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The corners of her eyes crinkled. “Nope, I’m a people doctor.” She chuckled at his crestfallen expression. “That probably doesn’t sound as exciting to you as horses and boa constrictors.”
Tuning out their conversation, Annie watched three girls walking down the street together, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders.
She’d seen them at school. They were popular girls who had the right clothes and wore more makeup than Dad would ever letherwear. One said something and the others dissolved into laughter.
That big lump was back in Annie’s throat as she remembered her own friends back home, who were still having fun every day after school without her.
“Annie?” The llama lady was looking at her with an expression of concern. “You look a little pale. Do you want to come inside and sit down?”
“We gotta go,” Charlie announced. “Before my dad thinks we’re lost again and gets mad.”
“I was never lost. You were,” Annie retorted, embarrassed.
“Would you two like some bottled water? You can take it with you.” She turned toward the clinic. “I’ll be right back.”
Heading down Main Street came the unmistakable sound of Uncle Ed’s pickup truck backfiring.
The color of rust, with loose fenders that rattled and a big dent in the passenger door, it was the ugliest thing Annie had ever seen. Uncle Ed had loaned it to Dad yesterday so he could pick up some building supplies.
Mortification swept through Annie as she glanced the other way and saw the trio of girls stop to look over their shoulders.
The truck pulled to a creaking halt right in front of the clinic. Annie felt heat rise in her cheeks as three pairs of eyes swiveled toward her when Dad climbed from behind the wheel and strode up the sidewalk.
Two of the girls laughed, then they all continued on their way.
Dad didn’t look happy. “Why weren’t you two down at the school? I waited fifteen minutes, then I started looking for you two. I—”
Jolie stepped out of the clinic. When she saw Dad’s expression, her stride faltered, but Annie had to give her credit—she recovered fast.
“Hi there. I’m afraid I was chatting with your kids and kept them from meeting you,” she said easily, handing Annie and Charlie each a frosty bottled water.
“Ihateit here,” Annie muttered under her breath. “We belong inChicago,not this boring—”
“Manners,” Dad said quietly.
“Why did we have to move?” She knew she sounded like a three-year-old, but all Annie could feel was pure misery. A swamp of despair.
“I think it’s cool! We can get horses and ride in the mountains,” Charlie piped up. “And there’s skiing and bears.”
“I hope not at the same time,” Jolie said dryly. She gestured toward the small, one-story building behind her. “Want to see the clinic?”
Dad shook his head. “Another time. I need to get this truck to my brother’s place so he can run to Billings for some equipment.”
“We have to...ride...in that thing?” Annie closed her eyes. With her luck, half the kids from school would still be in town to see her. They’d think her family was too poor to own a decent car.
No one in their old Chicago neighborhood would have been caughtdeadin something like this.
She would’ve argued further, but Dad gave her The Look and she knew there would be no point.
With her chin raised, she stalked to the truck and tried very, very hard not to touch its battered exterior as she climbed in after Charlie.
Tonight, she would start writing letters to every friend and relative she had in Illinois. Surely someone, somewhere, would take her in.
“THIS WAS THEbest meal I’ve had in a year.” Matt leaned back in his chair at the dining room table and gave his sister-in-law a smile of appreciation. “Thanks for inviting us over.”
“Nina’s the best cook in the county,” his brother agreed, giving her arm an affectionate pat as she walked past him toward the kitchen, empty serving dishes in her hands. “I thank my lucky stars for her every day.”
“I do like a grateful man,” Nina retorted as she nudged the kitchen door open with one hip and sidestepped through. “And you Dawson men are the best.”
