Raspberries and Vinegar (A Farm Fresh Romance Book 1) (15 page)

Bethany frowned. “When did you last eat, Zachary?”

He scratched his head. His last meal had been on the road, hours ago. Even two triples couldn’t hold him much longer.

She shook her head. “Honestly, Zach. Go get some food. Something real and healthy, not a junkburger.”

Right, the girl was married to a guy who owned a health food store. “Probably nothing else is open this time of night.”

“We’re not in Galena Landing. There are places to eat around the clock. Zach, I mean it. She’ll be fine.”

“Check on her. I’ll wait till you come out.”

Bethany rolled her eyes and pushed open the door. Zach’s gaze strayed to Bethany’s small round bump of a belly. His best friends were having a baby. They were all settled down with a home and a business and starting a family.

And he was jealous. Oh, not of Bethany herself. A nice enough girl, but she’d always been Gabe’s. When he thought of a home and a family, Jo elbowed her way to the front of his mind. Way ahead of Yvette. Whatever had he been thinking in Coeur d’Alene?

The door opened and Bethany slipped out. “Everything’s all good. Go get some food and go home. Get a good night’s sleep.”

“I promised.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Bethany swatted her clipboard in his direction. “She’s not dying.”

“I promised.”

“Whatever. Pull a footstool up to that nasty uncomfortable chair, then. She’ll be out all night.”

And he needed to be at Doc Taubin’s at eight. He’d have to leave Wynnton by seven. Six if he was going to swing by the farm and get a shower, and he suspected that would be wise. “Fair enough.”

***

For a few seconds Jo didn’t remember where she was. The dimly lit room reeked of antiseptic, unlike her musty room in the old trailer. A now-familiar ache throbbed dully in her left arm, and everything flooded back.

Including Zach. Jo turned her head. Sure enough, there he was, sleeping mostly upright in a rigid plastic chair. His head was angled to one side with his mouth open, and he snored gently.

Jo’s pulse quickened at the sight of him and she closed her eyes again. Why had she fallen for this guy, of all the ones that walked the planet? There was no logic, but maybe she could just climb out the other end of this pit when Zach disappeared from her life and carry on. The future looked bleak. Gray. Just like the early morning twilight.

A low drone settled into the air, and Zach jerked upright, arms flailing as he came awake. He saw her looking at him and a slow smile crept across his face.

Jo’s heart melted.

He pulled his cell out and thumbed it open. The hum stopped. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and reached for her hand.

Jo couldn’t help placing hers in his, and his grin widened.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I got run over by a bus.”

He squeezed her hand. “Good thing you didn’t.” His dark eyes examined her face.

She tried to pull her gaze away from his but couldn’t. He looked so good. What a welcome sight to wake up to. “That chair can’t have been all that comfortable.”

Zach shook his head. “I said I’d be here.”

He had. A guy who actually kept his promises? Ones made to her? Wow.

“But I do need to get going.” He grimaced. “I’m doing some shifts with Doc Taubin and I need to be on duty at eight.”

No clock in Jo’s line of sight. “What time is it now?”

He didn’t look. “Just after six. I’d set my alarm and only hoped you’d be awake before I had to go.”

Ah. The hum she’d heard. “Thanks. Thanks for staying.”

His eyes softened. “No problem. I’ll be back this evening. I got through to Sierra last night and let her know you’d be in for a couple days. Is there anyone else I should call for you? Your parents?”

Jo turned away. “No.”

Zach’s thumb stroked the back of her hand.

She poured all her focus into savoring the sensation.

“You probably want to call them yourself. Your cell is on the nightstand there.”

No point in trying to explain her mom and Brad to Zach. She shrugged.

Zach released her then stretched his hands over his head, his back cracking audibly. “Anything you want me to bring when I come back later? Toothbrush? Clothes? Call Sierra and get her to pack you a bag.”

She glanced over to the nightstand. Yep, her cell was there.

Zach grinned, a bit lopsided, and poked his chin in its direction. “Call your mom. If she’s anything like mine, she’ll expect you to check in every day or two. Mothers seem to get worried easily.”

She bit her lip. “She’s not like yours.” Jo could wish, though.

“Oh.”

Jo met his gaze but didn’t volunteer anything more.

Zach leaned over and brushed her forehead with his lips, his beard tickling.

She clutched at the sheet under her right hand in an effort not to grab his head and force him into a proper kiss. Good thing she resisted because the next sound was a soft chuckle. Zach’s head pulled back.

A nurse appeared in Jo’s line of sight. “Josephine? How are you this morning?” She moved closer, grinning, and her voice changed to a tease. “Good morning, Zach.”

Jo looked from the mischievous nurse to Zach’s face and back. Gabe’s wife.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead for a second, then straightened and turned. “Hi, Bethany.”

Zach took two sideways steps toward the door. “Just heading home for the day. See you later, Jo.” He edged past the nurse and disappeared.

Bethany chuckled. “Boy’s got it bad.”

Jo bit her lip. No way was she going to comment on that one.

“Anyway.” Bethany tapped her clipboard. “I’m here for an assessment before I head off-shift. Your doctor will be in to see you shortly.”

“You commute here every day?” An hour each way? What a lot of fuel.

“Yep. It’s crazy, isn’t it? At least the shifts are twelve hours long, and I only work four on, four off.” She patted her belly. “Once baby comes I’ll be taking maternity leave. I’m really looking forward to that.”

“I bet. When’s your due date?”

“Early August. Almost three months away still. But enough about me.” She reached for Jo’s wrist and took her pulse.

Jo let Bethany complete her tasks. “Your husband’s a great guy. Has he been selling many of the organic seeds from the new rack?”

Bethany’s face clouded. “Not a lot. People want something for nothing. They don’t know why they should pay more for seeds, even if it’s pennies on the dollar.”

“But...”

Bethany waved her hand. “Oh, you don’t have to convince me. I grew up in the apartment above that little store, right where Gabe and I live now, but times are tougher. I wish Nature’s Pantry had a larger market share so we could live off it. Then I wouldn’t have to leave my baby to come back to work.” She sighed deeply. “Well, enough about that. Anything can happen between now and then, right? It pays to be an optimist.”

Chapter 14

Zach answered his ringing cell phone Friday morning as he prepared to leave for work at Landing Veterinary. “Zachary Nemesek here.”

“Zachary! Just who I was looking for. This is Albert Warren.”

Zach’s gut twisted. The vet wouldn’t call personally to tell him he
didn’t
get the job, would he? “Hello.”

“I’d like to offer you the position, Zach. It starts Monday. I know that doesn’t give you a lot of time to arrange things, but hopefully long enough.”

“I, um. I’m honored.” Zach’s mind raced. Some days he just hated being a guy with integrity. Today, for instance. All he wanted was to seize the opportunity. “About that.”

“Yes?”

Zach took a deep breath. “There’s a little problem.”

He could nearly see the frown on the older man’s face. “Like what?”

“I’d spoken to our local vet, Doc Taubin, about filling in temporarily. He’s been looking into hip replacement surgery.”

“I see. It’s too bad you didn’t mention this on Wednesday.”

“I-he thought it might be a long waiting list. I thought he might be able to find someone else to cover his practice in the interim. But the
y pushed him to the head of the list, and his surgery is on Monday. I can’t very well back out on him now.” Though how he wanted to. Thoughts of Jo revived.
Aack
. He didn’t know what he wanted.

“I see.”

“It seemed like a good idea last week.” Zach stared out the windo
w at a tree. “I told you about my dad. I figured I could just come back to the farm on weekends to help out until he’s back on his feet. He’s still in therapy so it’s hard to know how long it will be. At the time I spoke with Doc Taubin, I thought I might as well get two birds with one stone and fill in my time back home to good purpose.”

“I do wish we’d had this conversation the other day.”

“
I’m sorry, sir. I honestly thought I’d be able to cancel on Doc Taubin and it wouldn’t be a problem, but then he got a surgery date, and it’s just a few days away. I can’t — I can’t make promises and not keep them. I’ve given my word.” How many times over the years had his dad reminded him that a man’s word was his bond? “I need to stay in Galena Landing for the next six to eight weeks, between the vet’s recovery and my dad’s. The time line is just a guess, at the moment.”

Albert Warren sighed. “I could only wish the loyalty was for my benefit. You really came out ahead during the interview process with your topnotch grades. I hate to move on to the next prospect.”

An odd mixture of joy and grief bubbled up. Where one clinic saw his credentials and not his lack of a reference, surely he could find another when the time was right. But, oh, how badly he’d wanted this exact job. “I’m honored, sir.”

“Listen, why don’t you keep my number on file? Give me a call when you’re free, and I’ll see what I can do. I need a man like you on my team.”

Zach was certain the ringing in his ears kept him from hearing correctly. Was Albert Warren actually offering to hold the job open for him? “I don’t know what to say.”

The older man chuckled. “This isn’t quite a promise, Zach. I do need someone right away, but if the new hire doesn’t work out or another position opens, I’d like to reconsider you.”

“Wow. I can’t thank you enough.”

Zach ended the call and stared at his phone for a long moment. He’d put things in God’s hands. Reluctantly, fighting every inch of the way, but he’d done it. Was he truly to be rewarded with another crack at the job of his dreams?

Suddenly the day ahead, accompanying Wally Taubin on farm visits, didn’t look so bad.
 

***

“Hey, girlfriend!”
 

Jo jerked awake from a doze as Sierra breezed into her hospital room. Oh, good. Sierra and Claire had had car trouble on the way home from Kalispell the other day and Jo had been worried their Golf wouldn’t be fixed in time to pick her up. Trust Sierra not to call to confirm one way or the other.

Jo struggled to her feet. Her arm throbbed even around the pain meds they’d dosed her with before clearing her to go home. Thankfully the girls had sent clean clothes with Zach yesterday, yoga pants and a tank top along with Claire’s poncho. It might be a bit chilly out there dressed in that garb so early in spring, but getting her cast through a regular sleeve wouldn’t be possible.

“Hi yourself!” As Jo reached out to give her best friend a hug she noticed someone stood behind Sierra. Zach.

Jo’s heart melted just a little more. He’d come, too, unable to stay away from her even for one day. His eyes crinkled when he grinned at Jo and nodded.

“Do you have your stuff packed? Zach offered to give me a ride today. Well, give
us
a ride.” Sierra reached for Jo’s bag, but Zach beat her to it. “The wrong parts came for the car so we’re still waiting. And Wynnton is a bit too far from home for cycling.”

“To say nothing of me being unable to right now.” Oh, man. How would she get to and from work? How would she even function until this cast came off? So many things she needed to do this spring. Just thinking about it could give her a headache to match the throb in her arm.

“That, too. Come on. Let’s get you discharged. Zach will bring the car around.” Sierra walked beside Jo, chattering away as they headed for the nursing station.
 

A few minutes later a nurse wheeled Jo to the car.

That chafed. Jo wasn’t an invalid to need that kind of babying. Even worse, Sierra opened the door, folded the seat forward, and swept her hand.

Jo was being banished to the back? With Sierra beside Zach? That didn’t seem right, somehow, but what could she do about it without making a scene in front of the nurse? She was probably reading something into the situation that didn’t exist. She clambered in, and Sierra reached past to tuck a large cushion under her cast. Then she slid into the front seat.

Zach dropped the overnight bag into the trunk then rounded the car and got into the driver’s seat. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Need a hand with the seatbelt?”

“No, I can manage.” Barely. Thanks anyway.

“Sorry we were a little late,” Sierra said as the car pulled out onto the town’s main street. “I needed a couple of things from the hardware store so we stopped off there first. Didn’t think you’d want to get dragged up one aisle and down the other in your condition.”

Her condition indeed. “You could have called.”

Sierra twisted in the front seat. “I tried, but it went straight to voice mail.”

Oh drat. Jo had kept her phone turned off in her room unless making a call herself so as not to have the jangle disturb the others in her ward. Turning it back on instead of grousing at Sierra might have been a good idea. She opened her voice mail and found two messages. One from Sierra — no point in listening to it now — and one from her mother. And because today had quickly degenerated into the kind of day where salt got poured into sore spots, Jo tapped “message.”

“Josephine darling. This is your mother. You may remember me.” Yay, sarcasm. One of Mom’s finest traits. “I must not have made it clear in the email that Brad has a business meeting in Spokane next week and that’s why I’m coming to see you. We’re not making a special trip, so it can’t be canceled. Don’t worry. I’ll get a hotel. See you soon.”