Renee Andrews - Finally A Bride

“Right. Well, he will need to work up to eating again, too, like you do after you’ve been sick.” She’d continued probing and performing a preexam on the tiny dog while talking to the boy, and she was now fairly certain that no bones were broken. The pup didn’t show signs of distemper, and though his breathing was shallow, he wasn’t struggling for breath. Even so, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. She would need to keep him for treatment, and she hoped the boy would understand.

“He doesn’t eat soup, does he?” Eli asked. “’Cause I could get him some if that’ll make him better.”

“No, he doesn’t, but I can try some other things that his tummy should be okay with, until he can work his way up to eating normal food again.” She placed a finger under Eli’s chin. “Would that be okay, for me to take care of him here for a little while? To help him feel better?” Haley knew the puppy wouldn’t have made it very long in the woods on his own. This little boy, whether he realized it or not, had potentially saved him.

“Do I have to leave him here?” The panic in his voice pierced her heart and his grip on the puppy increased, so that the little animal let out a squeaky yelp.

Haley barely noticed the man on the other side of the lobby turn to face them, because she was too intent on capturing the boy’s attention. “Eli, calm down, honey. I am going to do my best to get him well. I promise.”

He stared at the puppy, still whimpering. “Did I hurt him?”

“You just don’t need to squeeze him so much,” she said. “But I can tell that you aren’t trying to hurt him, and he knows that, too.”

“He does?” Eli looked imploringly to Haley. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Of course. Puppies can tell when someone cares about them, just like people can tell when someone cares about them.” She fought the impulse to glare at the man who had shifted his stance and was now undoubtedly watching their interaction.

“I want to keep him.” Eli took a small step away from Haley. “He doesn’t have anyone to love him, and he’s scared.”

A muffled clearing of a throat caused Haley to finally glance up at Mr. Gavin and, for a moment, her breath caught in her chest. Not what she’d expected. She’d anticipated an older, grumpy, stern-faced gentleman who wouldn’t show concern for the brokenhearted boy. But this man was young, around Haley’s age, she’d guess, with one of the most strikingly masculine faces she’d ever seen.

Haley swallowed, forcing herself to get a grip on the awareness flooding through her. She wouldn’t be swayed by his gorgeous good looks and rugged presence.

The bottom line was that he didn’t seem to care about this little boy’s pain.

And that was reason enough for Haley to dislike the man.

So when he glared at Haley, she glared right back.

* * *

Gavin Thomason had thought taking the seven-year-olds from his cabin for an adventure hike would be a great way to enjoy the crisp October afternoon.

The Claremont Community Church had bought the kids new coats, hats and gloves this afternoon for the upcoming winter months. Knowing the boys had been eager to try out their new things, he’d thought the hike had seemed like a great idea.

So, after assisting all of them with their homework, he’d given each boy a sheet with photos of leaves to find and told them they could don their new winter duds for the adventure, even though the temperature was in the midsixties. He’d planned to talk to them about the different trees God created, about the leaves changing color and about how God gave us seasonal weather to enjoy throughout the year. He’d anticipated this leading into the afternoon devotional, focusing on how, in God’s world, things change. And, more importantly, on how change didn’t always mean something bad.

Since all the kids at the children’s home had gone through tremendous life changes, he’d thought the devotional would be well received. That it would help them deal with their unique circumstances, whether they’d been orphaned, abandoned or neglected by their families.

But once Eli had heard that puppy’s cry, all Gavin’s plans for the afternoon had flown out the window.

Mark Laverty, one of Gavin’s fellow cabin counselors, had taken over today’s activity so Gavin could take Eli and what appeared to be a dying puppy to the vet. Gavin had prayed the whole way here because, of all the boys in his cabin, none had been through as much pain as Eli. And none had touched Gavin’s heart like he had, because he’d lost everything that had mattered in his world...

Just like Gavin.

“Do I have to leave him here?” Eli turned away from the vet to direct the question to his cabin counselor. “I don’t want to leave him, Mr. Gavin. He’s scared.”

The vet, whom Gavin had barely acknowledged until this point, glanced up from where she crouched next to the boy. Gavin focused on the woman who, at this moment, could hurt the child more than anyone else if she didn’t help this pitiful dog. And he wasn’t all that certain of her ability to do so. She certainly didn’t look like any vet he’d ever seen before. She was young, probably a little younger than Gavin’s thirty-one, with vivid green eyes amid a pixie face, pale pink gloss on heart-shaped lips and long blond hair that hung well past her shoulders.

How hadn’t he noticed her before now? And why had he picked today, of all days, to become even remotely aware of an attractive female?

Regardless, he wasn’t ready, or willing, to let his mind start noticing such things as green eyes, glossy lips or silky hair.

Not yet. Maybe not ever.

God, help me.

“Buddy needs to stay here, if you want him to have the best chance...” Her voice drifted off, but Gavin knew where the statement had been headed.

...for survival.

Then his mind honed in on the fact that she’d called the dog by name.

“Buddy?” he asked. Was she familiar with the pup? Did she know the owner? Or whoever had abandoned him?

Eli sniffed. “That’s his name. That’s what you called him when we found him.”

Well, what do you know? Gavin had unintentionally named the pup. He’d merely told the little tuft of fur, whining in a pile of leaves and pine straw, We’ll take care of you, buddy.

And now, thanks to Gavin, they had a “Buddy,” and one that Eli didn’t want to leave behind.

He did his best not to notice that the vet was even lovelier when she looked at the puppy and boy with such compassion. Steeling his heart for her answer, he asked her directly, “Are you able to heal him?” He didn’t want to get Eli’s hopes up if she knew the tiny dog’s chances were slim to nil.

Her cheeks twitched slightly, eyes narrowing the slightest bit.

Gavin noticed.

But he didn’t care.

He wanted an honest answer about the dog’s chances, because he wouldn’t lie to Eli, not about this puppy or anything else. The little guy already had enough tough blows to last a lifetime, and Gavin wouldn’t allow this young doctor to cause him more unnecessary pain.

She looked away from Gavin, her features softening as she placed a hand beneath the puppy’s scruffy chin. “He’s severely malnourished, and it’ll take time to get him back to a healthy condition. He’s undoubtedly been on his own for a few days.” She looked like she wanted to explain further, but Eli emitted another sucking whimper that made her pause and drape an arm around him.

“But, yes, I do know what to do to try and make him better.” The last sentence was delivered to the little boy beside her rather than the man who had asked the question.

Gavin prayed that the woman who sounded so convincing...hadn’t just lied to the kid.

“But I have to leave him here?” Eli repeated, this time his lip quivering through the words.