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“Maybe.” Grant’s mouth twisted to the side in consideration. “Dr. Lacey tells me you have some experience with turtles.”
“Some,” Molly agreed. “I did a year-long internship at a zoo, where I worked with several different breeds. Plus, I saw the occasional pet turtle at the neighborhood practice I was with.”
“Great.” Relief seemed to wash over him. “We have a final exam today and I’d hate to put it off. Would you be willing to help us out this one time?”
As far as Molly knew, a final exam was a memory from college that still gave her nightmares, and she had no idea what any of this had to do with Chompers, but it was her job to help them out. “I’m happy to assist any way I can.”
“Unfortunately”—Grant jerked his thumb toward the doorway—“the big guy was in a mood today, so we’re going to have to go for a ride. I hope you don’t mind.”
Molly stared at the doorway. “Go for a ride? Like a house call?”
Grant bobbed his head from side to side as if considering the term. “Sure, I guess you could call it that.”
“I didn’t know Dr. Lacey did house calls.”
“She does when a hundred fifty-pound loggerhead turtle doesn’t want to go for a ride.”
Molly was all for trying to embrace spontaneity, but this conversation had taken a turn into the bizarre zone. “You have a loggerhead turtle? At your house?”
Grant chuckled. “That would be a sight, wouldn’t it? How about we start over.” He held out his hand again. “I’m Grant Torres, director of Emerald Cove Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.”
ECTRR. All the pieces were starting to come together. “That makes a lot more sense.” She shook his hand for a second time. “I’m the still-learning-the-ropes substitute vet.”
His eyes twinkled. “Looks to me like you’re killing it.”
She took her hand back, trying to push the sparkly feelings away. She wasn’t the kind of girl who fell for handsome strangers at first sight, like some sort of leading lady in a romcom. At least, not anymore. Although, if she were being totally honest, the fact that this one spent his days caring for sea turtles wasn’t helping. “What exactly does Dr. Lacey do for you?”
“She’s our staff veterinarian. A facility our size doesn’t need a full-time vet. Most rehab centers have a turtle expert come two to three times a month and schedule the turtles around the visit. But since we have our own expert living right in our backyard, she allows us to schedule her whenever we need her.” He shrugged. “We’re a little spoiled.”
“That’s fascinating. I had no idea she did that.” It was starting to make more sense why there wasn’t a chart for Chompers. He wasn’t a Gulfview patient. The appointment on her schedule was probably a placeholder so she wouldn’t get double booked. “I’m sorry she’s not going to be able to make today’s appointment. She’d planned on being here today, but the baby had other ideas.”
“I hear babies have a way of doing that.” His eyes twinkled. “How about you?”
She pointed at herself. “Me? You want me to come examine your loggerhead turtle?”
“I know your job here doesn’t include working with us. But you do have sea turtle experience, and it would really help us out.” One corner of Grant’s mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin that shouldn’t have been as charming as it was.
Nervousness twisted in her gut. The good news was she’d finally gotten rid of the bubbly feeling in her chest. The bad news was it had been replaced with a sort of jittery energy that seeped through her whole body. It’d been more than five years since she’d worked with a sea turtle, and even then, she’d always had another, more qualified vet with her. This was way outside her area of expertise. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like that, and I’m far from being an expert. I don’t know that I’m your best candidate.”
“At the moment, you’re our only candidate.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and his tone shifted to one steeped in compassion. “The thing is, this is Chompers’ final exam. He’s met all of his recovery goals and is doing great. The only thing standing between him and the open waters of the ocean is being cleared by a vet. We could get on one of the other specialists’ schedules, but it’ll mean Chompers is stuck in a tank for at least another month.”
That tugged on her heart. Molly didn’t want any creature to have to spend one minute more than absolutely necessary in a hospital, especially a giant sea turtle who could swim hundreds of miles in a day. “I…” She wanted to protest again. Maybe if she’d known ahead of time, she could’ve had a chance to plan for this. She could’ve reviewed her notes, done some preparation work to get herself ready…
But then she stopped herself. Wasn’t her goal to be more adventurous and spontaneous?
She nibbled on her lip, considering the possibilities. “What kind of exam are we doing?”
“Just a basic exam. Nothing fancy.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve done even a basic exam.” She absent-mindedly traced the perimeter of her tablet with her finger, trying to mentally pull up what she knew about sea turtles. “I mean a long while.”
“I happen to know that working with sea turtles is like riding a bike. Once you hop on, it’ll all come back to you.” And there was that grin again. “I’ll even give you a ride to the rehab center in the turtle ambo.”
“A turtle ambulance, huh?”
Everything in her wanted to pass. Showing up three days early to a job she knew she was starting was one thing. But examining sea turtles at a rescue and rehabilitation center? That was a whole different level of unexpected.
But what kind of effort was she making on her new goal if she passed on the first spontaneous adventure that came her way? Plus, she’d never been in a turtle ambulance before.
