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“I … don’t think I understand. Are you trying to match me up with someone?”
“You stole the words right out of my mouth.”
“What?” A knot formed in her throat. Was this some sort of joke? Had she been watching too much reality television lately? It was a guilty pleasure, admittedly. “I … I didn’t sign up for some matchmaking service, ma’am, so I don’t know why you’re …”
“Please, don’t call me ma’am. That’s too formal. It makes me feel as if I’m your superior in some way. I’d like you to think of me as a friend.”
Hope blinked. “A friend?”
“Precisely. I’m a friend who’s going to help you score the gig of a lifetime. Have you heard about Nova Aurora? Do you know much about the planet?”
“No, I don’t know much about it. I’ve heard some things, but I don’t know what to believe.”
“I’ve got a proposal for you, then. How would you like to meet someone special on Nova Aurora? He’s a client of mine, and he’s been having a problem with his livestock.”
“What … I …” Hope looked around, looking for the hidden camera crew that was about to jump out at her at any second. “Hold on, I never agreed to meet withanyone. And if he’s been having issues with his livestock, then he has to call a veterinarian.”
“Been there, done that.” Gerri shrugged. “Just about every veterinarian on the planet has seen his animals, but they don’t have a clue what’s going on. We’re in desperate need of some help, so I thought you’d be the perfect one to lend us a hand.”
“If veterinarians can’t find out what’s wrong, what makes you think I will?” Hope asked, stunned. “I’m only a technician. And I can’t just up and leave like that. What about my job and my clients here? They’re important too.”
“Take some time off.”
“It’s not that easy,” Hope responded, shaking her head. “Thanks for the offer, Gerri, but I really don’t think this is a good …”
“All right, all right.” Gerri raised her hands. “It seems to me that you do not understand the gravity of the situation. My client is a dragon shifter. Heard of those?”
With wide eyes, Hope barely made a noise which Gerri took as an affirmative.
“His name is Deimos, and he’s the Alpha leader of the Zehvrd dragon clutch on Nova Aurora. A really nice guy. He raises cattle on that planet because there’s been an influx of Earthlings moving there, so he wanted to make them feel at home with access to beef and other goodies like dairy. Turns out the king loves feeding these treats to his guests too.”
“Okay,” Hope said, nodding along. “Thatispretty nice, but …”
“His cows were doing well for a long time, but recently, they’ve started acting strange, and Deimos doesn’t know how to solve the problem. He’s doing this for a good cause, so from the bottom of my heart, Ibegyou to join me on my trip to Nova Aurora to see what’s going on.”
Creeping a hand in her bag and pulling out her Tupperware, Hope already suspected a few issues that could be going on with those cows. The grumbling that came from her stomach didn’t impact her rational thought.
“Cows aren’t native to that planet. They may be having a hard time adjusting.” Popping open her meal, she already started shrugging off the idea of traveling to some unknown planet to help a shifter she didn’t know.
That sounded ludicrous, and if there was one thing Hope hated doing, it was disrupting her peace. A trip light-years away would accomplish that.
“No, no, that’s not the issue,” Gerri lamented. “They’ve been thriving for so long. They must have been hit with a sickness or something to make them act this way. Please, Hope, you’ve got to help the poor guy. He’s going through a tough time, and he could use a helping hand.”
Through a mouthful of rice, Hope covered her mouth and shrugged. “My hands are tied.”
“Hey!” Dr. Klein emerged from one of the rooms, adjusting the stethoscope over her shoulders. “How’s it going here?”
“Fine,” Hope mumbled, hoping that Gerri would drop the topic.
However, Gerri Wilder wasn’t one to turn down a challenge. Instead of backing down, she upped the charm, leaning an elbow on the counter and flashing a wide smile.
“It’s been going well, thank you. I wanted to ask if you could give Hope some time off so that she can help one of my clients in Nova Aurora. It’s a really important mission, Doc. The lives of countless cows are at stake.”
Dr. Klein hummed, picking a clipboard from the desk. “Well, Hope has been wanting to go on a trip for some time.”
Hope choked on her food, desperately waving a hand. “Dr. Klein, wait. No. I …”
“That sounds wonderful! This is a perfect opportunity for her, then. If she helps my client, I’m sure this will bring an abundance of good press to your business, Dr. Klein.”
