Page 71 of Refuge for Ailsa

“Whatever are you talking about?” Bonnie asked.

“Ailsa’s excited about the hovel we’re going to live in. Remember those words?”

“Son, I?”

“I want to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer. If you cared so little for me, if I was such an inconvenience, if I was that unwanted, why didn’t you just give me up for adoption? It would’ve been better to live with a family who really wanted me and was glad I was there than two people who tried desperately to pretend I didn’t exist and when they couldn’t, they were anything but loving. All my life, I’ve felt unwanted and unloved, and then I meet a woman who cares about me and you run me down in front of her the very first time I have a meal with her.”

Pete started. “We didn’t?”

“If you’re that much in denial, ask Maureen. She was humiliated for me. You did. You do. You always do. And I’m sick of it. I know I wasn’t wanted, that you thought you were too young, whatever. That wasn’tmyfault. That wasyours, and you’ve taken it out on me my entire life.” Tavish looked down at the floor tiles, trying his best to keep his composure. “I think you should leave. I’m tired. It’s been a long day, and I thought I’d lost the woman who loves me, so you’ll excuse me if I’m not really up to defending myself from your barbs right now. I’ve got to go upstairs and make sure she’s okay.” Without another word, he stalked off toward the elevators. He didn’t look back, and they didn’t try to follow him to tell him he was wrong about them.

She was lying on her side, facing the door, when he tiptoed into the room, but as soon as he sat down, her eyes opened. “Hey, baby. How ya feel?” he asked and reached for her hand, thrilled when she took it in hers.

She yawned. “Better now that you’re here.” He could tell something was going on in her head, but he didn’t push, just waited. Finally, she asked, “How bad was it?”

“How bad was what?”

“The whole thing. Like, how bad did I look? How close was I to dying? How did you find me?”

“That’s a lot of questions. So, let’s see… It was pretty bad. The air was almost gone out of that thing because you’d been in there so long. You scared me. You were pale and unconscious, and I thought I’d lost you, but as soon as I managed to get some oxygen into you, you perked right up. And Starlight is how I found you. Animal control called us because she was there, running back and forth on the shoreline.”

“How did she get there?”

“We have no idea, but if I had to guess, I’d say she followed the car and when it was going too fast for her, she just used her nose to find your scent. She probably tracked you to the water’s edge and then didn’t know where you were, so she just ran back and forth, hoping she’d see you.”

“That’s a brave dog.”

“I don’t know about brave, but she was determined. When I got there and called her, she ran right to me, then managed to break free and started the whole thing again.”

“Is she okay?”

“Conor took her to the vet and they had to bandage her feet. Poor little thing’s pads looked like ground meat where she’d run back and forth over the rocks and shells, but she never gave up.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s staying with Maureen and Donovan. They’re staying with her in my apartment because that’s what she knows as home, and they felt that would be the most comfortable place for her until we can get back to her.”

“I love her, you know.”

Tavish smiled. “She loves you too. And I love that you love her.”

“Good.” She yawned again. “When are we going to start on the house?”

“I dunno. When do you want to start on the house?”

And yet another yawn. “I’m thinking tomorrow.”

“Nope. You’re going to have to be off that foot for a while. The doctor said he’s going to have to see you at least once a week to scrape off the necrotic tissue. They can’t stitch it shut because they want it to drain. So when you go home, you’ll have to wear a bandage and a boot to protect it.”

“Damn boot. I hate those things.”

“I know, but it needs to heal.”

“Tav?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Will you stay here with me tonight?”

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