Page 15 of Shadows of You

I chuckled. “Are you calling me a grandma?”

Cady pulled back, shaking her head. “You’re not a grandma. Charlie and I gots to grow up first and get married. Then you can be a grandma.”

That beautiful pain was back again. All of Cady’s amazing dreams. Dancing ballet on the world’s stages. Marrying her best friend. Becoming a mother herself.

My sister wouldn’t get to see any of it. Because a monster had ripped her away from us. And we were still hiding from his reach.

* * *

The soundof an engine had me looking up from the endless pile of snow. I’d been working all day as Cady played, with only a few breaks to warm her fingers and toes. I was finally almost done clearing the driveway, but not before cursing myself for not finding a way to buy a snowblower.

The SUV crept slowly up the drive, and each rotation of the wheels had my stomach twisting tighter. “It’s just Dr. Miller. You’re safe. Cady’s safe.” I murmured the words over and over under my breath.

“Is that the vet?” Cady called from her snow mountain.

“I think so,” I answered.

“He’s gonna help Dory?”

“He is.”

“Is Mr. Grizz with him?” Cady asked hopefully.

I bit back a chuckle. I had a feeling my grumpy savior from the night before didn’t want anything to do with us and our chaos. “I don’t think so, Katydid.”

Her shoulders slumped as she crossed to me. “I want him to come back. I think he needs some friends.”

My ribs squeezed, and I wrapped an arm around her. “You’ve got the best heart, you know that?”

Cady smiled up at me. “Kind hearts are the best hearts, right?”

I booped her nose. “Can’t think of anything more important.”

A door slammed, and I turned to see a figure walking toward us. His dark brown hair had just the slightest hint of salt and pepper at the temples. His sunglasses kept me from seeing his eyes, but he smiled warmly. “Aspen?”

“Hi, Dr. Miller.”

“Please, call me Damien.” He extended a hand for me to shake, his grip firm but not too tight.

I nodded as I swallowed. There was nothing but kindness in his expression, but his mere presence put me on edge. I couldn’t help the way my mind worked: plotting exit strategies and looking for physical spots of weakness.

I forced my mouth to curve, but I knew it probably looked strained. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

“It’s the least I can do. It’s incredibly kind of you to take in an injured deer.”

“Kind hearts are the best hearts,” Cady chimed in.

Damien tipped up his sunglasses, resting them on his head, then smiled at her. “I’ve found that to be very true.”

Now that I could take in the vet’s entire face, I saw he was remarkably handsome. A little too polished for my taste, but I’d bet he had all sorts of frequent flyers at his office, just hoping for a date.

“Are you going to help Dory?” Cady asked.

Damien glanced at me. “The doe?”

I nodded. “We have a habit of naming every creature we come across here.”

He grinned. “I bet you’re constantly needing new inspiration.”

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