I found myself driving to the vet clinic, just like any other day, even though, in the back of my mind, there was the thought of the dread of talking to Ivy.
I pulled up, and parked in front, and then, I just sat there. Like for ten more minutes or more. Then the door opened, and Ivy peeked out, and saw me
sitting there, in my truck. She came out, leaving the door wide open, and came around to my truck window, which was halfway down.
"Hello, Harlie," she greeted me.
"Hi."
Ivy studied me with those vivid green eyes of hers. She didn't ask me what I was doing, just sitting there, in the truck, and not coming into the office.
Later, I found out that she already knew why.
"Why don't you come inside?" she said, instead.
I sighed deeply. "I'm just sitting here a minute."
"That's okay. I just think you could come in. We can have a cold Coke. I think one Coke wouldn't hurt you," Ivy said, in suggestion.
"That sounds good," I said, vaguely, but still sat there.
And then-I looked to my right as the old farm Jeep pulled up beside me, and parked. Crane.
"Great," I muttered to myself. I had been hoping for a longer period of time before I had to face any family.
Crane got out of the Jeep and passed in front of my truck, coming to stand beside Ivy, at my truck window.
"Hey, there," he said, quietly.
"Hi, Crane," I said, not looking directly at him.
"Roll your window all the way down," he said.
I hesitated, and then cranked the window down the rest of the way.
"Rough day for you," he said, still quietly.
"Yep," I said, and sighed. "I guess Mr. Best didn't waste any time calling you."
Crane opened the truck door. "Come on out," he said, instead of replying to my comment.
"I don't see the point," I said, and tears welled up in my eyes again. "Ivy, you'll have to find somebody else to help you-"
My voice sort of cracked, and I blinked, and looked at the front of the vet office, at the eaves where a bird's nest was.
"I'm not even going to think about that right now," Ivy began.
Crane put his hand on my arm, and gave me a light tug. "Come on."
I let him tug me out of the truck, and then the three of us just sort of stood there, my truck door still open.
Ivy and Crane must have exchanged something unspoken between them, because Ivy gave me a slight smile, her eyes concerned, and
went back into the office, closing the door behind her, and leaving me there, with Crane.
"He didn't need to call you," I said, referring to Mr. Best. Even though I'd thought that I didn't care if he didn't or he did, now I was
annoyed that he had.
"He thought he should," Crane said. "He said you were pretty upset."
"Well, yeah," I said, somewhat in sarcasm. "It's sort of a thing to be upset about."
Crane gave me a studying glance. One look at his serious face, and I felt like I could see disappointment all over it. I looked away again.
"Do we have to talk about it?" I asked, sighing.
"Not right now, no. Get your books or whatever you need out of your truck."
"Why?" I asked, looking at him.
"You can ride home with me. I've got some stuff to do while you're working, and then I'll be back to get you. One of us can pick up your truck later tonight."
"I can drive myself," I objected, half-heartedly.
Crane shook his head at me, and I sighed heavily.
"Alright. Fine," I said. "But, let's just go now."
There was a long moment of silence, and then Crane said, "Harlie." Just that. Harlie.
I risked a look up at him. "What?" I asked.
"You know what. You've got a job to be done. Ivy has things for you to do."
I looked away again, concentrating on the flowering tree across the street. "What's the point of it?" I said, echoing what I'd said earlier.
"Look at me," Crane ordered. And, I did. Reluctantly.
"Keep looking at me. Don't look away," he said. "The point of it is, that you have a job to do, the rest of this week. That's what Pete said. You have a
commitment to Ivy." His voice was on the cusp of sternness.
I kept my eyes on his face, like he'd ordered me to. But, I teared up again. He was right. I knew that he was. Ivy was wonderful. She'd been so good to
me-and I'd learned so much from her, about being a female veterinarian. So, so much.
"I know," I admitted. "But-I don't want to. I'll explain to Ivy that I don't feel like it-"
"No."
I blinked at Crane. "But, Crane-" I began to protest.
"No, Harlie. You can feel sorry for yourself later."
That hurt. It did. I knew he was disappointed in me. In the fact that I'd failed at what I set out to do. But-he could have been more understanding-but
looking at his face, I knew he wasn't going to relent.
"Fine," I huffed, under my breath. At some point, I knew he would call me out on something like that, but right then, he did not. He was silent,
just looking at me.
I turned away from him, and went into the office door, the bell over the door tinkling to announce me.
7
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