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My chin rises from my chest, revealing how tightly I was squeezing my shoulders to my ears. The festival on Main Street resumes around me as if I didn’t just spend the last however many minutes eavesdropping.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” I laugh with a wave of my hand, forcing my muscles to relax. “How can I help you, Stella?”
She raises her arm. I swiftly move to help her settle the pet carrier on the table beneath the white canopy.
“I heard you’d be down here for the day. My Mister Fluffskateer needs his vaccines and a nail trim.”
Inwardly, I groan. Stella’s cat is old and as ornery as they come. I’m pretty sure his least favorite thing in the world is a visit to my office for his annual visit.
“Did you give him his medicine to sedate him?” I peer into the carrier. The ginger cat releases a mighty growl.
“Well, I tried, but I think he might have spit it out. You know how bad my eyesight is.”
“I understand.” I smile. “I’ll see what he’ll put up with today.”
“You only run this free clinic once a year, so I hope you can make it work.”
Every year during the Fairview Valley Festival I run a free vaccine and nail trim clinic. Many of my regular clients take advantage of the opportunity to bring their pets up-to-date and save a little cash to spend on the festival instead.
I scan the people passing around my tent. “Don’t worry, Stella. I’ll take care of him. Once my assistant returns, we can get started.”
“Do you know how long that might be? I need to get over to the square dancing competition in twenty minutes. Aiden promised to be my partner.” Stella winks and wiggles her heavily drawn eyebrows.
I laugh at the image of my youngest brother taking her for a spin on the dance floor. Stella and her posse have twice as much energy as the rest of us despite nearing their seventies.
“Why don’t you leave Mister Fluffskateer with me and come by when you’re finished?” I offer.
“I’d rather not. He hates being cooped up in that thing.”
A wave of annoyance washes over me. Before I can point out how I’m doing my best to work with her demands, a voice rings out from beyond my left shoulder.
So close that I stiffen.
“I’m available to help,” Spencer says.
Spencer
The minute I saw PetefuckingPerkins, I should have turned around and gone back home. I should have known the guy would find a way to sneak in an insult or two before the conversation was over. He brought up my scars, and I gave him five minutes of a hard stare and him digging himself into a deeper hole before I turned around without a word intent on walking away.
The problem is I walked straight intoher.
The single reason I’m back in this small town.
I’m not sure why I offered to give her a hand. It’s not the sort of thing I’m known for around here, for one. But the image of her lips, parted and pouty, and the way I could just make out her eyes darting around the street, had the words falling from my mouth before I could stop them.
What the fuck do I know about veterinary care? Not one damn thing.
Except the fact that I might just be in love with the veterinarian.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Bree should be back any minute.” Cortney delivers her brush off without even turning her head fully in my direction.
“My hands have burn scars but they still work.”
Her wince tells me that was a dick thing to say.
The problem is I can see Stella staring at them while she waits for this exchange to pass. That’s two people in the span of ten minutes taking note of the ways my body looks a little different.
Many around here heard the rumors about the pipeline fire at the oil field where I worked. But this is the first time they’ve seen the damage with their own eyes.
