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“I know. I just feel...guilty.”
“Don’t,” he said firmly, then his hand came down and covered hers which was sitting on her leg. He threaded his fingers with hers, and he set them on the console between the two seats. “Thanks for letting me come. I enjoyed watching you.”
“I’m sure you have other things you’d rather have done this evening.”
“I told you not to do that,” he said, a little warning in his voice.
It made her smile. “But I appreciated having you there. It was so nice to have someone helping me, and you did it just perfectly. Not too pushy, but you didn’t lose interest and walk away either. I... I could get used to that.”
“Then consider me your new right-hand man. I’ll give you my bill.”
She laughed, knowing he was joking but appreciating his easygoing attitude.
“I told you, being a businessman wasn’t exactly my dream. It was more my dad’s dream. He’s retired, and I did my duty by him. I don’t feel like I owe him anymore. I’m free. Free to continue in business, or free to start a new chapter in my life. I... I believe I have chosen to start a new chapter.”
“That’s what this is. Our marriage is a new chapter. But it doesn’t have to be you giving up everything and me giving up nothing. I don’t like that.”
“I wouldn’t like that either. But that’s not what it is. It’s us deciding together what we’re going to do. I’ll probably have to make a few more trips back to Chicago, but I’ll unload the company. It won’t be a quick process, and it won’t be easy, but I’ll make a nice chunk of change, and then I’ll be free to be a husband, dad, and, apparently, veterinary assistant.”
“And a farmer and rancher.”
“Yes, that too.”
Chapter 16
James pulled the SUVto a stop in front of the house. Mabel sat in the passenger seat, glad that he took the time to reassure her that he understood that being called out was part of her job. Thrilled that she had married someone who didn’t want to see an animal die more than he wanted to have what he felt he deserved. An uninterrupted wedding evening.
Regardless, she wanted to make it up to him a little bit, so she said, “I think we both need to shower, and then... Are you hungry?”
She was starved, although she didn’t know how much she would be able to eat because she was nervous about getting the girls in the morning.
“I’m pretty much always hungry. You can just assume the answer to that question is a yes, unless I’m unconscious.”
She looked over and smiled, so happy that he wasn’t angry with her. She tucked that information away in her head so she could bring it out when he did something that upset her, and she hoped she could handle it with as much grace as he had handled this evening.
“You know, you were saying back there about being upset that it was our wedding evening and everything, and expecting me to be angry or whatever. But, you know, watching you work, I’m proud of you. You’re competent and know what you’re doing and compassionate while still being businesslike and not wishy-washy or touchy-feely. You know? You’re just the perfect balance of everything, and it made me feel good to be able to be beside you and to not just know you but to be married to you.”
