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He texted back and forth with the service before concluding that there was a real emergency not just a nervous pet parent. Frustration rose in his chest. “I have to go. Unfortunately, this won’t wait.”
“Oh no,” Heather said. He was impressed that she managed to sound upset. He was surprised she could tear her attention from her favorite chef. His mind sneered favorite.
“No worries. You stay here. Finish cooking. Are you okay to walk home alone?”
“I can give her a drive once my sous chef arrives,” Jer volunteered.
Jealousy battled relief. “That’d be great.” His phone chimed again, and he barely resisted the urge to throw it at the wall. He glanced at it. “That’s my cab.” He pulled Heather into his arms and brushed a kiss across her brow. “Later, sweetheart,” he murmured into her silky hair. “I’ll call you when I’m finished. We can pick up this date later.”
He clapped Jer on the back. “Take care of my girlfriend.” Why in the world had he said that? They weren’t dating. They were faking. Too late now.
♥♥♥
Working with Jeremy Osten was a total fangirl moment. Not only was he talented, but he was also kind and funny. All the same, he held no real appeal for her. They got along famously, but half of her mind was fretting about what called Zander away. Hopefully it wasn’t anything too serious. It sounded like an emergency. She hoped everything was okay with his family.
Two hours later The Crab Shack was full of happy patrons and Jeremy’s staff was buzzing around the kitchen. She was sitting in the office with Jer discussing recipes and people they both knew. Zander hadn’t returned and she knew it was time to go.
“Thanks so much for teaching me your recipe. I’m honored that you shared it. And thanks for feeding me. I guess Zander’s emergency was serious since he’s not back. I’ll head out now. The walk home isn’t far.” She stood and offered her hand. “It was a pleasure to get to know you.”
“Come back anytime, and if you ever need a job, I’ll find a place for you.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “You should know that your ex’s new place is failing badly. He can cook, but he has no management skills and can’t keep staff.”
She fought back a vindictive grin. “I don’t wish ill on him, but that does make me happy. Thanks for telling me. Swing by the inn, and I’ll fix you something special to eat. My treat.”
“I’ll do that.”
He walked her outside and down the stairs. King exploded out of the deck shade toward her. She backed away from his exuberance. “Yikes.”
“Hey, King.” Jeremy patted the dog on the head. “You watching him?”
“No! I can’t believe Zander left him behind.” She backed away again and pointed under the deck. “King, stay.” The dog tipped his head sideways and grinned at her. “Sit,” she commanded. The beast just stood there panting and smiling.
“King, go lay down,” Jeremy said. The dog ignored him too.
“What do I do now?”
“Just go. Maybe he’ll stay here and wait for Zander. If not, it’s a small town and he’ll be easy to find. I’m sure most of Half Moon Bay will recognize the beast. Certainly, anyone with a pet will.”
“Thanks again.”
Jeremy loped back up the stairs with a wave, and she started home. She’d only taken three steps when King was beside. “Stupid animal,” she grumbled. “Go lay down.”
King yipped once and kept walking.
“What am I supposed to do with you? I don’t even like you.” Well, he seemed okay, but he was large and scary. Since the wild cat episode, animals had never been her thing. What if he went crazy? Zander wasn’t here to control him, and he didn’t listen to her. She tried over and over to get the dog to go back to The Crab Shack.
“That’s it. I give up. I guess I’ll let you walk me home.” Not that she had any other choice.
♥♥♥
The emergency was a cat who had been attacked by a wild cat. Sewing him up took nearly three hours. It was a wonder the domestic animal survived at all. Something must have interrupted the fight.
Giving the cat 160 stitches after ensuring there was no other major damage might have gone faster if thoughts of Heather and Jeremy hadn’t distracted him. He thought it would be a treat for her to meet a famous chef. Boy, was he right. Too right. She was probably still there, soaking up Jer’s sexy charm.
He wrapped everything up and once the animal was settled, he gave his assistant instructions on what to watch for. In the past, he’d simply stayed at the clinic with his animals. Since he started ‘dating’ Heather, he’d hired a young girl who was in town for the summer. She was a veterinary tech student and happy to take part-time, casual work. He still needed more staff, but he’d made a start.
He scrubbed up and headed upstairs for something to eat. He’d skipped breakfast and his lunch had been cancelled. He was ravenous. He left the exam room and entered the clinic lobby. A soft whisper of sound caught his attention.
“Zander. Are you okay?” Heather asked. “You’re as white as a ghost. Oh, I bet you didn’t eat anything. Come. Let me feed you something.”
