“Just a few scratches. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Her sincere look and obvious concern at the prospect that the dog was not okay overshadowed Nolan’s previous suspicions that she was up to something. Those suspicions had come from his grandfather and a small-town rumor. Maybe he should consider the source. His gut instinct was telling him that Julie really was concerned.
Meow!
Nolan narrowed his gaze on the carrier. “Is the cat okay?” The cat had seemed fine when he fled to the porch of the inn, but Nolan would feel terrible if Snowball had done any damage.
“Kringle is his name.” Julie sat a few chairs away, placed the carrier on the floor, then bent to look inside. “He was limping a little, so I thought I should bring him.”
“I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too.”
They lapsed into an awkward silence. Suddenly very warm, Nolan unzipped his jacket.
Julie glanced over, breaking the silence when she recognized the logo on his T-shirt. “You went to Northeastern University? Which campus?”
The question broke the tension between them. It turned out that not only had they attended the same school, albeit for different degrees—his in American history, hers in journalism—but they’d graduated only a year apart. As they compared notes on the teachers they’d liked and loathed, Julie switched to a seat closer to him. She warmed to the conversation, her eyes sparkling, and her cheeks flushed as she leaned closer to him. He might have been flushing a little, himself. She was very pretty.
And, surprisingly, she also had an interest in American history, even if she hadn’t chosen to get her degree in it. They had definitely taken some of the same courses, though maybe not in the same semester. It had been so long since he’d thought about his college days, and he couldn’t help but be disappointed. There she’d been, so close, and yet they’d never crossed paths.
When the conversation naturally petered out, he decided to get the truth out of her while they were meeting on neutral ground. Not only for his family’s sake—right now, he wanted to know too. “The Cozy Holly Inn will probably need a lot of work if you intend to stay on instead of selling it.”
She sighed and crossed her arms. “Tell me about it. But I’mnotstaying on.”
“No?”
“No,” she said firmly. “Let’s just say small-town life is not for me. I’ve got a résumé out for a job that would be a great next step for my career. See?”
Although he hadn’t asked, she pulled out her phone and opened an email. It was a confirmation of receipt of a résumé for a magazine name he vaguely recognized.
“Oh, that’s great. I heard a rumor your grandmother was coming back to run the inn with your help. Crazy small-town rumors.”
“Yeah, very crazy. Funny you say that, because I get the impression people around town think I’m staying too. But don’t worry, I’m not. We’re selling the inn to you guys just as planned.”
“Right.” Instead of feeling glad about that, Nolan felt disappointed.
Their eyes caught and held. Nolan felt the smile slide off his face. He wanted to say something, but he wasn’t sure what. The examination room door opened, saving him from thinking about it any further.
“Here we are, Nolan. All better.”
Snowball did not look better. She looked miserable. Her head was lowered, framed by a plastic cone that would presumably keep her from rubbing away the bandage across her snout. Her tail was tucked between her legs, and her ears were pinned to her head.
“Oh, no. Snowball!” Julie moved first, closing the distance to the dog and crouching next to her head. “You poor thing. I knew that scratch looked bad.”
Susan, the town vet, raised her eyebrows at Nolan. She held Snowball’s leash loosely in her hand. The dog didn’t seem likely to bolt, but she did give her tail a half-hearted wag when Julie gently petted her ears.
If Julie could get through her misery at all, Snowball must like her. And anyone Snowball liked couldn’t be all bad.
Susan cleared her throat and said, “It wasn’t a deep cut, but I bandaged it to keep it from getting infected. I know you, Nolan. Leave the cone on at least until this evening.”
He gave her a rueful smile but didn’t make any promises. Instead, he stood and zipped up his coat before holding his hand out for the leash. “You’ll send the bill to the house?”
Susan nodded.
“Thanks.” He met Julie’s gaze once more. He didn’t know what she felt, but he was kicking himself for having misjudged her when they’d met again. He gave her a nod. “Let me know how Kringle makes out.”
If Kringle was injured, it would be his fault. He’d pay the bill, but he had the feeling that Julie was the type that didn’t like other people paying for her. He didn’t want to argue about it. Better to call the clinic from his truck and let Tina, the receptionist, know. Maybe he’d even instruct her to pretend it was paid for by a fund the animal shelter had in place with the veterinarian.
As he reached the door, Susan called after him. “Nolan?”
