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Chapter Twenty-Three

Walking into the clinic at eight in the morning felt strange after months of arriving when I knew the sun would set in just a couple of hours. The morning light streaming through the windows made everything look different, brighter somehow. Ava was already at her desk with a steaming cup of coffee, and Roxie emerged from the back with a clipboard in hand.

“Look who decided to join the land of the living.” Ava grinned at me. “How'd you sleep?”

“Better than I have in weeks.” The truth surprised me. Despite everything happening, having Graham's arms around me all night was the best sleep I'd gotten since the flowers arrived.

Roxie looked up from her clipboard. “How did the meeting with your family go yesterday?”

My chest tightened at the memory. “About as well as expected. Mama cried for twenty minutes.”

“Oh honey.” Roxie set down her clipboard and came around the reception desk. “I'm sure it was hard telling them about London after all this time.”

“It was. But it felt good too, you know? Like I could finally breathe again.” I fiddled with the strap of my purse. “They want to have Dad and the guys talk to Graham tonight.”

Ava snorted. “Figures.”

“When you say guys, you mean your brothers, right?” Roxie asked. “The overprotective ones?”

I nodded. “Seth and Randy. They're going to lose their minds when they find out about the stalker.”

Roxie squeezed my shoulder. “Graham can handle them.”

“I hope so. Seth's already suspicious because Graham only works with Onyx part-time.”

“That’s the same as Hart. They’re both ad hoc. My guess is within six months Roan and Simon are going to be begging them to work full-time. Their dance card is getting mighty full.”

The three of us were still talking when the front door chimed. Glenda walked in, her face lighting up when she saw me.

“Joy! I called this morning and Ava said you were working days, so I decided to pop in when you were on duty. I have a question about Rosebud.”

I walked over to greet her. “What's going on? Is she okay?”

“Oh, she's fine. Perfect, actually.” Glenda gave me a brief hug. “I've just been wondering about her food. Should I be cooking fresh meals for her instead of using the commercial kitten food?”

The question caught me off guard. Most new pet owners were worried about their animals eating enough, not whether they should be preparing gourmet meals.

“That's really thoughtful of you,” Roxie said, grinning as she stepped forward. “I don’t think any other client has ever asked that before. But high-quality commercial kitten food is actually better for her nutritional needs right now.”

Glenda smiled at Roxie gratefully. “Thanks, Roxie. I just want to give her the best. She's so precious.”

“She is,” Roxie agreed. “You should have brought her in.”

“She was napping in her little bed by the window. She looked so cute that I didn’t want to disturb her.”

“That’s sweet.” I smiled. “Don’t worry, Glenda, the food Roxie recommended has everything she needs for healthy growth.”

“If you want to supplement,” Ava added, “small pieces of cooked chicken or fish are fine as treats.”

Glenda beamed. “You're all so knowledgeable. Wasn’t I lucky finding the same place where this songstress worked?” She grinned at me. “Speaking of lucky, we should plan another girls' night soon. I had such a great time last time.”

“That sounds fun,” I said to be nice. With everything that was going on, I wasn’t feeling like going out, but then again, maybe a girls’ night out would be a good thing, and Glenda meant well.

“Perfect! Maybe this weekend?” Glenda's eyes sparkled with excitement. “I know this great little wine bar that just opened downtown.”

“I'll have to check my schedule,” I hedged, hating to disappoint her.

I saw Glenda’s expression dim before the bright smile returned.