to her about finding a dog for Madi to sense her nightmares and come and alert you, or she can train Cottonball to do that. There are several options you need to consider, maybe talk it over with your sister.” She knew Gabe would be wonderful with Madi, too, but Abbey couldn’t let him go. He meant too much to her. “And in the meantime, until you can get a dog like that, I can loan Gabe to you, if you want. If I can use him when I visit the patients at the hospital and the nursing home. Actually, Madi might like to go to the home again. She and Mrs. Parks seemed to hit it off.”
“Training Cottonball would probably be the best. She seems like a smart little dog. And I won’t turn down the offer of Gabe. If I can stop the nightmares before they get too bad, it helps Madi recover faster and go back to sleep. She needs her rest. The doctor stressed that.” He pressed his fingertips into his temples. “How do you know you’re doing what’s right for a loved one?”
“You don’t always.”
He slanted a glance toward her. “I’m sorry about offering to pay you for staying with Madi. This is all new to me, and I’m bound to make a few mistakes along the way. Probably a lot. I never envisioned myself having a child depend on me.”
“You never thought about getting married and having children?” It had to be the exhaustion causing her to ask that question. She averted her gaze and wished she could retract it.
“Once, but it didn’t work out, and since then I’ve thrown myself into work. I’ve been so busy these past ten years that I didn’t ever stop to think about that. I guess it’s a moot point now. How about you? Ever thought of getting remarried, and having more children?”
“A month ago I would have said no. But being around Madi reminds me of what I’m missing. It hasn’t always been easy. But I don’t want to go through that kind of pain again.” She stole a look at Dominic as she revealed what she had come to realize these past few days.
“I can certainly understand that. After the woman I loved married someone else, I decided I didn’t want to depend on anyone else for my happiness.”
This was the first time she’d realized he’d planned to marry someone. “And your company gives you that happiness?” She enjoyed her work, but it could never replace the joy she’d felt being a wife and mother.