by L. A. Fiore
And I did, could even hear him in my head telling me as much.
“So tell me about this man.”
“His name is Abel Madden and he owns a custom motorcycle shop. He’s opinionated and crass, sweet and thoughtful, funny and infuriating and he makes me laugh and smile.”
“I can tell, just from your voice, that you’re happy.”
“I am. He’s so different from Jake and I often wonder what Jake would think of him, but I have a feeling they would have been friends had they ever met.”
“Well, I like him already because I like hearing you like this.”
“For the longest time I didn’t think I’d find happy again, didn’t want to be happy without Jake. And there was a part of me afraid to try to find happy because it hurt like hell when you lost it. But I’m beginning to learn that it’s worth the risk.”
“I’m so glad you’re finally seeing that.”
“Are you upset that I’m moving on?”
“I won’t lie. The thought of you and Jake, our grandkids…Jasper and I wanted that for you and for us. Losing him so young, all he never got to do, will always hurt. But you didn’t die with him and moving on doesn’t mean you’re forgetting him. You were our son’s wife, but you’re like a daughter to us and though I really wish the life you were building was with Jake, I want you to have a life. And maybe we can still be a part of it in some measure.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks hearing both the sadness and longing in her voice. “Of course you’ll be a part of it. You’re the only parents I’ve ever known.”
“I hoped you felt that way.”
“I’d love for you to visit, to see what Rylee and I are building here. I’d love to introduce you to Abel.”
“We’d love that too. I’ll talk with Jasper and get some dates and we’ll work something out.”
“I love you.”
“Ah, Sidney, I love you too.”
Rylee was off with Jayce. Cain and the cats and I were hanging in the living room watching Outlander. Tigger and Stuart were curled up by the fireplace sleeping and Sandbar was on my lap. Cats and dogs didn’t generally get along, but my fellas all tolerated each other. I wouldn’t call them friends, but they seemed to prefer my company more than they disliked each other’s. Cain lay next to me on the sofa, taking up more than half of it. My phone rang and I didn’t recognize the number but I was on call for the clinic.
“Hello.”
“Sidney, it’s Ichabod.”
I hardly recognized his voice, he sounded terrified. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s Spike. He’s in really bad shape. He got into a fight. I think it might have been the mountain lion.”
Holy shit. I jumped from the sofa. “Where are you?”
“The house, it’s behind the garage.”
“I’ll be right there.”
On the way to my car, I went through the checklist of what supplies I had on hand. Luckily the clinic was close; we’d move Spike to the clinic once I got him stable since I had a terrible feeling I’d be operating. It only took about fifteen minutes to reach their house and Jeshaiah was waiting outside for me when I arrived.
“How’s he doing?”
“He looks really bad.”
I followed him in and couldn’t help the scan I did because though I wouldn’t call them hoarders, they were dangerously close. Spike was in the back bathroom, lying on his side. The amount of blood concerned me. Dropping to my knees, I started examining him. “I’ll want an x-ray, but his organs feel good. These gashes, they’re going to require stitches. I think you’re right. I think the mountain lion did this.”
“Is Spike going to be okay?”
“I need you to call Rylee.”
Ichabod grabbed his cell and punched in her number. “What am I telling her?”
“Put the phone to my ear.”
“Ichabod, what—” I cut her off.
“It’s Sidney. I need you to get to the Big Horn Animal Clinic. I need canine blood. Spike was attacked, looks like a mountain lion.”
“Oh my God. I’m getting in my car right now. How much do you need?”
“As much as you can get. I’m going to sedate Spike before taking him to the clinic.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
I shifted my attention to Ichabod. “Once he’s sedated, I’ll need your help getting him into my car. Rylee is getting blood. I’ll work on his injuries at the clinic.”
“But is he going to be okay?”
I didn’t know, wasn’t sure the extent of the damage until I got an x-ray, but I was going to fight like hell to save him. “I’m going to do everything in my power.”
Spike had been very lucky. Outside of the gashes that required stitches, he had no internal damage and he also didn’t require a blood transfusion. I had him on intravenous antibiotics and a mild sedative since he kept trying to lick and bite at his stitches. He was up to date on his rabies and other vaccines, so his prognosis was good.
Jeshaiah had left, back to the garage to man the station, but Ichabod stayed with Spike. He looked as tired as I felt. My back ached, I was starving and yet I wouldn’t leave my patient either. I felt a kinship with him since we’d both been targets of the mountain lion. Something needed to be done about it.
“Ichabod?”
Tired eyes moved from a sleeping Spike to me. “Yeah.”
“Where did you find Spike?”
“Not far from the station, just inside the patch of woods behind our place.”
That was what I was afraid of. The mountain lion was getting bolder.
“Rylee, we need to call animal control. That mountain lion is a problem. And I realize that it’s just hungry, but it went after Cain and me and now Spike, who wasn’t far from Main Street.”
Rylee’s face paled. “You’re right. I’ll call them now.”
“What will they do with it once they find it?” Ichabod asked.
“I don’t know. But the thought that it might stumble across kids playing, we have to do something.”
“You’re not wrong.” Ichabod looked back at Spike, his hand running down the animal’s neck. “Thank you, Doc. You saved his life.”
“He was my first emergency. I’m so grateful for the happy ending.”
A slight smile touched Ichabod’s lips. “Me too.”
I sent everyone home and locked up the clinic before I pulled out the cot Doc Cassidy had in the storage closet. Spike’s vitals looked good, but I wanted to stay the night. Rylee had called when she got home; the cats were all fed. I had put them in my room before I ran out, just in case. She decided to keep them there and Cain was sleeping in the corner of the living room. She brought him his food and said he lifted his head long enough to see it wasn’t me before falling back to sleep.
I wasn’t planning on sleeping, wanted to stay awake just in case Spike’s condition changed. As luck would have it, the cot was so damn uncomfortable there was no chance I’d be dozing. I had a book at my desk, a romance novel that Rylee insisted I read. And for as often as I teased her about her reading preferences, I soon found myself completely enthralled in the characters. So much so in fact, that I didn’t hear as someone entered through the back door until Abel appeared. I nearly jumped out of my skin. My book fell to the tile floor, which gave Abel a perfect view of the cover.
“Looks like I came at the right time.”
The cover was very hot, a half naked couple. It was mortifying, especially since I didn’t usually read books like that. It dawned on me that Abel stood ten feet from me. Embarrassment dissolved into pleasure.
“You’re a welcome sight. How’d you get in?”
“I stopped at your house first. Rylee gave me the key. I heard you had a tough night. How’s your patient?”
“He’s good. Stable.”
His expression turned dark and a bit scary. “It was the mountain lion.”
“Yeah and with how close he came to a populated area, he’s getting bolder. We calle
d animal control.”
“Good idea.” He leaned against the doorjamb, a grin curving his lips. “So, are you going to greet me properly?”
Physically I was exhausted, but seeing him had a surge of energy, and excitement, burning through me. “What’s considered properly?”
“Your mouth on mine.”
Attempting to stand when all the blood drained from my head was probably not advised and still I managed. The man was not patient since he didn’t wait for me to reach him. He came to me and had me in his arms and his mouth on mine in a blink of an eye.
It had been a week since I last saw him and still that was too long. “I so needed this…you.”
“Any time, Doc. You know that.”
“When are you going back?”
“Not until Monday.”
“You’re staying the whole weekend?”
“Yeah, preferably in bed with you.”
“I like this plan, but I’m staying here tonight.”
“Then I will too. Maybe you could read me that book you were so engrossed in when I arrived.”
I knew I went beet red, I felt it. “For the record, it’s Rylee’s book that she insisted I read.”
“She didn’t insist you enjoy it.”
He always had an answer.
“You’re right, she didn’t. It’s good, maybe I will read it to you.”
“You can sit on my lap. I’ll keep my hands between my legs.”
And just thinking about his fingers on me had heat pooling between my legs.
“Grab the book.”
“Seriously?”
“Is it hot?”
“Yes.”
He pulled me to the chair, stopping to pick up the book I had dropped, before he sat and settled me on his lap.
“I’m all ears.” But really he should have said all hands because as I read they moved over my body with a deliberate and methodical purpose. I should be embarrassed doing this in the office, but I was so turned on I didn’t care. When I reached a part that was super sexy, I felt him growing hard as he worked my zipper. His fingers slipped under my panties. And as I read out loud the scene of the hero and heroine engaged in hot lovemaking, Abel worked my body—thumbing my clit, pushing his fingers into me, his cock pressing against my ass as he brought me to the brink of orgasm. He shifted us, lifting me to my feet and pulling my jeans and panties down my legs. I stood half-naked in my office. Guilt tried to penetrate the haze of lust he had me in. He buried his nose between my legs and breathed me in; his whiskers added a whole other layer of erotic to the moment.
“You smell so fucking good.”
Lust prevailed. His tongue did one long, slow lick as he pulled his cock free. The man had a condom in his pocket, thank God. He rolled it on but his focus never left me.
“Climb on.”
I was shameless because I did; I straddled Abel on my office chair, impaling myself on him.
“Fuck, yeah.” His fingers tightened on my thighs, his hips pumping as I ground myself into him. Lifting my shirt, he pulled my bra down and sucked my breast into his mouth. I went off like a firecracker. He followed shortly after, but it was several minutes before either of us could speak.
“You’ll never look at romance novels the same way again.”
Smug bastard, but he wasn’t wrong.
The early morning sun was breaking the horizon when I took Spike outside for a small walk. He had slept through the night, had no reaction to the medicines, and this morning woke eager to move around. These were all good signs. We didn’t go far, just to the small grassy area near the front of the clinic. He was hungry, though he really only nosed the food I put out for him. He did drink water, which was another good sign.
Pulling over a large doggie bed, Spike curled up in the middle of it and went back to sleep. The Thompson brothers would be thrilled to learn how well Spike was bouncing back and that I planned on discharging him today.
From my desk, I watched Abel sleeping. Somehow we managed the cot, his body wrapped around mine. He’d made it most of the night, but he fell asleep about an hour ago. I had never seen him in sleep. The few times I’d slept over he woke before me. He couldn’t be that comfortable; his legs hung over the end of the cot. I tried to imagine him as a child, but it was hard staring at the man he had become. Even in sleep there was that hardness to him and still he was absolutely beautiful.
Last night was never far from my thoughts and even behaving in a way I never had before, I wasn’t embarrassed. Abel gave me that, always pushing me past my comfort zone.
“Why are you all the way over there?” He asked even though his eyes were closed.
“How do you know where I am?”
“Your body is not up against mine, only other place for you to be is your desk.” He opened one eye, a flash of pale blue settled on me with astounding accuracy. “I get why you’re sitting there. I’m loving that chair too after last night.”
My body warmed, the idea of round two appealed to me in every way, but Rylee would be arriving soon. “You look exhausted. How’s work?”
“Changing the subject.” He shifted, resting his head on his hand and glanced at the clock. “Probably a good idea. I wouldn’t want your clients seeing too much of you. That’s for my eyes only.” He winked. “I want to open a branch of Pipes here. I’ve been working to get that setup.”
It felt like a wave, the joy that moved through me in response to that news. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. The Cheyenne location is growing really fast, spearheaded by my assistant manager. He loves it, thrives on the balancing act of builds and sales. Me, I want to focus on building, back to what it was like when we first opened. Tiny running the business end and me creating.”
“Have you found a location?”
“I’ve got a realtor looking. Jayce and Duncan are scouting around for me too.”
This wasn’t just an idea he was tossing around; he was implementing it. I was probably being foolish, but I was a little hurt he hadn’t clued me in to his plans or asked for my help. “It sounds very exciting. I’m happy for you.”
“Sidney?” He studied me like he could read my thoughts but I was spared answering whatever probing question he intended when a knock came from the back door. I jumped up from my chair, like it was on fire, and opened it to the Thompson brothers.
“Sorry to show up so early, but we wanted to see Spike,” Ichabod said.
“Come in. He’s doing beautifully. I took him for a walk this morning. He ate a bit and drank some water. He’s sleeping again, but he can go home.”
“He can?”
“Yeah, I’ll write up his discharge papers that will tell you when to give him the antibiotics and I’ll stop by to see him later today.”
Abel was putting the cot away when I returned, the brothers following behind me. “Hey, Abel.”
“Ichabod. Sorry about Spike, but Doc here has been taking really good care of him.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty great. There’s my boy.”
Spike’s head lifted hearing his daddy.
“He does look good. Hey, buddy.” Jeshaiah joined his brother, kneeling next to a happy Spike. I walked around my desk to retrieve Spike’s file when Abel came up behind me.
“Later, I want to know what was going through your head before they showed up,” he whispered in my ear, his hands resting lightly on my hips. “You’ve got things to do here, I’m going to hunt down Jayce. Call me when you’re done.”
“Okay.”
I had the sense there was more he wanted to say, but didn’t. His fingers tightened a second before he released me and headed for the door. “I’m glad Spike is doing so well.”
“Thanks, man,” Ichabod said but his attention was on Spike.
Then Abel was gone, the sound of the back door closing followed a few seconds later.
After visiting Spike at home, I called Abel. I was over my moment from earlier. He didn’t include me in his business dealings and why would he?
Even for as easy and comfortable as it was between us, we weren’t at that point in our relationship. I liked to believe part of why he was making this move was related to me, he had said as much when I had visited him—the distance between us being too much. What mattered was he’d be closer and for now that was enough.
“Hey, babe. Where are you?” I loved the deep timbre of his voice.
“I’m on my way home.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll stop by the bakery. Is there anything you want?”
“Sticky buns. No one makes them like Stella.”
“You got it. I’ll see you soon.”
“Sidney?”
“Yeah.”
“You were upset at the clinic. Why?”
“I’m over it.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It was really nothing.”
“Didn’t look like nothing.”
It had been a long time since someone could read my moods so easily. “I’m really fine, Abel.”
“All right. I’ll see you soon.”
Tossing my phone on the passenger seat, I headed for the bakery. A day that included Stella’s baked goods and Abel was heaven and it was made even more so because I had two more nights with him. Yep, I was definitely over my moment.
It was a bit surreal to be walking with a fucking wolf and yet there he was, strolling along beside Sidney and me. He looked more wolf than dog and now that he was no longer malnourished, he was fucking huge. He stayed right at Sidney’s side, alert and watchful, but he clearly was right where he wanted to be. I completely understood that feeling. Thinking about earlier at the clinic, Sidney had grown quiet after I mentioned my plans for Pipes. I got it, I hadn’t included her, hadn’t even mentioned it. She’d put a wall up, not one that would have required much to knock down; one that she took down on her own, but I didn’t like it. And I had myself to blame for that.
“I didn’t mention my plans for Pipes because I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure I could do it.”