“Good, good.” He looked around toward her truck parked at the side of the building and asked, “If you’re getting ready to leave, I can wait to make sure your truck starts.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Everybody worries about that truck, but it’s running fine now.” She glanced behind her, then turned back to look up at him. “Um, actually, I’m not going to be leaving, though. It’s so late, and I want to keep an eye on Toby. I’ll just rest here tonight.”
He jerked slightly, blinking as his gaze shifted behind her into the clinic and then returned to her face. “You live here?”
“No, although I keep thinking I’ll put a sleeper sofa in the storage room attic to make it easier on nights when I need to stay.” She shrugged and shook her head. “But there’s always something the clinic needs more than a sleeper sofa, so it hardly makes sense to spend money on that. Anyway, a few blankets on the floor near the kennels will be fine for me to catch a few hours of rest.”
A scowl crossed his face. “I hate the idea of you sleeping on the floor, Samantha. It just doesn’t seem right. Is there something I can do? I could stay and give you a chance to go home, or…”
She reached out, placing her hand on his arm, feeling the tense muscles cording underneath her fingertips. “That’s a nice offer, Joseph, but I assure you, I’m fine. I knew what I was getting into when I became a vet… Well, a veterinarian—” His brows lowered, and she squeezed his arm. “Sorry, it’s just that I never really thought about the two meanings of the word. Anyway, it’s really the truth. My father and my grandfather were veterinarians, so when I went into the business, I knew it meant long days and sometimes longer nights. Believe me, catching a few hours of sleep on some soft blankets indoors is a lot better than being out in the cold and rain in the middle of the night trying to help a cow give birth. That’s probably one of the reasons I didn’t go into large animal medicine. That, plus the fact that even though I’m much stronger than I look, it’s pretty physically taxing for someone my size.”
His gaze dropped to where her fingers rested on his arm, and she almost snatched them back but instead squeezed again. “As far as being a veteran, I confess that I really had no idea what I was getting into then. But long nights in uncomfortable settings was not unusual.” His attention had stayed riveted on her, something that sent warmth throughout.
“Well, if you’re sure.” He sighed heavily. “At least I’ll make sure you’re locked in safely.”
She stepped back and offered a little smile. “Thank you for checking on me. That was really nice.”
The door was almost closed between them when he suddenly blurted, “What those women said in the bar… it’s not like it sounded.”
She tilted her head to the side but remained silent, uncertain what he meant.
Still holding her gaze, he said, “I don’t do piercings. It’s not something I learned to do or want to do.”
She sucked in her lips and nodded.
“I do tattoos. Not like Jason… I’m not an artist. It’s just something I picked up when I was in the Navy and was stationed in the Far East for a while. It’s not my passion. It’s something that I can do to make some money no matter where I am. But when someone’s in front of me, it’s just skin. It’s not… it’s not like it sounded.”
“What is your passion, Joseph?” She was surprised when the question slipped out, both wanting to know more and feeling afraid to care about knowing more.
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Haven’t really found it yet. I’ve never fallen in love with a place or a job or…” He cleared his throat. “I guess that’s why I keep moving around. I keep traveling, searching for something that I can’t find.”
“A true rolling stone.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” He puffed out a hasty breath and shook his head slightly. “‘And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, and they climb the mountain’s crest; theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, and they don’t know how to rest.’” He held her gaze and said, “Guess you didn’t expect me to quote poetry, did you? It’s by Robert Service. He used to travel through Canada, often living in poverty. I guess I always identified with him.”
Uncertain she trusted her voice, she stared at the man with the rough clothes, long hair, beard, and tats, quoting poetry. And her heart skipped a beat as she longed to reach out and hold him. Her fingers clenched together, and she swallowed deeply.
Stepping completely into the building, she whispered, “I hope one day you find what you’re looking for, Joseph.” With that, she offered a little smile before flipping the locks on the door. He stayed where he was, his eyes pinned on her, and she turned and walked to the back, flipping the lights off and setting the alarm. It only took a moment to hear the roar of his motorcycle as it headed out of the parking lot, the sound reverberating into the night as he rode down the road.
She opened the kennel and checked on Toby, pleased to find that there was no bleeding and he appeared to be resting comfortably. She grabbed several clean blankets and made a pad on the floor, using her jacket as a pillow. She lay down, but sleep did not come easily.
She had only been around Joseph a few times, each generally ending in irritation. And yet, tonight, there was something so real and vulnerable as he stood outside, wanting to make sure she was safe and going so far as to explain what she’d overheard in the bar. Rolling to her back, she rested her arm over her forehead and sighed.
There was something about him that reminded her of a skittish animal. No doubt he was an enigma, and for a moment, as she stood at the door staring into his eyes, taking in all the manly beauty, she’d wondered what it would be like to solve the puzzle of him. But then he’d leave. At least he’d been honest about being a rolling stone.
Curling on her side, she drew her knees up and felt her eyes grow heavy as she listened to the steady breathing of the dog… and wondered why Joseph’s honesty didn’t make her feel any better.
Samantha pulled up to Colt’s house, parking her truck next to a multitude of other vehicles. She might have paid more attention to the fact that the other vehicles were much nicer than her truck, but her gaze was stuck on her windshield, peering out at the massive house. “Jeez, my whole camper would probably fit in his guest bathroom!”
Climbing from the truck, she smoothed her hands over her skirt before leaning in to grab her purse and the gift bag sitting on the passenger seat. Colt’s wife, Carrie, a waitress in a local diner who seemed to know everyone, was hosting a group baby shower. Staring up at the house, she could now see why Carrie made the offer. She was not only a sweetheart but they definitely had the room. A number of their friends were all pregnant, expecting within the next couple of months, and none wanted anyone to break the bank trying to host individual showers.
Walking inside, she was immediately greeted by familiar faces and wide smiles. The living room flowed into a wide dining room, and just behind was a massive kitchen. Some of the women from the American Legion Auxiliary had provided the food, and the concept was unique. The guests only had to bring one baby gift, place it on a table, and Carrie placed a numbered sticker onto the gift.