by Lori Foster
“Well, speaking of that... could I ask a favor?”
Since Hope never asked for anything, of course Ivey said, “Anything.”
“A lakefront home out by Marty’s farm was recently sold. A big house with a lot of land. I don’t know if you remember it.”
“It’s surrounded by woods, right?”
“Yup, that’s the one. The people who lived there had a guest house that the wife’s mother lived in. Now that the mother has passed, they decided it was all too much for them, so they sold it, and the new owner wants to rent out that space.”
Finally catching on, Ivey put down the report she’d been skimming and turned to Hope with a grin. “You’re thinking of renting it?”
Excitement made Hope’s dark blue eyes brighter. “It’s so beautiful, Ivey. Near the lake and still close enough to the clinic that I wouldn’t have a long drive to and from work. And it’s private. I mean, I can see the main house, but I’d have my own driveway and my own little deck.” She drew a breath. “I already talked to the owner—a single father who’s new to the area—and he’s holding it for me until I go there tonight to check it out. After that, he’ll have to show it to other people.”
Immediately, Ivey knew the issue. “You want company when you go?”
Now that it was out in the open, Hope seemed to wilt with relief. “Would you? I know it’s dumb, but I just can’t—”
“Hey.” Ivey leaned against the counter and smiled. “I’d die of curiosity if I didn’t see it, too. And Hope? You don’t have to explain to me, okay? I get it.”
“Thank you.” Hope blew out a breath. “It’s right after work, but I only found out this morning or I’d have said something last night.”
“Maurice won’t mind waiting a little longer for his dinner. Odds are he’ll be sleeping until I get home anyway.” At fifteen, the cat slept more often than he did anything else.
And if she thought about that too much, about how Maurice had slowed down, she’d turn melancholy.
Searching her face, Hope asked, “What about Geoff?”
“He’s history. Both gone and forgotten.”
Surprise took Hope back a step. “That was fast.”
“Happened Friday night, actually.”
“Why the heck didn’t you tell me?”
It was true, they usually shared everything, yet this time Ivey had hesitated. She picked up a report, turned it in her hands, then admitted, “At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.”
“So you didn’t want to discuss it?”
She gave it some thought. “I think I just needed to come to terms with it first.”
Just then the receptionist, Karen, breezed in with her usual cheerful greeting as she quickly set up for the day’s appointments.
Ivey spoke to her a moment, going over the upcoming schedule.
When she finished, she took Hope’s arm and steered her to an exam room. They both liked Karen a lot, but she was known to gossip.
Voice low, Ivey explained, “Geoff was a mistake going nowhere fast. I decided I was better off without him.”
“Okay.”
Ivey noticed that Hope didn’t disagree with her on the mistake part.
“So...” They both heard customers arriving. Closing the door quietly behind her, Hope asked, “What does Geoff think about it being over?”
With a roll of her shoulder, Ivey said, “Who cares?” And she did her best to make it sound convincing.
Folding her arms, Hope leaned against the door. “Was he in agreement?”
“Not exactly.”
One dark brow elevated. “Did he ask what he could do to fix things?”
Deadpan, Ivey repeated, “Not exactly.”
“So he’s been an asshole?”
Ivey fought the grin but lost. “That word sounds so funny coming from a sweet girl like you.” Very rarely did Hope curse, and she was almost never unkind—usually only to jerks who deserved it.
Leaning in, Hope enunciated carefully, “Asshole,” with exaggerated effect.
Ah, that was just the injection of humor Ivey needed. The snickers started, grew into hilarious laughter, and finally, a minute later, faded into chuckles. Falling against each other, the two women fought for breath.
Once they’d mostly recovered, Hope wiped her eyes. “Full disclosure. I never liked him.”
“You don’t like any men.”
“Not so! I like them just fine as long as they aren’t...”
“Don’t say it.”
“Assholes.”
Slapping a hand over her mouth, Ivey fought in vain to get it together.
Hope helped by stepping away and straightening her shoulders, smoothing her hair, tugging at the hem of her shirt—all in an effort to quell the humor.
Knowing she had to do her part, Ivey tucked fly-away spirals of her too-curly hair back into her band. “So.” She had to clear her throat twice to suppress the twitching of her mouth. “Did you want to ride together, or separate?”
“We might as well arrive separately since we’ll be closer to where you live. It’ll save you from backtracking.”
“Then I’ll follow you there.” That way, they’d arrive together, saving Hope from any awkward moments. “Until then, it sounds like the waiting room is filling up, so we should get to it.”
For the rest of the work day they stayed busy, and with two emergencies they had very little time for lunch. A few hours before closing, a storm drifted in with clashes of thunder that shook the ground and bright flashes of lightning that split across the darkening sky. It made the animals more fractious, and the humans less agreeable. Poor Karen had to constantly mop the waiting room floor because Ivey, Hope, and the two other techs stayed non-stop busy.
Ivey made a point of thanking her repeatedly, but luckily Karen was an upbeat sort who tackled every job with a smile. It took a lot to dent her buoyant attitude.
One day, she might have to expand her business, Ivey thought. Maybe take on another vet so she could have more time off. But for now, she enjoyed keeping things small. She knew everyone in Sunset, knew their pets and how they fared.
The only upside to being so swamped was that she had zero time to dwell on her failed relationship...
No. She hadn’t failed.
She’d reevaluated.
Knowing Hope waited for her, Ivey went to her office, grabbed her purse—and found she had a dozen missed calls and text messages.
All from Geoff.
With a small wince, she scrolled through the texts. They seemed to come an hour apart, lodged in and around phone calls.
Hey babe just wondering how you are
I called but you didn’t pick up. Busy? Seriously, did he have no idea what hours she worked?
No reason to ignore me. That’s a bitch move. Ivey’s eyes narrowed.
I might stop by your place after work. I won’t be there, you jerk. And don’t you dare disturb my cat!
I think we should talk about this. Call me. That one was from ten minutes ago.
She didn’t want to talk to him—they’d said it all Friday night and even if she’d been inclined to second thoughts, he’d helped to cement her decision with the ugly way he’d tried to blame her for everything.
So instead of calling, she texted back, Busy tonight. Then, so he wouldn’t accuse her of having a date, she added, I’m with Hope.
As soon as she sent it, she wanted to kick her own butt. She didn’t owe him explanations. So she added, Besides it’s over. Then she fought the urge to type, Sorry.
God, being a nice person was a handicap when it came to ending things. Ivey shoved the phone into her purse and met Hope at the back door. Everyone else had already left.
“Are we running late?”
“By only a few minutes,” Hope said. “I called and he
said it’s fine. He and his son just finished dinner.”
Together, keeping an eye on the stormy sky, they headed to their respective cars in the now-empty lot. “So he has a son?”
“I guess.” Hope stepped around a puddle. “I don’t really know much about him, but if the guest house looks as good on the inside as it does the outside, it’s worth every penny of what he’s asking for it.”
“Then let’s hope it is.”
Don’t miss The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster, available July 2021.
Copyright © 2021 by Lori Foster
ISBN-13: 9781488077470
No Holding Back
Copyright © 2021 by Lori Foster
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