markings on his face make him look more severe than most of the other breeds I’ve seen.
Pushing upright, I stand to my full height, showing him who the alpha is. If I show my dominance, he’s less likely to pounce and attack me.
“All right, buddy,” I say, reaching my hand out slowly. His growl grows in volume. He obviously doesn’t like the change in positions. “We’re all friends here. Why don’t you go on back to your yard, and I’ll go back inside?” I take a tentative step closer, and he lurches forward, snarling at me.
I yank my hand back, my heart racing now. Perspiration beads on my brow, and I work to control my breathing. The dog bares his teeth, still growling at me, and we both freeze at the brusque whistle. At the same time, we both glance toward the fence at the sound of the deep voice.
“Max.”
My neighbor’s voice is rough, raspy, and filled with the command of an alpha—an alpha of a dog, of course, that’s what I meant.
Max dutifully follows his owner’s voice, popping through the loose board back into their yard, as if he didn’t just scare me shitless. A tremor rolls down my spine when my gaze clashes with the neighbor’s, and I let out an inaudible gasp. His face is a blank mask. He’s so cavalier, so cold, yet each time he regards me, I feel a stirring deep in my gut. A prickling sensation on my scalp and along my fingertips that I can’t quite place.
With the back of my hand, I wipe the sweat off my forehead and smile awkwardly in thanks. I take unsure steps toward the fence, treating my neighbor just like I did his dog. Like he’s a vicious animal going to attack, without a second’s warning.
“Thank you. I work with animals, so I usually don’t have a problem calming them down, but I guess—”
My neighbor turns on his heels and starts walking away, as I’m in the middle of speaking. He just turns his back on me, not even letting me finish. My mouth hangs open in shock, and I flinch when I hear his sliding glass door slam shut.
Now I’m really starting to get pissed off.
What the hell is his problem?
“Summer Feelings”—Lennon Stella ft. Charlie Puth
My first official day at Bennett Veterinary starts off a complete mess. I hit snooze one too many times on my alarm, and then, when it comes time to shower, the pipes decide to have a meltdown because the soft water I paid for is, in fact, not soft, and apparently, the temperature gauge is shit, too, because I feel like I am showering somewhere in the Arctic.
With my nipples as hard as rocks and goosebumps permanently etched on my skin, I don’t even bother with makeup. I quickly put my hair into a low bun, before tossing on my work scrubs and flying out the front door, sans breakfast. Of course, that isn’t even the worst of my morning. Want to know what tops it off? My dickhole neighbor exiting his house at the same time as me. And, like the idiot I am, I pause in my haste and wave at him again. I’m not even surprised when he looks right through me, hops on his bike, and revs it to life, peeling away.
Frustration simmering just below the surface has me grinding my teeth and curling my hands into fists. I give myself an inner pep talk, as I get into my car and take off, telling myself the next time I see my neighbor, I’m going to ignore him, just like he’s ignoring me.
That’ll show him.
Bennett Veterinary is a step up from the last place I was working at just outside of Long Beach. Though the facility is a bit smaller, overall, the place is a lot cleaner and organized. The staff is sweet. With a total of four vets, six vet techs, and two other assistants, I complete the clinic’s employees.
I spend most of the day touring the facility and learning how they handle in-care procedures for the animals. I am given a quick crash course on everything from sick and injured animal care to cleanup, and shown where the animal kennels and procedure rooms are. I meet three of the four vets. Dr. Bennett and his son own the clinic. Samuel Bennett is in his early seventies and will be retiring soon. With coffee-colored eyes and hair that’s as white as snow, Dr. Bennett is