And I had no idea how I was going to tell Sam.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Danica
“AuntGabrielleisgoingto feed you,” I said as we pulled into our driveway and I parked my RAV.“She’s in charge.”
“Where are you going?”my kid asked, her arms crossed tight over her chest since she was still frustrated that I had pulled her away from the barn.“Are you going back over to Tom’s?That’s not fair!”
“You have school in the morning.”
Her scoff was full of sass.“What help can you provide?”
“Watch your tone, young lady.I don’t know, but I don’t think he should be alone right now.He has a mare bleeding out and a foal that might lose its mother.That’s a lot for anybody to take on by themselves.”
“So then we can both help.”She met my gaze with a glare of her own.“This isn’t fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.Get out and go find your aunt.Remember to do your homework.And you can stay overnight in Laurel’s room if I’m not home by the time you go to bed.”
Her mouth hung open.“What?You’re not coming home?”
“I don’t know.I mean, I will eventually.But I’m not having this conversation.Your aunt is waiting for you.They’re holding dinner, so go.”
I swear I could see the red rage-ball pulsing around her like some freaky aura thing as my child flung open the door, grabbed her backpack, and stomped out.She knew better than to slam the door, but the look she gave me as she closed it spoke volumes.
I backed out of the driveway.“Call Fred Love,” I said to my phone via Bluetooth.
“Calling … Fred Love.”
“Danica?”Fred answered on the fourth ring.“What can I do for you?”
“Hey, Fred.You wouldn’t happen to have a bunch of goats’ milk, would you?A foal was just born on the island, and its mother is sickly and not producing any milk.Storm is keeping the vet from getting here.”
“Where are you?”he asked, with zero panic in his voice, even though I’m sure there was a lot in mine.
“Ten minutes from your place.”
“Come ’round to the house and we’ll have it ready for you.”
“You’re the best, Fred.”
We hung up, and I may have pressed down a little harder on the gas to get there a bit faster.I had to take my wipers up a notch to compete with the rain and wind as the clouds grew darker around us, threatening a brutal spring storm ahead.
“Thanks, Fred,” I said, grunting as we loaded up the last of the goats’ milk.“You’re a lifesaver.Literally.”
“Who’s got the foal?”he asked, not seeming to mind at all that we were standing out in the pouring rain getting soaked.
“Tommaso Barone.He has the animal sanctuary on the other side of Bonn Remmen’s land.”
Fred scrunched his nose.“There’s a sanctuary here?How long’s he been here?I’ve never heard of him.”
“A few years, I think.I also think he likes that not too many people on the island know about him.”
Fred chuckled and helped me close the hatch of my RAV.“Anybody that can keep themselves a secret from Jolene Dandy has my respect.Let me know if you need more.”
“Will do.”Then I raced around to the driver’s side of my SUV and climbed behind the wheel.
The roads on the island were riddled with potholes and had no streetlights, so you couldn’t gotoofast.But I knew how fast Icouldgo and still be safe.So I cranked it up to maximum safe speed, but it was all I could do to keep my knee from bouncing with nerves as I drew closer to Tom’s house.
