Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Stop talking about me unless you’re going to include me in the conversation,” Reyelle ordered as she slid the tray into the display case.
Quiet chuckles.
Fifteen minutes later, and thirty minutes late, I rolled into my office with Nettie’s stack of food and coffee in one hand, and her hand in the other.
Everyone at the office loved Nettie, and it showed the moment they saw her.
The front office attendants got up with a flourish and gave her hugs.
Rhett picked her right off her feet, causing Nettie to laugh.
I tried really hard not to get angry that he was touching something that was most definitely mine.
Young came out to see what all the fuss was about and whooped, heading straight toward her.
The noise caught Holly and Charlene’s attention, and they too came out of the back.
Holly hung back while Charlene smiled her quiet smile and waved shyly.
Nettie blew the woman a kiss but didn’t make a move toward her, knowing Charlene’s need for space.
Holly watched the interactions with everyone with a narrow-eyed look on her face.
“Holly,” I said to the newest member of the crew. “Come meet my soon-to-be wife.”
Swift inhales, even from Holly.
Then the shouting started.
Nettie giggled, but I didn’t miss the narrowed eyes she aimed at me as she accepted her congratulations.
Holly came forward and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the excitement to calm.
“Don’t you all have some work to do?” I asked curiously after it didn’t stop.
Groans filled the air.
Everyone filtered out with final hugs and got back to work, leaving Holly, Nettie, and I standing in the lobby.
“Holly, this is Nettie. Nettie, baby. This is Holly.”
Holly didn’t hold out her hand, so Nettie took the initiative and held out hers.
Holly looked at it for a long second before taking it, giving a very limp shake that lasted seconds at most.
Holly pulled back and wiped her hand on her jeans.
Nettie’s lips twitched.
“It’s nice to meet you, Holly,” Nettie offered.
I couldn’t tell how this was going to go with Holly and Nettie.
“Uh, sure.” Holly nodded. “I see that your time blindness is at play again.”
My brows rose. “I don’t have what you refer to as time blindness. I have what you call a business that I own. One where I make my own hours.” I lifted my brows at her. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you the one that has patients this morning? Ones that are waiting in their cars like you asked them to?”
That was another thing I’d disliked when it came to Holly.
She didn’t want the patients in the waiting room.
Apparently it caused them ‘distress.’
Whatever. I didn’t care. But her patients’ parents were usually the younger ones that didn’t care that Holly was barely out of vet school. They were of the same generation and barely liked leaving the house, let alone communicating with the public.
It was somewhat of a relief not to have to deal with some of the younger patients that were just as stilted and awkward as Holly was.
They could have awkward, stilted conversations together.
Though, I drew the line at virtual visits.
You couldn’t diagnose a problem over a webcam, no matter how much Holly tried to convince me you could.
“Is that all?” Holly asked, eyes narrowed.
I dismissed her with a flick of my hand, and Nettie waited until she was back in the back room before she said, “She’s…fun.”
I snorted. “Fun’s an understatement.”
Nine
I can’t marry a man that can’t fight. I need to be able to say ‘my man will fuck you up’ with confidence.
—Nettie to Boone
Nettie
I was currently petting a tiny Pomeranian puppy on the nose and thinking I could finally get a dog if I had a permanent home—and someone to take care of him when I had to leave for three days—when I rounded the corner and found Gena packing up her bags.
“Oh, before you go.” I hurried toward her. “Can you tell me Boone’s schedule for the next week? I need to make a doctor’s appointment for him, and I want to make sure he’s free.”
“Is he sick?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “But the man never has yearly checkups, and he only gets one when I nag him. I think it’s time.”
She smiled and logged back into her computer.
“Here,” she said. “When you’re done, just close it down.”
I smiled and took her vacated seat.
She pressed her hand to my cheek and took off, leaving the clinic mostly empty.
That “mostly” came around the corner looking mad. “We’re missing a puppy.”
I held up my hand to show Holly. “I have him.”
“You shouldn’t take the puppy away from his mother. It’s too young to regulate its body temperature yet.”
“I have a hot water bottle here.” I gestured toward it. It was in my pocket, and the tiny puppy was nestled against it in my hand.
I was holding the runt.
Boone said that it probably wouldn’t live.