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Stopping by the passenger side of his vehicle, he shook his head and handed her the bird. “Trust me when I tell you, we’ll get anywhere faster if I drive.”
She had no idea if she should be thankful or run for the hills. Apparently, she was about to find out.
Chapter Fifteen
When Craig said that he could drive anywhere faster, the man wasn’t kidding. Doing her best to cradle the bird carefully in one arm, with every wild turn she used the other to grip the dashboard and keep them from falling over into Craig’s lap. Or worse, out the door altogether. There were fingernail gouges in the car to prove it.
Once they’d reached the small clinic, she was tempted to get down on all fours and kiss the concrete. Apparently, the need for speed was a genetic thing with the Barons. She hadn’t dared look, but she was pretty sure the man was flying down those country roads at something in the ballpark of ninety or a hundred miles an hour. The only reason the wordsslow downdidn’t rip from her throat was that her fear of the bird dying before they could get help was greater than her fear of Craig wrapping the car around a tree.
As the car came to a screeching halt in front of the veterinarian’s office, Peg and another woman Kate didn’t recognize came running out to meet them halfway to the door. Other vets would have waited for her to come in with the injured bird. Not Peg. Just one reason she would always be one notch above the others in her field.
“We’ll take it from here.” The doc scooped the bird out of Kate’s grip. “How long ago was she hit?”
“We don’t know. I don’t even know how it happened. The Fish and Game officer said she’s been shot.”
The doc nodded and once inside, hurried down the hall without asking any further questions.
Only because of her previous visits did Kate know that the doc had rushed past the regular exam rooms and pushed through the door to the operating room.
“Who would do such a thing?” Kate paced in the small veterinary waiting room, desperately trying to expel all her nervous energy. Anyone would think it was her child and not a wild bird inside. “I wonder how long she’d been hurt?”
“I don’t know the answers to either question.” The way Craig’s jaw clenched, anyone could see he was as concerned about the owl as she was. “But the important thing is we got mama bird to someone who can help.”
Pacing, Kate had lost track of time. Questions ricocheted in her mind one after the other: who would do such a thing, had they found her in time, was it too late for Peg to help, did the grad students corral her mate, were the eggs on their way. With every unanswered thought, her heart hammered more forcefully in her chest. Taking in a long, deep breath, Kate stopped her pacing and glanced down the hall.
The weight of Craig’s arm suddenly draped around her shoulder sent a ray of calm through her system. Tucked in at his side, he gently whispered against her temple, “It’s going to be fine. You told me Peg’s one of the best.”
Leaning her head against him, she took a long moment to just breathe in his strength and confidence. “That’s because she is.”
Now his fingers tenderly drew soothing circles against her shoulder. “She has that look about her that reminds me of my Grams on a mission.”
That made Kate chuckle. She didn’t know Lila Baron well, but she would certainly trust the older woman with a sick anything. “Peg’s been building this rehab sanctuary for years. Thankfully, the other night was the first time I’ve seen her in a while. I’m hoping right about now this is one of those no news is good news scenarios.”
“Hopefully, someone will be out soon to tell us mama owl is on the road to recovery.” He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It’ll be all right. You’ll see. Peg has a nice face. She won’t let you down.”
An unexpected urge to chuckle tickled her throat. If only people’s skills could really be determined by a nice face. “I wonder how those students are doing with the eggs?”
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the front door blew open and two young women carrying a small blanket-covered box tore into the room. “We’ve brought the eggs. Tim rigged something with a flashlight under the blanket for warmth but they need a real incubator.”
Though she’d have rather stayed encircled in the comforting warmth of Craig’s arms like a blanket on a winter’s day, Kate pulled away and approached the two women. Before she could say a word, the woman behind the reception desk jumped to her feet. “This way.”
With a simple curling of her finger, everyone followed the receptionist down the hall.
“The doc is pretty short-handed. Every time the economy hits a rough spot our donations drop and we find ourselves managing on a shoestring budget.” The woman fiddled with the incubator that reminded Kate of an old ice cream maker before carefully placing each egg in the contraption. “But these back-to-back years have taken a harder hit. The doc, me and the tech inside with her now are all the staff we can afford, and we all took pay cuts to keep this place running. We have to send all the rehabs to Dallas. Some to Austin.”
“Peg never said a word to me.” Kate couldn’t believe such a wonderful program was struggling and that she’d had no idea. All their chit-chat the other night about pro-environmental legislation and the good doctor had not given even a small hint of her own problems.
“Hey.” Craig reached over and gently ran the back of his hand down her arm. “You okay?”
She shook her head. “We need Peg. She’s good. She cares. Not that all veterinarians don’t care, but she always goes the extra mile. Does so much for our injured.” Kate bit down on her lower lip. She didn’t want to lose this beautiful bird, and Texas wildlife couldn’t afford to lose Peg’s rehab program. What in the name of all that was holy had gone wrong with this world?
Never in his entire life had Craig wanted anything more than to keep Kate in his arms, deliver a healthy and happy owl to her, and make sure that she never had to worry about anything else in her life. The problem, of course, was that all the power, influence, and money in the world couldn’t guarantee any of the above. Not even his expert fixer of a grandfather could save the bird if the vet could not, or ensure Kate’s happiness.
The double doors at the end of the hall sprang open, and rolling her neck, Peg strolled toward him. Her expression carried fatigue, but nothing else he could read. When she came within a few feet of them, the veterinarian formed a wide grin. “No promises yet, but I’m very optimistic.”
He’d been unprepared for Kate to spin about and throw her arms around him. Squeezing him tightly, she inched back, and grinning up at him, squealed, “We got to her in time.”
“Barely,” Peg interjected before he could forget where they were and kiss those delectable lips, audience be damned.
