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She hadn’t even been able to flag down a second crab cake when Lydia, a client she’d seen earlier in the week at Gulfview Animal Clinic, greeted her. “Lydia, it’s great to see you! How is Homer recovering?” She pictured the frisky Great Pyrenees puppy who’d been in for a standard procedure.
“Great. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the surgery site at all and he recouped all his energy. The hardest part is going to be keeping him out of the water for the two weeks while his incision heals. I’ve never seen a dog who loves the ocean as much as Homer does.”
Molly’s heart went out to the playful pup, who probably didn’t understand why he was being kept from doing all the things he loved. “Poor guy. But two weeks will go by in a flash. And if he needs an outing, feel free to bring him up to the clinic. I’d love to get my fill of puppy rubs between appointments.”
Lydia smiled. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”
Molly continued to circulate around the gallery, admiring art and chatting with locals she’d met since she’d been here. She’d been making small talk for about forty-five minutes when she glanced up and noticed Grant walking through the door.
Even though she was on the complete other side of the room and he hadn’t even stepped all the way into the building yet, their eyes met. It was a warm, personal connection. Friendly. The kind that sparked delight, as if the person she’d been waiting for had finally arrived.
That was ridiculous, of course, because she hadn’t been waiting for him. Sure, they’d shared a moment last weekend over the turtle nest, but that didn’t mean they had to spend every moment together. In fact, she’d never even asked him if he was coming tonight.
Of course, she assumed he’d been invited, and there was a part of her that hoped he’d show up. But she’d been totally content to circulate the room on her own. After all, tonight was about supporting Ellyn. Or at least that was her story until he’d walked through the doors.
He didn’t even make it two steps inside before he was stopped by someone he knew. He chatted with the man but kept glancing up so his gaze locked with hers. His dimple-producing grin set off a round of sparkles, making her feel warm and floaty. She could no longer deny the draw between them. Yes, it was a stronger draw than any she’d felt in a long time, but that was because she hadn’t met anyone like him in a long time. Maybe ever. Why wouldn’t she want to spend time with him?
She started across the room, weaving her way through the crowd to reach him, keeping her focus on him. She greeted a couple people she’d seen Ellyn talking with earlier. He moved on to shake hands with someone she recognized from the backyard barbeque at Claire’s house. The whole time, they kept eye contact as if there was an invisible link connecting them.
After several minutes and multiple conversations, anticipation sizzled through her as they were finally about to meet. She could feel her grin widen and her mood brighten. But before she could take the final step to him, Lottie Jenkins, the head of the local animal rescue organization, stepped in her path.
“Dr. Lawrence! I was hoping I’d run into you.”
There was a fizzle of disappointment which caused her wide grin to waver. She was fully aware it was a ridiculous reaction. She liked Lottie and loved the work she did. She shouldn’t be disappointed to have to talk with her.
She refreshed her smile, although it took a bit more work this time. Hopefully Lottie didn’t notice. “Hello, Lottie. It’s good to see you.”
Behind her, Grant finished up his latest conversation and made a playful wide-eyed face that poked fun at how hard it was for them to make it to each other. The expression made her want to laugh, but instead she swallowed it, and focused on the woman in front of her. But, on the bright side, at least her smile wasn’t as forced anymore.
“I have some excellent news.” Lottie leaned in to share it with Molly. “All but one of the feral kittens we found have forever homes.”
“How wonderful!”
Lottie nodded, looking pleased. “The last one, the gray-striped, is as sweet as banana pudding, so I’m not concerned about finding him a family. In fact, I already have a place in mind.” She looked thoughtful for a second, then waved her hand in front of her. “Anywho, I wanted to let you know the good news, since you connected with the kittens at their appointment.”
Molly pictured the sweet little furballs she’d nuzzled during their final kitten exam. Two of them in particular had the loudest purr she’d heard in a long time. They were going to make great companions. “I’m glad you did. I love hearing updates. And maybe I’ll see a couple of them again when their new owners bring them in.”
“You should. I gave each of their new owners your card. Be on the lookout for them!” Lottie said a quick goodbye as she hopped off to chat with someone else, and Molly finally stepped up to the person she’d been waiting all evening to reach.
“That felt much more complicated than it needed to be,” Grant joked.
“Right?” She reached up and gave him a hug. It was meant to be a quick greeting, the friendly type she’d give to Ellyn or Hadley or Claire. But as his arm slid around her waist and he pulled her into his embrace, the connection that had drawn her to him from across the room intensified. She wanted to linger there, to stay in his arms.
The thought made her jump back. He was a friend, which was all circumstances dictated he could be. And since her time with him was limited, she didn’t want anything to complicate the relationship with her favorite person in Emerald Cove. Especially not tonight.
She pushed her hair out of her face and reharnessed the friendly excitement she had about seeing him. “I was hoping you’d show up tonight. I have a surprise for you.”
Amusement danced in his warm brown eyes. “Fun. What’s the occasion?” He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“You always have things planned for me. I figured it was my turn to do something for you.” Molly couldn’t contain her grin. In fact, there was a good chance it was bordering on goofy, but she couldn’t help it. If she knew Grant like she thought she did, he was going to love this. She couldn’t wait to show it to him. “Come on, this way.”
Grant stuck close to Molly as they wove their way through the crowd. “You look nice tonight, by the way.”
“Nice” might’ve been an understatement. She was stunning. She wore a short, black dress and heels, which accented her long legs. And instead of the usual ponytail, her hair was down tonight, flowing over her shoulders like a cascading, golden waterfall. He picked up whiffs of her floral shampoo as he trailed behind her.
“Thanks,” she said. “It’s kind of fun to get dressed up for a change.”
They passed the makeshift bar and slipped into the quieter back hallway, where the bathroom was located. He followed her to a door at the end with a PRIVATE sign.
