Page 70 of Refuge for Ailsa

“You’re very welcome. Take care, and take care of her.”

“Will do.” Tavish watched him walk out, then sat down and let out a deep breath.

Maureen leaned toward him. “That’s your captain?”

“Yeah. JoshMabry.”

“He seems like a nice guy.”

“He is. Family man. He understands how it is for his employees, and he tries to do right by us. I wouldn’t want to work for anybody else.”

Before the day was over, Kelly, Chester, and Robin had all come by to talk to him and encourage him, plus a couple of the newer, younger guys he didn’t really know. By late afternoon, he was fading fast.

Then the door opened and a flash of brown and white was all over him. “Boy, she’s really happy to see you!” Conor said with a laugh.

“I’m pretty damn happy to see her. Hey, girl, you doin’ okay?” It broke his heart to see the bandages on her paws. “Looks like she’s gotten used to these pretty quickly.”

“Yeah. I stopped at the pet store and bought her some boots. She’ll probably learn to like those too, and they’ll keep her bandages clean.”

“Thanks. And thanks for taking care of her.”

“She’s a joy to be around. If I could get a dog like her, I’d probably have one.”

“I can hook you up with her breeder. They said they have a litter once a year and they usually have a waiting list, but I can put in a good word for you.”

“I’ll give that some thought and let you know. She’s a good girl. Aren’t you?” Conor said to the dog and scratched her head. She responded by licking his cheek. “Gives kisses too. Very nice.”

“Where’s Morris?”

“Picking up lunch for us.” Conor looked and nodded his head toward Donovan and Maureen. “I think I need to tell him to take it from three to five. Your sister and her boyfriend over there would probably like something too.”

“Yeah, probably. Thanks.”

“We wanted to have lunch with you because we’re planning on pulling out first thing tomorrow morning. It’s time to go back home, but thank you for letting us help you.”

“You’rethankingme? It should definitely be the other way around. You had no reason to stay, and yet you did, just to help out. You have no idea what that means to me and Ailsa.”

“Do you think we could see her for just a minute before we leave?”

“Sure. After we eat I’ll take you up there. I think she’d probably love to see you.”

By the end of the afternoon, Conor and Morris had said their goodbyes to everybody in the family and Ailsa had hugged them both at least three times. Maeve and Magnus had left a couple of hours earlier, and Tavish could tell Ailsa’s mother was exhausted. He was fading fast too, but he didn’t want to leave Ailsa, so he asked Maureen to go to his apartment and pick up some things for him. She and Donovan said they’d be back shortly, and in minutes, Tavish was alone in the waiting room, wanting to go upstairs with Ailsa but too tired to move. He wondered if they had one of those fold-out chairs he could sleep in, because he didn’t want her to wake up alone.

When the waiting room doors opened, he was shocked. His mom and dad walked in and when they spotted him, they made a beeline to him. Bonnie was wearing the same expression she always did when she looked at him, that disgusted, disappointed look that told him he was a failure yet again in their eyes. “Tavish, why didn’t you tell us what was going on?”

“Why would I?”

Bonnie stared at him, slack-jawed, before she answered, “Because we love Ailsa! We would’ve wanted to know.”

It was late. He was tired. He’d had the shit scared out of him for three fucking days, and he’d been dealing with a woman who’d had the shit scared out of her too, not to mention that at some point, he’d been pretty sure she was dead. The last thing he needed to do was defend himself against their usual accusations and scolding. “Gee, I dunno why I didn’t think to tell you. Maybe because I knew Maureen had told you but you didn’t even bother to call or show up? Or because you’ve never been there for me my entire fucking life, and I didn’t have any reason to think you would this time either?” At least two people in the waiting area looked up as he spoke, but they figured it out pretty quickly and minded their own business. “Could either of those be it? Or both? Because that’s sure what I’m accustomed to with both of you.”

His father frowned. “Now you see here, young man?”

“No,yousee here, both of you. I’m not young anymore. I’ll be forty on my birthday. I’ve waited my entire life for both of you to act like you give a damn about me, and it’s never happened. Why the hell would I think it would now? Ailsa… There are no words to describe what she means to me. Do you realize that I thought she wasdead? Do you have any idea how that made me feel? And you know who came through for me? Her people. Her mom and dad. Her brother. They thought their only daughter was dead but they were comfortingme. They’ve been so kind to me, so loving, so, so, so, I don’t even have a word for it. They’ve made me feel like I belong, like I’m worth something.”

Bonnie shook her head. “Son, you’re just upset and?”

“Oh, no. Don’t try to put this on me. You’re going to take responsibility for your actions this time because I’m sick and tired of being embarrassed and belittled and pushed away.”

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