Page 37 of No Bones About It

Kimi’s smile lit up the room. “Fabulous idea. And I like theweportion of that sentence.”

He kept one hand stroking Olaf, and used his other hand to pull Kimi in for a kiss. “Me too.”

“I’ve set up a bed for Olaf at the cottage. Let’s go.”

Garrett stood and stretched, stiff from the time sitting on the ground with the dog. “I’ll bring him up, and then get the horses inside and settled.”

Kimi smiled. “Oscar and Grover are inside and set up for the night with their radio. There’s nothing to do but go to bed.”

“I still need to take Kitty home.”

That earned him a laugh. “Maybe, but I’ll let you decide that in a minute.”

Curious, he bent down to pat Olaf. “Okay, bud. I’m going to pick you up, and we’re going to find a new spot to rest for the night. Ready?”

The dog lifted his head but didn’t protest the action. Instead, he sighed and leaned into Garrett’s chest. They followed Kimi to the front office, where he realized the parrot was asleep and the cat box was gone. “Where are the kittens?”

Kimi laughed. “They figured out how to get out of the box and were causing some chaos. I moved them into a stall and blocked the entrance with hay bales for the night. It’s time for them to get used to the other barn cats, anyway.”

“I’m sorry. I should have been helping you.”

She patted his arm. “You were. I didn’t have to worry about Olaf at all.”

Kimi locked up the barn, and they crossed to the paddock holding Onigis and Kitty. He laughed when he looked up. The two mares stood with their heads in the shed-stable and their hind ends out in the paddock.

“The goats are inside, and they’ve been like that for at least thirty minutes.”

He grinned while he shook his head. “I think we’re safe to leave them there tonight. They’ve made friends and are being brave for each other. That’s fantastic.”

Soon, they had Olaf installed on a dog bed in Kimi’s bedroom, and he had Kimi spooned in his arms. The lack of sleep from the night before and the emotions of the last few hours took their toll. His eyes drifted closed, and he didn’t think he’d ever been so content in his life.

The following day, keeping Olaf quiet turned into a bit of a challenge. As long as Garrett was in sight, the dog was happy and content to be still and let his body heal. If he couldn’t see his human, he whimpered and tried to follow him.

Kimi figured she felt pretty much the same.

Smiling at herself, she typed out a response to a farmer who was trying to sell off his stock and move to a warmer climate. The pygmy goats she’d had her eye on would be hers soon. One step closer to her dream of sharing her animals with the community. When people got to interact with animals, their compassion and kindness increased, and she wanted that for all sides of the equation.

When she headed outside, Garrett was in the paddock with the mares. Olaf lay on a dog bed in the shade. When she approached the pit bull, he flinched, but she kept her voice low and manner open. She let him sniff her hand again and took her time before petting him. “You’re doing a good job of ignoring those stitches, Olaf. Smart dog.”

The sound of an engine pulling into the yard had her standing to see Marcus in his cruiser. The deputy parked and waved. Then he moved to the back seat and opened the door. When he pulled out a box, her curiosity got the better of her.

Marcus skirted around the peafowl and closed the distance. She peeked in the box to see listless baby bunnies. Anger rolled through her. “Bring them inside, and I’ll get them some milk. Where did you find them? Any idea what happened to their mother?”

Marcus followed her inside and straight to her exam room. “I spotted the box on the side of the road on the way out here. Someone must have dumped them.”

Anger surged through her. “What’s wrong with people? Everyoneknows I’ll take in strays of any kind. Why would they dump them on the road?”

Shaking her head, she moved to her fridge and started putting together what she’d need to best simulate their mother’s milk. They looked too weak to eat any food yet, although they also appeared to be old enough to be weaned. That might give them a decent chance of survival.

Garrett came into the room with Olaf in his arms. The dog peeked into the box and sniffed curiously. The sight soothed her anger. At least the bunnies had a chance now. She filled syringes and motioned the men back into the main room. They sat around her conference table with Olaf on Garrett’s lap.

“Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox.”

She nodded at Canuck as the bird flapped over to sit on her desk and watch the proceedings. “Good choice. I think we’ll channel some of that man’s kindness here.”

She passed each man a bunny and a syringe and showed them how to feed them. She took the smallest ones herself. Olaf watched the proceedings with perked ears, and when the bunny in Garrett’s hand twitched his ears, the dog yelped in surprise.

Garrett held the rabbit closer to Olaf and let him sniff it, talking to them both soothingly in that sexy voice. “It’s okay, buddy. Bugs here just needs food and someone to help him out, too. You can be friends.”

---