on the go.” He followed her to the patient room and left when she was done, just a few minutes later, without any more touches or teasing.
Feeling a little empty, and as if maybe she’d just been really stupid, she locked the front door after him, then set her forehead to it.
For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do.
So she did what she did best—she buried herself in work.
THE NEXT DAY she got to the clinic her usual half hour early so she could try to wrestle the receptionist desk into order. She dreaded the task but had to face it.
She’d received another pink envelope, and a phone call in the same tone, in which Rose had said she wasn’t going to give up, not until Melissa gave in.
Melissa had honestly figured her mother would have lost interest by now. Or at the very least, have gotten frustrated and annoyed.
As she turned on the lights and music, and then inhaled her first whiff of Lysol, the phones started. Before she could blink, she had two dogs, a cat and a family of rabbits waiting to be seen, and the paperwork was overflowing on her desk again.
Feeling unaccustomedly harried, she took in the front room, wincing a little at the mess.
From behind her came a set of heels clicking on the floor. Rose stood there wearing a sunshine-yellow sundress with matching accessories—purse, earrings, and sandals. Her hands were clasped together in what might have been a show of nerves. “I’m hoping you need my help this morning.” Rose’s eyes took in the mess of the office but didn’t say a word.
It’s never too late to need help.
Jason had told her that, something Mel had thought about all night long.
All you have to do is ask.
Why did that have to be so hard? Because she was out of practice. No, that wasn’t it. Truth was, she’d never been in practice. When she’d been two, if she’d wanted something high on a shelf, she’d crawled to get it herself. When she’d been four and needed her shoes tied, she’d carefully slipped in and out of the already knotted shoes. When she’d been eight and walking home alone, dodging the occasional taunt or harassment of an older kid, she’d walked faster. And when she’d needed help with her homework, she’d simply studied harder.
Asking for help wasn’t in her realm of experience, and the thought of doing it now stuck in her throat.
Behind her, the phone started ringing. A puppy whined. The sound softened her. She was here for the animals.
Rose was still standing there, eyes hopeful.
Okay, fine. “Obviously, I haven’t hired a receptionist.”
Rose nodded. “So are you…asking?”
“I’m not ready to make a permanent decision.”
“I see.”
The phone kept ringing, joined now by Mel’s second line. Perspiration broke out on her brow. “But…I do need a temp, at least for today.”
Rose kept her face carefully neutral. “Could you spell it out for me? I don’t want to assume anything here.”
“I’m asking you, for—” she drew in a deep breath “—help. I need your help.”
The smile Rose sent her was shimmery with emotion. Before Melissa could draw another breath, she found herself engulfed in Rose’s arms, squeezed close and hard.
“Thank you,” Rose whispered fiercely.
Mel pried free from her tight grip. “Sure.”
“Sorry,” Rose said, looking anything but. “I like to hug.”
“I don’t. The phone is ringing. That falls in your category. Can you really do this?”
“Yep. Get the phones, handle the paperwork, and no hugging.” Rose moved toward the desk. “That last one is going to be the hardest, though.”
Melissa ignored that and surveyed her patients. She couldn’t handle her mother right now, didn’t know how to handle her mother right now, so she wouldn’t.
But she had a feeling Rose wouldn’t let that go for long.
THAT NIGHT Mel left the clinic earlier than usual. This, she had to admit, was because Rose had been worth her weight in gold.
Standing on the steps looking toward her car, she blinked like an owl. The sun was still up. The day still had hours in it.
And suddenly she didn’t want to go home alone.
Jason hadn’t come today with an animal for her to fix up, and she knew that was her own doing. She thought she’d feel relief, but instead she’d been on edge all day, constantly checking the waiting room, wishing he’d show up.
Either he’d finally run out of animals, or she’d chased him off for good.
She’d chased him off for good. Damn