We Can Laugh Together Too (Walnut Grove Trilogy) (8 page)

They had talked for more than an hour, until Matt had
finally admitted he was dog tired. As they bade each other goodnight, Livi recalled
how little sleep he’d had on Saturday night.

♠  
♠   ♠

Livi called Dry Gulch Farm and was rewarded with a glowing
recommendation for Luis Solis (she now knew his second name), from the owner.
He explained that Luis had decided to retire at age sixty three because of a
recurring chronic back problem, but he’d had more than a year to rest and it
shouldn’t prevent him from teaching and overseeing Isidoro. The owner said Luis
had been foreman at the farm for ten years and readily admitted his expertise
was missed.

Livi put the phone down well satisfied, and when he arrived
at Walnut Grove late in the morning, it seemed Isidoro’s cousin was indeed exactly
the solution she needed. Just like Isidoro, he was quiet and courteous and when
she questioned him he responded in a manner that instilled her with confidence.
It was agreed he would work with his cousin throughout August and September and
accompany him to the sales early in October.

♠  
♠   ♠

Surprisingly, the subsequent two weeks sped past. Livi could
hardly believe it when the Saturday of Chrissy’s departure arrived. There were
no direct flights between Santa Barbara and Sacramento, so after much debate
and significant resistance from Chrissy, who wanted to make the entire journey
under her own steam, Livvy booked her daughter on a flight to San Francisco and
arranged for a friend from the Bay Area to meet her and drive her to the
veterinary college in Davis. Matt had volunteered to do it, but Livi was well
aware how emergencies could devastate vets’ plans, and she didn’t want Crissy
left stranded, waiting for him to turn up. She was gratified when Matt
understood her concerns completely.

Crissy’s flight departed at ten in the morning, and after
delivering her to the airport, Livi didn’t immediately return to the farm;
instead she killed time strolling around the shops, then drove to the Amtrack depot
and sat in the parking lot watching as the Coast Starlight pulled majestically
into the station, horn wailing mournfully. So much had happened in the
intervening four weeks since she and Matt had boarded that same train and
headed north. She brushed away a nostalgic tear and waited until the Superliner
had disappeared completely before starting her car’s engine and setting off
home.

♠  
♠   ♠

Livi spent the next days anticipating Matt’s trip back the
following weekend. On Wednesday, during his now routine evening call, he told
her there was a change of plan; instead of flying down as she was expecting, he
would be driving. The senior partner in the practice had told him he could
extend his weekend by taking the Monday as well, and at such short notice he’d
been unable to reschedule his return flight.

He pointed out that it would most likely be gone ten when he
reached Walnut Grove on Friday night, but Livi was ecstatic; an extra twenty
four hours of his company was above and beyond what she had been expecting.

Matt also told her he had arranged with Chrissy to drive
across to the veterinary college the following afternoon; another piece of news
which filled her with hope. All in all, they enjoyed an inherently upbeat
conversation.

When he called her later than usual on Thursday, Matt was
unable to disguise a certain amount of buoyancy. Initially he assured her he
had found Chrissy to be flourishing in her albeit short-lived independence,
then he recounted a productive conversation with a senior professor who had undertaken
to publicize Matt’s availability on the university grapevine. Livi put down the
phone feeling distinctly optimistic.

Friday, as she counted down the hours, then minutes to his
arrival, Livi spent in a whirlwind of activity. She had enlisted Rosa’s help to
clean the house, and she watched in awe as the little Mexican lady undertook
the task with an enthusiasm for housework she had never been able to engender.
Tentatively she asked Rosa if, for an agreed wage, she would consider
undertaking the job on a regular standing, and was delighted when she agreed.

Matt kept in close contact as he drove south from the Bay
Area and it was just after nine thirty when his SUV turned into the Walnut
Grove driveway. Anticipating his arrival, Livi had walked down to the road to
meet him and he immediately spotted her perched on the white paddock fencing.
He stamped on the brake and jumped out to greet her, holding her so tightly she
could scarcely breathe. Livi found herself laughing and crying at the same time
as she returned his kisses.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured into her hair. “I intend
to spend the entire weekend making love to you.”

Eventually he let her go and they climbed into the vehicle
to complete the journey and park in front of the house. In the kitchen, the two
Dalmatians greeted Matt in a flurry of exuberant delight, equally as happy to
see him again. He fended them off laughing. “Good grief I am popular!”

Livi eyed him speculatively. “Are you hungry?”

Matt grinned fatuously and taking her hand, led her out into
the hallway towards the stairs. “Starving.”

♠  
♠   ♠

It was late when Livi awoke on Saturday morning. Beside her
Matt was still dead to the world, breathing evenly, his right arm flung across
her middle. Cautiously so as not to disturb him, she wriggled free and slipped
back to her bathroom to shower and dress.

Downstairs, she opened the kitchen door to let the dogs out,
then picked up Matt’s car keys from where he had deposited them on the table
and walked round to his SUV to fetch his travel-bag, something he’d completely
overlooked the night before. When she opened the tailgate she was perplexed to
discover the vehicle stuffed with all his belongings, much the same as it had
been when he’d initially left for Napa. Surely he’d unpacked during the three
weeks he’d been there.

She recognized his travel-bag from their trip to San Luis
Obispo and carried it back into the house. Upstairs Matt was still sleeping so
she deposited the bag silently on the floor next to the bedroom’s adjoining
bathroom door.

Back in the kitchen she poured herself a glass of orange
juice and made some toast; there was still no sound from upstairs so she
wandered outside, enjoying the beautiful late July morning. The two dogs were
on the far side of the lawn, but spotted her immediately and frolicked across.
She picked up their rubber tug-of-war toy and threw it for them; Heather
reached it first and gathered it up mid-stride, then set off with Daisy in hot
pursuit. Livi marveled at their never-ending energy and inexhaustible enthusiasm
for life.

By now Isidoro would have already driven round the paddocks
depositing the morning feeds into the bins while checking the horses for
injuries or problems. He wouldn’t be back until late afternoon when again he
would ascertain all was well with the farm’s valuable equine population.

The house and surrounding lawn were on a slightly higher
elevation than much of the farm so Livi was able to see all the paddocks and
their occupants from where she stood; it was an exceptionally lovely view. In
spite of the immeasurable tragedy which so recently had torn her life asunder,
she recognized the components of material well-being all around her,
influencing her life, providing her with the opportunity to move on.

When Livi returned to the house she heard movements above
and shortly afterwards, Matt descended the stairs, his hair still wet and
tousled from the shower. She poured him a glass of orange juice then sat down, regarding
him quizzically across the table. “Wouldn’t the hotel allow you to leave all
your stuff in the suite?”

He stopped short. “What do you mean?”

“When I fetched your bag I couldn’t help noticing all your
belongings in your car. It’s packed tight the same as when you left.”

“Aahh . . . Well, I did tell you I was coming for a bit
longer than I originally planned.”

“Yes, but I still don’t get it. Why have you brought
everything with you?”

Matt sipped his orange juice, watching her closely. “Well,
maybe I didn’t explain
exactly
how long. The truth is I’m not going
back.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re not? But why? What happened?”

“It was by mutual agreement. On a couple of occasions I
banged heads with them over their methods and ethics. It seems the philosophy
of the clinic is to squeeze every last penny out of their clients; they
recommend expensive treatments that often aren’t necessary, and I couldn’t
support that. So, on Wednesday afternoon, I was told to modify my attitude, or work
out the week, and bugger off. And here I am.”

Livi continued to stare at him, for once in her life, entirely
lost for words. “A bit longer than you originally planned --” she repeated
eventually. “Matt, you’re downright wicked. When on earth were you going to
tell me?”

His eyes danced. “This morning, I wanted to tell you face to
face, not just over the phone. But that’s not all; next Tuesday I have an
interview for a possible job with an equine practice in Los Olivos.”

“Los Olivos? Is it that the big equine center south of town?
Didn’t you phone them weeks ago?”

“No and yes. It’s not that huge center, but It’s bigger than
Doc Blair’s clinic. I guess they weren’t particularly interested when I called
out of the blue inquiring about a partnership, they had no idea who I was, but
it was a different matter when Professor Ross contacted them. And it’s a
veterinary staff job, not a partnership, which is great; it won’t be necessary
to get tied up in discussions about cash investments.”

Livi shook her head, confounded by this completely unanticipated
announcement. “So, this time next week, you could be set up with employment
just a few miles from here? Why didn’t you say something last night?”

“Because
you
were all that was important to me last
night; you are the most important thing in my life. We’ve got days to talk
about my interview.” Matt rounded the table to embrace her. “And none of this
would have happened if I hadn’t gone to see Chrissy at Davis – she knows about
my interview by the way.”

“The hussy! She never said a word.” She gazed at him
contemplatively. “So, you’d better unpack your SUV and take everything up to
your room.”

“Are you certain that’s what you want? You wouldn’t prefer
me to find an apartment in town?”

She chuckled. “And pass up the opportunity of free
veterinary care for all my animals? You’ve got to be kidding. Tell you what,
let’s have breakfast, then I’ll give you a hand.”

♠  
♠   ♠

For the remainder of the day, the principal subject of
discourse was Matt’s forthcoming job interview. He explained that the opening
was for a third all-round veterinarian, working both in the clinic, where his
surgical expertise would stand him in good stead, and visiting clients in the
field. Frequently he would need to oversee a fourth year student, seconded from
Davis. It quickly became clear to Livi how crucial securing the job had already
become to him, it was a fundamental matter of self-esteem.

Together they emptied his SUV and lugged boxes and bags up
the stairs to his room at the back of the house. By the time they had finished,
the room resembled a disaster area, although much of the bed remained clear and
it was inevitable that this is where they both ended up, entwined and laughing.

Matt offered to take Livi out for dinner but she declined
and instead they snacked on leftovers on the sofa in the snug whilst watching a
Dodgers game on the TV.

Sunday and Monday drifted past. On Monday Matt went shopping
and returned with a big bunch of flowers and confirmed that Doc Blair’s friend,
Barbara did indeed own the flower shop.

In exchange for the bouquet, Livi solemnly presented him
with some spare house keys. This small, innocuous act seemed to inherently seal
the bond of their relationship.

Matt was due at the equine clinic at two o’clock on Tuesday.
When he left, it was the first time Livi had seen him in a suit and tie and
smart Italian footwear, and she was suitably impressed. She waited ten minutes
then dashed into town and returned armed with several bottles of champagne. She
put one in the fridge in the kitchen and the remainder in the fridge in the
larder. She too could be devious she decided with a smile.

It was past six when Matt eventually returned, by which time
Livi was pacing the kitchen, unable to discharge her pent up anxiety. She heard
his SUV and rushed to meet him. “Well?” she demanded.

He enveloped her in a big hug. “I spent the afternoon
visiting clients with their main guy. He’s a canny so-and-so, I think he
deliberately lined up some difficult to diagnose cases.”

“Yes, but how did it go?”

“I must have done okay because he invited me to start three months’
probation on August first. If that pans out, I become a staff veterinarian as
of November first.”

♠  
♠   ♠

After her two week stint in
Northern California, Chrissy flew back into Santa Barbara mid-afternoon the
following Saturday. Livi drove to meet her and when they arrived back at Walnut
Grove she was puzzled to see an unfamiliar car parked in front of the house. As
was customary, they went in through the kitchen and immediately heard voices
coming from the sitting room. Livi went to investigate and discovered Matt in
conversation with a man who she did not recognize until, hearing her approach,
he turned towards her.

It was Edward G. Leonard.

He was tall and lean with a pointed face, devoid of
expression. Only his eyes were animated, seeming to miss nothing. His hair was
gray, plastered to his scalp with some kind of gel. Not for the first time he
reminded Livi of a lizard and she wondered how he could possibly share the same
gene pool as her late husband.