was answer enough. She didn’t trust him. Not yet, anyway. Using one arm, he pulled her body closer to his even as he walked her backward toward the table. Stretching the other arm out, he pushed Rudy down. The stubborn thing didn’t want to settle onto the hard table again.
Without trust, there was no point in kissing Faith—no matter how much he wanted to. Caleb made a quick decision and threw Faith to the side, grabbing Rudy.
Faith stumbled into the counter. Her hip made contact and she bounced off. “Ouch!”
Caleb half-steered, half-carried Rudy to the crate.
“Oh my gosh! He almost fell off the table.” Faith rushed to his side, checking over Rudy as if he had actually fallen. “I’m so sorry. I’m not usually distracted in the OR.”
Caleb chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve been a distraction in the OR before.”
Her cheeks dusted a light shade of pink that caused him to stare. She ducked her head. “Um, you can put him in now.”
Caleb jolted as if she’d hit him with the hot shot. He’d forgotten the reindeer in his arms. Thank goodness Rudy was still out of it a little; he was floating enough to make moving him look easy. With as much care as he could manage with the awkward creature, he settled him onto the hay. “You stay down, now, you hear?” he whispered to Rudy.
Rudy flicked his ear in response, and Caleb took that as a sign that he was aware enough to be on good behavior. He scooted backward out of the kennel and stood up tall, only to find Faith staring at him, her head cocked.
She blinked several times and flipped around. The sound of her plastic gloves coming off snapped. “I need to clean up in here. You should sit by him in case he gets … scared.”
“You sound like that’s not normal.”
“Nothing about you all is normal.” She sighed, waving her hand in his general direction.
He huffed and hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. “What exactly are you saying, ma’am?” he drawled.
She snickered. “Fine. I don’t normally allow pet owners in recovery. It’s hard for them to see their animals come out of anesthesia, and sometimes there are complications.”
“So you’re saying I’m an exception to the rule.”
“Yes.”
“You think I’m exceptional.”
“That’s not the same thing!” She protested, but her eyes sparkled.
Caleb did a mental fist pump. “You seem a lot less stressed now.” He reached through the cage and rested his hand on Rudy’s back. Rudy’s breathing was deep and regular—reassuring.
Faith lifted one eyebrow at him. “The phacoemulsification and aspiration procedure went well. I was able to remove the cataracts in both eyes.”
Caleb’s head came around to stare at Rudy. “So he might be able to see?”
She pulled off her mask, revealing a brilliant smile. “He’ll see.”
Caleb’s heart leapt. They may have a reindeer to send Santa after all. Not to mention this sweet, good-natured animal would finally be able to fly in the open. He surged toward Faith and lifted her up. “You beautiful veterinarian, you.” He hugged her close and kissed her hair, which smelled like lavender. Then, just because he had the excuse, he kissed her head once again.
His mom’s words about being a gentleman rang through his head, and he forced himself to set Faith back on her feet. Stepping back, he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I got a little carried away there.”
She smirked. “I think I was the one being carried.”
He laughed, enjoying her sassiness and grateful that things weren’t awkward. “Hey, you can carry me any time you want.”
“Pft.” She flapped both hands. “Like I could get you off the ground. Your ego is way too heavy.”
He laughed hard enough that he had to wipe at his eyes. “You may not be able to lift me, but you certainly keep me on my toes.”
She grinned, and his world stopped spinning. Man, not falling in love with Faith was getting harder and harder. She’d saved his reindeer. There wasn’t anything more a woman could do to earn his affection.
Chapter 15
Faith
Faith pulled her hair out of the tight bun and massaged her scalp. “Come on through. I’m sure you know the way.” She walked through the hallway that attached the clinic to the house. It was enclosed, though not heated, and she shivered in her scrubs.
Caleb was behind her, his overnight bag slung casually over his shoulder. She’d tried not to panic when she saw it. Having him spend the night felt like a great big deal. When he