“What is she doing in Thunder Mountain?” she asked.
“No one knows. All I heard was that she’s staying out at the Teton Trails Guest Ranch.”
Lila nodded absently, her mind already wandering to the idea of Roxie Steele lounging at Charlie Grace’s Teton Trails Guest Ranch, perhaps drafting her next steamy bestseller. She glanced at the pile of veterinary journals on the bookshelf, suddenly feeling that they seemed drier than usual.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to indulge in a little romantic escapism; after all, her love life had been as quiet as the town’s abandoned mining shafts for far too long. A smutty novel could be just the thing to shake things up, even if it was just between the pages.
As Nicola sashayed out the door, her Yorkie in tow, Lila made a mental note to go online and check out Roxie Steele’s latest work. If nothing else, it would give her something to gossip about with her next patient.
7
Lila tossed her purse on her kitchen counter, then bent and pulled off her shoes. It had been a long day.
She’d diagnosed a pregnant cat, treated a tiny dog with indigestion, vaccinated a litter of puppies, and treated Eddy Pisanelli’s pet rat for pododermatitis, a bacterial infection on the skin of the feet, also known as bumblefoot. All before lunch.
The afternoon brought another series of pet ailments, thankfully nothing critical and all easily resolved.
Despite feeling exhausted, she was filled with satisfaction.
It had been her first day alone, holding down the fort in Doc Tillman's absence, and it felt wonderful. She didn’t miss his constant critique, the way he would second-guess every decision she made.
A sense of accomplishment settled over her, grounding her in the certainty that this was the perfect profession for her. She didn’t know what the future held, but the idea of being more than just a vet assistant to a crabby veterinarian gave her hope. The day had been hers, and she cherished the freedom it brought.
“Camille?” she called out. “I’m home.”
That’s when she noticed the note on the counter.
Mom, you were late, so I caught a ride to the ballgame. I’m going to stay over at Sheila’s. Home in the morning. Love you.
Lila quickly glanced at the wall calendar. How had she forgotten it was Friday? She groaned out loud. How could she have blown off her daughter?
Thankfully, Camille was resourceful.
She quickly tapped out a message to her daughter apologizing and telling her she’d pick her up in the morning. “I promise,” she added before adding a heart emoji.
She placed her phone on the counter and headed for the refrigerator hoping to find something to eat that didn’t have to be cooked.
Her phone buzzed, diverting the plan.
Lila scooped up the phone and answered, “Hey, Charlie Grace. What’s up?”
“I just talked to Capri. We’re thinking of heading to the Jackson Hole Rodeo this weekend. Wanna go?”
She carried the phone to the refrigerator, opened the door, and scanned the nearly empty shelves. “What time?”
Goodness, she needed to go grocery shopping. What kind of mother left nothing for her kid to eat?
“Capri and I could pick you up midmorning. What do you say? It’ll be fun.”
Lila quickly calculated how much time it would take to pick up her daughter and stop by Western Drug and Grocery. “Okay, yeah. Midmorning should be fine.”
“Great! See you then.”
Lila clicked off her phone and pocketed it before heading for the pantry where she plucked out a nearly empty bag of chips, convincing herself that fried potatoes had nutritional value.
The following morning, Lila dragged herself from bed when it was barely seven a.m. She immediately chastised herself for watching that last episode on Netflix, wishing she’d captured the extra time in sleep.
After showering and dressing, she tossed a load of laundry in the washing machine and mopped the kitchen floor before grabbing her keys and heading out to the car to pick up Camille. Before she drove a half mile, her phone buzzed with an incoming text from her daughter.
