Page 48 of Condor’s Vow

Chapter 17

“How did Dad seem to you today?” Hattie was seated at her kitchen table drinking coffee with her oldest brother and feeling more relaxed than yesterday. Partly from the fantastic start to the morning with Clay and also because her dad had been in good form today and had finally had the all-clear from his chest infection.

Martin looked at her before looking out of the window. “Good. He seemed happy in his own way. I won’t say I find it easy seeing him there but I know it’s in his best interest and it’s certainly in yours.”

“I won’t lie. It’s a weight off my shoulders knowing he’s safe while I’m at work.”

Mr. Chester nudged her leg, his signal that he wanted to go outside, so she got up and opened the back door for him.

Martin stood and took his mug to the sink to rinse it. He looked like he had something on his mind. Her oldest brother was always quiet, keeping his thoughts to himself, a typical strong silent type, but this felt different.

Hattie walked over and stood beside her brother, handing him her mug when he held his hand out for it. “What’s going on Martin?”

“Nothing.”

Hattie crossed her arms and raised her brow at him. “Really!”

Martin smirked. “You look like Mom when you do that.”

“Yeah, and Mom would’ve kicked your ass for bottling things up. Now tell me.”

“Bossy like her too.”

Hattie stamped her foot in frustration at him stalling. “Martin.”

“Fine, I feel guilty. Guilty for letting you carry all of this for so long. I had no idea it was so bad.” He wiped his hands on a towel and faced her. “That’s a lie. I did know, I just didn’t want to see it.”

Hattie hugged her brother, laying her head on his chest as she had when she was younger. Martin had been her first hero, drying her tears when she’d had her heart broken in high school and fighting her battles even though she could fight her own.

“I get it, it really does suck. It’s so hard to accept that we’re losing him so soon after Mom, but we still have him for now, and we just have to treasure that and stick together.”

“Very wise, sis.”

Hattie pulled back and chuckled. “I certainly am.” She knew it wouldn’t be as easy as Martin sharing his worry and guilt and it going away, but they were making progress and talking about things now, and that was a start.

“You looking forward to tonight?”

“Absolutely, Reid and Callie are so much fun. You’re gonna love them.”

Just then, the squeal of tires and the sound of a thud from the front of the house had them both moving. When she opened the door, her heart sank, and she was running before she could think.

A black Ford was at an angle in the road, and Mr. Chester was on the ground with a man bending over him.

“Hattie, wait.”

She could hear her brother behind her, but she didn’t stop until she skidded to her knees beside her beloved dog. He may not have been her dog to start, but he was now, and he’d wormed his way into her heart.

“Oh my God, what happened?”

Her hands smoothed gently over her dog who was so still her heart was in her throat.

“I was driving, and he ran out of nowhere. I couldn’t stop in time. Let me help him. I’m a vet.”

Through her tears, Hattie looked up and recognized her vet—Paddy Wood.

“Paddy?”

“Hattie, I had no idea it was Mr. Chester. Let me help him. I’ll take him to the surgery now and have a look at him.”