She blinked, jerking slightly, her gaze darting between him and the sign and back again. “Excuse me?”
“You treat llamas around here?”
Sucking in her lips, she appeared to fight a grin. The wariness had fled and her beauty hit him in the gut with full force. A hiss escaped as his breath halted. It was the first lightness of spirit she had exhibited around him, and he wanted to see her face when a true smile actually filled her expression. Christ, I could drown in her eyes.
“It’s actually an alpaca. And no, there’s not a lot around here. You didn’t see them at Lizzie’s farm because they were inside the barn, but she actually has alpacas.”
She shrugged, and he could have sworn a blush crossed her cheeks. “The man who made the sign for my clinic said that I needed a tall animal on that side to make it balance… I figured the alpaca was a good choice since I don’t provide services for cows or horses.”
She was babbling, but nonetheless, it only made her more attractive. Fuck, the last thing I need is for her to seem more attractive. For the first time that he could remember, he wished he had the gift of words. Flirting. Casual conversation. Anything to keep her talking.
Offering another nod while mumbling, “Samantha,” which he hoped conveyed ‘have a nice day’ and ‘goodbye’, he turned and walked back to the tow truck, climbing into the driver seat. Glad to have room for a U-turn, he headed out of the parking lot, unable to resist looking into the rearview mirror. The beautiful veterinarian was still standing next to her truck, staring at him. Too far away to see the expression on her face, he decided it didn’t matter. He liked remembering her large, dark eyes and blush-kissed cheeks staring up at him. He managed to keep his cock from twitching but had no hope of keeping the left side of his chest giving a little squeeze.
Samantha finished the spay on the seventh dog surgery of the day, and that didn’t include the six cats she’d performed surgery on. Nodding toward Brentley, she stepped back, allowing him to finish the stitching while Tonya monitored the anesthetics. She jerked off her gloves and paper apron and tossed them into the biohazard disposal container before pulling off her surgical mask. Once a month, she offered a spay and neuter clinic at a reduced fee to encourage as many responsible pet owners as she could to make sure they didn’t end up with unwanted puppies or kittens.
Stepping into her office, she glanced at the desk and saw Annette had laid the toxicology report on top. Without even sitting down, she grabbed it and read the report confirming that Lizzie’s goats had ingested the cuttings from the azalea bushes resulting in plant toxicity. Even though it confirmed her suspicions, she didn’t feel any better about it.
Flopping into her chair, she called the Sheriff’s department, connecting directly to Colt’s line. After giving him the information, he thanked her, and she’d almost hung up before he added, “Sam, you haven’t been to an American Legion meeting in a while.”
“I know,” she sighed, leaning back in her chair, rubbing her forehead. “It seems like the last several meetings I’ve ended up with late calls or late surgeries.”
“About the time that Tom left?”
“Yeah. Although, things are a lot better now that I’ve got a vet intern, and he’s working out great. I know the next meeting is tomorrow night. I’ll make it, especially since I’ve got a project to announce.”
“Sounds good. See you there.”
Disconnecting, she leaned back in her chair and glanced out the window, seeing her truck parked in its regular spot. The sight of it always brought back memories of her grandfather, the original owner, but now, all she could think of was the taciturn Joseph.
When she’d heard the rumbling of the tow truck earlier, she’d rushed out to see what was happening, stunned to see him bringing her vehicle back. Just like the previous day, she watched his door open, then first, his booted foot, followed by his thick, jean-clad thigh and perfect ass, before the rest of his body made it to the ground, ending with a fabulous back, wide shoulders, and a face that held eyes that seemed to peer deep inside of her. He’s the only man who’s held my attention and that was just by climbing out of a truck.
She scrunched her nose and shook her head at the memory of babbling about llamas and alpacas. What is it about him? I’ve only been around him a couple of times, and he either makes me angry or I lose my senses.
Brentley popped his head around the door frame, drawing her attention. He walked in and sat on the chair directly in front of her desk. Light brown hair, trimmed neatly. Fresh face. Five years younger than her. He lacked the weariness that came from years in the military resulting in the little lines emanating from her eyes that she spied every morning when she looked in the mirror. He was nice looking, and it struck her that at one time she might have found him attractive. But now, it was the rough appearance of a tow truck driver that had captured her interests.
“We got them all done. Damn, that was a lot.”
She blinked, her attention dragged back to the subject he was referring to. “I know, and at the reduced fee, we don’t make anything by the time we pay for the anesthesia, pain meds, antibiotics, and other supplies. But I feel like we’re doing a community service.”
He nodded his agreement, then cast his gaze out the window. Brows lifted, he exclaimed, “Hey, your truck is out there.”
“The garage had someone bring it back to me.”
He brought his gaze back to her and cocked his head to the side. “It’s not my business, and I know it costs a lot to run a clinic like this, but you could afford a new truck, right? I mean, it would be a business expense for you.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Are you afraid I won’t be able to pay you once your internship is over? Well, that is if you decide to stick around.”
A sheepish grin crossed his face. “No, no, that wasn’t it. I was just curious, that’s all.”
“That was my grandfather’s truck. He was a large animal veterinarian near Blacksburg. That was the last truck he owned before he died. My dad was just going to get rid of it, but I asked if I could have it. Dad kept it running for me when I was in the Army, and as soon as I got out, I couldn’t wait to drive it. I figure I’ll keep it running as long as I can, and then, when it finally dies, I’ll park it out front, fill the bed with dirt, and put plants in it!”
Brentley barked out a laugh. “Park it right under the Hoofs and Paws sign… that’d be perfect.”
It felt good to take a moment and laugh, and she felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. She stared at the young intern. Young? He’s only about five years younger than me but looks so innocent. Or maybe I just look as old as I feel. Sighing, she pushed that thought away. “I was only kidding about paying you full salary when you graduate. You’re doing a great job here, but I wonder if you’re anxious to get to much bigger city practice.”
He shook his head. “No, not really. I thought about trying for a residency somewhere, but honestly, I need to start pulling in a veterinarian salary to pay off my student loans. I’m sure you know how that is.”
Now, it was her turn to shake her head. “To be honest, that’s why I joined the Army. I put in four years with Uncle Sam to alleviate my student loans. I’m not gonna lie and say that I joined out of a great sense of duty, even though both my dad and grandfather served. I really wanted to wipe out my student loans and being an Army vet was a great way to do it.”