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Takis hesitated, his eyes filled with pity. “I’m sorry, Trent.”
“Where is she?”
“She left, Trent.”
“She left?” Trent echoed, his heart shattering into pieces. The weight of the loss pressed down on him, suffocating him. “She can’t be gone.”
“I’m sorry,” Takis whispered, placing a hand on Trent’s healthy shoulder. “She waited by your side until you were through the worst of it, then she left. I don’t know where she went. Didn’t say a word. She must have made up her mind to leave quite some time ago.”
As devastated as he was by the news, a part of Trent understood why Patti had left. The vivid nightmares that haunted his sleep were a stark reminder of the chaos and fear they’d experienced together. It wasn’t just that. She was blaming herself for what had happened. She had to be. He just knew it. But even with that knowledge, he couldn’t help but feel abandoned, alone in the aftermath of a disaster.
“Rest now, friend,” Takis said gently, rising from his chair. “You need to recover.”
But as the door closed behind him, Trent knew that no amount of rest would heal the ache in his heart.
*
Patti sat nervously in the sterile waiting room of the veterinary surgery in Butte. The hum of fluorescent lights and the ticking of the wall clock drowned out any other ambient noise, leaving her feeling impossibly lonely. Her fingers tapped a rhythm on her knee, mirroring the beat of her racing heart. She couldn’t help but wonder about Trent, how he was doing after the fire. If he missed her as much as she missed him.
She was alone.
It had been a miserable few days.
At first, she hadn’t known what she was going to do. Littlecreek Ranch had become her entire life. And Trent North had become her soul.
Patti figured Butte had been her best bet. She’d spoken to Glen Packard about helping her to find a job, and he’d given her the contact details for a number of animal hospitals in the city.
It wasn’t that she needed money. She just needed a purpose. Something to fill her time with that wouldn’t leave her feeling hollow. Something that required some effort and concentration, so that she wouldn’t just endlessly think of Trent.
Patti had worked down the list of hospitals and surgeries, which had one-by-one told her that they didn’t have any vacancies, until the very last one, a small, family-run veterinary surgery in Hillcrest, a small neighborhood in the East of the city. They needed a receptionist. It wasn’t her dream job, but it was something, and she’d be working with animals.
She checked her watch. She’d turned up super early and had been waiting ten minutes already. Hopefully, they wouldn’t keep her waiting too long.
Just then, her phone buzzed in her purse. Patti fumbled to pull it out, her hands shaking with anticipation.
It was Millie. She was texting to let her know that Trent’s condition had improved. He was conscious and lucid.
Patti’s heart surged with happiness, and she quickly typed a reply thanking Millie for the update. Leaving Trent had been the single hardest thing that Patti had ever done in her life. She’d stayed with him at the hospital, day and night, not leaving his side. But she’d known that if she went back to the ranch with him, she might never pluck up the courage to leave. That meant she’d be inflicting herself on Trent and the ranch forever. And she wasn’t going to do that. Not after what had happened.
Almost immediately, another message from Millie popped up on the screen, asking how Patti was doing.
“Surviving,” replied Patti with a bittersweet smile, knowing the word barely scratched the surface of the turmoil she felt inside.
The door to the interview room opened, revealing a kind-seeming female veterinarian who beckoned Patti inside. As Patti entered, she noticed the walls adorned with photos of animals and their owners, a testament to the care provided within these walls. She hoped this place could offer her some solace, some purpose, and clarity.
“Please have a seat,” the veterinarian gestured to a chair across from her desk. “My name is Doctor Edwards and I’m the lead animal doctor here at Hillcrest Pet Care. So, you’re applying for the receptionist position here at our clinic. Can you tell me about your past experience?”
Patti took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I recently worked at Littlecreek Ranch as a veterinary assistant. I helped care for the animals, kept records, and organized quarantine when appropriate.”
“Littlecreek?” Doctor Edwards asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about the place. What can you tell me?”
Patti hesitated, feeling her throat tighten as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill. “It’s a very special place,” she managed to say, her voice cracking slightly. “The animals, the people... they all have a unique connection and love for one another.”
“Sounds like a wonderful environment,” the veterinarian commented, making a note on her notepad. Patti nodded, her heart aching with longing for the life she had left behind.
As the interview continued, Patti answered questions about her skills and qualifications, barely registering the words she spoke. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Trent, his comforting embrace, and the warmth of Littlecreek Ranch. But with every memory came the reminder that she could never return, that she had to protect herself and those she loved from the pain her presence seemed to bring.
“Thank you for your time, Patti,” the veterinarian said, extending her hand for a handshake. “We’ll be in touch soon.”
