janet dailey- the healing touch Read Online Free PDF Page A

September and the Christmas holidays were the only times of the year when she wished she lived somewhere other than Southern California. In September she found herself longing for a New England autumn, the brightly colored foliage and the smell of burning leaves scenting the crisp air. At Christmas she wished she could see the elaborate decorations on Fifth Avenue in New York City and skate at the foot of the giant tree in Rockefeller Center.
    But most of the time, she was perfectly content with her lot in life and the quaint little oceanside town of San Carlos. It felt like home.
    One community tradition that she particularly enjoyed was the county fair. As the local vet, she was always asked to judge the dog, cat and rabbit shows.
    Handing out the blue ribbons was the high point of her year.
    She arrived at the fair early on Saturday morning and stood in the center of the hustling, bustling activity, soaking in the unique ambiance. Sheep, cows, pigs and goats protested loudly with grunts, groans and bleats as children herded them down gangways and into their pens. Women scurried from tent to tent, carrying prize flowers, cakes and pies and needlework of all kinds, many bearing ribbons of distinction.
    In the Quonset hut, some of the local men displayed their woodworking and leather crafts, miniature train sets, and homegrown vegetables of outrageous proportions.
    Seeing dozens of familiar faces, Rebecca greeted almost everyone she met. In a town as small and intimate as San Carlos, most of the citizens knew one another— by reputation, if not by name. The gossip grapevine kept everyone informed.
    Just as Rebecca was nearing the livestock area, she spotted a particularly endearing and familiar face. Katie Stafford was clinging to the end of a small, white, leather bridle. At the other end was a transformed Rosebud. The little nanny was decked out with pink ribbons, silver bells and pale blue bows in her tail and around her neck. The goat was behaving quite well—for a goat—as she pranced proudly along behind her mistress.
    But most surprising of all, Rebecca saw Michael Stafford walking beside his daughter and her pet, look ing almost as proud as they did. Wearing a broad, carefree smile, he appeared more relaxed and at peace with himself than Rebecca had ever seen him.
    "Hey, Dr. Rebecca! Doctor, over here!" Katie shouted across the way as she bounced up and down and waved her free arm enthusiastically. She turned to her father. "Look, Daddy, over there! It's Dr. Rebecca!"
    "So it is," Michael said. He gave Rebecca a dazzling smile that nearly stopped her heart. "How are you today, Doctor?"
    "Ah...fine, thank you," Rebecca replied, feeling suddenly, inexplicably, shy and awkward.
    "See what we won!" Katie said as she held up a bright red ribbon and waved it under Rebecca's nose. "See! See! Rosie won second place!"
    "A red ribbon! Good for you, Katie." Rebecca leaned down and scratched the top of the nanny's head. Many animals seemed to be embarrassed when their masters and mistresses "dressed them up" in ribbons and fluff. But Rosie appeared to love being the center of attention. "You deserve a red ribbon," she told Katie. "Rosebud looks beautiful today! You did a wonderful job of grooming her."
    "Daddy helped." Katie beamed up at her father. "She wouldn't hold still when I was giving her a bath. So he helped me chase her around. She got more water and soap on us than we did on her. But it was fun."
    Rebecca turned to Michael and their eyes met over the top of Katie's head.
    For a moment he seemed embarrassed, then he shrugged. "A red ribbon isn't too bad," he said with a silly half grin, "for a mangy runt. Huh, Doc?"
    "Not bad at all," Rebecca replied.
    Michael looked down at Katie and patted her shoulder. "Why don't you and Rosebud go on ahead without me," he said. "I want to talk to Dr. Barclay for a minute. I'll be right there."
    Katie looked from her father to Rebecca and back. A smirk played across her face. "Sure,