Jillian Hart - Hometown Hearts

Tucked in the corner and huddled in a cozy bed made of a soft hand towel—a brand-new guest towel by the looks of it—lay a baby goldfinch, tiny and fragile. Broken bits of down littered the towel. The creature trembled, terrified and in pain.

Julianna squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers steepling in prayer. Cheyenne could feel the force of it from where she stood, a child’s pure, unselfish wish. Surely the good Lord would hear such an honorable request.

“Hey, Tomasina.” She spoke softly, willing all the calmness she could into her voice. “It’s good to meet you. I imagine you are really missing your mama.”

The baby bird tilted its head to focus on her. The little heart beat wildly, tapping against the fluffy down on its breast. How terrifying this had to be and how alone the chick must feel.

“You are safe, little one.” The finch was too young to fly and probably too paralyzed with fear to move. Tenderly, she scooped the tiny bundle into the palm of her hand and held it carefully so the bird felt secure. Sure enough, talon marks tracked around the exposed abdomen, puncturing the skin where claws had dug in. They didn’t look too deep, but with such a tiny creature they didn’t have to be.

“See, right here?” She took the time to hold the finch for Julianna’s inspection. The girl came closer, eyes wide and bottom lip trembling when she saw the contusions. “That’s where she’s bleeding. I need to clean the wounds and tend them.”

“She’s not going to d-die?”

“I don’t know, but I promise to take good care of her.”

“I know you will.” Julianna gently stroked the bird’s soft head with the tip of her forefinger. “You’ve got to be all right, Tomasina. Be sure and do what Dr. Granger says.”

The little girl was too cute. Cheyenne bit her lip. The bird in her hands relaxed a bit. Maybe the creature realized she was not in any danger or perhaps her fear was too overwhelming. She needed to get the little one into the back and cared for. “If you girls want to go home, I’ll call you and let you know how she’s doing.”

“Will it be very long?” Julianna took charge of the abandoned shoe box and lid. “Can we stay?”

Hard to look into those big brown eyes and say no. “Go ahead and hang out in the waiting room but give your dad a call. He needs to know where you are. This could take a while.”

“Oh! Dad.” An “uh-oh” look puckered her adorable face. Julianna seemed to expect her father might not be pleased with this latest development.

Probably the dad feared he was about to be surprised with a vet bill. Well, she would waive the charges, just as she had before. The last thing she wanted was to make Julianna think she shouldn’t step up and help God’s creatures. She opened the door. While she hadn’t officially met Dr. Stone yet, she’d heard good things about him. She had spotted him enough times around town, at Cady’s inn and her sister’s wedding to have gathered an impression about the man.

Serious. Subdued. Not exactly social. Striking, broad shoulders…wait, where had that come from?

She saw the girls off in the direction of the waiting room before heading into the back with the bird huddled in her palm.

“The Stone kids again?” Ivy Tipple, their tech, looked up from checking on the black Lab in one of the kennels recovering from his emergency surgery, the blood pressure cuff in hand.

“How did you know?”

“Who else would bring in a baby bird, considering this economy and the cost of a vet bill? Do you need a hand?”

“No, go ahead and finish with Buster. He’s looking much better.” The Lab’s tongue still lolled but his eyes were open.

“He’s doing well. He’s going to survive his fight with that coyote. Way to go, Buster.” Ivy knelt to her work, catching the swish and pulse of the Lab’s heart with the Doppler. The sound filled the back room, and Cheyenne gave thanks for the steady beat. The Lab had a close call.

“His blood pressure is not only up, it’s perfect,” Ivy announced. “You did good today, too, Doc.”

“Just doin’ my job.” The one God had blessed her with. She opened the nearby cabinet with her free hand, sorting through the supplies she would need, praying she could make a difference for the little creature in her palm. She couldn’t disappoint Julianna Stone with her big, soulful brown eyes.

“It’s a personal call, Doctor.”

Adam Stone didn’t need to ask who it was from. He knew only three people in this small town well enough to be called personal—two of whom were his daughters. He wasn’t interested in making friends during his temporary stay. No, this extended visit to Wyoming was not permanent. He did not anticipate getting attached to anyone in this tiny rural town. “Have them hold. I’ll be right there, Mildred.”

“All right.” The matronly woman closed the door to the exam room, leaving him alone with his patient.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized, although the elderly lady seated on the table didn’t seem to mind the intrusion.

“Oh, I know what it’s like to have young children.” Mrs. Tipple’s face was wreathed with lovely good humor. “Mine were a handful. I don’t know how working women do it these days. I couldn’t keep up with my brood and that’s all I had to do. I think I’m still worn-out from it.”

A sweet lady. “Your daughter was in last week. She’s fifty-five, so it’s been a while since she was twelve.”

“Yes, but it seems like yesterday. You just wait. Time flies. There’s no stopping it.” Mrs. Tipple’s eyes twinkled. “So, how’s my ticker?”

“Your heart is stable for now. I’ll call in your medication renewal.” He offered the lady his hand to help her down. “You’re still using the pharmacy in town?”

“For the last sixty years.”

Hard to beat that. He’d learned that Wild Horse, Wyoming, was about as stable as life could get. He opened the door for his charming patient. “You call me if you have any concerns.”

“Yes, Doctor. You have a nice day, now.”

“You, too, Mrs. Tipple.” He waited while the elderly lady tapped out of the doorway on her sensible heels before he headed to his office at the end of the hall. One of the lines was flashing and he grabbed the receiver. “What is it this time?”

“Dad?” There was noise in the background making it hard to hear his youngest daughter. “Are you in a good mood?”

“Not really.” Julianna’s question was always a sign that he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say. He dropped into his chair. “What have you done now?”

Before she could answer, he dug out an aspirin bottle from his top desk drawer. He figured he might need it, as single parenting was harder than it looked. A strange yowling carried across the line, interrupted by a dog’s ringing bark.

“Daddy, don’t get mad.” Hard not to recognize her guilty tone. “I had to help her.”

“Help who?”

“Tomasina.”

Tomasina? He racked his brain for any information associated with that name. No children, no neighbors, no neighborhood pets that he could think of. He pried the lid off the bottle. “Time to explain, young lady.”

“She could be dying, Daddy.” Julianna sniffled. Her feelings were so tender and drove up the high notes in her voice. “I had to bring her here.”

The picture came clear. A dog barked in the background again, harmonized by an cat’s howl and a woman’s voice telling Grover to sit like a good boy. No mystery where the girl was.

“Haven’t I told you not to go across town to the vet’s office without clearing it with me?” He shook out two aspirin and popped them into his mouth, not even bothering with water.

“Y-yes.” Julianna’s tone went to a near whisper. His guess, she was kneeling on the floor, holding herself in, contrite and wounded. She’d been fragile since the divorce. “Daddy, are you mad?”