The Right One Page 6

  The tone in her father’s voice was one she recognized, and feared during the days of youth, but now it was cause to throw hands up in the air as her eyes searched the ceiling for an invisible reprieve. Or divine intervention. “Look, Mom, Dad, it’s a done deal. The city council has approved us, all the licensing is in place, and honestly,” she paused, certain of the firestorm about to erupt, “you can’t stop me.”

  Her mother jumped to her feet, face reddening, jaw clenched. “How dare you. After all we’ve done for you, given you, you dare to speak to us like this.”

  “Mom, I …”

  “Thomas, I think it best we leave now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You both don’t have to go. But I do need you to respect the fact that this is what I choose to do. It’s what I want to do and I’m sorry, as much as I love you, I’m not going to simply walk away because people don’t understand.” She shrugged, and licked her lips. “Even if the people who don’t understand includes you.”

  Abigail Lockhart turned her back to Cami and Thomas stood steady, facing his daughter. “I appreciate your passion, honey, as well as the level of commitment. But you need to understand where we’re coming from. Having a child of ours so close to such dangerous animals, caring for them as one would care for a dog or a housecat, it is cause for concern, despite what you might think. If you one day have children, perhaps then you will understand.”

  “Perhaps I will, Dad. Until then, you are going to have to trust my judgment. A little emotional support wouldn’t be so bad either.”

  He shook his head. “We can’t offer support in something we simply don’t …”

  “Support. Yeah, I get it.”

  Thomas nodded, “Perhaps your mother is right, and we should go. Give everyone some time to cool down.” He stepped forward, pulling his daughter into a loose embrace. “Just be careful, honey.”

  “Always am, Dad. And Alex is here, so, you know …”

  He chuckled. “Maybe we should speak to him.”

  She shook her head and pushed out of her father’s arms. “You won’t get any further than you do with me. He’s just as passionate about this project as I am.”

  “Because he’s so passionate about you. Cami, if you aren’t blind to the ways of life.”

  She didn’t answer her mother as Mr. Lockhart turned and draped an arm around his wife’s back, leading her out of the house. Why was getting along with them so difficult? Chasing after them – sure to encourage the argument, and behavior. She picked up a throw pillow, slapped it against the back of the couch and growled. Standing, she walked out the door.

  She stepped onto the porch, brows knitting to see her father talking to Tank by the side of their SUV. Pointing at the ranch hand, Mr. Lockhart gestured at the width of the sanctuary, Tank backing against the SUV. “What in the world?” Cami jogged down the steps and across the yard. “Everything okay here?”

  Tank faced her, muttered something and walked away.

  She turned to Mr. Lockhart as he brushed at the suit coat. “Is there a problem? Something you want to tell me?”

  He cleared his throat. “None at all, Camille.” He glanced towards her mother. “I better get your mom home. We’ll talk soon.”

  Not waiting for her parents to pull away, jaw tightened, she shook her head and marched off in the direction she’d seen Tank go. He was too big of a man to get intimidated by a smaller, older man like her dad. Her steps hurried. If her dad wouldn’t tell her, Tank sure would. She’d see to that.

  She caught up with him behind the house and stopped short. He fidgeted with something on the back of the house, and Cami cricked her neck. No reason for him to be there.

  “What’s going on Tank? What are you doing back here?”

  He turned with a wide grin. “Just getting the hose, ma’am. Need to spray some mud off the F150.”

  She watched quietly for a moment as he gathered the hose, nodded. “Okay.” A few more steps. “What was that between you and my father a minute ago?”

  Tank shook his head, tossed the hose over a shoulder. “Aw, it was nothing. I was standing too close to the man’s vehicle and he chewed me out.” He shrugged. “No big deal.”

  She threw both hands in the air. “So now he’s harassing my help. Nice. Listen, Tank, I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what their problem is.”

  “Like I said, no big deal.” He reached down for the sprayer and turned back to Cami. “They’re uptight. He’s a lawyer. I should have come up here another way.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have. This is my land. You work for me and were doing your job. I’m sorry.”

  He repeated, “No big thing. I better get back with this hose before Alex reams me out next. Between you and me, I’m more worried about him than I am your father.”

  She chuckled and Tank marched into the sanctuary. She rolled her neck. Overstepping. Her parents were seriously overstepping. Chewing on a thumbnail, Cami thought for a moment, considering a call of warning. She pushed a hand through her hair. Waste of time that wouldn’t be listened to anyway. She breathed in a heaving sigh.

  Cami returned to the house and walked into the small office, thinking to close the door and then changing her mind. Her parents wouldn’t come back, and the only other person to walk in would be Alex. That was never a problem.

  Pushing the button on the laptop, she dropped into the ragged office chair and leaned back, eyes closed. Not going to gain their approval, no sense in arguing. Her jaw tightened and loosened, tightened and loosened. Shouldn’t have to defend myself either, not to them. Another heavy sigh and eyes blinking open, she leaned forward and keyed in the password. Clicking into the browser, she opened the email tab to five new emails. Opening one after another, her stomach turned, words mingling in a hateful red.

  “Hi there, Cam. I was going to come in earlier, but saw your parents …”

  Alex’s footsteps stopped short behind her, the lightness in his voice fading. “Everything all right?”

  Thick cotton filled her mouth, words lost in the dryness, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen.

  “Cami?”

  Alex walked to her side, and though internal alarms beckoned Cami to switch screens, the fingers wouldn’t obey. The weight of hands strong with years of ranching labor fell against the desk, and Cami didn’t need to lift her head to know he was reading the bold, red words.

  SHUT DOWN NOW OR I WILL KILL YOU.

  Chapter Ten

  “This is getting serious, Cam. You have to report this. Maybe we should postpone things, let the excitement die down.”

  She lifted her head to face Alex, his shoulders broader, face drawn long and tight. “It’s another prank, it’s gotta be. In bad taste, and it unnerved me too, for a minute, but it’s a prank.”

  “Cami, don’t be foolish. Don’t dismiss this. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

  She shook her head. “Nothing’s going to happen. I wouldn’t let it. You wouldn’t let it.” She smiled, knowing the gesture wouldn’t be enough. For her childhood friend, or herself. “We’ll be more careful, keep an eye open. Maybe I can ask Tommy to swing by once in a while to keep an eye on the property.”

  Alex pushed off the desk, turned Cami’s chair to kneel in front of her, arms resting on her legs. “I’m sure he would. He’s like a brother to me, and our families have all been friends for as far back as I can remember, but he can’t watch the stretch of land here effectively, cop or not.”

  She glanced away, unable to stare into the intense brown of familiar eyes. “It’s something, and besides, once the cats arrive, no one is going to want to come here.” She refocused on him. “Who wants to mess with six hundred pounds of tiger?”

  “Caged up, they can hardly be considered guard dogs, Cami. Don’t joke around about this. You don’t have to close the sanctuary, just keep things quiet for a couple of weeks. Let this blow over.”

  She sighed, swerved to stare at the email, and shook her head. “No.
” She swiveled to face him. “I’m not going to hide. What I’m doing is important, there’s not enough out there as it is. These cats are dying every day, and there’s not enough left to keep losing them. We’ll just be more alert. Once they see I’m not scaring away, the threats will stop. It’s just scare tactics. I’m not folding.”

  He stood, staring hard against her. “Cami, you can’t be serious. This –"

  “Is what it is. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy, Alex. We knew we were going to make people mad.”

  “Yes, we knew, but this is beyond pissing off a few people. This is a threat. Against your life. Do you think I’m going to sit back and let it fly?”

  She reached back and rubbed her head, then met him with a hard, dead voice. “You don’t have a choice. I’m moving forward. This is my dream and I’m not letting it go with some idle threats.”

  He paced the room, fists clenched, jaw set hard. Cami watched, gut aching as her mind remained firm on its decision. She wasn’t backing down, not even for Alex.

  He stopped near the door, stood for a moment and then spun to face her. “You can’t be this foolish. This isn’t dating some idiot who has no idea who you are and isn’t interested in really figuring it out. This is your life.”

  She shrugged. “That’s right. It’s my life. And I choose to follow my dreams.”

  He scuffed. “That’s the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard. There’s people out here that love you. You get that?”

  Her face wrinkled, eyes blazing. “That’s –"

  Alex shook his head. “I don’t want hear it, Cami. You do what you want. You’re going to no matter what I say. I’ll be outside.”

  Cami watched him storm out of the room, then circled the chair around with her feet and stared at the screen.

  SHUT DOWN NOW OR I WILL KILL YOU.

  Clicking on the message, she archived the threat and closed the Internet. Idle threats. Overreacting. She shook her head and stood. “Too much drama people. And you’re not going to scare me off. Not any of you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Sun beamed high as a weathered truck pulled into the drive, two cages fastened hard within a large enclosed trailer. The white vehicle cleared the gate, and Cami jumped to her feet, pointing at Sadie. “Stay.” She jogged down the steps to the middle of the driveway, waving at two men from a sanctuary in Ohio. The first of the tigers arrived.

  Mr. George Lasseter stepped out of the passenger side first. She recognized him from the pictures on the sanctuary’s website: receding hairline, physique unaffected by middle age. He was the patriarch of a sanctuary respected throughout the country, one of the first to begin a home for wayward animals. Admiration swelled in her gut.

  He walked along the front of the truck, smile friendly, eyes not as much. Reserved, they spoke of the concern and love for the first two cats Cami was taking in.

  “Ms. Lockhart?”

  She nodded and offered a hand. “You must be Mr. Lasseter.”

  “Yes.” His grasp was firm. “And this is Tyler.” He motioned to the younger man, not as muscular as Alex, but still well-weathered from manual labor.

  “Yes, of course. I think I’ve spoken to you a few times as well, Tyler.”

  The younger Lasseter nodded, but didn’t speak. Cami understood. A life’s work shut down due to a change of laws in Ohio. All of the cats were being relocated, despite years of excellent care. More of the bureaucratic red tape.

  She turned to Mr. Lasseter. “I’m so sorry for what’s happened to your work. There’s not enough hope for the cats like these as it is. It’s unbelievable laws are being enforced to shut down more.”

  The former owner nodded. “Yes, it breaks all our hearts. What hope can there be if there is nowhere to go and no changes to the laws prohibiting circumstances like these from happening in the first place?” Mr. Lasseter shook his head with a frown. “Anyway, I’m glad you’ve opened. It’s not easy finding homes for these guys.”

  She nodded, he didn’t need to say more. “I’m glad we were ready in time to help. Can I give you a tour?”

  “No, no. We have to get back. There’s still a good half dozen animals to be relocated, we have a lot of traveling to do. Do you have anyone who can help you with getting these guys to their new home?”

  “Absolutely.” Dialing Tank’s number, then Alex’s, she tucked the cell phone back in her pocket. “They should be here in a moment. Is it okay to meet the cats?”

  Mr. Lasseter shrugged. “They’re your responsibility now.”

  She walked around Tyler, who remained outside the driver’s door, and followed Lasseter to the trailer. He opened the side doors, revealing a large Siberian, still sleeping, and another, a Bengal, that curled his nose as she neared.

  “The big boy there is as kind as a pussy cat. And the other, well, you don’t want to get too close to him.”

  She nodded and chuckled. “I can see that. Their names?”

  “The big one, we haven’t had him long enough to name him, he’s been relocated a couple times now. Once from a very good home that could no longer take care of him, and a second time from a sanctuary that was nearly as ill-prepared as the home. Either way, he’s been lucky enough to have never been mistreated. That one,” he pointed to the growling cat, “is Cato. He’s had a bad time of it. He was found malnourished and beaten – how anyone manages to beat a tiger without getting themselves killed - seemed like whips and baseball bats, not really sure. In any case, he’s been safe for about a year now, but his temperament hasn’t changed. He’s all wild, and simply doesn’t trust people.”

  Cami watched the cat still drugged from the tranquilizer, pupils enlarged, teeth bore. “Can’t blame him.” Tank and Alex rode along the side of the property in one of the ranch’s pickups. “Here come a couple of my men now.”

  Mr. Lasseter stepped back, making room as the two men parked and stepped from the truck.

  “Alex, Tank, this is Mr. Lasseter. And this,” she nodded to the cats, “is Cato and … Regellius.”

  Mr. Lasseter nodded. “That’s a good name for him. Certainly fitting. Do you boys need help?”

  Alex smiled. “Cats like Regellius there, I reckon we’ll need all the help we can get. If you would mind helping us get them in the truck, you can follow us to the clinic and vet can start getting them checked out.”

  Mr. Lasseter turned to Cami, friendliness wiped away by the scorch of scorn. “Ms. Lockhart, I assure you, having them checked out is completely unnecessary. If there were problems with the animals, we certainly would have let you know.”

  “I’m sure you would have. And I’m not at all concerned, but it is a step we plan to take with each animal we take in. It protects each of the cats, and helps us get a feel for any specialized care required.”

  His face softened as he exhaled a heavy thrust of air. “My apologies. You’re protocol is none of my business, and I have to admit, is good procedure. It’s good to hear the cats will be in such good hands.” He stepped forward, knocking on the side of the trailer. “Tyler, need a hand out here.”

  He edged along the truck and stepped in with ready hands, still silent, without a smile.

  Five pairs of hands and varying levels of strength eased the cats from one truck to another, and then, after a passing three minutes, transported the animals into the clinic and temporary cages where they’d stay until exams were passed with flying colors. Mr. Lasseter and Tyler left without further exchange.

  Cami walked back into the clinic, nearing Regellius’ cage with a warm smile, the cat easing out of sedation as he lay on a bed of straw.

  She stooped lower, resting fingertips on the gray concrete floor. “Hi Regellius. Welcome home.”

  The doorbell caught Cami’s attention as she wiped a rag over a set of wall shelves. Placing the tiger figurine back in its roost, she hurried across the gray berber, opening to a full bouquet of flowers.

  “Ms. Cami Lockhart?”

  She reached out and took the arra
ngement. “Is this for me?”

  “Yes.” The delivery man handed her the black handheld computer. “I’m going to need you to sign here, please.”

  Cami juggled the vase and pen, signed her name.

  “Thank you. Enjoy the flowers.”

  “Thank you.” She closed the door, carried the vase to the coffee table, set it down and poked around the blooms and greens for a greeting. Finding the small card, Cami pulled it out and read, dropped her shoulders. “Unbelievable.” Scratching her head, she looked to the flowers. “Paul Schotter. You get an A for effort, don’t you?”

  A knock and she chuckled, tossing the greeting against the table. She opened the door to Alex leaning against the frame with one hand, single rose in the other. “Alex? What’s … what’s this?”

  “A congratulations. And a thinking of you.”

  Cami smiled. “My day for flowers.” She took the rose, holding the flower beneath her nose. “My favorite, thank you. Do you want to come in?”

  He nodded, leaned in to peck her cheek, walked into the room, stopping short to see the bouquet on the coffee table. “Someone beat me to the punch I see. They’re …” Alex glanced at the single rose in her hand. “Beautiful. I guess I needed to aim a little higher, huh?”

  She shook her head. “No, not at all. Yours is beautiful. These,” she gestured to the bouquet. “They’re just –" A kiss? He’s never done that before. She walked to the thermostat, studied the numbers. Cooler than it felt.

  “They’re from Paul.”

  Cami nodded, tapping the thermostat, then turned to face him.

  Alex nodded. “Of course. I’m … Congratulations again. I better get going. Listen, you can just toss that rose. It’s … " He shook his head. “See ya later.”

  She stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the closed front door. What just happened? She laid the rose against the table, picked up the bouquet and dropped it in the kitchen garbage. Carrying a small vase filled with water back to the living room, Cami slid the rose inside. Standing back, hands on hips, she stared at it for a moment, then retreated back to the kitchen, dug the bouquet and rested it on the table next to the rose, adjusting the blooms.