“Please?”
“How about that Big Mac?”
“Oh, even better.” Spencer wheeled toward the exam room door. “And a McFlurry. And when we get home, you can have a McChloe.”
Jim blinked, not sure he’d heard that one correctly. “Excuse me?”
“You need to bring her home too.”
“Maybe.” Jim shrugged. He couldn’t think about Chloe right now. Just the thought of the little redhead had him longing to be in Halle once more. He reached for the door, eager to get on the road as soon as possible.
“C’mon. Tell me woof-woof doesn’t want to play chase.”
Jim bit back his laugh as his brother wheeled down the hall. “Woof-woof?” Jim had returned from a late-night run and changed, not realizing Spencer was in the room. Spencer’s reaction had been wide eyes and a slew of questions Jim still wasn’t sure he knew all the answers to.
“She can be the Fox to your hound.”
Spencer was one in a million.
They got the information from the front desk that they needed to transfer Spencer to the doctor who worked out of Halle General. When they reached the car, Spencer grinned over his shoulder at Jim. “I call shotgun!”
Jim shook his head, awed he had such a strong, vibrant sibling. “Weirdo.”
Chapter Two
Chloe still wasn’t sure how she’d gotten roped into bringing lunch to Emma, Becky and Sheri, but here she was, trudging through the stifling heat with a bag of sandwiches from Frank’s Diner. Emma had just returned to work from maternity leave, but since Emma co-owned Wallflowers with her business partner and BFF Becky, she was able to bring the baby with her. Chloe had stopped in to see the newest member of the kitty family and had been commandeered into snagging their takeout.
At least she got free food out of it. They’d called and added a sandwich for Chloe so she could join them for lunch.
Chloe finally made it to the door of Wallflowers, for once glad her long red hair had been chopped off during all those surgeries. The back of her neck felt cool for a change, but she still missed the way her hair felt as it flowed down her back. Maybe she’d let the girls at Cynful put some colors into it, some blues and purples to contrast with the bright copper.
“Chloe?”
She blinked, her Fox yowling in desire at the sound of that deep, masculine voice. “Jim.” She turned, smiling weakly. He’d been gone for a week this time.
Not that she’d been stalking him or anything.
Erm.
Maybe a little.
“How are you?” The way he gazed at her, his hazel eyes glittering, his smile warm, had her wondering what the hell he was up to. Jim never looked at her like she was a yummy treat he was dying to lick.
“I’m fine. How are you?” She wasn’t going to throw herself at him. She had that much self-respect.
“Better.” He glanced behind him and grimaced. “Listen, I don’t have time to talk, but—”
“Bye.” Chloe opened the door to Wallflowers, leaving Jim standing there, his mouth hanging open. Sort of like he’d left her hanging for so long.