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“Starving.”
“Me, too. As soon as I fix the drinks, I’ll fix the steaks.”
In the kitchen, Emily’s mother and Bill kissed as if they were about to part for days before he stepped through the sliding glass door to the patio.
Her mother watched him go with a dreamy sigh. Emily shook her head. Sometimes the lovey-dovey stuff got old. “What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Set the table and open that bottle of wine so it can breathe. I’ll heat the rolls and empty the salad into a bowl.”
While they worked, they caught up on each other’s lives, just as they had when they’d lived in the one-bedroom apartment where Emily had grown up—on the rare occasions when her mother had been home in time to help with the evening meal. Usually, Emily had prepared it alone.
Before long, Bill returned with the sizzling steaks. They sat at the kitchen table and loaded their plates.
“Are you excited about your trip?” Emily asked as they ate.
“Just a little.” Bill’s lips twitched.
He and Emily’s suddenly gleeful mother exchanged brilliant grins, and then launched into a detailed itinerary of where they were going and when. Emily had already heard most of before, but didn’t mind hearing it again. In their excitement, the two finished each other’s sentences and occasionally interrupted one another. They were so involved in the back and forth that they seemed to forget she was there.
Emily felt like a third wheel. Melancholy crept in, and no longer hungry, she picked at her food. At times like this, she wished she was part of a couple.
But that would mean dating again, which she hadn’t done since Harvey. Emily’s wayward thoughts homed in on a certain sexy veterinarian. She quickly dismissed that idea. She’d had to resort to arm twisting to get Seth to take the volunteer job in the first place, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize that by going out with the man. If he was even interested. Because if they were to go out and then things between them soured... At any time, he could walk away from the shelter. Besides, between it and her website business, she was way too busy to date.
Which wasn’t exactly the full truth. The thing was, even though it had been more than fifteen months since Harvey had left, and even though Emily was totally over him, she wasn’t over what he’d done. Bad enough, breaking her heart. He wasn’t the first. But leaving her behind without a backward glance, the same as her father had? She wasn’t about to put herself in that position ever again, and she for sure wasn’t ready to start dating. Besides, the dogs at the shelter depended on her, and that was where her focus needed to be—on providing them with a temporary place to stay and finding them good homes.
Refusing to be ignored for one more minute, she changed the subject. “I had an unpleasant surprise this week.” That got her mother and Bill’s attention. “You remember Rich Addison, the veterinarian who’s volunteered at the shelter since I opened our doors? He decided to retire.”
Knowing what that meant, her mother frowned. “What are you going to do?”
“I think I’ve found a replacement.”
“Already? That’s great!” Bill looked pensive. “I’ve sold insurance policies to most of the animal docs in town. Who is it?”
“Actually, he’s new here, having recently moved back from California. His name is Seth Pettit and he works mostly with livestock.”
“I know Seth.” Bill nodded. “He phoned shortly after he arrived, and I set him up with the insurance he needs.”
Her mother frowned. “If Dr. Pettit works with livestock, why is he volunteering at the shelter?”
“He likes to be called by his first name,” Emily said. “His...” She paused. How to explain Taylor? “He’s guardian to a teenage girl who will be doing her community service at The Wagging Tail.”
“They’re volunteering together.” Bill gave a nod of approval. “I used to do that with Kara.” His daughter from his first marriage, now in her early forties. “It’s a good bonding experience.”
“They won’t exactly be doing their volunteer work at the same time,” Emily said.
“Still, it’s nice that they’ll both become familiar with the shelter. They’ll have something to talk about.”
She hadn’t thought of it that way, but Bill was right.
They were finishing their dessert when her “dog emergency” pager buzzed. The number of one of the volunteers who rescued abused animals showed on the screen. “I need to check this,” Emily said. “Excuse me.”
She stepped into the hallway and returned the call. Moments later, she reentered the kitchen. “Sorry to eat and run, but a new dog is coming in tonight, and I have to make some calls.”
First, to the couple who’d said they wanted the red setter, to make sure they picked him up in the morning, which would free up a slot for the new animal. Then, to Seth Pettit. Tonight she would quarantine the new arrival. Depending on what Seth found when he examined the dog, the animal would either move in with the others or stay in quarantine.
Chewing a bakery cupcake, her mother nodded.
“That’s okay, Em,” Bill said. “Between packing and other things, your mother and I have plenty to keep us busy.”
Once again, they exchanged a private, loving look. Brother.
Emily kissed and hugged them both. “I’ll miss you two,” she said. “Call and email when you can—and send pictures.”
“We will,” her mother said. “Good luck with the new vet. And the new dog.”
Before Emily even reached her car, she’d pulled out her phone.
Chapter Three
“Can I come with you to The Wagging Tail today?” Taylor asked Seth over breakfast Friday morning. They were sitting in the nook off the kitchen.
Since they’d moved here, this was a first. She’d never asked to go on a call, and for a moment, Seth wondered if she was finally accepting him and settling into her new life. Then his natural cynicism kicked in. Did she really want to watch him examine the shelter’s newest dog, or was this a ploy to get out of going to school? Likely the latter.
“If it wasn’t a school day, you could,” he said, “but I don’t want you missing any classes.”
His own words took him aback. Damned if he didn’t sound just like Sly had all those years ago, whenever Seth had tried to weasel his way out of going to school.
Would wonders never cease.
Taylor’s dirty look told him he’d guessed right. “I hate you and I hate Prosperity!”
Seth winced, but he’d heard it before, more times than he could count. You’d think he’d be used to that, but every time she used the H word, it stung. He’d be damned if he’d let on how badly. “Look,” he said. “You’ll probably see the dog Monday, when you go to the shelter for orientation.”
One skinny shoulder lifted, then dropped. She turned away from him and stared out the window that faced the raggedy backyard—who had time for yard work?—and the house behind them. The leaves on the trees scattered around the yard were starting to turn. Seth hadn’t lived through an autumn in Montana for a long time, but he remembered the intense reds and yellows that dressed up the landscape. He also remembered how quickly the weather could turn. Almost as quickly as Taylor’s moods.
In the tense silence he’d grown used to, he scraped the last of his Wheaties from his bowl and finished his coffee. After he and Taylor had been reunited, he’d tried hard to ease the transition by talking about his own life and asking questions about hers. When that had failed, he’d offered to take her to a movie or a concert of her choice here in Prosperity, or to drive her and any friends she made.
No luck with that, either. She’d turned him down and tuned him out. Out of sheer desperation, he’d asked her what did she want. She had a ready answer for that. She wanted him to take her back to San Diego, drop her off and let her live her life without him in it. Ouch.
If only she’d make friends at school. Even one would help. As far as Seth knew, it hadn’t happened. Taylor went to school downcast, and came home with the same dark cloud over her head. They’d been in Prosperity almost a month now, and he still had no idea how to help her adjust. Since she wouldn’t talk to a professional, he could only wait for her to settle in and accept that this was her new life.
The way things stood right now, he wondered if she ever would.
“It’s almost time for you to catch the bus,” he said. “I’m not sure when I’ll be home. After I leave The Wagging Tail, I have appointments at two ranches on opposite sides of town. One with a sick bull, and the other with a horse that won’t eat. Call me when you get home this afternoon.”
Taylor barely nodded.
Shortly after she trudged to the school bus and boarded—would she ever walk like a carefree teenage girl?—he grabbed his doctor bag, hopped into the pickup and headed for Emily’s.
The sun was already bright, with the Cascade Mountains in sharp relief against the clear blue sky. Today would be warm, more like summer than fall. That and a couple of paying appointments on the schedule boosted his spirits. Whistling softly, he cracked the window and slipped on his sunglasses.
He looked forward to seeing Emily this morning. He wouldn’t mind getting to know her...
As if he had time for that. Building his business, making amends with his brother and dealing with Taylor took up every minute—and then some.
She probably had a boyfriend, anyway. A beautiful woman like her would.
But if she didn’t?
Seth didn’t exactly have a good track record with women. With relationships, period. He wasn’t about to wreck Taylor’s community-service experience by getting involved with the woman who’d hired her. Because if he and Emily did get involved, it wouldn’t last. It never did.
He was almost at The Wagging Tail. Pushing his wayward thoughts aside, he signaled, slowed and turned into the driveway.
* * *
STANDING AT HER kitchen window Friday morning, which was directly above the shelter and faced the front door, Emily peered anxiously through the curtains. The dog that had arrived last night was skin and bones, with what looked like a bad case of mange, and she was anxious for Seth to check her out and put her on the road to a clean bill of health. He was due at eight, a few minutes from now.
Emily didn’t usually start the coffee downstairs until closer to nine, but today she went down and started it early, in case Seth wanted a cup. Then she returned to her apartment to make her lunch.
She was sliding her sandwich into a plastic bag when she heard a truck trundle up the driveway. Right on time. When she peered out the window, Seth’s dark green pickup was braking to a stop. He didn’t glance up, giving her the opportunity to study him openly. In loose, slightly faded jeans, cowboy boots and a long-sleeved blue twill shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders, he looked good. Really good.
Her heart lifted, and not just because she needed his veterinary skills. He pulled a medical bag and a lab coat from the truck.
For the second time in thirty minutes, she hurried down the stairs, answering the door before he knocked.
Seth looked surprised, his startling, silvery-blue eyes widening. “Am I late?”
Emily’s cheeks warmed. She wasn’t sure why she was blushing. Maybe it was the intensity of his expression. “You’re right on time,” she said. “It’s just...I’m anxious about this dog. Thanks for making us your first appointment of the day.”
“This time fits easiest with my schedule.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thanks. Let’s take a look at the new arrival.”
Leaving the door unlocked for Mrs. Oakes, Emily headed with Seth for the quarantine hut.
“Tell me about her,” he said on the way.
“She’s a mixed breed, about the size of a retriever, with thick fur. She has mange.”
He nodded. “Where did she come from? Did you check for a microchip?”
“Two of my volunteers found her wandering along Ames River. She’s pretty scared and full of fight, but working together, they were able to get her into their truck and bring her here. We didn’t find a tag or microchip, but just in case, we’re posting Lost Dog signs all over the area.” Emily didn’t expect a response. “I’m pretty sure she’s been abandoned, and by the looks of her, she’s been on her own for a while.”
“Has she had any water or eaten anything since you took her in?” Seth asked.
“Water and a little food last night, and again about an hour ago.” Emily had slipped a long-handled spatula through the food gate to deliver this morning’s nourishment. “Her belly is distended, and I know that feeding her too much, too quickly, could cause her intestines to twist.”
“Right.” Seth looked impressed. “Is your friend who bathes the dogs coming in this week?”
Emily shook her head. “I’ll be doing the job myself, after you check her over.”
In the small quarantine hut, Seth looked even bigger. He donned the lab coat, probably to protect his clothing. As they approached the animal, she scrambled to the back corner of the cage, growling and baring her teeth. Emily hated that the dog was afraid. No, she wasn’t just afraid, she was terrified. Her thick coat was matted, with an ugly bald patch on one side. It hurt to look at her.
“Stay back here,” Seth ordered under his breath.
Emily nodded and he slowly neared the cage, with his eyes lowered and his body turned sideways to minimize any perceived threat to the animal.
“Hey, there, girl,” he murmured in a deep, friendly voice that flowed over Emily and took all her worries away. The man could make a fortune using that voice as a relaxation specialist.
When the dog continued to growl and bare her teeth, Seth froze, but continued to speak softly and without any trace of fear. Long minutes later, the growling stopped and the dog dropped her threatening stance. Seth carefully extended his arm so that his hand almost touched the cage, with his knuckles facing the canine. All the while, he continued to talk to her. After a long time, she inched closer and sniffed him through the wire.
When that seemed to go well, Seth calmly extracted a dog biscuit from his lab coat pocket and dropped it through the bars. The hungry female snatched the treat and inhaled it.
“Good girl,” he crooned.
Oh, that voice. As seductive and rich as dark chocolate, it washed over Emily. The dog wasn’t nearly as enamored, but she did seem less wary.
“You’re really good with her,” Emily said in a low voice that wouldn’t upset the animal. “Do you want to muzzle her during the exam?”
“I think I’d better.”
Emily pulled the device from a shelf against the wall and handed it to Seth. After donning protective gloves, he unlatched the cage door. Before the canine knew what he was up to, he’d slipped the muzzle over her mouth and fastened the straps. She didn’t like that at all, but Seth continued to speak in a reassuring voice. When she calmed a little, he brought her out.
Emily was impressed. She slipped into the smock she kept on a hook, and pulled on rubber gloves. While Seth examined the dog and administered the needed vaccines, she cleaned the cage, replaced the dirty bedding and filled the bowl with fresh water.
Then she joined Seth at the exam table.
“She’s malnourished, but seems to be in reasonably good health, considering. It’s obvious that she’s had pups, but I’m not sure if she’s been spayed. Can you hold her while I shave her belly and check for a scar?”
Emily nodded. She held tightly to the dog while Seth did what he needed to. The poor thing was shivering with fear.
All the while, Seth spoke reassuringly. “You’ve been spayed and that’s real good. Emily, keep hold of her while I can check her teeth and gums.”
While Emily continued to restrain the animal, Seth removed the muzzle. “We won’t get the test results until Monday or Tuesday,” he said as he worked. “Meanwhile, I want you to give her an antiparasitic medication for the mange. I have enough for two doses with me, and a sample vial of a flea shampoo that will help with her secondary skin infection. You’ll need more of both. When we finish here, tell me which pharmacy you use and I’ll phone in the prescriptions.”
“How long should I keep her in quarantine?” Emily asked.
“Mange can be contagious, so keep her away from the others until it clears up. That could take a while. Hold tight to her a little longer.”
He rifled through his medical bag until he found what he was looking for. “Hide this pill in some wet dog food, and it should go down easy. Let’s get her bathed.”
“That’s not part of your job description,” Emily said. “Besides, I’m a pro. I’ve been bathing dogs for ages.”
“I don’t doubt that, but this one has a lot of fur and she’s frightened. I’ll give you a hand, just this once.”
Grateful for the help, Emily accepted the offer. “Are you sure you have time?”
Seth checked his watch. “I do if we get the job done in under twenty minutes. Where do you want to do this?”
“It’s nice today. How about outside.”
Seth nodded and glanced around the little hut. “Is that a dog tub in the corner?”
“It is.”
After adding shampoo, a sponge and several towels to the heavy tub, Emily dragged it toward the door. Seth refastened the muzzle on the dog, slipped a leash around her neck and followed.
This morning, autumn seemed months away. Birds chirped happily and the air was warm. Squinting against the light, Emily zipped up her smock.
The dog fought her bath with everything she had, and despite the protective smock, Emily was soon soaked through. Ten minutes later, the animal was shampooed and rinsed, toweled dry and back in her clean cage.
Emily removed the useless smock. Even her head was wet. Seth’s, too. His short, dark brown hair looked almost black, and drops of water glistened like crystals. When he removed his sodden lab coat, she saw that he was every bit as wet as she was.
“We both look like drowned rats,” she said, laughing.
Shaking his head and chuckling, he grabbed two towels from the dwindling stack on the shelf and tossed one to her.
Watching him towel off, even fully clothed, was mesmerizing. His wet shirt clung to his flat belly, and the muscles in his arms flexed while he rubbed the water from his hair. He caught her gaping at him. His eyes warmed and a smile hovered around his mouth.
Her face hot, Emily put the bath supplies away. Seth hunkered down in front of the dog’s cage, where the newcomer was devouring half a bowl of food with the pill embedded.
“Feeling better, huh, girl?” he asked, when she finished the meal.
The dog angled her head at Seth, then, to Emily’s amazement, licked his hand.
After spending less than an hour with him, some of it in a bath, no less, she’d decided to trust him.
Emily was impressed, and if she were honest with herself, just as smitten. Clearly, Seth understood and liked dogs, which elevated him ten notches on her admiration scale. She could so develop a crush on this man—if she was in the market. Which she wasn’t.
“What kind of dog do you have, Seth?” she asked.
“None right now. A couple months before I moved back here, Rollie, my black lab, died of old age.”
“Why don’t you get another one?” she asked, stuffing her smock and the wet towels into a plastic bag to be laundered. “Would you like me to wash your lab coat?”
“No, thanks. I’ll get a new dog when life settles down and I have time.” He put the muzzle away. “At the moment, my hands are full—both with getting the business going and with Taylor.” A pained expression crossed his face.
“Is everything okay?” Emily asked.
“I wouldn’t know.” He balled up his wet lab coat. “She only speaks to me when she has to, and then it’s one or two words. This morning, she almost bit my head off. She wanted to come with me, but I made her go to school instead. Now I’m regretting that. This would’ve been just as educational.”
“You can bring her with you another time. I’m sorry she’s so difficult.”
“Hey, it’s not your problem.”
No, but Emily wished she could help. “When you and Taylor are ready for a new dog, don’t forget The Wagging Tail,” she said.
“I won’t.” He checked his watch. “I should go.”
She nodded and they left the quarantine hut.
* * *
AS EMILY SAUNTERED beside Seth toward his pickup, he tried hard to keep his eyes off her chest and on her face. Trouble was, her off-white blouse was wet and almost transparent. He could see the pink lace on her bra, and her rosy, perky nipples.
A certain part of him woke up and stirred. He willed his body to behave.
As his renegade eyes darted to her breasts again, she glanced down at herself. Blushing, she hugged the bag of wet towels to her chest.
They were a few yards from the truck when a silver Ford sedan pulled up. A plump, fifty-something woman exited the car.
“That’s Mrs. Oakes,” Emily said. “She manages the office.”
“Good morning, Emily,” the woman said with a curious look. “Who’s this?”
“Mrs. Oakes, meet Dr. Seth Pettit, our new vet.”
Seth flashed a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“And you, as well.” She fluttered lashes thick with mascara. “Welcome to our little corner of making the world a better place. By the look of you both, I can see that we’ve taken in a new dog who didn’t care for his bath.”
Seth glanced down at his wet shirt and realized he looked like he’d been hit with a water balloon. He was just as soaked as Emily, but on her, wet looked seriously good.
Emily nodded. “She has mange and God knows what else. For now, she’ll be staying in quarantine. Oh, and the Tatse should be here this morning to take the red setter.”
“It’s about time. I’ll keep an eye out for them.” Mrs. Oakes gave Seth a warm smile before aiming a sly look at Emily. “Emily could toss that shirt in the dryer for you, and give you a cup of coffee while you wait for it.”
Both sounded good, but he’d already been there longer than planned. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to go. Nice meeting you, Mrs. Oakes.”
“You, as well. I look forward to your next visit, and I’m sure Emily does, too.” With a flirty toss of her short brown hair, she sashayed toward the building and disappeared inside.
“Was she flirting with me, or trying to push you and me together?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Both. Her husband left her last year, and she’s hungry to meet a new one.”
Seth chuckled. “Besides the fact that I’m about twenty years too young for her, I have too much on my plate to date right now. Why would she want to push us together?”
“Because she thinks I should get married.” Emily rolled her eyes.
“You’re single, then?”
“Yes, and I like it that way.”
Seth absorbed this with interest. He wondered why she preferred to be alone. Not that her love life was any of his business. “I can’t believe a woman like you isn’t with someone,” he said.
“A woman like me?” She looked puzzled.
“You’re beautiful, smart and passionate about your work. Any man would be lucky to be with you.”
Another telltale blush colored her face. “I am dedicated,” she agreed, brushing off the compliments.
Making him wonder again. Did she not realize how extraordinary she was? He barely knew her, but he knew enough to appreciate her commitment and passion for the animals she cared for.
“So you’re not dating anyone?” he asked, because he wanted to know.
“Between running the shelter and managing my web business, I don’t have time.”
Her eyes were a pretty light blue, the same color as the early morning sky. A man could get lost in them. “Lack of time—something we have in common,” he said, and to his own ears his voice sounded a shade huskier than normal.
She hugged the bag of wet towels closer. “Tell Taylor that I look forward to seeing her on Monday.”
“Will do. I hope she behaves herself. By then, I should have the results of the dog’s blood work. Before I forget, I need your pharmacy information.”