“So the offer is generous, much more generous than I’ll ever be able to offer you. They’re permanent positions as well.” Back at the practice, Stuart slid the job descriptions and contracts across the table to each one of us. “We may be able to split our hours between the clinic and the institute, at least initially, or there’s talk of creating a new practice within the institute grounds.”
“You talked to Hollingsworth before today?” I asked, knowing what he just described was not what the man had discussed while we were at the institute.
“We went out for drinks last night.” Stuart looked a little sheepish at that. “I needed to feel him out, see if it was even worth pursuing. He was throwing around some big figures when you and I talked to him. I wanted to see if there was a catch.”
“And was there?” Janey said.
“Not as far as I can tell. Apart from a standard non-disclosure clause, it all seems to be on the up and up. We can insist on a trial period, to try the place out, see if it's a good fit for us, and then reject the offer if we wish.” Stuart’s eyes dropped to his lap. “But I’ve gotta say, what Hollingsworth said, about the future of this place… He’s right. It doesn’t have one, not without his money. Dad kept it going well past its use by date, racking up debt after… Look, those details don’t matter. It’s basically this, or you find work elsewhere. I’m sorry, but it is what it is.”
My brain raced at the thought of that. I’d been working for the vets since I got out of school. This place… My eyes took in the faded photographs on the pin boards and the overflowing biscuit jar Janey always kept well stocked. We’d sat around this table, talking shit and processing tough days for over five years of my life. The thought of this all being taken away, painted over, cleaned up, and sold off to someone else…
“Look, no one needs to make a decision yet, but I’d like to hear your first thoughts about the offer. Yea or nay?”
He pointed to Nick, who said, “Yea.” He didn’t look pleased about it, but what option did he have? He had older parents who needed looking after, and he had to stay in town. Stuart turned to Janey, who said the same. I felt their collective gaze on my skin as everyone turned to me.
“Nay,” I said, feeling the need to explain but stopping my lips from moving. I sat there, weathering the disappointed or incredulous looks, but Stuart just nodded.
“That’s cool, Shan. I get it. What they’re offering is very different to here, and you might not want to engage with that.” That wasn’t it, but I wasn’t about to tell him why. Those animals, there was something about them that just didn’t feel right. “But there is a proviso that Hollingsworth didn’t tell you about. It’s all in, the entire team, or it’s none of us. I don’t know why, I tried to talk him around, but he was adamant. We come as a team, or he starts looking around for another one to take the position.”
Well, fuck.
Chapter 9
“Hey, Jai’s here for you,” Janey said as I grabbed my bag at the end of the day.
I busied myself with sorting through the contents, looking for my car keys, anything to keep the damn flush from showing in my face.
“Yeah, I sent him a text.” I tossed her my car keys. “You good to take the car and feed the dogs?”
“Sure.” I looked up to see a grin she’d obviously been fighting to hold back spread across her face. “You gonna be out for a while?”
“Janey…”
“What? He’s freaking gorgeous and so—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” I said with a sigh.
“OK, yep, I know. Sensitive subject.” She held out her hands in surrender. “So, you’re going out for drinks or…?”
“I’ve gotta go back to Aunty Beth’s for a bit and then…” I shrugged.
“Well,” she said, looking out through the big front window as he ambled up, cool as a cucumber and conscious of our gaze, if the small smile on his face was anything to go by. “He’s only got eyes for you, Shan.”
“Eyes? Maybe,” I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder. “It’s everything else I worry about.”
She grinned and wrapped an arm around me, bringing me in for a quick hug.
“It’ll be OK. You’re amazing, and any bloke who doesn’t see that needs his arse kicked. I’ll be first in line to administer it.”
“Is this about sticking up for me, or checking out his arse?” I asked, pulling free with a wry smile.
“Both, girlfriend,” she said with a bright grin. “I’m all about the multi-tasking.”
Damn, Jai was a good-looking guy. His jeans clung to his thighs, showcasing the powerful muscles there, and his worn looking work shirt hugged those broad shoulders. He held himself with that same loose grace pack men always had. For centuries, men like him wrangled horses and cattle, hunted down prey, held children in their capable hands. Now? Those big hands held a bunch of cellophane wrapped flowers.
“This isn’t a date,” I said.
“Hey, Shan,” he said, his voice low and so bloody warm, I felt like I could slide down into it like a hot bath. He placed the bouquet in my limp fingers, closing them when I was slow to respond. “I thought we’d go to—”
“I need to go see Beth and Rob,” I said, cutting through the big speech I could see he had prepared. “I told you that.”
“That you did.” He dropped his eyes and nodded. “Let's go then.”
I jerked when he took up a position by my side, placing a hand on my shoulder, sliding his hand down to the small of my back. I shot him a dark look, and he met it head on with a cheeky smirk. Typical Jai, do what you want and then smile your way through it, daring people to tell you not to.
And I didn’t, did I? Because a part of me liked that warm weight, familiar and close, leaving me to wonder what it would feel like if it dropped lower. His eyes jerked over at that thought, his nostrils flaring.
Shit, the pack could smell intense reactions to things—anger, fear and… I swallowed hard, moving to open the door of his ute when we reached it, but his hand was on the handle before I could. He paused and bent over me, drowning me in that scent of his, making me take a step backwards.
“So, we’re doing…this?” I said, gesturing limply. “When Rob or Beth used to take me and the girls somewhere, you boys used to shove us out the way to get in the front. I’m fairly sure I ate dirt at least once.”
He straightened up, looking down at me, cocking an eyebrow.
“You gonna hold every stupid thing I did as a kid against me? Didn’t I try to force you girls to eat mud pies when we were little?”
“Shit, you did! Beth was wild and—”
“Told my mum, who belted me so hard, I couldn’t sit down for days. I know.” He opened the door, then leaned over the frame, crowding me in against the car. “I’m not a kid anymore, Shannon.” His eyes slid down my body with studied slowness. “And neither are you. If you still want me to pull your pigtails…” I froze when one long finger curled a strand of my hair around it, then pulled it slowly tighter. “I don’t mind.”