Scent of Cedar, page 11
part #1 of The Friendly Beasts of Faraday Series
Had he forgotten the sizzling kisses they’d exchanged? Had he forgotten about how it felt to hold each other, to laugh together as they decorated her tree? Or the easy companionship they shared each time they talked?
Angry at him for his indifference, at herself for caring, she almost shoved Juniper out of the pickup in her haste to get away from Rhett. “Thank you. I appreciate it,” was all she said as she got out then slammed the door. She grabbed Juniper by the arm and dragged her into the house and slammed the front door for good measure.
“Well, that was a bit curt and rude, don’t you think?” Juniper asked as she kicked off her boots and hobbled toward the couch.
“Nothing less than he deserves,” Cedar spat out between clenched teeth. She yanked off her coat and boots.
“If I had a guy who looked like that and he looked at me like Rhett looks at you, I sure wouldn’t be sitting around, pining away for him. I’d never let him out of my sight.” Juniper gave her a pointed look. “And don’t start that nonsense about not caring about him. It’s crystal clear you both care and are both miserable. The question is what you’re going to do about it. I still don’t see what he did that is so unforgiveable. I think you’re just afraid to open your heart and are using that whole neighbor issue thing as an excuse.”
Cedar marched into the kitchen, too worked up to sit still and too miffed with Juniper to discuss the matter calmly. What was she going to do about Rhett? About her feelings for him? If only she could convince her heart to listen to her head. But how could she do that when all she wanted was to love and be loved by that infuriating man?
Chapter Nine
Cedar sat at her kitchen table, watching snow fall outside while she attempted to make Juniper’s Christmas gift.
Her sister loved scarves and operated under the theory that one could never, ever have too many. After watching a dozen tutorials, Cedar purchased soft, bulky yarn and was making a braided infinity scarf for Juniper.
Honestly, she was surprised by how well it was turning out. And Juniper would love the deep teal color she’d chosen. If nothing else, her sister would get a kick out of the fact Cedar had attempted to make her a gift.
She hadn’t seen Juniper in more than a week, since the day the SUV had died on the road and they’d gone to Rhett for help. Juniper left shortly after they returned to the house, ordering Cedar to quit being so stubborn where the mechanic was concerned and relieve the misery both of them were experiencing.
Her sister might have a point, but Cedar wasn’t yet ready to admit it.
Rhett had apologized multiple times, but Cedar hesitated to forgive him. He’d even sent her a beautiful crimson poinsettia with a card that expressed his regrets. She loved the poinsettia and set the card on her fireplace mantel, but she remained uncertain if she could trust him.
When he’d called to tell her about the new problems with her SUV, she’d thanked him and let him know she’d been trying to get the company to replace the vehicle since she’d gotten nowhere with the dealer. She asked him to wait on any repairs until she heard back from them.
A day later, she’d been draping garland along the banister by the entry when the doorbell rang. She opened it to find a man she recognized from the car dealership where she purchased her SUV as the owner of the business. The owner stood beside a man who looked like a mechanic, dressed as he was in coveralls with grease embedded on his hands.
“Miss Haynes?”
“Yes, may I help you?” she asked, forcing a polite smile. If the owner thought he could have someone repair her vehicle and call it a day, she wouldn’t stand for it. The only course of action she’d find acceptable was the replacement of her vehicle.
“I regret it took so long to rectify the problem with your SUV. My apologies to you. Here are the keys to your new vehicle,” the owner said, handing her a set of keys.
Cedar looked outside to see an identical SUV to the one parked at Rhett’s garage sat in her driveway. She took the keys and looked from the owner to the mechanic. “What made you change your mind about helping me?”
“Well, um, let’s just say it became quite clear this was the right thing to do,” the owner said. The mechanic nodded in agreement.
“Are there papers I need to sign?”
“Just a few. May we come in?” the owner asked.
Cedar led them into her living room and sat down in a side chair by the couch. While the men impatiently waited, she read every word of the six papers they wanted her to sign. Assured it was all standard information, she signed the papers, and then made sure she had copies of each.
“Just like that, this SUV is mine?” she asked as she walked them to the door. “No strings? No expenses? No more fuss?”
“It’s yours, Miss Haynes. I’m sure you’ll find it more to your liking than the other one. Happy Holidays,” the owner said then hurried out to a flatbed truck. The mechanic climbed behind the wheel and drove it down her lane.
“Well, Merry Christmas to me!” Cedar ran outside and started the SUV, pleased to see it only had a hundred miles on the odometer. It was also an upgraded version with extra bells and whistles she’d felt were unnecessary when she purchased her vehicle. She patted the dash as she drove it into her garage and parked it. “Please don’t be another lemon. I really don’t want to make lemonade with my vehicles.”
She scurried inside the house and called Juniper, ready to take her to task for tattling to their father about her problem with the dealership.
“I didn’t mention a word to Mom or Dad, Cedar. It wasn’t me if Dad had his hand in this,” Juniper assured her.
“Then who? You don’t think the owner at the dealership suddenly developed a conscience, do you?”
Juniper laughed. “No, I certainly don’t. Someone got to them, but I really don’t think it was Dad. He’d have called to brag about stirring that pot if he’d done it.”
Cedar knew that was true. Her father would want credit for stepping in and fixing the problem. “You don’t suppose…” Her voice trailed off.
“What, sis? What are you thinking?” Juniper asked. She remained silent a moment, then giggled. “Rhett. I bet Rhett did it. Can’t you just see him storming into the dealership and scaring the owner into giving you a new vehicle? Do you suppose he wore a leather jacket, like a member of a biker gang?”
“Good grief, Jun. You watch way too many movies. I’ll call you in a day or two. Stay out of trouble.”
Cedar wanted to run right down to the garage and ask Rhett if he was responsible for the new SUV, but she couldn’t. Not when she was afraid of facing him. She didn’t know why, but the thought of seeing him again scared her. Maybe it wasn’t him as much as the intensity of her feelings for him.
She waited two hours before she sent him a text, mentioning the arrival of the new SUV and asking if the dealership picked up hers from his garage.
He sent back a text that simply said, “yes.”
About to die of curiosity, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him outright if he’d been responsible for the replacement of her worthless vehicle.
Now, a week had gone by and she was no closer to deciding what to do about Rhett than she’d been the day she’d discovered he was her neighbor. In retrospect, what he’d done didn’t seem quite as horrible as it did at the moment Drake spilled the beans. After all, she had probably come off as a crazy neighbor. She had left a dozen messages or so that first week, whining about the camel.
If Rhett was the reason she had a new, dependable vehicle in her garage, she really should thank him. And think about forgiving him.
As she continued working on Juniper’s scarf, she saw Lolly wander by the porch. The camel had been over early that morning as had become her routine. The moment Rhett left for work, Lolly made her way to Cedar’s backyard. Cedar would bundle up and sit outside with a cup of coffee while Lolly enjoyed a carrot or two. She’d talk to the camel and Lolly would answer with grunts, purrs, or other indescribable noises, depending on the conversation.
For a furry, smelly, hump-backed beast, Cedar thought Lolly did a great job of fulfilling the role of a therapist. Probably better than the one in Portland who charged more than a hundred dollars an hour.
She stopped working on the scarf and cocked her head, listening. The sound Lolly made was one she hadn’t heard before. When Lolly staggered onto the porch with panic blazing in her eyes, Cedar ran to the door and rushed outside.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Are you hurt? What’s the matter?” Cedar asked, trying to discern what caused Lolly’s discomfort. The camel’s tongue hung out of her mouth and she kept making a gagging sound followed by a strange cough. “Did you eat something you shouldn’t have, Lolly? What do you need me to do, girl?”
Cedar had never owned a pet. She hadn’t even taken care of a goldfish. The urgent need to provide care to an animal as large as a camel seemed rather daunting, but she’d do anything for Lolly. Worried that something might be terribly wrong, she stepped back inside the house and grabbed her cell phone, placing a call to Lolly’s owner.
“This is Rhett.”
Cedar ignored the thrill the sound of his voice caused and focused on the matter at hand. “Rhett, it’s Cedar. Lolly is over here and something is wrong with her. She keeps coughing and gagging and her eyes look weird. I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m on my way. Just stay with her, please.”
The call disconnected and Cedar jammed the phone in the pocket of her jeans then raced to the coat closet. She pulled on a coat, boots, and snagged a stocking cap. By the time she returned outside, Lolly was staggering her way down the fence toward the road.
“Lolly! Come back here!” Cedar shouted, racing after the camel. Rather than stop, Lolly continued her ground-eating pace and turned onto the road. A car honked and swerved as it pulled around the weaving camel. Cedar quickly texted Rhett she and Lolly were headed to his place. She didn’t want him to waste precious minutes going to her house.
“Lolly! You’re going to get us both killed,” Cedar hollered as she followed the camel down the road then up the driveway to Rhett’s place. Cedar had driven over there twice when she first arrived to leave notes on the door about Lolly, but she’d never taken time to look around. An assortment of outbuildings sat in a cluster a few hundred feet away from the house. Everything appeared neat and well-tended. Lights hung from the house and along the front of the barn, and were even strung across the top of the dog’s house. A mottled mutt wandered out of it with a striped cat trailing him and came over to sniff Cedar’s leg. The dog sat down and wagged his tail, as though he’d been expecting her arrival.
Lolly collapsed on a pile of straw near the barn beneath a large outdoor light and moaned loudly. Cedar dropped to her knees by the animal’s head and murmured reassuringly. “Rhett’s on his way, Lolly. He’ll be here soon, girl. Please don’t die. Please? My heart couldn’t take it if something happened to you.”
Rhett roared up his driveway and sent snow flying in an arc as he slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop. He raced over to where she and the camel rested in the straw.
“Lol? What’s wrong, baby? Where does it hurt?” Rhett’s big hands tenderly ran over the camel’s neck as he tried to figure out the cause of her discomfort.
The camel moaned again and her eyes rolled back in her head while her tongue hung out of her mouth.
“That’s not good,” he mumbled then called someone on his cell phone. Cedar heard him answer a few questions then beg for the person to hurry. He dropped down beside Cedar and rested his hand on Lolly’s neck again. “The vet is on her way. She’ll be here soon.”
“What do you think is wrong with her?” Cedar asked, moving to Lolly’s other side. She gently brushed the shaggy hair away from Lolly’s forehead. The dog and cat came over and flopped down beside her, leaning against her leg, as though they, too, were anxious for their friend to be okay.
“I have no idea,” Rhett said, his voice edged with worry as he rubbed a hand comfortingly along Lolly’s neck. “She’s never acted like this before.” He raised his gaze to hers. “Did you see her eat anything before you noticed she was sick?”
“No. I saw her walk past the back porch and then a few minutes later, she climbed on the porch, coughing and gagging. While I pulled on my coat and boots, she started back over here. Does she frequently run out onto the highway?”
“No. Never. She goes through the pasture. If you haven’t seen it, there’s a gate just past your yard. She can open it and the gate on my side of the pasture fence. Don’t ask me how. It’s a talent she keeps hidden.” Rhett attempted a smile, but the tension riding his brow and lingering in his eyes made it clear how troubled he was by Lolly’s sudden illness.
The camel moaned again and coughed.
“Come on, Lol. Be okay, girl. You have to be okay. I can’t lose you, too.” Rhett looked desperate to do something, to fix something, as he knelt in the snow next to the camel.
The dog barked and the cat meowed when Lolly gagged again, adding to the turmoil. The dog placed his head on Cedar’s lap and whined pitifully until she rubbed a hand over his head. Not to be left out, the cat climbed on Cedar’s other leg, turned in a circle and curled into a ball. A pink tongue darted out and licked the dog on the nose before the cat closed his eyes and started to purr.
Cedar stared at the animals and then at Rhett.
He tipped his head toward the cat. “The one with his motor running is Murray and Rover is the whiny one. Uncle Will brought them home the summer when I was fifteen. They were tiny little balls of fur then. In spite of their advancing years, they get around remarkably well and do their best to tattle on Lolly every time they think she should be in trouble for her shenanigans.”
“Murray and Rover, it’s nice to meet you both,” Cedar said, giving both the cat and dog a loving pat before she turned her attention back to Lolly. The camel gagged once more and wheezed. Her head listed to one side and her eyes rolled back in her head again, as though she fainted.
“Lolly!” Rhett held a hand in front of her nose to make sure she was still breathing. When warm air blew on his fingers, he sat back on his heels and swallowed hard. “You darn camel, don’t you dare die on me.”
Before Cedar could offer a word of encouragement, bright headlights swung around from the house and momentarily blinded her.
“I came as fast as I could, Rhett. What’s going on?” A lovely woman about Cedar’s age dropped down beside them with a medical bag and an adorable little boy.
Cedar could see the boy had to be the vet’s son by the close resemblance they shared. In fact, the youngster almost looked like a mischievous elf with his rosy cheeks, snapping dark eyes, and impish grin.
“I’m Nick Carol and I’m six,” the boy said, reaching out a little mitten-covered hand to Cedar. “This is my mom, Angela. She’s the best vet in the whole world.”
Cedar shook his hand with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Nick. I’m Cedar Haynes. I live next door to Mr. Riggs. I bet your Mom can make Lolly all better if she’s the best vet in the whole world.”
“Yep! She fixed my bird, Jasper. He flew into the window at school and Mr. Miller rescued him. She let me help take care of him and now he’s our class mascot.” The boy moved around Lolly so he could sit in the straw next to Cedar. He reached down and pet Murray, causing the cat’s purr to accelerate. “Did you know I have a pet sheep? His name is Shep, like a dog, ’cause he follows me around. He’s got horns that curl around his ears like this.” Nick formed circles around his ears then gave Cedar a forlorn look. “I can’t take him to school no more. He made poopies in the hall and Mrs. Beeler got real mad. She’s the principal and kind of cranky. I think it’s because she wears squeaky shoes. They sound like this.” The little boy pursed his lips like he was a fish and emitted a squeaking sound.
Cedar had to work to suppress a laugh, especially when she glanced up and caught Rhett’s eye. In spite of his agonizing worry over Lolly, the boy’s chatter clearly amused him as well.
Uncertain what to say, Cedar remained silent as the engaging child went on to describe the animals at the vet clinic and how he was going to be a vet just like his mom when he grew up.
While he talked, Angela examined Lolly. She shined a light down the camel’s throat, in her eyes, and took her temperature.
“She’s not running a fever, Rhett. She isn’t congested. There’s nothing lodged in her throat, although it looks like she’s been eating apples. It’s possible she swallowed one whole and it got stuck, I suppose, but she’d most likely spit it up. I’m not certain what to tell you.” Angela looked at Cedar and then her son. “I’d like to stay with her a little while, just to make certain she’s going to be okay. Do you think you could take Nick up to the house? He’s been out in the cold since school got out and the temperature is dropping fast.”
“Absolutely, Angela.” Rhett rose to his feet and gave Cedar his hand, pulling her up. The dog woofed his protest, but quickly settled back down, nestling close to Lolly. “You’ve been sitting out in the cold for a while, too, Cedar. Come in the house and warm up.”
Cedar would have protested, but she was cold and she wanted to see if Lolly’s condition changed before she went home. She bent down and grinned at Nick. “Shall we go inside for a while? I heard Mr. Riggs has an awesome Christmas tree.”
“He does?” Nick asked, taking the hand Cedar held out to him. “We haven’t put our tree up yet. Mom’s been too busy, but she promised we’ll do it soon.”
Cedar was surprised when Rhett took Nick’s other hand and the three of them walked together to the house. He unlocked the back door, stamped the snow from his boots and motioned for them to enter. Nick imitated Rhett’s every move, knocking the snow from his boots before he went inside.
Rhett flicked a switch and light flooded a roomy kitchen. He opened a cupboard and removed four mugs. From a second cupboard he took a box of hot chocolate mix. He filled a tea kettle and set it on the stove, heating the water.
