“What’s the bad news?” I ask instantly.
“Bad news is she’s going to lose the leg.”
Lila gasps a little.
“But she’ll be stable,” Dr. Monroe continues. “She’s young, healthy otherwise, got a good strong heart. Dogs do remarkably well on three legs. I want to get her into surgery now, geteverything controlled, and she should be out of the woods within a few hours.”
Lila nods. Swallows. “Okay.”
“You did the right thing bringing her in fast.” Dr. Monroe nods in my direction. “Slade, tell your dad we’ll be back at Wild Rose to check on Daisy Mae this Sunday, but I think we’re in the clear there too. Not colic. Just a persnickety eater.”
“He’ll be glad to know it.”
As we walk back into the waiting room, there are curious glances aimed in her direction, at her bunny costume. Can’t blame anyone for looking. But from a ranch hand I recognize in the far corner, there’s a glance that’s tipping the scale from appreciative to lecherous, as far as I’m concerned.
Lila wraps her arms around herself. “I should have brought a change of clothes,” she says with a nervous laugh.
I shrug my canvas jacket off and settle it around her shoulders. It’s a well-worn Carhartt, soft from years of ranch work, and it carries the smell of cedar soap and woodsmoke and probably a little horse if I’m being honest. On me it’s just a jacket. On her, it swallows her whole, the collar grazing her jaw, the hem falling to mid-thigh, and she pulls it around herself and tips her face up to mine.
“Oh,” she says softly. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
I lead us to a couple of empty chairs and gesture for her to take a seat before I do. I might not be good with relationships, but my father at least instilled gentlemanly manners in all us Rhodes boys.
Lila’s gaze drifts to the surgery doors for the third time in as many minutes. She’s got her fingers twisted together in her lap, obviously anxious.
“The dog’s in good hands,” I tell her, resisting the urge to give her hands a comforting squeeze. “Dr. Monroe’s the best vetin the county. Been taking care of our ranch animals since I was a kid. I trust her.”
Lila’s eyes search mine, gratitude and something almost shy shining within them. “You don’t have to stay,” she says. “You’ve done so much already. I feel bad having you wait.”
Even as the words come from her lips, she’s snuggling into my jacket, looking mighty cozy.
“I’m invested now,” I say. “Gotta see this through. That dog was on my family’s land. That makes her our responsibility.”
Lila looks at me with wide eyes. “Your family’s land.” A small smile. “So you did know the owner!”
“My dad,” I confirm. “Plus we gotta figure out your car key situation when this is all said and done.”
She puts her hands to her cheeks and shakes her head. “I can’t believe I locked myself out of my car. First time for everything, and of course it’s the worst possible timing.”
“Hey. You saved a life today. That’s all that counts.”
“Wesaved a life,” she says with another one of those gorgeous smiles.
There’s a fine pearly shimmer across her cheekbones and I have the strange urge to drag my thumb across it, just to know if her skin is as soft as it looks. I don’t. I let my gaze drop instead, becoming aware I’ve been quiet for a few seconds too long.
I clear my throat. “So. Uh. Can I ask, what’s with the…” I gesture vaguely in her direction, trying not to stare at her anymore than I already have.
“With what?” she asks innocently.
With everything she’s got going on beneath my jacket. The corset. The tights. The little bunny tail on top of her ass. I’ve got a lot of questions about all of it, none of which are appropriate to ask a woman I just met.
I settle for asking, “What’s with the ears?”
She reaches up and strokes along one of them slowly, likeshe forgot she was wearing them, pink sparkly nails trailing the satin edge. Then she lifts them off and sets them in her lap. “Oh, it’s for a job.”
What the hell kind of job has a girl dressing like a sexy bunny?
