I saved Rafe’s number to my contacts and replied,
I would’ve thought having a woman hang up on you was a refreshing change of pace.
My phone buzzed in my hand again just as I neared my friends’ table.
I’ll pay you extra if you lose the smartass attitude.
Laughing, I quickly texted back.
You couldn’t afford it.
“She’s grinning like the cat that got the cream.” Roger hooted as I took my seat next to him.
“Well, tell us.” Kendall leaned across the table. “What did he want?”
I stared at all three of them, still reeling from Rafe’s proposal. “To change my life.”
Chapter Four
The veterinary clinic on Columbus Avenue wasn’t at all what I’d had in mind. I was certain I’d step into a cold modern space and instead I found myself in a clinic that, while modern, was warm and inviting.
A massive paw print was etched into the frosted front window, along with the words WHITMAN VETERINARY CLINIC. Inside the middling-sized reception area was curved bench seating along the window with a walnut base and a thick, padded blue cushioned top. The base of the bench matched the curved walnut reception desk opposite it, where a young man sitting behind the desk wore light blue scrubs. The flooring was a light-colored parquet, the wall behind the reception desk a stone tile, the reception desk counter a shiny quartz.
It was a fun twist on sophisticated yet inviting and . . . not what I expected.
One woman and her tiny Chihuahua waited on the bench.
“May I help you?” the baby-faced man in scrubs queried with a smile.
I stepped toward the desk, my heeled boots clicking loudly against the parquet flooring. “Yeah, I have an appointment with Dr. Whitman at noon. Star Meadows.”
His eyes lit with recognition. “Yes, Dr. Whitman told me to expect you. An emergency appointment has come in”—he glanced at the woman and her Chihuahua—“but he’ll be with you as soon as he can.”
Nodding, I sat down at the opposite end of the bench.
The place didn’t smell of animals, which meant Whitman’s cleaning staff was good.
Pulling out my phone, I saw I had a text from Roger asking me if I was there yet. My friends were intrigued to see what else Rafe had to say for himself. I couldn’t deny I was curious too at the thought of doing practically nothing and earning more than enough money to travel.
The young man got up and disappeared behind a door I hadn’t even noticed. A brief glimpse inside revealed what appeared to be a small pharmacy. He stayed in there a few minutes. Though I had a reading app on my phone, I preferred my e-reader and pulled it out of my purse. I was a big fan of books and I’d read anything. Thriller, romance, mystery, historical fiction, nonfiction. One benefit of my job was being able to inhale books during my working week.
The sound of Rafe’s resonant voice filtering down the hallway brought my head up, and my heart started beating alarmingly fast. The downside of this proposition was, of course, the way he made me feel.
When Rafe appeared in the reception, I felt hyperalert; every inch of me felt sensitive and awake. Goodness, he was tall. I kept forgetting how tall and broad-shouldered he was. His white coat almost strained across those shoulders. He wore a light blue button-down shirt underneath and he’d left one button open at his throat. My fingers itched to undo the next one.
Oh boy.
An older man walked at his side, holding a cat in a pet carrier. “Just once a day,” Rafe instructed. “And bland food for the next week.”
“Thank you, Dr. Whitman.” The older man’s lips pinched together in worry.
My heart fluttered as Rafe’s gaze caught mine as he crossed the room to the reception desk. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod, that stoic, hard expression on his face, before he turned to the reception desk. The guy behind it had reappeared from the mystery room while I’d been engrossed in my historical fiction book about an Old Hollywood starlet. “Finn”—Rafe’s voice caused a pleasant sensation in the pit of my stomach—“can you arrange an appointment for Millie and Mr. Danvers to see me in one week’s time?”
“Of course.” Finn smiled warmly at the older man. “And I have Millie’s prescription ready for you.”
Satisfied, Rafe patted Mr. Danvers on the shoulder and pivoted toward me. “I have an emergency appointment and then I’ll be right with you.”
“Sure.” I shrugged, waving my e-reader. “I have something to keep me occupied.”
His eyes narrowed on the device in what might have been curiosity, but it was difficult to tell with him. Rafe focused on the woman and her Chihuahua. Though he didn’t smile, his tone was a hundred times warmer as he inquired, “Ms. Van Alstyne, what brings you and Gilbert to my office today?”
Gilbert? I eyed the tiny dog, who did not look like a Gilbert.
As if sensing my amusement, Rafe shot me a look out of the corner of his eye.
Gilbert? I mouthed.
He gave me a quelling look, though I could have sworn I saw a twinkle of humor in his gaze. However, since that seemed impossible, I decided I’d imagined it.
Ms. Van Alstyne was quietly spoken and I watched as Rafe lifted Gilbert into his arms, petting him gently and murmuring words of greeting as he also bent his head toward Gilbert’s owner, listening patiently to her as they wandered out of the reception together.
Yup, the whole vet thing was definitely an issue for my libido.
A little while later, another patient and her dog entered the practice. I observed her interaction at the reception desk, hoping it wouldn’t further delay my meeting with Rafe.
“Rocco and I have an appointment with Dr. Hayes,” she relayed.
Dr. Hayes?
There was another vet here?
The young woman moved to take a seat on the bench, but her pit bull, Rocco, stopped her by pulling on his short leash to get to me.
I dropped my e-reader on my lap to scratch behind both his ears. “Hey, you,” I murmured to him, grinning. “Aren’t you just the most handsome guy?”
“Do you hear that, Rocco?” his owner cooed. “Another admirer.”
Laughing, I released him so she could take a seat. “He’s gorgeous.”
She smiled. “Thanks. He’s got some knee issues, so he’s getting used to this place.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t seem bothered to be here at all.”