The Summer I Fell (The Six Series) (25 page)

“I don’t blame you. How can you even think straight with all that noise?”

“It’s been an adjustment, that’s for sure.” He sounded a little off, and I couldn’t help but wonder why.

“Is everything okay, Jared?”

He blew out a deep breath, and I could imagine him tipping his head back to look at the sky. “Yeah, I’m fine. Life on the road’s been awesome. I’ve met some pretty epic people. People I never thought I’d meet. I’m doing what I love, so really, how can I complain?”

I would have believed him up until he let the sarcastic laugh I knew all too well slip out of him.

“Why do I feel like you’re just saying that so I’ll leave you alone?”

“Why do you always have to pick things apart?” He turned my wary tone back on me.

“Because I know you, Jared. And I know you’re not telling me everything. But I also know not to push you. When you’re ready to talk, you’ll call me. Regardless of what damn time it is.”

He laughed at me, and my worries slipped a little. Jared would be okay. Besides, he was like a damn cat—always landing on his feet. If the path he was on didn’t go the way he wanted it to, he’d change it. It was just that simple.

“I’m gonna let you go before they follow me out here and start their shit again. I’ll call you soon?”

“Why do you make it sound like it’s up to me if you call?” I asked.

“Face it, Riley. Nothing about me is normal. Especially my days and nights these days.”

“You’re the most un-normal guy I know, Jared. Call me whenever you can.”

“Night, Riles.”

“Night, Jared.”

When the call ended, I stared at the phone as if it had the answers to all the questions swirling around in my head. Jared was not happy. I could tell just by the tone of his voice. But he also wasn’t talking about it, and I couldn’t figure out what could bother him so much that he repressed his hotheaded nature and held back on saying anything. He’d crack, eventually.

I put my phone on the nightstand and pulled the covers up to my chin.

SOMETIME AFTER FOUR, I’D FALLEN into a fitful sleep. My dreams wreaked havoc on me, as they jumped all over the place. Josh, Aiden, Mark, Eli, Jared, and Ace all made appearances in blips that made no sense. It was as if my subconscious tried to gather them all up from where they were and put them in one place. My head. None of it made any sense. A room full of cots with no back wall, only the jungle, and somewhere in all of that, a rock concert that Mark took pictures of and Josh wrote a midterm paper on. Nonsense. Total and complete nonsense.

When my alarm clock went off, I slammed my hand down on top of it, silencing its aggravating noise. I needed a nap to recover from my fitful night of sleep. Unfortunately, Dr. Anderson’s cell phone went off, killing any chance at going back to bed.

I rubbed at my eyes as I took a call from Old Man Willis. He needed my help with a few things. I grumbled as I dressed for the day, wondering what he needed. Trying to get an answer out of Old Man Willis was like pulling teeth on a bird. I’d hung up with him, promising I’d stop in as soon as I finished at the office. Shelby’s owner was scheduled to pick her up, leaving me with one less critter to take care of. Rodney was showing signs of improvement. All he needed was Dr. Anderson’s approval to head home. With any luck, that would only be a few more days.

The cell phone on my hip rang, and I answered.

“Hey, Riley. How’s everything going?” Dr. Anderson’s happy voice met my ears.

“Hey, Dr. Anderson. Everything’s great here. How’s your mom?”

“A little better, not much though. My sister will be here tomorrow, so that I can get back to work. I just wanted to let you know that I’d be home in a couple of days.”

“Sounds good,” I said as I pulled my truck in and parked it at the office.

Before we hung up, he asked about Rodney, Shelby, and the baby raccoon. I chewed my fingernails as I told him about Sammy and her kittens. He assured me that he’d take care of fixing them once the kittens were old enough and thanked me for not turning Seth away.

With Dr. Anderson returning, it would get back to being a little busier at the vet clinic. My days would blend themselves one into another until it was time for Jared’s concert and Ace’s graduation.

Since it was Saturday, Seth would be spending most of his day with me. I liked Seth; he was a good kid and a hard worker. He met me at the door of the clinic, and we walked in together.

“Mornin’ Riley,” he said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

“Good morning, Seth. So you’re hangin’ out with me today?”

“Yep, Momma says I’ve got all my chores done, and I don’t have to be home ’till dinner.”

“Good. You can ride over to Old Man Willis’ place and help me.”

He dipped his head. “I’m gonna go get
Shelby ready for when she gets picked up.”

“Thanks, Seth.”

I walked over to Becky’s desk and found Shelby’s file. Everything was in order; I just needed her owner’s signature and payment. My heart stuttered and then tried to stop when I realized who would be picking Shelby up. Samantha Sloan. Shit.

The bell over the door jingled. I braced myself and turned, ready for Samantha’s claws to come out, but it wasn’t her.

“Mrs. Sloan?”

Samantha’s mom, Marcy, had come in to pick
Shelby up.

“Hello, Riley. How are you?” She leaned in to look at me, as if trying to find some sort of scar or marking from the fight her daughter and I had been in.

“I’m fine, ma’am.” I turned and grabbed Shelby’s folder, pulling the bill out for her to sign. “If you’ll just look this over and then sign it, I’ll go make sure Shelby’s ready to go.”

The large purse she carried hit the counter with a thud, and she picked up the bill to look at it. I saw her eyes widen and chose that moment to slip into the other room. “Hey Seth? Is
Shelby ready?”

Seth came out of the back with
Shelby on her leash. Her tongue hung out, and her tail wagged furiously. Without the cone on, Shelby was a happy dog. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

When I returned to the counter, Mrs. Sloan had semi-recovered from seeing the bill. In her hand, she held a credit card. When I walked over, she winked at me. “Samantha thought that by sending me here to pick up her dog that I’d pay the bill.”

I took the card from her hand and forced myself to keep a straight face. She’d handed me Samantha’s credit card.

“Her dog, her responsibility. Parents really try, Riley, to make their children into the best adults they can. Sometimes, they get lucky and sometimes, they fail.” She almost sounded disappointed. I kept my mouth shut. Saying anything back would backfire on me, of that I was sure.

I ran the card and waited for the receipt to print. Marcy Sloan was a genuinely nice person, with a friendly smile and a heart of gold. It made me wonder how such a nice person could have such a troll of a daughter and an asshole for a husband.

I tore the receipt from the credit card machine and slid it along the counter. Before I could pull my hand away, Marcy put her hand on mine. “I’m sorry she’s been such a pain in the ass for you. Truly.” Her hand squeezed mine and when she let go, I handed her a pen. With a flourish, she signed Samantha’s name, winked at me, and then turned to Seth to take
Shelby’s leash. “Thank you, young man.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Bye,
Shelby.” Seth reached down and scratched her ears. She took the opportunity to lick his face. “I’ll miss you too, girl.”

Marcy turned to me with a smile. “Maybe it’s just having someone special in our lives that makes us better people.” She darted a look from me to Seth and then back to me before she said goodbye and left.

I palmed my keys. “Is everyone all set in the back?”

“Yep, I took Rodney out and fed the raccoon. Sammy’s kittens’ eyes are opening!”

“Oh yeah? Guess that means we’re gonna have to find a bigger area for Momma and her babies soon.”

Seth followed me out to the truck as we discussed the best place to move the family of seven. When we got to Old Man Willis’ place, we’d settled on cleaning out a small storage closet for Sammy and her kittens.

OLD MAN WILLIS MET US
in his front yard when we pulled up. He took one look at Seth, and I could almost see the gears turning in his mind. “Well, who do we have here?”

Seth walked over, shook Old Man Willis’ hand, and introduced himself.

Old Man Willis tilted his hat back, scratched his chin, and looked across the yard at his barn. The old man was up to something, I could feel it.

“Well, young man, seems to me you were meant to come here with Riley.”

Seth’s eyes squinted as he looked up at Old Man Willis. “I was?”

Old Man Willis’ hands landed on his hips, as he looked me up and down. “Riley here, she’s gonna be headed off to school soon and well, she’s getting’ a little ‘long in the tooth’.”

Rolling my eyes, I snorted and looked at Seth. “
He’s
callin’
me
old…”

Old Man Willis’ brought one hand off his hip and waved it out in front of him. He wore a smug look on his face, as he shot me a grin. “Now hold on there. What I mean is, I’m gettin’ up there in age and, with you movin’ on and all, I sure could use some help around this place. Seth here looks like a strong enough boy to help me do what needs to be done.”

Old Man Willis’ wife had died years ago, leaving him on his own. He never remarried and he’d never had any kids. What he did have was a huge piece of property to maintain, plus his livestock, and no family to help. Growing up, he’d gathered a few of us and put us to work with the same offer he extended to Seth. “Now mind ya, we gotta talk to your parents, but how would you like to come out here and give me a hand? I’d pay ya fair wages and all if you’re interested, and your parents say it’s all right.”

Seth beamed at me.

“Well, come on, we ain’t got all day to stand around,” Old Man Willis said as he walked away from us and headed towards the barn.

Seth jogged ahead of me to stay in step with Old Man Willis. I could hear them chatting back and forth, as Seth questioned him about his farm. They disappeared inside the building when my phone rang.

I pulled the phone from my hip and went to answer it, realizing it wasn’t Dr. Anderson’s phone. It was mine.

Paige’s name lit up my screen, confusing me. It was odd, her calling me at this time of day.

“Hey, Paige. What’s up?”

“What time will you be home?” I could hear the strain in her voice.

“Are you okay?”

She snorted. “No, but I don’t want to get into it right now. Call me when you’re home, and I’ll come over.”

“Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I’m headed that way.”

When I hung up, I shoved the phone in my pocket and walked inside the shaded interior of the barn. Old Man Willis leaned on the rails of a stall he’d used for storage. Inside it, Seth sorted through the junk, piling it up in a wheelbarrow so it could be hauled out.

“Finally getting rid of some junk, Willis?” I asked, walking into the stall to help Seth.

“Junk? That there is all good stuff. I just need this here space for that hardheaded calf that got tangled up a while back. Dang fool thing won’t stay outta the fences.”