Chapter 3

Cade stood next to Flynn in his brother's office in front of the lightbox, staring at the x-ray for a Yorkie who'd eaten a ball of yarn. "Crazy, yeah?" His hands moved quickly to sign the words.

Flynn nodded. "Wrapped completely in the intestinal track. Drake's got another surgery on his hands."

Cade turned at the knock on the door. Because Flynn was deaf, most people didn't bother knocking. Aunt Rosa walked in, followed by Avery and Hailey.

"Meet Avery Stowe, your new office manager. She starts Monday, so consider this my notice."

Cade's gaze darted between Avery and his meddling aunt. Avery shuffled her feet, her cheeks pink as she stared at the floor. He and Flynn exchanged a look. Cade signed, "She's the one who found the stray last night."

Flynn grinned, the asshole. "The one that had you bumbling like a hormonal teenager? Nice. You're right. She's pretty."

He sighed. This is what he got for talking to his brother. About anything. "Shut up."

Avery cleared her throat, then she...well, shit. She signed and spoke simultaneously. "You're deaf?"

Flynn nodded as Cade reared. Not a lot of people knew sign language. Flynn could read lips if he was facing the person, which was how he typically got around the language barrier in the practice.

"You can sign?" Which meant she'd understood the brief exchange between him and his brother. Wonderful. He just kept shooting himself in the foot.

"Yes. I learned how to communicate with Hailey, since she's nonverbal. Sometimes she signs when she needs to say something."

Cade was floored she was courteous enough to sign and speak at the same time for Flynn's benefit. And then he processed what she was doing here. "You hired someone without asking?"

Rosa crossed her arms. "You weren't gonna do it."

Flynn was more amused than Cade. "Does she have any experience?"

"I worked in a medical practice before staying home with Hailey. I'm a quick study." She was biting that pouty lower lip of hers. Her dark eyes bespoke more than simple nervousness, though. Like she had something to prove.

Flynn nodded. "Good enough for me. Welcome." He offered Cade a raised brow that said, this should be fun.

Cade returned it with his own shut-up-or-die scowl. He scratched his jaw, knowing he had no say in the matter, anyway. It wasn't as if he was against hiring Avery, but it would've been nice to be consulted.

Rosa turned for the door. "I'm going back up front. Take her to meet Drake, would you?"

Though spoken as a question, Cade took it for the order it was intended. What in the hell was his aunt up to? Before he could comment, his tech, Brent, strode in. Hell, now it was a party. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You are all caught up." Brent sized up Avery with the kind of flare only an openly gay man could pull off. "And who is this?"

"Avery, meet Brent, my tech. Brent, Avery is our new office manager. Apparently."

Brent's eyes lit up. "Fresh meat. Hurray. Have you met Gabby yet? She's the other tech. You'll love her!" He took Avery's hand and started to drag her from the room.

Avery laughed and dug her heels in. "I have my daughter with me. Hold on."

That laugh made Cade's gut do something twisty. "I can watch Hailey for a couple minutes." Her are-you-serious expression matched his internal what-the-fuck. Like he knew anything about kids. Still, he nodded. "Drake's in surgery, so Hailey can't go back there. Gabby's assisting."

Brent, as if just noticing the tiny human in the room, clapped his hands and knelt in front of Hailey near the corner. "Hello. Aren't you a cutie pie? Gorgeous hair, too."

The only sign of acknowledgement Hailey offered was a half wave as she stared at the ceiling. It was more than Cade got.

More hot as hell lip chewing from Avery. "Maybe I should just wait until Monday to meet everyone else."

Hell, she'd only be gone a few minutes. How much damage could he do to Hailey's little psyche in that time? "Brent says I'm caught up, so go ahead." He looked at his tech. "Tell Drake about the Yorkie. He needs surgery." Then he thought it over and decided to tell Drake himself. The case was complicated.

Flynn, as if sensing the thought, tapped his shoulder. "Go ahead. I got the kid."

"Are you sure?" Avery eyed Flynn as if begging him to change his mind, giving Cade the impression she didn't leave Hailey in others' hands often.

"I promise to not let her play with syringes."

Avery laughed, which was twice now, and he hadn't recovered from the first. She told Hailey she'd be back in a minute and allowed Brent to take her by the arm down the hall. Cade followed.

Brent gave her a mask. "Just hold this over your face and don't touch anything. And no matter what Dr. Drake says, he's happy to have you working here." He leaned in conspiratorially. "He's broody."

"Got it." Amusement lit her dark eyes and, for the first time, Cade noticed the small hazel flecks mixed in with all that chocolate.

Brent knocked once and strode in with a flourish. "Dr. Drake, Gabby, this lovely doll is Avery, our new office manager. Gabby, we must do drinks tonight."

Gabby didn't look up. "Can't. Got plans with my cousin. And I told you I'm never drinking with you again."

"Never say never."

"I mean, never." She peeked over her mask. "I still can't eat nachos."

Avery's hand shook where she held the mask. Her olive skin tone had lost some of its hue. As office staff, she probably wasn't used to seeing an open operation and had a weak stomach for blood. His aunt was the same way. Cade hoped she didn't yak all over the room.

Cade held the mask over his mouth and leaned on the doorframe. It looked like Drake was ready to close up on the Bullmastiff who had a tumor.

Drake never lifted his dark head from his task. "I'm in surgery. Go away."

Brent sighed. "Translation: Avery, it's nice to meet you."

"That's what I said."

Gabby's blue eyes slid to Avery, a smile in them. "Hey there. We're almost done. Are you new to...? Damn. Cade, she's gonna-"

Pass out cold on the floor. Down went Avery in a heap. Shit.

Brent blinked in awe. "How southern belle of her."

Drake growled. "Damn it, Cade. Get her out of here."

As if he was the one who'd brought her in the first place, but he was already at her side and cradling her head. Silky brown hair spilled over his hand and her berry scent rose up over the antiseptic. He lifted her in his arms. "Get the door, Brent."

Carrying her down the hall to his office, he tried to ignore the softness of her body against the hard planes of his. Dark lashes fluttered and lifted. He set her on the couch and asked Brent to get a cool cloth, never taking his eyes from her.

He lifted a strand of hair from her face as her eyes cleared of confusion. "Hey. Lie still for just a second. You fainted."

She gasped. "I did not."

He fought a grin. "Afraid you did."

She tried to sit up and he let her, removing his hand from her shoulder. Glancing around the confines of his cluttered office, she winced. "How humiliating."

Brent strode in and offered her a wet cloth. "Personally, I thought it was entertaining. I mean, swoosh. Like a feather, you fluttered down. Don't like blood then, doll?"

She dropped her head in her hands and sighed. "I guess not. I don't have much experience with it. I'm so embarrassed. I was fine last night with Seraph, but I guess I was too panicked to notice."

Cade looked at Brent. "Tell Flynn we'll be a few more minutes."

"Oh God. Hailey-" She tried to stand.

"Uh-uh." With his hands around her wrists, he coaxed her butt back on the couch. "She's fine. Sit for a few." He used his soothing tone reserved for cray-cray animals because her eyes were wide and the pulse in her throat beat double time. He casually pressed two fingers to her inner wrist and took her pulse.

When he looked up, satisfied her heart rhythm was normal, her round cheeks were infused with red and she avoided his gaze like he was the second coming of the bubonic plague. He kept his hands where they were, in hers, rubbing his thumbs over her palms. Her skin was soft in comparison to his rough calluses. His own heart rate sped at the contact.

"Does your head hurt at all? I don't think you bumped it."

She shook her head, looking at her lap. Not shy, but obviously mortified.

He got the impression she hated-or was unused to-attention. With great regret, he let her go and stood as he was only adding to her embarrassment. "I'll get you some juice. Stand by."

He poked his head in Flynn's office. Hailey was sitting cross-legged on the floor, arranging his brother's paperclips into neat rows.

Flynn looked up from next to her. "I think we need to hire her, too. Great attention to detail."

Cade laughed. "You can send her back to my office. Cover my patients for a few, would you?"

He strode to the break room, snatched a small bottle of OJ, and went back into his office. Avery had zipped Hailey into her coat and was tying a scarf around her neck.

He handed her the juice. "Take a few sips before driving."

She nodded and uncapped the bottle, obliging him. The column of her throat worked a swallow and his gaze landed there. He wondered if she'd tasted as good as she smelled. Strawberries or melon. Something summery.

Recapping the bottle, she finally met his eyes. "Thank you. I'm sorry about..." She waved her hand.

"Happens to everyone. Now we know not to put you in surgery."

She tapped Hailey's shoulder. "Let's go, sweetie." Her gaze landed on his and away, so unlike the confident woman he'd met at the cabin today. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Tonight." At her raised brows, he elaborated. "Pet supplies. Instead of meeting here, I'll pick you up. Still seven?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

From his position in the doorway, he could just make out her retreating form as she passed the front desk.

Squawk. "Pretty woman."

Indeed. She wasn't a sultry bombshell and not quite the girl next door, either. A conundrum. One minute she was all mama bear, the next she was tender, watching others with her kid. She had a sense of humor, displayed confidence, and yet he sensed a vulnerability she'd probably deny. Fascinating.

Flynn walked by and slapped a chart against Cade's chest. "My Precious is acting 'off,' room five. Brent's in surgery with Drake. Gabby and I are hitting the road."

Cade nodded. Flynn and Gabby traveled most of the day to local farms or elsewhere on home visits. They were getting a late start today.

He eyed the chart. Owners who brought in animals claiming to be "off" was code for: single woman alert. They only booked an appointment and used their pets as an excuse to make a play for the vet. He was used to it. A piece of meat. Ten grand said there was a plate of cookies or a casserole up front waiting for him. Just about every available female-and some unavailable-seemed to think the way to his heart was through his blood sugar levels.

Drake had been a widower for almost four years now and, once most women figured out the broody façade wasn't, in fact, a façade, they moved on. With Flynn being deaf, a lot of potential dates passed him by because some people were just that damn shallow. Cade wasn't vapid enough to deny he and his brothers were attractive, or so Redwood Ridge's Twitter profile claimed, but it was Cade that got the most attention.

The funny one. The easy guy.

The good time.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he sighed. Eying room five, he strode down the hall. Slab of beef, coming right up.

---

After Avery got Hailey registered for second grade and talked with the special needs teacher on staff, she drove across town to her mom's clothing store to figure out after school care. Back in San Francisco, Hailey attended classes in the mornings and had therapists come to the house in the afternoons. Avery was always there. The only babysitter her daughter ever knew was a nanny they'd used when they'd had to attend a function for Richard.

She rubbed her forehead. This was a lot of change for Hailey all at once. New town, new home, new school, and now Avery wouldn't be with her as often as she was accustomed. For the longest time, it had been just her and Hailey. She'd been in Redwood Ridge less than twenty-four hours and she'd had more offers of help and welcome than the span of Hailey's life combined.

That was a tough thing to get used to-ceding control. Hailey wasn't like other kids. Even leaving her with a sitter just to run to the store was a project. Plus, Avery feared she'd lost a lot of her social skills in the past few years, first with Richard being embarrassed by Hailey and wanting to keep her hidden, and then by the eighteen months it had taken for the divorce to go through. Rejected and emotionally drained, Avery hadn't had many friends during her marriage and had even less when she'd left Richard.

She pulled into a parking space in front of her mother's building and cut the engine. Pocketed among a row of other stores, it was similar in appearance. Small, brick, and two-story, it was square in design with a dark green awning over the front door. People milled about at café tables or strolled the cobblestone walk, chatting, despite the chill in the air.

Exiting the car, she inhaled pine and snow while getting Hailey unbuckled. A thick fog blanketed the mountains in the distance, bringing a slightly humid quality to the air. A tang of brine hinted from the nearby ocean. It was another world from what she'd been used to, but she found herself liking it, the freshness.

Hand in Hailey's, she strode into the store and sought out her mom at the front desk. Scarves and hats lined the back wall in front of ten or so round racks with vintage clothes. It smelled old, like musk and time. Two other women hovered near the register. The chatter died when she stepped over.

"Oh, Avery." Mom pressed a hand to her chest. "We just heard. Are you okay?" She came around the counter and squeezed the breath from Avery's lungs, bathing her in patchouli.

"I'm fine. Heard what?"

"About you fainting, of course. Rosa tweeted about it and I was just about to call."

Her cheeks heated. She still couldn't believe she'd passed out right in front of everyone. And what did she mean Rosa had tweeted about it? Avery looked at the other two women close to her mother's age, a combination of curiosity and avid interest in their eyes.

One of them patted her arm as if to say, poor dear. "It's all over the thread. How are you feeling? I'd drop like a fly, too, if they made me watch a surgery."

The vets hadn't made her do anything, and Avery had no way of knowing she'd respond that way. Still, mortification scorched her cheeks. "Um, I'm fine. Why did Rosa tweet about me? I don't understand."

The woman laughed as if to say, silly, silly girl. "Why, everything is news around here. Rosa's my sister. She manages our Pinterest boards and Twitter account. I'm Marie, the mayor of Redwood Ridge. Welcome to our great town."

Crap on a cracker. Avery darted a glance at her mom, but no. She hadn't stepped into the Twilight Zone. She was really standing in her mother's store talking to the mayor about passing out not two hours before. Because it was on Twitter.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you."

The other woman extended her hand. "I'm Gayle, Rosa and Marie's sister. My sons are your new bosses."

Oh. Oh God. She saw the resemblance to Cade and Flynn now. Flynn had her coloring with reddish hair and pale skin. Cade had her blue eyes, gray flecks included, and her impossibly long eyelashes. "Very nice to meet you."

"What brings you by, honey?" Mom scooted back behind the counter.

Would this conversation go on Twitter, too? She eyed the other two women, but they seemed in no hurry to leave. Was nothing private in this town?

"I just got Hailey registered for school, but I need to figure out care afterward. I'll still be at the clinic when she gets out."

Mom fluffed her already wild brown hair. "That's easy enough. I can pick her up and bring her back here."

Avery opened her mouth to protest when Marie inserted, "Or you could have her attend the recreation center afterward. Some of the kids take the bus right there."

"Oh, I don't know." Avery glanced at Hailey. "She's..." Not like other kids. Different. She didn't want to say that aloud to strangers or make Hailey feel like an outcast. "Her needs are pretty particular. Everyone right now is unfamiliar to her."

Marie waved her hand. "Pah. Strangers are friends we've yet to meet. Miles and Anya have other special needs kids at the center, too. She'd be in good hands." She whipped out a cell phone from her Samsonite-sized purse and thumbed a text. Her dark brown bob didn't move as she bent her head. "There. All taken care of. They'll expect her on Monday after school. You should stop by today to introduce her, though."

Avery forced her jaw shut, teetering between anger and shock. A pounding thumped her temples. This was her life, her daughter, and she'd spent enough time under her ex's rules to ever go back to someone else running her life.

Both Marie and Gayle knelt in front of Hailey and started talking to her as if they were old friends. Even though Hailey didn't converse, the ladies weren't deterred. In honesty, Richard's family and friends ignored Hailey, so the fact that anyone acknowledged her took the anger right out of Avery's sails.

This wasn't the first time, either. Flynn and Brent had made it a point to address her. They all seemed to know Hailey was autistic, probably because of her mom-or Twitter-but they didn't act uncomfortable. They...included.

Hailey ate up the attention, flapping her hands and letting out one of her rare barks of laughter. Avery's chest swelled, her throat going tight.

"We'll..." Avery cleared her throat. "We'll stop by the rec center to check it out. Thank you."

Marie rose. "No problem at all. You pop by my office or drop me a call should you need anything. Ta, Justine."

"Bye-bye." Mom sighed dreamily as they disappeared down the walk. "I told you this place was great, didn't I?'

Avery shook her head, not sure if she was being Punk'd. "Twitter? I was on Twitter?"

Mom looked at her as if she were the crazy one. She tapped out a few keys on the computer and waved her over.

Avery made her way around the counter and looked at the screen. Sure enough, there was the @RedwoodRidge account. The banner was a wide pan of the main strip, and the profile picture was a sketch-drawn map with a tiny dot indicating the town. The most recent tweets were like that from a gossip rag.

Word is our sexy fire dept will be doing another car wash this spring. Rawr, ladies!

Dr. Cade says the PB butter cookies are his fave. Dr. Flynn says choc chip. Dr. Drake had no comment. Psst, it's snickerdoodles!

The RR marching band needs new uniforms. Buy candy bars, peeps!

Wildlife is so gorgeous!

Attached to that last tweet was a picture of what looked like a ranger leaning against a cypress and wiping his sweaty brow with his forearm. Lordy. Were all the men in Redwood Ridge hot? The veterinarians were.

New gal in town, Avery, fainted right in our OR. Poor thing!

Avery rubbed her forehead, her gut churning. There were fifty-three @ responses ranging from oh no to the dear lass to hope she's okay. She pulled out her phone, followed Redwood Ridge, and tweeted: Doing great. Thanks for the concern! Jeez. She had one hundred and twenty-one new followers.

This was The Twilight Zone. In Mayberry.

She needed to get out of here. Stimulation overload.

After giving her mom a hug good-bye, she drove to the rec center to check it out. It was everything the mayor said it would be. They had several after school programs, and the woman who ran the center, Anya, had special needs experience. Figuring she'd give it a try, Avery signed Hailey up and checked the time.

They only had an hour before Cade was supposed to pick them up to get pet supplies. They'd been living on fast food the past two days while driving, but there wasn't time to make a decent meal and still be ready.

She drove through a hamburger joint and parked outside an ice cream shop so they could eat in the car. Avery mentally added another twenty minutes to her yoga tomorrow morning to make up for the food. She'd always been just north of chubby, but it seemed after she'd delivered Hailey, the pounds just kept tacking on.

Richard hadn't wanted to have sex until she'd gotten back to her pre-pregnancy weight. He'd also attended all functions alone until the result of nearly starving herself and a rigorous workout routine got her back into a size twelve. Richard might be gone from her life, but the rejection and ugly feeling remained.

She longingly looked at the ice cream parlor and decided to go back to her healthy lifestyle tomorrow. A few days' setback wasn't going to kill her. Turning in her seat, she grinned at Hailey. "How about dessert, sweetie?"

Hailey squealed. Sugar! Sugar, now!

The kid at the counter was about sixteen and in that awkward stage of gangly limbs before his body filled out. He looked bored to be there, but welcomed them with a drone greeting.

"I'll have a scoop of..." Oh God. They had rocky road. Rocky road was kryptonite. "Uh, vanilla." Sigh. Cut at least a couple calories. "And do you have anything nondairy?"

The teenager rolled his eyes. "Dad!"

A portly man in his fifties strolled out of the back and wiped his hands on an apron. "Well, hello. I'm Hank. New in town? Just visiting?"

Avery went through the spiel about being Justine's daughter and just arriving.

He rubbed his bald head, a habit he seemed unaware of doing. "Heard you took a tumble at the animal doc. How are you?"

She resisted her own eye roll. Had anyone not heard about her embarrassing intro to her new job? "Great, thanks. I was wondering if you had anything nondairy? Hailey here gets rather sick from milk products."

The teenager walked to the freezer and scooped vanilla into a dish.

"Nothing frozen, I'm afraid, but I've got some cookies from Sweet Tooth down the road." He set a couple cookies in a bag and handed it to Hailey over the counter. "On the house."

"Oh no. I want-"

"Nonsense. On us. Next time, we'll have something she can eat. How's that?"

God. Everyone was so...so nice. "Thank you."

Still shell-shocked and contemplating whether the town was really inhabited by Invasion of the Body Snatchers, she edged her car to the outskirts. Dusk was descending, bringing a nip to the air and making the shadows longer. As she pulled up to the row of rental cabins, Cade unwound himself from the porch steps and rose.

"Crap on a cracker, that man is sexy." He had on a pair of well-worn jeans, snug in all the right areas, and a T-shirt under a waist-length leather jacket. His dark blond hair was windblown and brushed his brow. She shook her head. "He's your boss, you nutcase. Get a grip."

Hailey squealed. I heard that, Mommy.

As she unsnapped Hailey from the backseat and turned to face him, he...grinned. At Avery, then at Hailey. The breath left her lungs, and she got a little lightheaded again.