Reunited on Dragonfly Lane - Includes a bonus novella Read online

Trisha stood and took Petey’s hand, letting her son lead her onto the dance floor.

  Chase looked at Sophie. She didn’t budge from her seat. He didn’t breathe. Then his instincts took over, and he did the only acceptable thing he could do in the moment. The only thing he wanted to do. He offered his hand, feeling vulnerable suddenly because she still had the power to crush his heart. “May I have this dance?”

  * * *

  Sophie stared at Chase’s outstretched hand. How could she say no to the man who’d helped her save the dog she’d hit an hour ago? Without Chase’s help, Comet might still be suffering on the side of the road.

  “I promise I won’t step on your feet this time,” Chase said when she didn’t immediately answer.

  She laughed softly. He’d always been an awful dancer. High school dances left her feet swollen with dark-blue bruises but she’d never minded back then. “That’s good because these are new shoes.” She slipped her hand in his, ignoring the tingly sensation that zipped through her body as she stood.

  “I guess that’s the perk of owning your own clothing store,” he said, leading her onto the dance floor and turning to face her.

  Her mouth fell open. “Only a man would call my boutique a mere clothing store,” she teased as he placed his hands on her waist. She resented the way her body reacted to him, with a racing heart and rush of blood. “Owning my own boutique has its drawbacks too. I can’t take the goods home if I want to turn a profit.”

  “Ah. That is a dilemma.”

  The music was a familiar, slow tune that Sophie couldn’t quite place. Not when she was too distracted by Chase’s touch and the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She hadn’t allowed him to hold her since before the accident. The feel of his arms around her was as familiar and unfamiliar as the music streaming through the speakers.

  She made the mistake of looking up into his brown eyes. There was so much history between them. But he’d been gone long enough that she didn’t know the man he’d become. Trisha had filled her in on some of the details, of course. He was still active, spending every free moment chasing another spike in adrenaline. He ran, biked, and climbed at every chance.

  “Do you recognize the song?” Chase asked. “What are the odds?”

  She drew her brows together in question as she listened a little closer. Then Chase began to hum along softly, the vibration tickling her skin.

  Her heartbeat picked up speed.

  “You don’t recognize it?” he asked, looking slightly disappointed even though the corners of his lips were curling softly. “They’re playing our song, Soph.”

  Her lips parted as the song registered in her memory. “Did you ask them to play this?” She regretted her defensive tone but she couldn’t help it. Her guard was up whenever he was around. It was the only way to protect her heart from falling for him again. She’d believed they were made for each other once upon a time but she didn’t think that was true anymore. People changed. She’d changed.

  Chase chuckled. “I just got here, Sophie. How would I have had time to talk to the DJ?”

  “Right.” It was just a coincidence. Sophie took a breath, trying to recapture control of her thoughts and emotions. Then her left leg buckled. It was a quick loss of control that might’ve landed her on the floor if Chase weren’t there holding her up.

  “You okay?” he asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

  She stood on two good legs. Sometimes she just lost control when she was tired. Or when she was hyperfocused on something other than standing. The damaged nerves and muscles had never fully healed after the traumatic break when the boulder fell on her leg. They would have if she’d been taken to the hospital immediately. But thirty-six hours on the mountain had allowed infection to set in. She was lucky to be alive. Lucky to still have this leg, according to the surgeon who’d operated on her after she was rescued.

  “I guess you made me go weak in the knees for a moment,” she joked, trying to ease the tension.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Chase asked a second time.

  “I’m fine.”

  Chase seemed to accept this answer although he was holding on to her more tightly now. They were quiet for a moment but Sophie’s thoughts were loud inside her brain. Memories of being held by Chase a long time ago surfaced. They’d had their own song, a million adventures, and a bright future that they were looking forward to.

  The song ended, and Sophie stepped back. Their futures had gone in different directions, and she’d always believed it was for the best. No reason to second-guess that belief now.

  “Thank you for the dance,” Chase said. “I hope your toes are okay.”

  Sophie nodded with a small smile. “They’re fine,” she said. Much better than her heart.

  * * *

  The next morning, Chase’s stomach growled painfully as he stepped into his clinic. Until last month, he’d had a veterinary assistant who would come in on the weekends. Now, he and his office assistant, Penny, took turns handling all the nonemergency animal care. It was Penny’s turn but Chase would’ve had to come in today regardless in order to check on Comet.

  Chase walked down the hall, flipping on the lights as he entered the room of dogs and cats. Comet’s eyes were large as Chase approached. Even after what he’d been through, his tail thumped happily on the pillowed floor of his cage.

  “Hey, boy. How’re you doing? Don’t worry. Mrs. Dozier will be here to bring you home soon.” Chase squatted and extended his index finger through the holes in the dog’s kennel, laughing as the pup lapped a wet tongue across his skin. Then he checked on the other animals before walking back to his office.

  He grabbed an energy bar from his desk drawer to temper his hunger, finishing it off in four bites. When he was done, he grabbed his phone. He was surprised that Mrs. Dozier hadn’t contacted him yet. He dialed her number again, relieved when she answered this time.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Dozier. Did you receive my message about Comet?”

  “Oh yes. I did last night. I’m so relieved,” she said.

  Chase wondered why she hadn’t called him back. “I’m at the clinic right now if you want to come by and visit Comet. I’ll probably keep him one more day for observation.”

  “No, that’s okay, Dr. Lewis,” the older woman said. “I’m on my way to church. I’ll just see Comet tomorrow. Is it okay to come by and talk to you in the morning?”

  Chase glanced at his schedule on his laptop. “My eight thirty spot is open.”

  “Perfect,” she said. “I’ll see you and Comet then.”

  Chase said goodbye and sat at his desk for an awestruck moment. Most pet owners would have rushed down here at the first opportunity. But Mrs. Dozier was in her eighties. She had a routine, and he understood that.

  Chase had a routine too. On the weekends, he traded his scrubs for athletic wear and did anything that worked his muscles to capacity. He brought up Will’s contact in his phone and tapped Call. “Still interested in that climb?” he asked in lieu of hello when his friend answered.

  “Always,” Will said. “Meet you at your house in half an hour?”

  “You’re on.” Chase disconnected the call and got up, walking through the clinic toward the front. Sophie was the one he used to call. She was the one who’d gotten him into climbing in the first place. She didn’t climb anymore though. And even if she did, she wouldn’t with him. Once again, he wondered if she still blamed him for her accident. He should have been there with her on the day of her fall. She’d asked but instead he’d opted to go off with a friend to ride horses.

  Sophie had said she’d find another friend to climb with. Instead, she’d gone up that mountainside alone. After her rescue, which had seemed like a miracle because many had started to fear the worst, Chase had rushed to her side. But she’d wanted nothing to do with him.

  Chase stepped out of his clinic and headed to his truck, remembering last night. For a moment, he’d thought that he and Sophie might kiss in his clinic’s f
ront room. Was that his imagination? Did she still want nothing to do with him? Or had something shifted between them?

  Chapter Three

  Early Monday morning, Sophie changed into her swimsuit and a cover-up to wear until she got to the indoor community pool. She was the only person here this early. Even the lifeguard wasn’t on her stand just yet.

  That was fine with Sophie. A couple of laps would ease her body and hopefully her mind too. Her sleep had been restless on Saturday and last night, too, thinking about the little dog she’d hit. That had stirred up memories of when she’d injured her own leg.

  Hopefully the little dog’s recovery would be easier than hers had been. It was all she could do not to check on Comet yesterday because that would’ve meant contacting Chase. And after that near kiss and too-close-for-comfort dance they’d shared on Saturday night, she’d wanted a little space from him.

  Sophie pulled off the cover-up and left it draped over the bench along the wall. She slid off her shoes and then she pulled some goggles over her eyes before stepping to the edge of the deep end. She felt a small tremor in her left leg but she ignored it.

  Instead, she inhaled deeply and dove into the crystal-blue water. The sensation of water shocked her body momentarily, freeing her thoughts. Everything inside her focused on swimming. That was one reason she loved this exercise.

  She moved her arms quickly, cutting through the water’s surface until she reached the shallow end of the pool. Then she somersaulted underwater just like an Olympian and headed back toward the deep end. She somersaulted again. And again, going back and forth until her mind was focused on nothing other than the opposite end of the pool.

  She was on autopilot, working to physical capacity the way she used to before her accident. She had never returned to climbing mountains, blaming her injuries. Her friend and former coach Denny Larson had tried many times to lure her back out there, saying amputees and even the town’s wheelchair-bound mayor climbed. Sophie’s injuries were minor in comparison. If they could scale a mountain, so could she.

  Just the thought caused a swirl of anxiety and fear in her chest though. Her body tensed, which only increased the cramping in her left leg. Swimming and yoga were safe. They kept her on the ground. They didn’t require a partner, and they didn’t remind Sophie of Chase.

  Focus, Sophie. Focus.

  She swam faster and harder, lifting her head on every third stroke to take a breath. Sophie’s head popped above the water’s surface, and she gasped for air.

  “Are you okay?” a voice asked from the edge of the pool. It was the lifeguard who’d shown up without Sophie realizing it. She was watching with concern wrinkling the skin above her brow.

  Sophie stopped swimming and took a moment and another breath. “Yeah,” she said, a little breathlessly, “it’s just been a couple days since I’ve been for a swim. I’m off my game a little bit.” She took several deep breaths.

  “I wondered where you were last week,” the lifeguard said with an easy smile. “It’s good to see you.”

  Sophie nodded. “Thanks.”

  The lifeguard took her seat on her stand.

  Instead of returning to laps, Sophie leaned against the wall of the pool, closed her eyes, and tipped her face back. Her body followed until it floated on the water’s surface. She breathed in the chlorine smell that had become soothing to her over the years. She needed to soothe her nerves before the next item on her to-do list. She couldn’t avoid the inevitable any longer. Today, as soon as she got to the boutique, she needed to make a call and check up on Comet. Which meant checking in with Chase.

  * * *

  At five minutes to eight, Chase unlocked the back door to his veterinary practice and walked inside. The muscles of his arms pulled tight as he straightened them. His legs were tired too. He loved the feeling of being pushed to his physical limits in a climb. His muscles usually ached the following day but it was a feel-good kind of pain that reminded him he was alive.

  He carried the stack of mail that he’d pulled from the mailbox, thumbing through it as he walked to his office. His fingers paused on the familiar white envelope of a personal letter. A state prison’s address was stamped at the top left-hand corner. He got one of these letters every Monday morning without fail. His brother, Pete, was persistent—he’d give him that.

  Chase sat at his desk and quickly stashed the letter in the drawer with a dozen others. One letter for every Monday since he’d taken over the clinic. Their mom must have given Pete the address. Chase had thought that a one-sided conversation couldn’t possibly go on for long but it had. What was Pete telling him in the letters? Was he talking about his days? His weeks? His prison friends? Was he asking about Trisha and Petey?

  Chase heaved a heavy sigh. He didn’t care what his brother was saying. Pete had said everything with his actions. His brother wasn’t a violent person but he’d hurt so many people, betraying his clients’ trust and embezzling money from their accounts, leaving many of them in financial ruin. His brother had also left Trisha and Petey to fend for themselves. How could Pete let his son grow up without a father the way they had? It was unforgivable in Chase’s mind.

  Chase headed back down the hall toward the back area where he kept the animals overnight. He needed to check on Dory, the Lab pup that he’d operated on Saturday afternoon. He approached her cage, and her tail thumped happily against the floor.

  “Having a case of sock regret?” Saturday’s tube sock was the third that Dory had scarfed down in her short life. There was evidently something about a sweaty sock she couldn’t resist.

  Dory stood up as if nothing had happened and barked in response.

  Chase chuckled, checked her vitals—pleased to see that they were good—and refreshed her water bowl. Next, Chase checked on Minnie, the black cat he’d spayed on Friday. She’d stayed longer than usual because her owner was out of town, and being a small-town vet, he obliged the extra days. Then he checked on Comet. The puppy seemed oblivious to his broken leg as he balanced on his cast, barking a soft hello at Chase.

  “Don’t worry. Your owner will be here this morning, buddy,” Chase promised. “I bet she misses you as much as you miss her.” Those words rang hollow in Chase’s gut. Mrs. Dozier hadn’t seemed overly eager to check on Comet when Chase had spoken to her yesterday.

  Chase petted Comet a couple of minutes longer and then cared for the basic needs of his other patients. When he was done, he washed his hands one last time and headed back to the front door. He flipped the OPEN sign to face out in the window, his gaze catching on Mrs. Dozier as she rounded the corner.

  Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was eager to get her dog back.

  Chase hurried to open the door for her, his muscles reminding him again of how hard he’d climbed yesterday with his buddy Will. “Good morning, Mrs. Dozier.”

  Mrs. Dozier stepped inside the clinic. “Good morning, Dr. Lewis.”

  “I just checked on Comet. He’s doing great, and he’s all set to go home.”

  Her kind face crumpled into a tiny frown. “I’m so glad to hear he’s okay. He got away from me the other night, and I couldn’t catch up with him. I tried; I really did.”

  Chase held up a hand. “Young dogs can be a lot of work. He’ll calm down as he matures and he’ll start to take commands better.”

  “I hope so.” Mrs. Dozier was still frowning. There was something apologetic in her eyes. “For the next owner’s sake.”

  Chase wasn’t sure he understood. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t keep Comet, Dr. Lewis.” She held up a hand as if Chase was already arguing with her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s too much work. I bought a book to help me train him but I must not be doing it correctly. He barks at night, and I have to get up and take him outside at all hours. Then I can’t get back to sleep. I toss and turn and…” Mrs. Dozier shook her head. “When I was younger, losing sleep wouldn’t have been a big deal but if I don’t sleep
at night now, my days are just miserable. And Comet loves to go for walks.”

  Chase nodded. “Puppies have lots of energy to burn off. That’s normal.”

  Mrs. Dozier’s chin quivered. “I thought that would be good for me. To motivate me to get outside and soak up the sunshine. But it’s a struggle to keep up. He pulls against the leash, and I pull back.” She rubbed her forearm. “I’m getting pain from holding on to the leash so tightly.”

  Chase listened as she explained. “If this is about the vet bill, don’t worry about it. It’s covered.” Sophie had offered to pay but Chase didn’t need reimbursement. He just wanted Comet to be healthy and return home.

  “It’s not about the bill. It’s about me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I love that dog but I’m afraid we’re not a good match.”

  “You’re giving Comet up.”

  “Believe me, I feel terrible about this. But I think it’s what’s best.”

  “I see.” Typically, Chase didn’t agree with owners giving up their pets. A pet was a commitment, like having a child. You couldn’t just go back on that responsibility. But in this case, he understood. The growing dog could do a lot of harm to Mrs. Dozier if she wasn’t careful. And Comet had already gotten hurt because of her inability to handle him.

  “Will you please find him a good home?” she asked, her eyes pleading as she took a step backward.

  “Of course.” That meant that Comet would be under Chase’s care for a while longer. At least until Chase could contact the local rescue that he dealt with.

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Dozier looked relieved. “He likes bacon treats. And if he sees a squirrel, you need to make sure you have a good hold on his leash,” Mrs. Dozier warned. “He’s a runner. He got out of my control another time, and my neighbor had to go after him for me.”

  Chase nodded as he listened. It was obvious that she cared about the dog.

  “He won’t come back if you call him. Maybe he can’t hear or he just doesn’t listen.” She shrugged. “But he’s a good dog.” She held up a finger. “Oh, and he likes to watch The Golden Girls.”