Page 16 of Shadows of You

“We find them in books and movies lotsa times,” Cady volunteered.

“I like it,” Damien told her. “Do you think you can show me where Dory is?”

Cady beamed, puffing out her chest. “Totally. I helped Mr. Grizz take care of her last night. I can help you, too.”

Damien’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Mr. Grizz?”

“The Fish and Wildlife officer who helped us,” I explained as we walked to the barn.

Damien chuckled. “Does he know she calls him that?”

My cheeks pinked. “Thankfully, no.”

“It is fitting,” Damien mumbled as he stepped inside. He took in our full house. The animals were restless, wanting to stretch their legs after being cooped up for so long. “You’ve got quite the menagerie.”

“They all just kind of found their way to us,” I explained.

“They have a way of doing that.” He glanced at me. “Do you have any help caring for them at all?”

“We manage.”

Damien’s lips thinned. “I’d be happy to make house calls at no charge, and we can get you medicine at cost, possibly even donated.”

My brows flew up. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s the least I can do. I like to contribute my time whenever possible.”

I wanted to argue, and hated the feeling of a handout, but it wasn’t for me. It was for the animals. “Thank you.”

“Here’s Dory,” Cady called.

Damien moved down the aisle to check on the deer.

“I gave her deer feed and water this morning, but she’s only had that one dose of antibiotics,” I told him.

The doe was shaky on her feet, her eyes jerking about.

Damien set his bag on the tack box and pulled out a few things. “I’m hoping I can avoid sedating her again. If her wounds aren’t too bad, we’ll continue treating her with oral antibiotics. If everything heals, we should be able to release her in a week or two.”

Cady leaned against the stall. “Will she find her friends again? She was all alone.”

My throat tightened. I hated the idea of the beautiful doe out there all by herself.

Damien pulled out some sort of treat and shoved a pill into it. “Deer tend to stay on the same migratory patterns. I bet they’ll find her pretty quickly.”

A little of the pressure in my neck eased. “How often do I give her the meds?”

“Twice a day. Try to minimize contact as much as possible unless you want a permanent member of the family.”

“We could keep her, Mama. We’ve got room,” Cady said, eyes lighting with hope.

I shook my head. “We need to try to get her back to her family. They’ll be missing her.”

Cady sighed. “Okay.”

Damien slipped into the stall, and the deer backed into the corner. He didn’t rush her, but he watched her panic closely. He crouched low, extending his hand with the treat and humming softly.

The doe sniffed the air but didn’t approach.

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