I decide that his idea has merit, so I lead him to my barn. Today, we’ve both been hit with crappy news, and I know my mind will run wild with what-ifs or whys. Snuggling with Thomas will be an excellent way to calm myself. I also want to take a moment to check in on him, find out how he’s dealing with Veronica's announcement. I’m thrilled that this hasn't caused him to pull away, and I’m hoping that if I check in with him without an audience, I might be able to make another crack in that wall of his.
The barn doors are closed, and the aviary alongside it is decidedly empty. I pull open the heavy doors, and when the familiar smells of hay, dust, and horse poop meet me, I smile. God, I’ve missed this. I should have spent more time with Prada and Coco in the stables, but I hadn't wanted to bug Thomas.
A shrill whinny and an incessant braying tell me my entrance has not gone unnoticed. Dropping my bag on the ground, I hurry over to the stable and fling open the door. I’m being charged before I can even step into it. With a shout of joy, I hold my hands up, and the two rascals come to a stop just in front of them. Even Devil Spawn is happy to see me, nuzzling against my stomach as I rub Jenny’s velvety ears. A gentle nip to my stomach tells me DS isn't pleased with the amount of attention, so I move one of my hands to her ears.
“I’ve missed you guys too,” I coo as I feel tears prickle my eyes. I need to do something about my lack of animal interaction. Sure, Princess and the kittens are nice, but they’re still a little small to be fun yet, and Coco and Prada are great, but they’re Jacinta’s, and she’s on top of their care. Can I volunteer somewhere?If anywhere will take me on now that the media is slamming us...Thankfully, word that we’re here hasn’t gotten out yet, so the airport was media-free this morning. I doubt it will stay that way though.
Heat at my back tells me Thomas has joined me, and DS’s ears and head prick up at the possibility of a new target. His hand reaches over, and I’m just about to warn him, but then she does the strangest thing. There are no threatening teeth or aggressive flat ears; she nudges me out of the way and starts to rub her face against him, a quiet nickering sound leaving her mouth. “Who are you, and what have you done with my demon?” I chuckle at her affection, which Thomas is easily returning, scruffing at her mane and whispering pretty words to her.
“DS and I became good friends when she came to visit; she’s quite the affectionate little thing. I can’t understand where she got her name from.”
I raise an eyebrow and try to insert myself between the two of them. Her ears flatten back, and she bares her teeth as she lunges for me.
“Holy shit!” He snatches me out of the way, and as soon as I’m no longer competition, she turns on the charm again.
Shaking my head at her, I give Jenny one last hug before grabbing her and DS’s halters and leads. I hand him the demon’s and put Jenny’s on before leading her out to her day paddock, with Thomas and Devil Spawn in tow. We let the two go, and they canter off into the middle of the paddock, stop abruptly, and start to eat.
“Come on. I’ll show you my place.” We head back into the stables, but he stops as we pass the clinic room. Beyond it is the horse crush and the two stable boxes I had converted to a cage.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“Oh, Melinda and Chuck had it built for me so I could treat their injured horses. I’ve taken care of some of the neighboring farm animals too. We don't have a vet super close, so it was easier for people to bring them here once they all found out I was getting my veterinary degree. The stable boxes were converted into a cage because we have a few wild cats in the area. If they’re injured, we can’t return them to the wild, so I treat them before releasing them. I had a bobcat last year that had been shot in the shoulder by a hunter. I dug out the bullet and stitched him up, and he spent a couple of weeks recuperating here until we released him.” I chuckle when I think back. “I had to keep Jenny and DS in the newer stables with the rest of the horses because they were freaked out by the smell of the cat.”
“You know, you really light up when talking about animals,” Thomas murmurs, pushing a lock of my hair back from my face. My cheek warms where his fingers brush across it, and I revel in that soft touch. Knowing he’s choosing to touch me, seeking out opportunities to have contact between us, is a heady feeling.
“I think Chuck was kind of hoping that I would start my own practice here once I’d done my internship. I hadn't told either of them about my desire to work with exotic animals. Really, I kind of never told anyone that until just recently. I mean, don't get me wrong, a lot of horse farms surround us, and equine breeding fascinates me, so I would be perfectly happy doing that.” My heart sinks as I think about the media. “Well, I guess that might not even be an option now either.”
I trudge my way up my stairs as I think about the possibility, but Thomas stops me with a hand on my arm. I spin to face him and discover we’re now eye to eye due to the stairs. Wow, he has a smattering of freckles across his nose that I hadn't noticed before. It’s cute.
“Harlow, I know you’re worried about everything that the media is saying, but I promise you it will die down and go away. Ninja Starfish’s media conference on Friday will be enough to drag the attention away from all of us. Youwillget an internship, I guarantee it, even if Dad has to throw money at someone. No, don’t roll your eyes; we know how you feel about it, but that’s what family does. They help one another. It just so happens that your dad has more money than most. Let him help; you will make him the happiest man ever. Heck, find a zoo about to go bust or one that’s abandoned, and he’ll buy it for you. You’re lucky he hasn’t done so already.”
His words make me think about the one practically on their doorstep. I really want to find out more about what their eccentric neighbor kept there.
”As for the remaining stalker, he’ll slip up. We know about Luke now, which means we know so much more than before. I’ll give Jake a call and get him to trace Luke's whereabouts while he was in LA. It will lead to something, and Cecelia must know something too. She can’t hide forever. This whole clusterfuck is starting to unravel. Whoever is responsible will get careless, and they will panic. We will get through this." He leans his forehead against mine. “Have faith in the system and us. Please tell me you’re not going to run away. Dad would be so sad; we all would be. I’m going to be selfish and beg you not to do that to us. Please. Not with what we’ve started here. I’m pretty sure you’d destroy us all if you decided to run away and leave us all behind.”
My heart aches from the pain in his voice. Thomas, after being so hesitant to start, is actually putting his emotions on the line. He’s probably the last Summers I would have predicted making an emotional declaration, but I’m going to savor whatever he’s willing to reveal of himself, his thoughts about us, to me. For Thomas, if I understand anything his brothers or he has told me, this is huge. How could I do anything but cave to his wishes? I already knew I was going to stay, but I guess until I pack up everything here and move it there, they’re not going to see the truth in it. I’ll just have to prove it to them.
But first, now that I’m here, at least I can have a much-needed conversation with Chuck and Melinda. I need to tell them face to face. I owe them that, at least.
I have no words to offer him at the moment, so I lean in and place what’s meant to be a small reassuring kiss to his lips, but his big hands circle my waist, and he deepens it. My body melts against him like putty in a hot hand. Holy hell, the man can kiss. It’s like he’s trying to imprint himself on my soul to ensure that I won’t be able to leave. I’m breathless and lightheaded when he finally pulls away. Blinking a couple of times to clear my mind, I turn and head up my stairs.
“Come on, let’s dump our stuff. If I know your family, once they hear about Luke, Chuck won’t be able to hold them off for long.” I reach the landing of my apartment, and a funky smell hits my nose.
“Gross, what is that?” I look around, trying to ascertain what it is. After I left, Melinda would have sent one of the cleaners up to clean out the fridge and tidy up, so where is it coming from?
By the time my eyes complete a circuit of the small space, I notice a vase of dead flowers sitting on the little dining table I have. The water is mostly gone, with sludge sitting in the bottom, and the petals are all withered and dry, most of them scattered across the table.
“Huh, where did they come from? You would have thought the cleaning service would have gotten rid of them.” Thomas moves me out the way, plucking the card out of the dead stems and pulling it open.
“I’m sorry about your mother, Harlow. I wish she could have been a better one.”He flips the card back and forth. “There’s no name signed to it. It seems innocent enough, but it’s strange that Melinda or one of the staff would put them up here knowing you weren’t returning any time soon. I’ll just hang on to the card; who knows if we can have the handwriting analyzed.” He plucks the dead stems out of the vase and carries them over to the garbage, opening it and tossing them before pulling out the bag and knotting it. “We’ll take them out when we leave, but I think you’ll find it’s the water that smells.” He places it on the landing near the stairs, so we remember to take it.
“Maybe they were from Luke?” I suggest, and he nods.
“Could have been.”
I grab the vase and empty the remaining water into my sink before grabbing some detergent and using it quite liberally before filling it with water again. Leaving it to soak, I crack open one of the windows in the apartment. Once the fresh breeze takes care of some of the smell, I grab my bag and take it into my bedroom. But before I can unpack, Thomas leans against the door way with a serious look on his face.
“Come on, then. Might as well be comfortable if we’re going to have a serious conversation.” I pat the bed next to me and try to keep my voice light, but I have a feeling I know what’s about to come. He comes over and takes a seat, grabbing my hand.
