Deep inside, she’d always wanted a happy ending. True love, like her parents had. A long, successful marriage, kids. Sure, she wasn’t perfect, but the guy didn’t have to be, either. Unfortunately, the man she was very close to falling in love with would never be that guy. He wasn’t interested in marriage or kids or forever. He wanted to keep moving.

Telling herself he had the right to his own dreams wasn’t helping. She couldn’t seem to be rational about the situation, which meant she had to be extra careful when she was around him. Protect herself. While not seeing him at all was probably the most intelligent course, she couldn’t bring herself to simply walk away. So, for now, she would do her best to make sure she didn’t get hurt more than she already was.

She walked around to the back of the van and opened the door. The dogs were all staring at her, anticipation bright in their doggie eyes, but not one of them made a run for it. They waited until she’d snapped on their leashes, then one by one they politely jumped down. She had to help two of the smaller dogs, including Cece.

After closing the van’s rear door, she started toward the nursing home. The dogs led the way, passing through the automatic door. At the main desk, she greeted the receptionist and signed in.

“Everyone is looking forward to your visit,” the woman said with a laugh. “Just for the dogs’ entertainment, they’re going to be dancing.”

“I can’t wait.”

She went by the nurses’ station, to let them know she was here, then began the process of spreading around the dogs. Buddy and two others were given to the attendants in the main recreation room. The three medium-size dogs went to physical therapy. Cece and an equally small Yorkie named Samson would go bed to bed, visiting those who couldn’t get up.

“There’s my girl,” the first of the bedridden residents called as Montana walked into the room.

“Hello, Mrs. Lee. Cece’s very excited to see you.”

“And I’m excited to see her.”

Montana set the poodle on the bed. Cece immediately raced up to Mrs. Lee and put her tiny paws on the woman’s shoulders, then gently licked her cheek.

“I’ve missed you, too, sweet, sweet girl.”

“There you are.”

Montana turned and saw Bella Gionni, one of the salon owners in town. Mondays, when her business was closed, she volunteered at the nursing home.

“Hey, Bella. How are things?”

“Good. I’ve been hearing rumors about you and a certain doctor.”

Bella was a forty-something woman with dark hair and gorgeous eyes. She and her sister Julia owned competing salons in town. The sisters had been feuding for more than twenty years and no one knew why. To be loyal to one was to make an enemy of the other. Most people got around the problem by alternating between them. It was generally considered a much safer policy.

“I’m showing Simon around town because Mayor Marsha asked me to,” she said firmly.

“That’s a good story and I would encourage you to stick to it. Maybe someone will believe you.”

Montana laughed. “You’re impossible.”

“But in a good way, right?” She approached the bed. “Hey, Mrs. Lee, I see your favorite visitor is back.”

“She is.”

Bella petted the poodle, then glanced at Montana. “I have the list. Go deliver Samson to his fans.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Cece would spend about fifteen minutes with each of her “regular” residents. Bella would take care of delivering her where she was supposed to go, and kept track of time. Samson visited in the men’s wing. Another volunteer would meet Bella there and take charge of Samson. Having the help left Montana free to make sure the bigger dogs circulated evenly in the main recreation room.

Her visits usually lasted about three hours. She knew that by the time she left, close to noon, she would be feeling much better about herself and her life. It was impossible to watch the dogs in action and not be reminded how much good there was in the world.

She made a quick stop by physical therapy to check on her charges, then walked back to the front of the facility. As she approached the recreation room, she heard the sound of music and knew the dancing had begun.

Some of the residents simply swayed in their chairs. A few sang along with the music. But what Montana liked best were the old couples who still danced.

She made sure her dogs were behaving and paying attention to each resident individually, then let her awareness return to those in the center of the room. As always, her gaze settled on the Spangles.

They’d been married seventy-one years. She knew—there’d been a cake for their anniversary last month. Despite the lines on their faces and the frailness of their bones, they were as much in love today as they had been all those years ago.

The facility had allowed them to room together, twin hospital beds pushed together. One of the nurses had told Montana that they fell asleep holding hands.

Watching them, the way they held each other, made Montana smile. This was how it was supposed to be, she thought. People could love each other until death parted them. Sometimes, at the end, love was all that was left.

Rather than being hurt or feeling rejected, she should feel sorry for Simon. He didn’t believe in couples like the Spangles. He believed in being alone.

As not seeing him again didn’t seem to be an option, she would simply have to remember that she wanted different things than he did. While being with him was fun and making love with him was extraordinary, at the end of the day, he wasn’t anyone she could depend on. Recognizing that now would allow her to protect herself. She hoped.


“I DON’T UNDERSTAND,” Fay said, from the other side of Kalinda’s bed. The girl’s mother was frantic, practically wringing her hands as she stood guard, desperate to do something. Anything.

“She has a fever and it’s climbing,” Simon told her.

Worse, Kalinda was barely conscious.

“I know that part. I sit with her every minute of every day. What I want to know is why now? What is happening to her?”

He closed the chart. “I don’t know,” he admitted, leading Fay into the hallway. “There are several possible causes. She could have an infection, she could have caught a virus or her body could be reacting to the burns.”

“But it’s been nearly a month since the accident.”

Fay Riley had no idea what her daughter had been through, he thought grimly. No matter that she’d stayed faithfully, had watched her suffer, had done her best to make things better. She couldn’t understand the depth of the damage, the incredible strain the injury put on the rest of the body.

He thought about explaining. There were technical words he could use, pictures he could show. But to what end? She would still be a frightened mother, dealing with a very sick child.

“I think it’s unlikely she has a virus. We’ll check for infection, but I don’t think it’s that, either. The healing process for what Kalinda is going through is massive. If we use the example of having to climb Mount Everest, then Kalinda has barely started on the plane trip taking her to Nepal.”

The woman stared at him. Her color drained as her eyes widened. “Are you saying she could still die?”

The truth was, she could die, he thought, but he wasn’t going to say that. Still, Fay must have guessed. Tears filled her eyes as she covered her mouth. Then she bent slightly and gave in to the sobs.

“I can’t lose her,” she gasped. “Not after all this. You have to save her.”

“We’re keeping her comfortable, helping as best we can. It’s up to her.”

Fay straightened and glared at him. “She’s only a little girl.”

“I know.”

He knew more than she gave him credit for. He’d been where Kalinda was now—suffering, close to death.

Fay continued to cry. He shifted uncomfortably, wanting to excuse himself.

“Maybe we should speak later,” he began.

She nodded and turned away.

He took a few steps toward the nurses’ station, then glanced back. Fay stood in front of the door to her daughter’s room, her arms wrapped around herself, her body still shaking from the sobs.

He’d faced situations like this before and usually found it easier on everyone if he simply walked away. Getting involved only complicated an already difficult process. Still, he found himself walking toward her, then pulling her around to face him.

“I’m sorry,” he told her.

She nodded once, then went into his arms.

He held her while she cried, knowing he had very little else to offer.

After a few minutes, the tears stopped.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, stepping back and wiping her face.

“Don’t be. You’re dealing with a lot.” He hesitated. “I really am doing my best to save her.”

“I know.” She swallowed. “I should get back to her.”

“I’ll be by in a few hours. If anything changes, have me paged.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He watched her go, then started down the hallway.

Kalinda needed more surgeries. The problem was he couldn’t do anything until she was stronger. The fever would leave her even more weak.

His time in town was limited. The way things were going, he would be lucky to operate on her twice before he had to go. She was facing dozens more procedures. Which meant someone else would be seeing her through the next few years.

Usually he didn’t mind if other physicians finished what he’d started, but something about Kalinda made the situation different. Maybe it was because she talked about wanting to be a doctor, like him. He could tell that her injury had already had a profound effect on the way she viewed herself and her future.

“Let it go,” he told himself as he checked his messages.

An hour later he was back in his office. There was no Cece to greet him. Montana had left a note saying she was taking the dog to a nursing home that day.

He found himself missing the small crate in the corner and the wildly excited greeting whenever the dog saw him. He’d never been much of a dog person, but Cece was changing his mind.

He buried himself in paperwork, catching up on his charting and scanning a couple of journal articles. Just before lunch, he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

He knew better than to expect Montana, but he was still disappointed when a tall, well dressed woman entered his office.

“Dr. Bradley,” she said with a smile.

“Dr. Duval.”

The hospital administrator was one of those frighteningly efficient women who managed to get her point across with a single lift of her eyebrow.

“How are you enjoying your time here in Fool’s Gold?” she asked, taking the chair across from his.

“Everyone has been very friendly and cooperative.”

“That’s the kind of town we are.” She glanced toward the corner where the dog crate was kept. “I see Cece isn’t with us today.”

“No. Montana wanted to take her to a local nursing home.”

“Interesting young woman, our Montana,” Dr. Duval said. “It took her some time to decide what she wanted to do with her life. Working with the therapy dogs seems to be her calling. She’s done some extraordinary work.”

In his experience, hospital administrators focused on the logistics of running a hospital. There were a thousand details to be managed—personnel, patients, supplies. Usually those in charge were not familiar with things like therapy-dog programs and how well those running the programs were doing in their personal lives. But very little about Fool’s Gold was like any place he’d ever lived before.

“I heard Kalinda is having some trouble,” she continued. “Such a small child to endure such a horrible accident. If the dog helps, I’m grateful you’ve allowed the dog to be here.”

He knew there was more to the conversation. Dr. Duval hadn’t stopped by just to chat. So he leaned back in his chair and waited.

The wait wasn’t long.

“As we discussed when you first came here,” she began, “we’re having a fundraiser in a couple of weeks. I wanted to confirm that you’ll be attending.”

He doubted that confirm was the right word. She was here to make sure he planned on attending, and if he put up a fuss she would find some way to force him. He knew the type. Dr. Duval was the kind of woman who got things done, which made her someone he respected.

He didn’t want to go to the fundraiser. Being the focus of attention in a room with two or three hundred people was his personal idea of hell. But it was one of the costs of doing business.