Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,58
anyone else can ask me any more questions.
I walk in and drop my purse on the desk. I rush around to turn on the computer. It’s already booted up, and an invoice for a splint is showing as printed on the monitor.
“Brandt,” I call down the hall, confused.
I was told he had no idea how to use the accounting software. Any invoices he issues himself are handwritten.
I walk back to his office.
“I do believe you have been holding out on me, Doc,” I say as I step in the doorway.
He is sitting behind his desk, and sitting in the chair facing him with a cup of coffee in hand is Miss Elaine.
My heart sinks.
She turns to me with a huge smile on her face, but it instantly drops as she takes in my expression.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hello, Bellamy. Is everything all right?”
Brandt stands and rounds the desk. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice laced with concern.
I shake myself out of my moment of upset and force a smile of my own. “I’m good. Just … I’m very sorry I was late,” I say as chipper as I can.
“Not a big deal. I was late too,” he says, and his eyes are dancing with amusement.
“I’m thrilled to see you, and I am so happy you are here now. I’m jet-lagged, and I can’t wait to get upstairs and take a very long nap in my own bed,” Elaine says.
“You want me to stay?” I ask.
“Oh, yes—that is, if you don’t mind. I’m old, and travel is hard on me. I could use a couple of days to recuperate.” She covers her mouth for a long, exaggerated yawn.
Then, she stands and walks around Brandt.
“You two have a productive day,” she says before leaving the office and taking the stairs up to their apartment.
“Do you think she knows?” I ask as I watch her until she is out of sight.
“Definitely,” he affirms.
“Myer knows too,” I tell him.
“Yep, he does.”
“Are you okay with that?” I ask without turning to look at him.
“Depends,” he says.
“On what?”
“He’s not going to come after me with a shotgun or anything, is he?” he asks.
I turn at his question.
He’s grinning a sexy grin down at me.
“You know, I’m used to you being so serious all the time. I can’t tell when you are teasing or not,” I accuse.
He walks to me, brings his hand to the back of my neck, and pulls me in till we are face-to-face. “Of course I’m teasing you. There’s no way Myer is going to shoot the only vet in town.”
I bow my head, and he presses his lips to my forehead.
“You smell better,” I taunt him in return.
He runs his hands up and down my arms. “We have another patient coming in ten minutes. Three more are on the schedule. We’ll be done by two o’clock.”
“That’s an early day,” I point out.
“The kitchen goes in today, and I have to get to the house before the contractors leave,” he explains.
“How exciting.”
“Bellamy, about last night,” he begins, and I brace myself.
The bell chimes, signaling our eleven o’clock has arrived.
I groan. I needed that ten minutes.
Relief washes over him, and he releases me. I make my way up to the front desk to greet and check them in.
Saved by the bell.
Bellamy
“Help, someone, help me!”
I hear the screamed plea outside the office door and run from around the desk to see Sophie rushing around the front of her truck.
I yell for Brandt and open the door and rush to her aid.
“Sophie, what’s wrong?” I ask as I make it to her.
“It’s Hawkeye, I was outside bringing groceries in from the truck and he started going nuts and darted out of the door ahead of me. There was a snake at the curb that I hadn’t seen and it was raised to strike me but Hawk got to it first and threw himself between it and me. It got him in the leg,” she explains breathlessly as she opens the door and tries to lift the dog.
“Don’t, let me get him. You don’t need to be lifting him,” I say as I move her aside and reach in for the lethargic hound.
Just as I make it to the sidewalk, Brandt comes out and, assessing the situation, takes the pup from my arms and Sophie and I follow him inside.
“What got him?” he asks as we make it to the exam room and he sets him on the table.