But the warning words of my lawyers and siblings bring me down. “Oh wait, I’m not supposed to spend my money all willy-nilly.”
Dane puts up his hand. “Hold on.” He flicks his gaze to Raf. “You said ‘renovated?’ We’d buy something that needs work...” he says, as if he’s trying to convince himself. “Something that could build the community.”
Raf smirks. “The city offers tax breaks for beautificationprojects.”
“So, we can do this?” I beam.
“I think it’s worth exploring,” Raf says.
“Yes,” Dane and I say in unison.
“Can I hire your company?” I ask Raf.
“I think Jimenez Brothers Properties may have room for something like that. But you’ll need to get other quotes. Everything stays above board and is as transparent as possible. Except for who’s donating the cash.”
“Of course!”
“I’ll talk to the rugby board at our meeting this week,” Dane says. “Jonah, confirm with your lawyers what you can donate and we’ll go from there.”
“This is gonna be so cool!” I squeal.
Raf throws his arm around me for a hug before sliding into his Range and giving us a wave.
When Dane and I get to our vehicles, I glance over and notice he’s resting his head on his steering wheel. I’m flying high with possibilities, but his shoulders are too close to his ears, and worry nips at me. He looks especially grouchy for someone who has a shot at premiership rugby and a dedicated club training facility.
Is he still worried I won’t see my commitments through?
I tap on his window, and he rolls it down. “You okay, bro? I swear I’m gonna try.”
“It’s not that,” he mutters. “I just checked my voicemail. One of my farmer clients wants me to put down a perfectly good horse this week.”
“Why?”
He sighs. “Because she’s old and blind, therefore no use to him.”
“Oh.” I frown.
Poor Dane. This has to be the hardest part of being a veterinarian.
“Do you do that kind of thing alot? I know you do it for dogs and cats when it’s their time. But farm animals?”
“Yeah,” he says, shrugging. “I try to re-home those animals to the best of my ability, especially when there’s nothing really wrong with them. But sometimes nothing works out.”
“I can take the horse.”
He furrows his brow. “Did you put any thought into that before speaking?”
“Um... Honestly, no.” Dane opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, spilling my thoughts in real-time. “But it would be perfect! I have space, a barn with stables, and two dogs who need more livestock to guard. They’re getting possessive over the ducks. They need more to take care of.”
When Dane stares at me, I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes. “I don’t know...” he says.
Shoot. How do I convince him more? Dane is a total softy on the inside, so I play into that.
“Come on. Are you really gonna euthanize a sweet granny horse just because she’s blind, when I have the space and protection she needs?”
His eyes narrow. “She needs love, too.”
“I can love her!”
