1
DEVYN
It had been a long week… the kind of week that no amount of chocolate could make better. The only thing that had kept me going was knowing I’d be spending Friday night chatting with my book besties over a glass of wine. I just hoped I’d be able to keep my eyes open long enough to take part in the conversation.
“Are you done for the day?” I asked Lou Ellen, one of the regular volunteers at the animal rescue I managed outside the tiny town of Broken Bend, Texas.
Lou Ellen nodded as she lifted the keys to her car off a hook. “Sure am, boss.”
“I asked you not to call me that.” Even though I’d been running the Back Forty Animal Rescue for the past two years, I didn’t like to think of myself as the boss. As far as I was concerned, we were all equals. It took many hands to maintain the rescue, and I wouldn’t be able to keep it going without every single one.
She gave me an easy smile. “You might not like to think of yourself like that, Devyn, but you’re the boss, and it’s a good thing too. No one else cares as much about these animals.”
The compliment made my heart swell. Lou Ellen had been volunteering at the rescue long before I’d taken over. She would have been a better choice to take over when the founder retired, but Lou Ellen didn’t want the responsibility. She liked showing up a few days a week and pitching in, but wouldn’t commit to more than that.
“You care,” I told her.
“Not as much. You don’t see me giving up my Friday nights.” She nudged her chin toward her car. “I’ve got to get home and shower before Clint stops by to pick me up.”
The faint pink stain on her cheeks at the mention of her sweetie’s name had me grinning. “That’s right. It’s Bingo night, isn’t it?”
“Not just Bingo, but they’ve got a Valentine’s theme since the holiday is less than two weeks away. You must think we’re such a boring old couple.”
“Not at all. I think y’all are cute together.” I meant it, too. Lou Ellen hadn’t had an easy go of it, and I was happy that she’d finally found love late in life. Seeing her and Clint together gave me hope that I might not spend the rest of my life alone.
Her eyebrows arched. “Have you been seeing anyone special lately?”
“When would I have time?” I teased. In between working on my Master's degree and running the rescue, I didn’t have enough hours in the day, much less time for anything or anyone else.
“When you find some time, I sure would love to fix you up with my nephew. He’s an animal lover, just like you.” Her eyes lit up when she talked about her nephew. She’d been trying to fix me up with him for months.
“I told you, I’m not interested.”
Lou Ellen clamped a hand to her hip. “If you could just meet him, I know you’d hit it off.”
“You’d better get going or you’re going to be late for bingo,” I warned.
She glanced at her watch. “Shoot. You’re right. This conversation isn’t over.”
I let out a soft laugh as she backed out of the barn, happy to be saved from discussing my lack of a love life. While I stood there, something bumped into my crotch. I looked down to see the pygmy goat I’d been training as a therapy animal sticking his nose right into my lady bits. He must have escaped from his pen again.
“How did you get out?” I stepped back, then leaned over to scratch him behind the ears before wrapping my fingers around his collar. Houdini was one of the permanent residents of the Back Forty Animal Rescue. He’d come to us at just a few days old after his mother had shunned him for the two other kids she’d delivered.
He sniffed the pocket of my jacket where I always kept a few extra carrots.
“You already had your dinner,” I told him. He knew I was a softie and would give up the carrots eventually. Especially when he nuzzled his cheek against my thigh. “Just one. I don’t want anyone getting jealous or think I’m playing favorites, okay?”
Answering with a soft “baaaaa,” he nodded his approval.
I handed him a baby carrot, and he gently took it from my fingers. “Should we get you back to your pen?”
He happily followed me, knowing I’d give him another treat after I made sure he was secure. The sun had already set, and the last bit of daylight was fading from the sky. This was my favorite time of day. The animals had been fed and were settling down for the night, and all my chores were done. Usually, I’d be heading into the house with a full heart, ready to grab a quick bite and lose myself in the latest episode of whatever show I was currently binge watching.
Tonight was different. An invisible band tightened around my chest. As much as I loved working with the animals and putting more good out into the world, I didn’t know how much longer I could take it. Saving an animal was the best feeling in the world. It gave me the kind of high that I’d never been able to find doing anything else.
But losing one could drag me down so low that it felt like I’d never recover. It didn’t seem to matter how many I saved. I could never get over the ones I’d lost. The last thing I wanted to hear was that one of my animals might need to be put down. With Houdini back in his pen, I stopped by to check on Shirley.
The giant emu had been at the Back Forty for a couple of years now. She and her mate Squiggy were favorites of the volunteers and the few visitors we had. One of the volunteers had been careless last week, and Shirley’s leg got slammed in a gate. The vet had tried setting it a few times now with no luck. If she didn’t start to heal soon, we’d have to put her down.