Evelyn Crowe - Safe Haven

Logan ignored the awkward moment and asked, “Have you tackled the office yet?”

Tanner butted in without giving her a chance to answer. “Avery had one of those calls.”

The smile died and Logan’s eyes hardened. “How bad was it?”

“She said—”

This time Avery cut him off. “I can speak for myself, thank you. And I never said it was an obscene call. You did. All I heard was breathing.” For some reason she couldn’t bring herself to tell Logan that the call made her uneasy.

“Well, just so you’re prepared, you’ll get a few. The whole family has. The calls run the gambit of heavy breathing to outright threats.”

“Have you reported them to the police?”

Logan and Tanner shared a hard look, then Logan said, “Ross Middleton is the sheriff of Haven. He was my wife’s brother. He’s not willing to give much credence or time to crank calls.”

“I wonder why,” Tanner said sarcastically. “I know, I know, you don’t want to discuss it.”

Avery was mystified. She watched as Tanner picked up his dirty dishes and dumped them in the sink. “I’m out of here, folks,” he said. “Thanks for lunch. Avery, it was good to meet you.” He opened the door, then stopped. “I’m bringing Molly over later, Logan. So don’t do one of your famous disappearing acts, okay?” He waved and left, leaving a growing silence behind.

Avery gazed around at the chaos in the kitchen with a sinking feeling. How had it happened? She’d been enjoying herself so much she’d forgotten to notice what a mess the two men had made.

“Did you make any headway in the office?”

“I was just about to start when your brother came in.”

Logan had been pleased to see that wounded look disappear from Avery’s eyes when he and Tanner had been cooking and generally acting silly. But now it was back, and it reminded him of an animal that couldn’t tell him where it hurt.

Cruelty in any form saddened him and made him angry. He’d devoted most of his life administering to defenseless creatures that had borne the brunt of human rage and brutality. Who had hurt her?

He was good at diagnosing what ailed his patients, good at figuring out the puzzles. Avery was a different matter, though. He’d have to find out about her pain another way.

Logan had not forgotten his parting remark that morning. He knew she must be wondering. “Why don’t I help you clear up this mess and we can talk? I’ll try to answer any questions you have.”

Avery realized she had a hundred questions, but none she was willing to risk asking. Stick to business, she reminded herself. The last thing she wanted or needed was to get involved in Logan’s life.

Together they carried the dirty dishes to the sink, and as she began filling the dishwasher, she noticed him watching her. His eyes no longer seemed distant. They had a gentle, knowing look, as if he perhaps saw far too much. An icy finger of unease ran down her spine. She wanted to keep her past to herself, hidden away so she’d never have to face the shame of what had happened to her.

Her nerves must have been more frayed than she’d thought, for unthinkingly she said the first thing that popped into her head. “Why is the house so empty? It’s obvious there was furniture. I mean, there are indentations in some of the rugs and I was...” Her voice trailed away. She couldn’t believe she’d actually asked.

Logan barely managed to keep from smiling. He was aware that she’d dropped her guard, but now it was back in place. She was obviously trying to ignore the way he was staring as she busied herself by filling the sink with soapy water to scrub the cast-iron skillet and the blender. He liked the way she moved, the sway of her hips, the graceful hand gestures.

He leaned his backside against the edge of the counter, crossed his arms over his chest and said, “All the missing furniture belonged to my wife, to Becky’s family. They’re heirlooms from Becky’s mother, who wanted them back after the accident. There wasn’t any reason to kick up a fuss. I never particularly cared for them in the first place. They always had a musty smell I disliked.”

“And there was no reason to replace them?”

“Not with just me living here.” He changed the subject to her. He still wanted to understand about her past. “I hope you called your family and let them know you arrived safely. Where did you say you were from?”

“Seattle. And I don’t have anyone there anymore. I called Denise last night.”

“Denise, the friend in Houston? The one who got you this job?” Logan glanced around the kitchen. “I don’t know if she did you a favor or not. Just wait until you tackle the office.” He was intrigued by her smile, as if her lips were unused to the movement.

Avery found that the turn the conversation had taken was making her edgy, so she headed off any further questions with another of her own. “I thought from what you said yesterday that you no longer had a practice, but from what I saw in the office, you seem to be in business.”

“Confusing, isn’t it. There’s a saying in my work—once a veterinarian, always a veterinarian. It’s true. I have patients I’ve treated for years. Their owners aren’t willing to go to anyone else, even my brother. They refuse to let me retire and they call here day and night.”

“And you don’t turn them down, do you,” she said softly. Warmth coursed through her. Maybe the world did have people you could believe in. For all Logan’s initial indifference and the aura of mystery, he was a caring, sensitive man. Then the warm feeling cooled. What did she know about people? Hadn’t she learned, the hard way, that her judgment couldn’t be trusted?

He watched her attack the dirty skillet with zeal and a wire scrub brush. Her abrupt silence baffled him. He waited for Avery’s next question, because weren’t women, in general, notorious truth seekers? Secrets drove them nuts and led to a cross-examination worthy of the CIA. But Avery didn’t fit that mold, seemed loath to put a voice to her curiosity.

All of a sudden, he understood. Conversation, with questions and answers, was a two-way street. By asking, she would leave herself open to being quizzed. That was the last thing she wanted.

As Avery scrubbed, unaware of Logan’s thoughts, she allowed herself to dream a little, to slip back into familiar territory. “You’ll need me to set up your books as a small-business venture,” she said. “And of course you’ll want invoicing and billing. What about inventory? I mean, you use supplies and stuff, right?” She didn’t have a clue what a veterinarian required, but figured his needs were closely in line with those of a medical doctor. A vet was a doctor, after all. “And you’ll need tax depreciation on your equipment. Oh, and a profit-and-loss statement.”

She turned her head and looked at Logan. Omigod. Had she said too much, given something away?

“That sounds about right to me.” Logan’s suspicions were confirmed. She was well educated. Laypeople didn’t throw around terms like profit-and-loss statements and tax depreciation.

But Avery, excited by the prospect of getting involved in something she loved, forgot about discretion. Just as she started to tell Logan some of her plans, the kitchen door swung open. Hair flying, hands full of paper sacks, voice loud and laughing, Jessie Middleton blew into the kitchen like a whirlwind. She was scantily dressed in short shorts and a tank top that left little to the imagination.

The fact that she was being ignored made Avery bite her lip. Obviously Jessie thought that by pretending not to see the interloper, Avery would simply disappear. Well, Jessie was in for a shock. Bad manners didn’t faze Avery in the least. The less she was lured into this family and its problems, the better off she’d be. But becoming invisible didn’t seem to work with Logan. He was standing directly behind her, and as she started to move away, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.