Page 75 of A Cowboy's Claim
“Not an option.” Declan and Sydney said it at the exact same time. Her lips quirked and she squeezed his knee.
“Option two,” Aiden chimed in, scratching the back of his neck. “You tell him, he sees reason, and things work out?—”
Tansy snorted. “Aiden, you’re such an eternal optimist. The man’s been running his family like a corporation since forever. You thinkreasonis in his playbook?”
“Option three. I tell him, and he pulls his support. Which means I could maybe keep the clinic open until the end of the year.” Sydney swallowed hard. “That would mean disappointing a lot of people here in Heart Falls because having a local clinic has made a difference in their lives. It means a lot of old-timers will go back to not getting any care because they’re not about to do the drive into town for some silly medical advice. And it means that I would have to take a job at the hospital in Diamond Valley.”
“That’s an hour and a half away,” Tansy protested. “You can’t drive that on a daily basis, especially in the winter.”
“You’re right, I can’t.” Hopelessness coloured her tone. “I’d have to move.”
“If that’s what it comes down to, then that’s what we’ll do.” Declan linked his fingers with hers, ready to offer it all. “If the clinic has to close, then you and I will move.”
17
It was nearly as shocking as if he’d right out announced that he loved her in front of his brothers and her friends.
But what hit first wasn’t anger or frustration—it was relief. Pure and overwhelming. He was sticking to his guns, serious about being there for her, about wanting to be with her.
The family murmured around them—questions, half-formed objections—but Sydney only saw Declan. The only thing she heard was the pounding of blood in her ears.
She cupped her hand to his cheek. “It’s not quite dancing around a maypole, but damn—that was close.”
Declan’s lips twitched. “You going to squirm if I say it again right here, right now?”
“You go ahead and say it as much as you want,” Sydney offered slowly. “Maybe there’s something to that training effect after all. I’m feeling only about a sixty percent rise in panic.”
He pressed their foreheads together, staring into her eyes. “No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you.”
“I believe you.”
They sat like that for a minute before Aiden cleared his throat. “Not that this isn’t delightful, like watching the mating habits of some rare Canadian wildlife, but do we have a timeline? Or any other ideas to throw on the table?”
For all their ribbing, the eyes of every family member were kind. Every one of them leaned forward, focused intently. Not one person was ready to let her face this alone.
“I can’t promise anything, but maybe…” Petra spoke quietly, lost in thought.
Sydney turned to face her. Declan’s arm had snuck around Sydney’s back, and the two of them sat together, a united force.
Petra wrinkled her nose. “I need to talk to my brother. And if you’re okay with it, I’d like to give my mom and dad a shout. Like I said, I can’t promise anything, but I might know of some financial possibilities.”
“I’m fine with that,” Sydney said. She fought to keep from smiling too hard. “I’d better confess my first instinct when you spoke was to assume you were about to offer to hack into some program to find me funding.”
“She can always see if there’s any dirt she can dig up on your grandpa,” Aiden offered quietly before coughing into his hand. “Never mind me. I didn’t suggest a thing.”
“No, no digging into my grandpa.” Tempting as it was, the last thing Sydney wanted was to stoop to his level—interfering where she had no right. “It doesn’t seem proper for me to turn around and be rotten back to him. That’s not how I want to run my life, and there are enough other things I need to pull in the right direction, so don’t tempt me.”
Petra raised her hands in the air. “I’ll keep you on the straight and narrow. Somehow.”
“Good luck with that one,” Tansy muttered, whistling innocently when Petra stuck out her tongue.
“I love you guys,” Sydney offered impulsively. “And the fact that I can tell you that means more than you’ll ever know.”
Declan’s grip on her hand squeezed briefly. “If we’re good for now, I need to grab a shower.”
“And I need to stop by the clinic,” Sydney said.
“I can drive you home to get your truck,” Petra offered.
