Read Online Wyoming Bold (Mills & Boon M&B) by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Diana Palmer
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piece of towel.
“Shh!” Merissa said quickly, putting her finger to her lips.
They all laughed.
Tank made holes in the top of the shoebox while Merissa held the squirrel.
“You’re going to be just fine, don’t worry,” she told the little animal. It looked up at her from wide, dilated eyes. It was still shivering.
“I think it’s in shock,” Tank said. He took the squirrel and put it gently in the box with the towel and closed it up. “I’ll call my buddy right away.”
“You’ll let us know?” Merissa asked.
He smiled. “Of course.”
“I hope they don’t eat the wiring in the attic,” Clara said nervously. “I’m going to close the flue right now!”
“At least he’s a boy squirrel. We don’t have to worry about any babies in a nest inside that the mother couldn’t get to,” Merissa said. “They say if it’s a mother squirrel and you close her access, the babies will all die. It’s so sad.”
“True. But so are electrical fires.” Tank glanced at the wall where the cord had been plugged in. “Don’t use that until I can get one of my men over here to check the wiring.”
“Okay,” Merissa said. “Thanks. I’m terrified of fire.”
“Me, too,” Clara seconded.
“Not much danger of that, just from a blown extension cord, especially when you’re standing beside it when it blows. But it’s always best to be cautious. I’ll take our friend home with me. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he told Merissa.
She grinned. “Okay.”
He grinned back. “Good night.”
They went out to the porch to see him off. He waved as he went down the driveway, still covered with the remains of the snowstorm.
They went back into the living room. The small Christmas tree they’d put up that day was beautiful with its colored lights. Clara didn’t have them set to flash because it gave Merissa headaches. It was pretty just the same. Clara put an arm around Merissa’s shoulders. “So now I can see which way the wind is blowing, and I don’t even need to be psychic.” She laughed.
Merissa leaned her head against her mother’s. “I’m so happy. I never expected to find anyone who’d like me the way I am.”
“I thought I had, once,” Clara said quietly. “I made a terrible mistake. And you paid more for it even than I did.”
Merissa was very still. “Dalton knows.”
“What?”
“He knows, about what Dad did. He said if he’d known us back then, my father would have gone to prison for it.”
“I lived in terror for so many years, afraid that Bill would return, that he’d find us, that he’d want to get even with me for divorcing him,” Clara confessed.
“Do you know where he is?” Merissa asked worriedly.
Clara shook her head. “The last I heard, from his cousin who’s still in touch with me, he was working on the docks in California. I hope he stays there.”
“So do I,” Merissa replied. “Oh, so do I!”
* * *
T ANK DROVE THE squirrel to the rehabilitator. It was necessary, because law prevented any veterinarian from treating a wild animal. That had to be done by a trained rehabilitator, and there were so few that many injured animals died. The rehabilitators were so overworked that many just stopped answering their phones in self-defense, not having realized the incredible number of injured wild animals they were signing up to treat. The law was in place to protect animals and the public, but it seemed to Tank that it was designed to let wounded wildlife die. Like so many other little-known laws, its good intentions sometimes were outweighed by its tragic consequences.
“At least this one will live,” Tank told Greg Barnes, his friend.
“Yeah, he’s just shocked and burned a bit.” Greg chuckled. “A couple of days rest and some good food, and he’ll be back out chewing up electrical cords again.” He put the squirrel in a clean cage with water and food. Nearby were many other cages, containing a raccoon with a bandaged leg, a wolf with
“Shh!” Merissa said quickly, putting her finger to her lips.
They all laughed.
Tank made holes in the top of the shoebox while Merissa held the squirrel.
“You’re going to be just fine, don’t worry,” she told the little animal. It looked up at her from wide, dilated eyes. It was still shivering.
“I think it’s in shock,” Tank said. He took the squirrel and put it gently in the box with the towel and closed it up. “I’ll call my buddy right away.”
“You’ll let us know?” Merissa asked.
He smiled. “Of course.”
“I hope they don’t eat the wiring in the attic,” Clara said nervously. “I’m going to close the flue right now!”
“At least he’s a boy squirrel. We don’t have to worry about any babies in a nest inside that the mother couldn’t get to,” Merissa said. “They say if it’s a mother squirrel and you close her access, the babies will all die. It’s so sad.”
“True. But so are electrical fires.” Tank glanced at the wall where the cord had been plugged in. “Don’t use that until I can get one of my men over here to check the wiring.”
“Okay,” Merissa said. “Thanks. I’m terrified of fire.”
“Me, too,” Clara seconded.
“Not much danger of that, just from a blown extension cord, especially when you’re standing beside it when it blows. But it’s always best to be cautious. I’ll take our friend home with me. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he told Merissa.
She grinned. “Okay.”
He grinned back. “Good night.”
They went out to the porch to see him off. He waved as he went down the driveway, still covered with the remains of the snowstorm.
They went back into the living room. The small Christmas tree they’d put up that day was beautiful with its colored lights. Clara didn’t have them set to flash because it gave Merissa headaches. It was pretty just the same. Clara put an arm around Merissa’s shoulders. “So now I can see which way the wind is blowing, and I don’t even need to be psychic.” She laughed.
Merissa leaned her head against her mother’s. “I’m so happy. I never expected to find anyone who’d like me the way I am.”
“I thought I had, once,” Clara said quietly. “I made a terrible mistake. And you paid more for it even than I did.”
Merissa was very still. “Dalton knows.”
“What?”
“He knows, about what Dad did. He said if he’d known us back then, my father would have gone to prison for it.”
“I lived in terror for so many years, afraid that Bill would return, that he’d find us, that he’d want to get even with me for divorcing him,” Clara confessed.
“Do you know where he is?” Merissa asked worriedly.
Clara shook her head. “The last I heard, from his cousin who’s still in touch with me, he was working on the docks in California. I hope he stays there.”
“So do I,” Merissa replied. “Oh, so do I!”
* * *
T ANK DROVE THE squirrel to the rehabilitator. It was necessary, because law prevented any veterinarian from treating a wild animal. That had to be done by a trained rehabilitator, and there were so few that many injured animals died. The rehabilitators were so overworked that many just stopped answering their phones in self-defense, not having realized the incredible number of injured wild animals they were signing up to treat. The law was in place to protect animals and the public, but it seemed to Tank that it was designed to let wounded wildlife die. Like so many other little-known laws, its good intentions sometimes were outweighed by its tragic consequences.
“At least this one will live,” Tank told Greg Barnes, his friend.
“Yeah, he’s just shocked and burned a bit.” Greg chuckled. “A couple of days rest and some good food, and he’ll be back out chewing up electrical cords again.” He put the squirrel in a clean cage with water and food. Nearby were many other cages, containing a raccoon with a bandaged leg, a wolf with
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