Damien simply stayed still. My heart hammered as we waited. She took her time. One step, then another until she could stretch her neck and nab the treat. She gobbled it down as Damien studied her sides.
Slowly, he rose and backed out of the stall. “I think the wounds will heal on their own. But she needs a full course of antibiotics to make sure we knock out the infection. I’ll come back in a few days to check on her.”
I wiped my damp palms on my snow pants. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course. Call me immediately if she stops eating or drinking, or if the wounds look worse.”
I nodded. I knew the drill.
As we headed out of the barn, I saw the sun had dipped lower in the sky.
Damien shot me a smile as he climbed into his SUV. “You’ve got my number. Call if you run into issues with any of your critters.”
Something about that smile told me he might be interested in me calling him for any reason. He’d be disappointed there. I didn’t have time to date. Wasn’t about to welcome someone I didn’t know well into Cady’s and my lives.
I tried to convey polite gratitude with my return grin. “Appreciate it.”
He waved and backed out of the drive. I waited until he was completely out of sight—a habit I couldn’t seem to break. I was so used to identifying every vehicle that lingered and not breathing fully until my property was free of unknowns.
Cady tugged on my hand, bringing me back to the moment. “Are we still gonna go have Hartley dinner?”
I surveyed the drive and the road. Now that the plows had been through and I’d cleared the drive, my station wagon would probably do fine. I bit the inside of my cheek. I hoped so, anyway.
“Please, Mama? I wanna go so bad.”
Charlie’s grandma, Kerry Hartley, had been inviting us to their family dinner for months now. Since Wren and Maddie were engaged to two Hartley brothers, Holt and Nash, they all seemed to think I should join the crew, as well. I’d resisted, fearing the questions that might come my way if we ventured into that territory.
I looked down at Cady, seeing so much hope in those green eyes. She deserved this. A real family dinner. What Autumn and I never had growing up.
“Okay,” I relented.
Cady leapt into the air. “Yes, yes, yeeeeesss!” She did a boogie dance toward the house. “We gots to get ready.”
I laughed but nodded, my stomach twisting at the thought of what I should wear to a family get-together. I decided on jeans and a sweater that made the green in my eyes pop just a bit more. Cady opted for her glitter boots and a sweater with a glitter pig on the front.
Her hands went to her hips. “Mama, you need sparkles.”
I laughed. “Well then, fix me up.”
Cady ran back to her bedroom and returned with a glittery gold headband. “This!”
I bent so she could place it on my head. It was too small for me, but I didn’t argue. I would’ve done anything to see that light in her eyes.
I stood, straightening. “What do you think? Am I ready?”
Cady beamed. “You look like a princess.”
I curtsied to her. “Why, thank you, milady.”
She giggled and ran into the kitchen to grab a bone. “Here you go, Chauncey.”
He lumbered across the threshold and gently took it from her outstretched hand.
“Let’s go!”
We donned coats, and I loaded Cady into my station wagon. The engine sputtered twice before it caught, and I winced. I needed to take it to the local mechanic, but I dreaded what they might tell me needed to be fixed.
Thankfully, the drive to the Hartleys’ wasn’t bad. People had clearly been out and about today, and the snow was already melting. That was the thing about these fall storms; the snow never stuck around. But it would leave plenty of mud for the animals to roll around in afterward.
I slowed as I approached the massive gates for the Hartley property. It shouldn’t have surprised me. Grae had told me once that her father had started an outdoor gear company. It grew incredibly popular, and when he sold it years back, it left him and all his children with more than enough money in the bank. Yet all the Hartley siblings I’d met had regular jobs like the rest of us.
“Wow,” Cady breathed.
I rolled down my window and hit the intercom.
Kerry’s cheery voice filled the speaker. “Hartley residence.”
“Hi, Kerry. It’s Aspen.”
“Oh, good. I was worried you might not make it with the snow. Drive on up.”
A buzz sounded, and the gate began to open.