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Maybe so. But before Drew could respond, Rosie Butler appeared in her cuffed short-sleeved pink uniform with a white scalloped apron tied around her tiny waist. "What can I get you to drink, Doc?" she asked Drew in her raspy three-pack-a-day drawl.
"Just iced tea for me, Rosie."
"Y'all ready to order?" she asked, her attention redirected to Hope.
"I think I'll have a bowl of Toby's vegetable soup and a grilled cheese, please."
"Sounds good," Drew agreed with a smile. "Make it two."
Pulling a pencil from the brown nest of hair piled atop her head, Rosie jotted down their orders. "Be right back with your tea." Again, she turned her attention toward Hope, her bottle-green eyes full of warmth and heartfelt sympathy. "You want anything else, honey?"
With a forced smile, Hope shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks, Rosie."
The wand-thin waitress gave Hope's arm a motherly squeeze as she headed toward the pass behind the counter to deliver their orders.
"I wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm an orphan or something."
"Sam had a lot of friends. They care about you and share your loss."
"I know." Sighing, Hope took a sip of her water. "But it still makes me uncomfortable. I don't want anyone's pity."
Drew laid his hand over hers and considered it a small victory when she didn't pull away. "I don't think anyone pities you, Hope. They're concerned about you and want to reach out. To be there if you need anything." Like me, Drew refrained from adding.
"I know," she repeated. "It's just hard is all."
Rosie appeared with Drew's tea. She slid a straw from her pocket and laid it on the table. "Food'll be up in a minute," she promised before turning on her crepe-soled heel toward the counter.
Drew peeled the paper off the straw and dunked it into his tea. Though he’d already told his grandfather he’d come home as long as he could bring Hope with him, he was beginning to wonder if leaving Kentucky right now was really for the best. He looked up at Hope. "If I do go back for the holidays, what kind of message do you think that will send to Dr. Wakefield?"
“That you want to spend the holidays with your family?” She continued to swirl the ice with her straw. “Most people do. Including Dr. Wakefield. So I’m pretty sure he’ll understand.”
"Good point." In fact, hadn't Neil insisted he not rush? To take his time and not make his decision in haste?
Returning, Rosie set two steaming bowls of soup and a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches between them. "Let me know if y’all need anything else."
Taking a sandwich, Drew tore it in half and dipped it in his soup. "When I was younger, being a vet like Pops and becoming his partner was my dream." He smiled ruefully. “My only dream, actually.”
"But getting the fellowship changed your mind?"
"I'm not sure it changed my mind, but it opened up another opportunity I hadn't considered. One where I could work solely with horses."
Hope blew on her spoonful of soup. "That's not a possibility in Virginia?"
"Not exclusively. But the industry is expanding." He took a long pull of his iced tea. "Like I said, Pops wants me to come home and work with him before making a final decision. Throw in the holidays and how I haven't spent many at home for the last few years, and his argument is pretty tight."
“Then you should definitely go.”
* * *
It might not be her place to give Drew advice on what he should or shouldn't do, but if Hope had a loving family somewhere who wanted her to be with them for the holidays, she wouldn't be able to get there fast enough.
In fact, Hope envied Drew's connection with his family. All those people who loved him and wanted him back in their close-knit circle. She understood what it was like to be loved like that because, no matter what, Hope never once doubted her father would have moved heaven and earth for her. A quiet man, Sam hadn't voiced the words very often, but not a day went by when he hadn't shown Hope she was the light of his life.
Now he was gone, leaving her so profoundly alone.
Hope looked up. “Trust me, Drew, you don’t want any regrets.”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
