Page 130 of The Rescuer

He gave a slow nod. “For years, I’ve watched you work your ass off and pour your heart and soul into that clinic. Earlier this year, I also noticed how stressed you were over your finances.”

“So I never talked in my sleep, did I? You madethat up.”

He lifted his hand off the steering wheel. “Guilty. Do you remember one night when I was working behind the bar and you said you were considering shutting down the clinic?”

“Idid? That must have been a three-margarita night.”

“Four,” he chuckled, “not that I was counting. Anyway, you talked about how all you wanted to do was take care of animals but you were spending more and more of your time trying to figure out how to stay afloat. You were so sad, and I wanted to dosomething.”

“So you started putting money in my account? Who does that?” She paused to chuckle. “You, apparently. Can you afford it? And how did you get away with setting it up? I thought stuff like that was illegal or at least difficult to pull off.”

“Oh, baby, I can afford it.” He sent her a sidelong wink and nearly laughed out loud when her mouth dropped open. “As for how I was able to set it up, we Hunnicutts have pull. You ought to know that by now.”

“But you’re not the type who uses his ‘pull,’” she sputtered.

“You don’t think so? You’ve got a lot to learn about me. I damn well do when it matters.”

Her mouth opened and closed—and opened again. “Well, I haven’t used much of the money, and I plan to pay back every dime I owe you. I also plan to get your money back for those rings.” She let out a cute little hmph.

“You don’t owe me anything. Colorado is a community property state.”

“I-I don’t follow.”

“Neve, forget about the money. Forget about returning the rings. I don’t want to return them. I don’t want to sell them.” He reached over and tugged her good hand to his thigh, where he interlaced his fingers with hers. “I don’t want to return the marriage either.”

Their lives had become irrevocably enmeshed, entangled, in a short time. Or maybe it had been intertwining for years, like vines growing around each other. How did you pull something like that apart? It had crept up so stealthily; he hadn’t seen it coming. But if he had, would he have stopped it?No.What he had with her was something he wantedmoreof. He didn’t want it to end. He wanted to nurture it so it could flourish. And he didn’t want that with anyone else. Only Neve.

He squeezed her hand. “Maybe we’re not supposed to be here—Lord knows neither of us planned it—but sometimes things happen for a reason.” His mother’s words echoed in his head:“Many of the best things in life are surprises.”Well, finding himself married to Neve had been the biggest surprise of his life. “If I were to marry anyone, it would be you.”

“But youdidmarry me,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t in my right mind.” She barked a mirthless laugh. “And maybe that’s what it took to open my eyes.”

“Which brings us right back to the beginning. You’re going away.” Her voice trailed off in a sad lament.

His phone chose that moment to ring. A Vermont area code flashed on his screen. He poked at the red button, but a bump in the road caused him to stab the green icon instead.Shit!He held up a finger to signal Neve to hold that thought. She gave him a slight nod in response.

“This is Reece,” he announced.

“Reece, I’m glad we caught you.” A familiar man’s voice blared through the truck’s speakers. A woman chimed in, and the caller laughed. “Sorry. That was Christie. I should have warned you we’ve got you on speaker. We just wanted to call and wish you Happy Holidays and let you know, once again, how excited we are to have you. The entire crew can’t wait to welcome you into the family.” A few more voices added their greetings.

Christ, was the entire team on this call?

Reece thought of his lone duffel bag back at Neve’s, where nearly everything he owned fit neatly within its confines. His entire life was in that one bag. How sad was that?

But did it have to be that way?

The truth crystallized in his mind, and he slowed the truck, nosed it onto a turnout, and put it in park. While the Stowe crew carried on a cheery conversation he was supposed to be part of, he reflected on the man within him—one whose equilibrium depended on the roots holding him steadfast. Roots he’d taken for granted, that he’d never realized had been planted decades ago.

He was part of Fall River, and Fall River was part of him. Indelibly tattooed on his heart. Why would he rip those roots from the ground?

Shoving a hand through his hair, he pulled in a breath. “Joe, I appreciate all the trouble you guys have gone through for me.” The jokingand laughing on the other end grew quiet. It was now or never. As he leaped off the high dive into the unknown, he prayed his landing would be a soft one—and that his dad’s looming lecture wouldn’t blister his ears beyond repair.

He glanced over at Neve, whose stunned eyes fastened on him. “The thing is, I’ve had a change of plan.”

There was a three-second pause while Reece’s words seemed to catch up with Joe’s brain. “Wait. What? Did you just say you’ve changed your mind about joining us?”

Reece cringed. “I did, and I’m really sorry to do this to you. I could tell you my mom’s sick and I need to stay, or that I broke my leg and have to have surgery, or, more unbelievable still, that I got married at Thanksgiving and don’t want to leave my wife.”

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