AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Oh, I bet the ladies just love him.
My fingers locked around the heavy wood of the front door, my feet rooted to the spot as I took him in. I’d forgotten how alike the male Macabe siblings looked. Heather was such a tiny little thing, with the same delicate features as her mother. Not at all like her brothers. They shared the same statuesque build and shoulders that could block out the sun. Full heads of hair that could go from blonde to brown in an instant, though Callum’s was beginning to streak with silver. Sharp noses and high cheekbones. It was only the eyes that set them apart. Where Mal’s were an icy blue that reminded me of turbulent storm clouds on a January morning, Callum’s were the azure blue of the water in the bay. It would be all too easy to fall right into them. And yet…
I blinked. Stepping back to give him room.“Good to see you again, Callum.”
Small lines appeared around his mouth, the sign of a man who laughed freely and often.“Likewise. Heather said over the phone you needed a vet?”
“Thanks for coming on such short notice.” I pressed back against the door, propping it open for him to walk through.
“No thanks necessary. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to bump into you.” He winked in my direction, adjusting what looked like a medical bag on his shoulder.“I was beginning to think Mal had locked you away in his cottage.”
The words were playful and, like every idiot to come before me, a smile slipped free. I hid it, giving him my back as I led him to the kitchen and family room.
He followed.“Heather said you were a wee bit evasive on the phone. Is there really an injured animal or were you just eager to see me again?”
I snorted, glancing back over my shoulder.“Eager enough to fake a medical emergency?”
He shrugged, unperturbed by my incredulity.“It wouldn’t be the first time.”
I stopped and turned, disbelief evident in my tone.“Women make fake appointments to spend time with you?”
That grin flashed again.“All the time.”
I folded my arms, eyeing him shrewdly. He had to be lying.“What excuses do they make?”
“The usual… limping dog, stomach issues that turn out to be flatulence. I prefer the more exciting ones. I saw a goldfish once that refused to eat, and even a wild hare another lassie caught in her garden.”
My brow flattened.“Why would they do that?”
He bent closer, like he was sharing a secret.“Because I’m a catch.”
I snorted and he laughed, enjoying my obvious disbelief.
“I hope you billed her for time-wasting.”
“She bought me dinner and we called it even.”
“You went to dinner with her?” He only winked again and I pointed to the offending organ.“I think you have a problem with your eye, you should get that looked at.”
He shifted closer.“And I’m beginning to think you called me here under false pretences.”
Dammit.“This way.”
He was silent as he followed me through the kitchen, but I sensed him looking around like Heather had when she came over for yoga. The manor was a big part of Mal’s life and it suddenly occurred to me his siblings may not have been privy to this part of it. When we got to the back door, I watched his attention flick from Dudley, still bathing in the low sun, to Mel C.
“A fox?”
“Yep.” If I thought there’d be further questioning, I was wrong. He dropped his bag by his feet and knelt, going into one of the side pockets and pulling out a stethoscope he hooked around his neck, all playfulness disappearing.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Her,” I corrected and his attention moved back to me.“It’s her front right paw, it’s all bloody and has bite marks. Something attacked her.”
He moved in slowly so as not to startle her. Mel C blinked her dark eyes open, watching him warily. He held out a hand for her to sniff and after a pause she leant in, sniffing all of his extended digits before moving on to his palm and wrist.“That’s a good girl,” he encouraged, bringing the other hand around to pet her little head. I had to blink back tears. This skittish little baby was letting him touch her, pet her. How easily that trust could be betrayed in the wrong hands.
Keeping her head still, he pulled a small pen light from his bag, blinking it in both of her eyes and ears.“When did you first notice the injury?”
“This afternoon. I saw her two days ago and she was fine.”
