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A barely perceptible flinch assured me the words hit home.
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck. She hasn’t said it outright, but…”
I had a hard time explaining my relationship with Thea to Len.
To start, the two could barely stand each other. Thursday game night was the only secret I kept from Thea. But also, Len, for as loyal and giving as he could be, didn’t rely on anyone like Thea and I relied on each other. Sure, he had Millie, but they’d only been dating for a year. He didn’t have someone who had all of his secrets. Someone who knew everything about him.
“But she’s thinking about it?”
I nodded. “We do this birthday wish thing every year, and she said she wants to be married and have a kid.”
“With her side piece?” Len asked, raising an eyebrow.
I suppressed a laugh. Maybe Len listened to some of the local gossip. “I’m not sure Thea would call Chase a side piece. More like a not-quite-boyfriend she’d like to turn permanent.”
“Millie doesn’t care for him much.”
“Neither do I,” I admitted. “But I don’t think either of us knows him well. It’s not like he hangs around Franklin Notch. Maybe he’s one of those guys who just seems like a dick until you know him better.”
Personally, I didn’t think time or exposure would change my opinion of the man, but, for Thea, I would try.
“Well, Thea will do what she wants, regardless of what we think.” Len ended the conversation with a shrug and a pull from his beer.
He had a point. Telling Thea what to do inevitably resulted in the exact opposite happening. Besides, no matter who we dated, it never changed our relationship much. Marriage, though, that could be a different story.
“Millie said Whitney is leaving town,” Len said, eager to move away from the subject of Thea and marriage and kids, though I suspected for different reasons.
“Yeah. She’s engaged to a guy in the Army, stationed in Portsmouth. They’re getting married soon, and she’s moving down there to join him. Not exactly a great time to hire, but when is it?”
The rescue had originally been a one-man operation. I’d written grants, sourced meat, safely transported moose, and learned hundreds of other tasks. I could easily see to the needs of the three remaining bears. But as more injured animals and semi-domesticated ex-pets flooded the doors, I’d hired outside help, many with no experience, just an interest in learning.
Then there was Whitney.
She wasn’t necessarily unlike the rest. She’d graduated a few years before me, worked the rescue when it used to be a roadside attraction. But unlike everyone else, she’d come back home as a veterinarian.
While the rescue broke even, finding a vet with experience in wildlife rehabilitation was rare, and expensive. Whitney had none, but I cobbled together enough grants to put her through training. She’d paid me back by providing her services for a fraction of the price she deserved.
“I shouldn’t complain too much,” I conceded, finishing my beer and pushing my chair back. “She’s coming back once a month until I can find a replacement.”
“Shouldn’t that be enough?” Len asked.
I shook my head. “I wish it was. The problem with growing bigger is now everyone knows we’re here. We’re getting more and more calls about animals hit by cars and accidentally clipped by hunters. I need someone close by, but Dr. Roberts won’t work with anything bigger than a pig. I’m hoping the vet he hires to replace Whitney might be willing to help us out.”
“Coward,” he scoffed.
I had the same thought, but didn’t share it. “I’ve sent out emails to every other vet in the White Mountains. There’s one guy up near the border who’s game, but he charges $400 an hour.”
He whistled. “Fuck. Maybe I should have been a vet.”
“And deal with pet owners? I don’t see that working.”
“Good point. So, what happens if you can’t find someone?”
I shrugged. I’d been unwilling to consider what happened then. Probably, a lot more animals would die. “I don’t exactly want to consider that yet. I’m hoping someone turns up. In the meantime, I’m applying for more grants and getting more donations to train this mystery vet.”
“Fucking Whitney.”
