an empty birdcage back to a woman with three young children in tow. “You did a good thing, bringing that squirrel here. We’ll take good care of the little guy, and when his leg is healed up, we can set him free in the woods.”
“Can you call us when you do that?” the oldest girl asked. She looked to be about Abby’s age, and her eyes were fixed on the critter she’d clearly become attached to. “I want to say goodbye.”
Sierra glanced at the mom for her permission, and the woman nodded. “I explained why we couldn’t keep him, but I think it would be nice for them to see for themselves that he’s back where he belongs.”
“Will do. I’ve got your contact info, so I’ll call when we’re ready to release him.”
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
Adding a quick smile for Bekah, the woman shepherded her kids out to a minivan that looked like it had a lot of miles on it. The girl gazed longingly back into the lobby, then reluctantly climbed into her seat and disappeared when her mother slid the door shut.
“Wow, that was tough,” Bekah commented in sympathy. “Is it always that hard?”
“No, but the kids really get to me. They see a fuzzy friend they can play with, but he’s a wild animal, not a Disney character.” Pausing, she took a deep breath and sighed. “Are those Maggie’s fabulous jumbo muffins?”
“And coffee,” Bekah added, setting the basket on the counter. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was nearly eight. “I’m not sure if I’m late or not, so I thought I’d bring them just in case. How was your class last night?”
“Impossibly mind-boggling.” Blowing on her coffee to cool it, the clinic’s director took a long, grateful sip. “I’m great with all the practical stuff because I do it here every day. The biology and anatomy terms just don’t stick in my head. I desperately need a tutor, but I can’t find one whose schedule meshes with mine.”
Munching on a cranberry muffin so moist she barely had to chew it, Bekah pondered a possible solution to Sierra’s problem. Recalling what Drew had said about his sister-in-law, she said, “What about Lily? She’s a teacher. Maybe she can help get you through the rough parts.”
“That’s brilliant! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”
Bekah had never been called brilliant in her life, and it was rewarding to know she’d helped someone who’d been so kind to her. Thoughts of kindness led her to a problem she’d been pondering since she woke up. “Sierra, I have a big favor to ask.”
“Shoot.”
“I’ve only got one day’s worth of clean clothes left, and I hate to ask Mrs. Kinley for anything more. Could I do a couple loads of laundry in the machines here?”
“Sure, but ick.” She made a disgusted face. “We wash all the animals’ blankets and towels in those. I wouldn’t put my clothes in them, that’s for sure. I remember hearing they were doing some renovations at the Oaks Café on Main Street and were planning to put in a connected Laundromat. I don’t know if it’s finished yet, but you could check.”
The mere idea of going into Oaks Crossing on her own made Bekah slightly nauseous. People would ask her all manner of questions she’d prefer not to answer, which meant she’d either have to deflect them or outright lie about her less-than-glorious background. She feared the trip would end up being a complete disaster.
That left her imposing on the Kinleys. Again. Not the ideal solution, but once she’d gotten all her clothes clean, she’d have some time to come up with a better one. While they ate, they chatted about the various animals housed at the center, and Sierra gave Bekah a brief lesson on the computer system they used to track everything from food and supply orders to wildlife release dates.
She was no computer expert, but she’d used enough of them that she couldn’t miss the flashing red shield at the bottom of the monitor. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to it.
“Some kind of alert I haven’t been able to diagnose. This is a hand-me-down system from a donor, and I’d say we got what we paid for.”
“When I get some time later on, I’ll take a look at it. Maybe it’s just a matter of finding the explanation online and downloading a program that will fix it once and for all.”
“If you can get this thing running properly, I’ll owe you big-time.”
“Just part of the job, boss,” Bekah told her with a grin. “We all do what we can, right?”
That got her a short laugh. “That’s one of Drew’s favorite lines. I think you’ve been spending too much time with that troublemaker.”
“Troublemaker? What do you mean?”
“He’s one of those love ’em and leave ’em types, and he’s left a string of broken hearts from here to Louisville. He’s a good enough guy, but he just can’t seem to settle down.”
Bekah knew perfectly well that Drew’s romantic exploits were none of her business, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Why do you think that is?”
After considering the question for a moment, she replied, “Either he’s looking for something particular that he can’t find, or he’s got no clue what he wants and is hoping to blindly run into it somewhere along the way.”
“Or he’s happy being unattached,” Bekah suggested. “Some guys like having the freedom to wander from one woman to the next whenever they get bored.”
She’d known more than her share of them, she added silently. Men who told a woman what she wanted to hear, then shed her when things got too serious or she asked too many questions that he didn’t want to answer. Either way, he broke away cleanly and got on with his life, while she was left behind, wondering what had gone wrong.
“It’s like Erin always says. Boys are stupid.”
“You mean Drew’s sister?” When Sierra nodded, Bekah couldn’t help laughing. “With those three as brothers, I guess she oughta know.”
“Got that right. So, our new tenant is a dehydrated squirrel with a broken leg. Are you ready for your first lesson in squirrel care?”
“That depends. What’s the medical term for a broken leg?” She’d watched enough medical dramas to have a decent idea what the answer was, so she figured it wouldn’t be too hard for the struggling vet tech to come up with something reasonable.
“Ugh, not now.”
“Yes, now,” Bekah insisted. “Come on, you must know at least one of the words.”
“The upper bone in a leg is the femur.”
“And?”
Sierra stared up, as if she might find a clue written on the water-stained ceiling tiles. Then she snapped her fingers and gave Bekah a delighted smile. “Fractured.”
“Let’s see if you’re right.” Tapping the phrase into the search box on the computer, she angled the screen so her new friend could see that she was right. “Nice job.”
“Great,” Sierra muttered with a wry grin. “One down, forty-million to go.”
“One step at a time,” Bekah reminded her. “No matter how big or small a project is, that’s how everything gets done.”
Sierra studied her for a long moment, then smiled. “Forget Lily. I think I just found my new tutor. How much do you want?”
Stunned by the request, she firmly shook her head. “Me? I’m not a teacher.”
“Teachers help their students learn, and you just did that perfectly. I can’t afford the time or money to retake classes, which means I have to pass on the first go-round. So, are you going to name a price or make me come up with one on my own?”
Bekah