ready for her pup. And for Agatha to recover with people who knew how to take care of her. “Okay, sure.”
“Someone on the staff will come in every few hours to check on her. If anything changes with her condition, they’ll contact you.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you still want me to go out to the store to help you pick out things she’ll need?”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“I don’t mind. I’m kind of hungry. Maybe we could grab something to eat first?”
“Only if you let me buy you dinner for taking care of Agatha.”
He laughed. “Taking care of animals is my job, Erin. It’s what I love to do.”
Of course it was. Jason was dedicated. Ever since they were kids he’d loved animals. He always said he’d become a veterinarian one day, and he’d never once wavered from his commitment.
“I’m still buying dinner,” she said.
“Sold. What are you in the mood for?”
She hadn’t even thought about food, in fact wasn’t even hungry. “I . . . don’t know. You choose something.”
“Okay. Tacos. How about that new place everyone’s talking about?”
“The one on Memorial? The Asian/Mexican fusion?”
“Yeah.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
“I can meet you there in about forty-five minutes. I have to wrap up a few things here, then dash home and take a quick shower.”
“I’ll see you then.”
She hung up, and walked back to the house. Relieved now that she knew Agatha was going to be all right, she was looking forward to shopping for everything her puppy would need to start her new life.
And she knew Jason would be able to help her with that.
Now that she had relaxed, she could have a glass of wine with dinner and enjoy some great company.
JASON WALKED INTO the restaurant, expecting dark, and was surprised by all the twinkling fairy lights. He’d heard good things about the place, and the smells that hit him made him hopeful.
It had been a long day and he’d barely been able to choke down a turkey sandwich for lunch, which had been hours ago. He was so ready to eat. Fortunately, Erin was punctual, as always, so she was waiting for him inside. She was wearing a brightly colored short-sleeved dress and sandals, her long hair pulled up, giving him a nice view of her neck.
She lifted up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for saving my puppy’s life, and for taking me shopping tonight.”
He smiled at her. “You’re welcome.” Her lips pressed soft against his skin and she smelled like a vanilla ice cream cone. He wanted to linger near her, kiss her back, let her know he felt something for her. But he was still hesitant about intimacy with Erin, about how that would change the dynamic of their friendship. He wanted to give her what she wanted, but he was afraid the cost would be too high—their friendship.
“I like this place,” she said. “It’s bright and cheery.”
“Yeah, it seems nice. I hope the food is good.”
“Me, too.” She opened up the menu, then wrinkled her nose. “Wine list is super sparse. They only carry a chardonnay and a merlot, and very off brands.”
“Maybe they haven’t hooked up with a liquor distributor yet.”
“Which means they need someone to supply excellent wine to them. Like Red Moss Vineyards wines.”
He nodded. “It would be a great tie-in. New local business, supplying wine from a local vineyard.”
“Right?” She perused the menu. “I’d like a glass of the chardonnay. And if I’m not back shortly, I’ll take the vegan taco, and the pork and crab steamed buns.”
“Got it.”
“Thanks.” She slid off the barstool and grabbed one of her business cards from her purse. “I’m off to talk to the manager.”
He smiled as she walked away. The one thing he’d always admired about Erin was that she wasn’t shy about pushing the winery or the wedding business. Which she shouldn’t be. It was part of her job and he could tell she loved it.
Their server came back so he ordered a beer for himself and Erin’s glass of wine, checked text and e-mail messages that he’d ignored all day and replied to a few. They had a fourth-year veterinary student starting a rotation next week at the clinic, and since Jason was the youngest of the doctors, it was going to be his responsibility to work with her.
It wasn’t all that long ago that he was doing his internships at various clinics. It had been his most stressful and yet exciting year, being