Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay by Babette Jongh (best summer books .TXT) 📗

leader like sheep, all heading to Bayside Barn. “No, you’re right. They want a family, a home, and a safe place to live.”

“Anything else?”

“They want to love and to be loved.”

“Yes. And what does Wolf want? What does he want from you, in particular?”

In her imagination, Abby apologized to Wolf for chasing him away. She told him that she understood, now, that he had only caught the chicken because he was hungry. She asked him to please come to live at the farm, so she could stop worrying about him being on his own in the cat’s-claw forest.

“He’s listening,” Reva said. “But he wants to be useful, too. He wants you to give him a job.”

Abby laughed. “I don’t read the newspaper.”

“What else can he do,” Reva prompted. “What can he do to prove his worth and do his part as a family member at the farm?”

In Abby’s imagination, she saw Wolf turn toward her, his golden eyes shining. She asked him what sort of job he thought he’d be best at and enjoy doing. The word protector blossomed in her mind. “He can protect the farm’s cats from wild animals.”

“Get more specific. Birds are wild animals; blue jays don’t hurt the farm animals, but hawks will kill the chickens. You’re telling him what you want him to do. What do you want him to do?”

Abby felt like her body was floating, not quite connected to the earth anymore. “Protect us from animals who want to do harm.”

“Yes.” Reva’s voice was rich with approval. “Yes. Now, tell Wolf what you want. He needs a gold-plated invitation and a job to do, or he won’t come.”

Abby heard a door close, and Quinn and Mack talking to each other as they moved closer. She suddenly felt silly—talking to a dog or, worse yet, pretending to. The pleasant floating sensation evaporated, and Abby became aware that her foot ached. She snatched up the phone and turned off the speaker function just as the men walked into the room. “Just a minute, Aunt Reva.”

Quinn frowned at Abby and reached down to prop her foot on the scooter’s seat. “Elevation, remember?”

Without even asking, Mack took the phone from Abby’s hand. “Hey, Reva. How’s your class coming?” He walked out of the room.

“How’s Griffin?” Abby asked Quinn.

“If he makes it through the night, he’ll probably be okay. Mack is keeping him here for a few days so he can get IV fluids and antibiotics.” He sat next to her and put a hand on her thigh, lightly massaging. “You ready to go?”

“Welp, I’ll need to get my phone back first.”

Mack’s deep voice and low laugh drifted from the reception area.

“Sounds like they know each other pretty well,” Quinn commented.

“Yeah, they do. Mack and Reva’s husband, Grayson, were buddies from way back. Also, with all Reva’s animals, she’s one of Mack’s best customers.”

“Yeah, she is,” Mack confirmed, walking back from the reception area. He handed Abby her phone. “She single-handedly paid for my truck. Don’t tell her I said that, though, because then she’ll want to ride in it, and my wife won’t like that.”

“Probably not.” Abby would bet money that Patricia McNeil wouldn’t want Reva riding in Mack’s truck. Though Mack’s wife was pretty enough, she couldn’t hold a candle to Reva’s lit-from-within beauty; the kind that didn’t fade with age.

Quinn helped Abby to her feet. “Let’s get out of here so Mack can go home and get some rest.”

“Thanks for everything, Mack,” Abby said. “Meeting us here after midnight… That’s above-and-beyond territory.”

Mack chuckled. “Nah, not really, since I’ll be sending Reva the bill for my time.”

On the way back home, Quinn rested a hand on Abby’s thigh. “How are you doing? How’s your foot?”

“Fine. I’m fine. My foot’s fine.” Actually, she felt like death warmed over and her foot felt even worse than that. “I’m sorry you’re going to all this trouble for us.” Us being the multispecies collective at Bayside Barn. “I don’t know how we’ll be able to make it up to you.”

“You don’t owe me a thing.” He rubbed her thigh; she could tell that meant he was thinking. “But I do have a favor to ask. My son, Sean, is coming to visit next weekend. I really appreciate all the meals you cook for me when I’m at the farm doing chores, and it would be great if Sean could come, too, when he’s around. It’s not all that often.” Quinn sighed, and his hand on her thigh felt heavy. “Unfortunately.”

Quinn’s sadness and regret over the damaged relationship with his son ignited Abby’s despair over the daughter she would never see again. At least Quinn had a chance with Sean. Could Abby deny him whatever help she could provide? Offering to help didn’t mean she had to embroil herself in their relationship. She could cook a few meals and still remain uninvolved.

“Of course, Sean is welcome to come to the farm whenever you’re there.” She definitely didn’t want to form a personal relationship with the boy herself, but if Quinn and Sean could bond over her dinner table, what harm would there be in that? “I’ll be happy to cook all your meals, especially since you’re helping me so much.”

They had just pulled into the driveway at Bayside Barn when Abby’s phone pinged with a text message from Reva: Don’t forget to finish the conversation with Wolf. Also, why is Georgia telling me that you’re always riding a bicycle, even in the house?

* * *

Wolf heard Abby talking in his head. He had always been able to hear some of what the people near him were thinking, or understand some of what they were saying. But this was different. This time, he knew Abby wasn’t anywhere near him, but he heard her voice in his head. And she was talking to him, as if she wanted to have a conversation with him the way people talked to each other.

He’d been following his own scent back to the cat’s-claw forest, but he