you.â
Karen looked down sheepishly. âI left right afterward. It just, I donât know. It just felt sort of odd when it was over, like everyone was staring at me.â
âIâm sure they were. What you did was rather heroic. . . . Pretty big news for a place like Watervalley. Matter of fact, you just missed Luther Whitmore, editor of the local newspaper. I bet heâd like to interview you.â
A cringe twisted her face as she inhaled through clenched teeth, making a slight hissing sound. âAre you talking about the fellow in the black suit I just saw in the parking lot?â
âSounds right.â
âGee, I thought he was a mortician. Just as well I missed him. Anyway, I donât much care for the spotlight.â
âYeah, that was Luther, all right. Heâs not exactly Mr. Sunshine. But Iâm sure the paper will want to do a write-up about having a new vet in town. I donât think you will be able to avoid the spotlight completely.â
She nodded. âIâm okay with that. Howâs the fellow from the ballpark doing?â
âToy McAnders. Heâs good. We took him to Regional Hospital. Heâll come home tomorrow.â
I studied her for a moment and decided to pry further. âSo, how long have you been in town?â
âI actually just arrived yesterday morning. Iâm staying over at the B and B till my stuff arrives.â She fell silent, seemingly unsure of what to say next. I spoke again in an accommodating voice.
âI have to admit, Karen, Iâm a little curious. Iâm guessing vet school didnât teach you how to do an emergency cricothyÂrotomy?â
She shrugged. âHardly. I was in the military for fifteen years. Army medic. I went to veterinary school after I got out. I graduated this spring.â
âWell, that explains a lot.â This news came as no big surprise. With her ramrod posture, crisp speech, and reserved manner, everything about Karen Davidson reflected the enamel of military service. I gauged her to be in her late thirties and, while she was a pleasant, modestly attractive woman, her short haircut and minimal, if any, makeup telegraphed that she was either uninterested or unpracticed in accentuating her feminine side. She was polite and plain and seemed content to remain so.
âWell, I have a Âlethargic Âbut Âlovable male golden retriever who will be excited to know that youâve arrived in town.â
âWhatâs his name?â There was a notable lift in her voice.
âRhett. Heâs an adopted stray. But heâs turned out to be quite a character.â
âTheyâre great hunting dogs, you know.â
âIâm sure thatâs true for the breed in general, but Iâm not so sure Rhett could get vicious with a bird or a rabbit. Heâd probably just Âtrash-Âtalk it a little and let it go at that.â
âWell,â she said warmly, âI look forward to meeting him.â
âSo, I take it youâve introduced yourself around town some. Have you been by the Farmersâ Co-op?â
âYeah, I, um, I went by there earlier today and met a few of the guys. They were, well, polite.â
The trepidation in her answer was obvious. âI take it you have some reservations about how that went?â
She paused and scrutinized me for a moment, as if weighing what level of confidence she wanted to engage with me. âIt was okay. I think they werenât sure what to make of a woman my size taking on Âhalf-Âton cows and pulling calves. Nobody said anything, but I could read it in their eyes.â
âThey can be a little Âtight-Âlipped at first, but theyâre good people. Just give it some time.â
Karen smiled faintly. âI hope so. The cat and dog business will probably pay the light bill, but it will take a fair amount of Âlarge-Âanimal practice to cover rent and food. Eating may