Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He was so tall and manly, and I couldn’t stop thinking about him in ways that I definitely shouldn’t be feeling about my landlord.
“Hey, you okay?”
I smiled at Gena. “Oh, yes. Sorry. I was thinking about something.”
Gena gave me a knowing look that clearly said she knew what—or who—I was thinking about.
Since I wasn’t ready to admit to myself that I might actually like Denver, I chose to ignore that and everything else and get started with my day.
I did that with my coffee in one hand—four shots of perfection—and a Danish in the other.
I found Boone staring at the board in front of him with a small frown on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I think we might need another vet here,” he grumbled. “This is getting to be even more work than we can do. And, just sayin’, but I’ll be having a baby soon. I’m taking time off. And I’m not letting you overwork yourself to cover me.”
I looked at him in surprise. “You won’t?”
“You think so little of me?” he asked, his eyes going to the drink in my hand. “Denver’s not a bad guy. Neither am I.” He leveled me with a look. “You know why he kicked you out of that house, Holly?”
I blinked. “What?”
“That house that you were living in with your dad,” he said. “You know why he really kicked you out?”
I was already shaking my head. “Because he wanted the land…”
“He didn’t want the land,” he countered. “Would it have been nice for him to get it? Sure. He likes making sure his cows have enough water. But what he does not like is hurting women. Denver is the biggest supporter of women you’ll ever meet. And he most certainly wouldn’t have hurt you if he could help it.”
I swallowed. “What don’t I know?”
He looked away from me and studied the board again. “Your dad owed years and years and years in back taxes. He had a shit ton of fines on top of those back taxes. But your daddy was able to work something out with the tax assessor. He was able to finagle a way for him to stay until he died. Then he made a deal with Denver. He gets the land. He pays the back taxes. And he makes sure that you don’t stay there and drown yourself in land that has done nothing but take from your family.”
Stunned silence followed his announcement.
“How much were the back taxes?” I asked.
“More money than you and I make in three years,” he said. “Denver all but drowned his savings in the middle of a divorce to keep this property from going back. The last thing he wanted to do was kick you out. But that place wasn’t safe at all, and you know it.”
I looked down at my feet.
“And to answer your question,” he said after a while. “Yes, you mean something to me. I like you, Holly. So no, I do not want to see you drown in this place. I want you to get to live your life. I’m already interviewing vets as we speak.”
I blew out a breath. “I’m sorry.”
He flicked my cup. “Forgive him for making an impossible decision.”
With that, he walked out and left me staring at the board of appointments that were in store for us that day.
Or, more importantly, him.
I was set to make a few house calls.
A pregnant horse that needed scanned. A euthanasia for a family pet. And a dog that needed to be seen, but was too big to be brought in.
“What order should I take these?” I asked Boone when he came back.
“The dog that needs to be seen is a Wolfhound. Caller said that he was attacked by wolves and didn’t look too good,” Boone explained. “I’d probably take that one first.”
I groaned. “Maybe we should offer a mobile service while we’re at it. We go pick them up and take them back home. Mobile vaccinations in the vehicle, too.”
“Sure, when I hire the next doctor here, we can discuss that,” he replied. “The ultrasound can be done last. Euthanasia is standard. A poodle belonging to an elderly couple.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then I’ll head to the Wolfhound’s house first.”
“Be careful, Holly.” He sighed. “I can’t spare anyone to help you today.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “Just remember, your wife was the one to encourage this.”
He snorted. “I swear, she has the biggest bleeding heart.”
A couple of weeks ago, Nettie had put out an ad that encouraged pet owners to get their pets spayed and neutered, as well as microchipped. We’d had an influx of calls just for that in the last week, and almost nothing else.
It was killing us.
I’d performed more spay and neuters in the last week than I had in my entire career.
My head continued to stay a confused mess as I drove in the Windsor Animal Hospital company vehicle to the stop with the hurt Wolfhound.