Page 57 of The Geography of Happiness

I took Spencer’s hand and squeezed it, feeling the heat of Zach’s curious gaze on us both. “Thank you.”

Spencer smiled. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m only minutes away if you need me.”

The second Spencer left with Gabby limping at his side, Zach began apologising all over again.

“Just tell me what happened?” I leaned against the wall with my arms folded. Then I thought about how that had to look and unfolded them again.He’s a good man.Spencer’s words came back to me. I knew he was right, but the potential repercussions of Hannah’s injuries were doing my head in.

“We were using the old cemetery to train,” Zach explained.

I blinked. “The cemetery?”

He shrugged. “It’s a great obstacle course and I use it a lot for training. They were doing really well. Then Lorna Newton’s dog, Colt, appeared from out of nowhere. He’s not big, but he’s sorelylacking in training. He’s not generally aggressive, but it’s not the first time he’s taken a dislike to a dog he doesn’t know. Lorna’s been warned to keep him on a leash. I’ve already told the police and council dog ranger, and they’re on their way to her place now.”

“She better get more than a slap on the wrist,” I cautioned.

Zach nodded. “Jerry’s a good cop. He’ll handle it. When Colt rushed Gabby, she moved in front of Hannah just like she’s supposed to, but that meant she blocked my access to Hannah as well. In the ruckus that ensued with the dogs crashing together, Colt swept Hannah’s elbow crutch aside and sent her tumbling before I could grab her. Luckily, Gabby saw Colt off fairly quickly.”

“How could he sneak up on you?” I demanded brusquely. “Didn’t you check the place first? And Jesus, Zach, it was pouring down. You shouldn’t even have been out there in the first place.” I was practically shouting but I couldn’t seem to rein it back.

Zach opened his mouth to answer, frowned, then closed it again. I was being unreasonable and I knew it. Zach did too, but to his credit, he didn’t simply leap to defend himself and thereby add fuel to the fire.

Instead, he drew a slow, deep breath, and chose his words carefully. “The rain had stopped by the time we reached the church. And Ididcheck the grounds, but there are four entrances to the cemetery. If I had seen Colt, yes, it would’ve changed the outcome, but I didn’t. And it wouldn’t be the first time Hannah’s come across an aggressive dog, I imagine? And it won’t be the last.” He raised a brow.

I wanted to disagree, but he was right. “That’s different,” I flustered. “Hannah and I know all the dogs around Painted Bay and I’m usually there to ward them off.” Which was patently untrue since the town swelled to almost double over summerwith the influx of tourists and we’d had many a close call. “This is exactly why I don’t think she’s ready to be on her own in a boarding school. She’s too young. It’s too risky.”

Zach didn’t call me on it. He simply explained, “I’ll talk with Hannah about how to handle similar situations in the future. It’s clearly not something she’s practised.”

“Because she doesn’t need to.”

Zach sighed. “Becauseyou’vealways been her eyes and ears, Terry. Now she’s trying to learn how to do that for herself when you’re not around. And working in the rain is nothing more than protocol at this level of training. We don’t get to choose the weather when we have places we need to be. The intention of this week wasn’t to create a protected training environment like she has at home, we discussed that. This week was meant to expose Hannah to situations she hasn’t met before and help her develop strategies to cope. Thatincludescomplex weather, terrain, environment,andthe unexpected, like Colt. Although, God knows, I hadn’t counted on that one, nor would I have chosen it. And thank God she wasn’t more badly hurt. Or Gabby. But it wasn’t anyone’sfault, Terry. Not Hannah’s, not mine, not yours for bringing her down here.” He shot me a pointed look. “It could’ve happened anywhere. You can’t always be there to protect her.”

“I don’t need a lecture from you on the subject,” I snapped. “You know nothing about us.”

Zach’s eyes flew wide. “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. I didn’t mean to overstep.” He slumped back into his chair, eyes downcast to the floor.

The room fell deathly quiet and my ranting replayed in my head.Oh god.I remembered Spencer’s words.He’s a good man.I fell back against the wall, shame coursing through my body as I tried to calm the fuck down.

“Jesus, Zach, I’m so sorry,” I finally managed. “Idoknow that I can’t protect her forever, but Icangive her more time before she’s faced with having to deal with everything on her own. I can be a buffer.”

“Yes, you can,” he agreed softly. “But at the risk of crossing the line again, can I point out there’s a difference between being a buffer for her and keeping her dependent to satisfyyourfears?”

And there it was. I wanted to snap at his impertinence if only he wasn’t so damn fucking on the button. “She’s only fourteen. Do you know the number of surgeries she might be facing in her future, let alone if she’s done any real damage today?”

“She’s mentioned them, yes,” Zach answered quietly. “And she’s talked about your concerns as well.”

Jesus Christ.How much had Hannah told Zach? Or more to the point, why hadn’t she thought she could tell me?You know why.I suppressed a groan. “Once she starts down the surgery route, there’s no going back.” I willed Zach to understand. “Every surgery comes with more scarring, a potential loss of flexibility, and then there’s the pain. Hannah’s already spent more of her life livingwithpain than without it. It wrecks my fucking heart, Zach, I...” I trailed off, fighting a losing battle against the tears.

Zach was at my side in a second, a wad of Kleenex in his hand. “I should’ve kept a closer eye on her today. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I wiped my eyes, then disposed of the Kleenex into the bin. “You’re right. It’s no one’s fault. Hannah absolutely does need to learn all the stuff you’re teaching her, I just...” I blew out a long shaky sigh. “Well, I don’t know how to feel okay about this.”

The room fell quiet bar the soft tick of the clock on the wall and the murmur of voices from another room. Fifteen, twentyminutes passed, maybe more, and I wondered just how busy a tiny hospital could be that they were taking so fucking long. A radio crackled somewhere up the hall and a toilet flushed. I was about to go and demand some answers from the nurse at reception when my phone buzzed with a text message from Spencer.

Gabby is fine. I’m finishing stitching the worst skin tears now and then Connor will clean up the rest so I can return to the centre. Gabby can stay here until you know what’s happening. How’s Hannah?

I was about to text a reply when a clatter of wheels had me spinning toward the door. A few seconds later a nurse in her thirties with a blond updo and a warm smile opened the door to wheel a bed into the room.

Hannah.

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