No Ordinary Home. Mary Sullivan

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СКАЧАТЬ they take the championship this year.”

      He offered the can to Austin, who shook his head. He ignored Gracie, she noticed. Just as well. Her tummy gurgled and roiled.

      Austin’s response was quiet. “We’ll see. They lost. Let’s get past it and hope for a better result this year.” The voice of reason. He probably made a good cop.

      Teams. Athletes. She knew nothing about sports, or popular culture, or TV shows. Ironic when you thought about it, because—

      A stomach cramp had her hissing in a breath. Fortunately, Austin hadn’t noticed. Or had he? His eyes flickered to the mirror and back to the road.

      She studied his profile. Where Finn was lean, quick and full of nervous energy, and a couple of inches shorter than Austin, Austin could probably out-calm the Dalai Lama. He didn’t have the Dalai Lama’s charming wit and smile, though. She knew. She’d met the man once, and had been enchanted by him. It had been difficult for her, though, with him so pure and kind, and her a fraud.

      What held Austin back? What caused the sadness that lurked in his fine blue eyes?

      “What’s so great about this herd we’re going to see?” Austin asked. Everything about him, even his strong, straight profile, was serious.

      “I went to college with the owner. A great guy. He’s giving up his hobby ranch. Needs to sell the herd.” Finn tossed peanuts into his mouth then offered the can to Austin again, who shook his head and pointed over his shoulder to her in the backseat. Finn offered them to Gracie, reluctantly. Odd as it was for someone who’d been starving a short while ago, the thought of eating even one left her nauseated.

      She shook her head.

      “Knowing this guy—” Finn turned around again “—those cattle will be top quality and in good shape.”

      “Can’t wait to see them.” Ah, a spark of excitement lit Austin’s voice. So, they were on a trip to see some cows. She wondered why, so eavesdropped some more.

      The gist was that these guys were apparently on their way to Texas, where Austin was going to buy a herd of cattle. So...Austin was not only a sheriff’s deputy, but also a rancher?

      “You want a mouser for the barn?” Finn asked. “I’ve got a real little cutie in the office right now.”

       What office?

      “No one’s adopting her. All everyone wants these days is kittens.” He ate more peanuts. “I don’t want to put her down. Worst part of the job is putting down healthy animals just ’cause they don’t have a home.”

      Finn was a veterinarian?

      “I’d really like to find her a home.”

      “You can’t take her to your dad’s ranch?” Austin asked.

      Finn grinned. “Dad would kill me if I brought home another stray. He knows how much I love animals, but put his foot down after the last dog I brought over.”

      Austin smiled. “Yeah, I remember all the strays you took home even before you became a vet.”

      Ah. So he really was a vet. He had at least that going for him even if he was a jerk in other ways.

      “Sure.” Austin shifted gears. “I’ll take the cat.”

      A satisfied grin lit Finn’s face.

      Finn made a joke about a bunch of cows in a field they were passing and Austin laughed—so the man could laugh—the affection between them palpable.

      Again, that pang of envy.

      Even before Gracie had run away, there had been few people she could trust. There’d been Gran and...that was it. No one else.

      Now Gran was gone and Gracie was alone.

      The men laughed and she pulled her gaze away from the fields flying past the vehicle.

      Her stomach cramped. Crap, she felt sick and shivery. Her stomach churned.

      It cramped again, hard and sharp.

      “Stop the car,” she croaked.

      “What?”

      A strong breeze rushed through the open windows, but it wasn’t enough to stem the rush of bile into her throat.

      “Stop the car,” she shouted.

      Austin jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. The car fishtailed on the gravel shoulder.

      Gracie just managed to scramble out and make it to the ditch before losing her lunch.

      She retched until there was nothing left, and she wanted to cry. All of that food wasted when her body needed it so badly.

      She heard footsteps on the road behind her, calm and measured. Had to be Austin.

      She felt a hand on her shoulder.

      “Here.” A hand held a tissue in front of her face.

      Embarrassing. It wasn’t bad enough the man had to see her as a homeless person, now he had to witness this indignity?

      “Sorry,” she said.

      He rested his hand on her back while she retched one more time, his touch reassuring. She wiped her mouth.

      “You have any gum or mints?” she asked.

      “Yeah.” He removed his hand. She missed the warmth. She heard him walk to the car. He returned a minute later with a pack of gum.

      “Thanks.” She took two sticks because her mouth tasted like crap and the gum was sweet and minty. The chewing and her saliva helped to settle her stomach.

      She wiped her damp forehead and brushed sweat from her upper lip. When her legs stopped shaking, she returned to the vehicle with Austin keeping step beside her.

      “You okay?” he asked.

      “Yeah. Just sorry I had to lose that food.”

      He climbed into the driver’s seat while she got into the back. She had to give him credit. Not a single I told you so. There was something to be said for the strong, silent type.

      Trouble started, though, once they reached the small town midway to Denver when Austin parked on the street near a small hotel and Gracie walked into a back alley to sleep for the night.

      “What?” Austin gaped. “No way am I letting you sleep in an alleyway.”

      “Letting me?” Gracie asked, voice dangerously quiet. “You bought me lunch. You gave me a drive. I appreciate it. That doesn’t give you rights, or any say in what I do or where I go.” She set her knapsack on the ground on the far side of a Dumpster, where she could hide from the prying eyes of anyone walking past.

      Austin followed her. “You can’t sleep СКАЧАТЬ