Sweet on You

by Katana Collins

  “Poor little dude.”

  Lex was crouched at my side seconds later. “Is he okay?”

  “I think he will be, but I need to get him to my brother.”

  “Having a vet in the family must make owning a pet a lot easier, huh?”

  I snorted, grabbing my phone. “I wouldn’t know. Up until a few days ago, I never had to worry about this sort of thing.”

  Steve answered on the third ring. “What’s up, sis? Calling to jam more paleo and keto philosophies down my throa—”

  “Penny’s hurt,” I blurted out. I didn’t have time for his snarky sense of humor. “He got into my roses and the thorns cut him up. I think there’s at least one lodged in his paw, maybe more. And—and he broke a vase, so there might be some glass too.” My blood ran cold. “Oh, God.” I spun to Lex, my eyes watering. “What if he swallowed glass?”

  “Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Steve said, and I heard the immediate shift in his voice, the transfer from goofball big brother into the amazing doctor we all knew him to be. “Can he walk?”

  I sniffled. Damn this big lug of a dog for burrowing into my heart. He was supposed to be temporary. I wasn’t supposed to care about him this much. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

  “Are you able to get him into your car and to my clinic? Or do you need me to come get him for you?” Steve asked. “I’d do the exam at your house, but we’ll have access to a lot more supplies at my clinic—”

  Lex was crouched over Penny, gently petting his back. He looked up at me and whispered, “I can get him in the car.”

  I felt immediately calmer with Lex here. Penny seemed calmer, too. With me, he pulled away, but with Lex, he seemed comforted by his touch. “I can be at your clinic in ten minutes,” I said. “Maybe five.”

  “I’ll meet you there,” Steve said and disconnected the call.

  “Okay, big guy.” Lex stroked Penny’s fur gently and spoke in a low, calm voice. “We’ve got to move you, and I know you’re not going to like it. It’s for your own good though.” With that, Lex slid his arms beneath Penny’s belly and tucked him close against his chest as he lifted to his feet.

  Penny whimpered, but didn’t fight.

  “Good boy,” Lex cooed in his ear. “Such a good boy.”

  I grabbed my keys and purse. “Will Frost be okay here alone? With all the glass and thorns on the floor?” I was in an utter panic, while Lex was the antithesis to that panic. He was quiet and calm.

  “Frost will be totally fine here. I have never seen her eat or get into anything she shouldn’t.”

  I still felt uneasy about leaving another animal in my home when there were so many hazards, but Lex knew his cat better than me. If he felt she was safe, I trusted him.

  Practically proving his point, Frost hopped off the counter, avoiding the broken vase, and trotted over to Lex, looking up at him with a sad meow. Almost like she knew something bad was happening.

  “Be a good girl, Frost,” Lex said as I opened the front door for him and Penny.

  He walked with ease despite the thirty pound, whimpering dog in his arms. When I opened the back seat of my car for him, he slid in with Penny, still holding him in his arms.

  “It’ll be easier than trying to lift him again when we get to Steve’s clinic,” Lex clarified. I only nodded, shut the door and ran to my driver’s side, sliding in and starting the car. I was too scared to speak. Too sad. I felt like I failed everyone. I failed Penny by not being a more attentive doggy mom. I failed Steve and Yvonne by not taking better care of their foster dog. I even felt like I failed Lex… though I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt that way.

  Maybe because I now knew he was a father—and if we were really going to do this, then there might come a time I had to prove to him and myself that I could make a decent parental figure. Not that I would be his daughter’s mother—not by a long shot. But still. If dating him meant that I would be spending time with a little girl… I needed to prove that I was trustworthy enough to at least be in the presence of his daughter.

  I shook my head in spite of myself and accelerated more, speeding through a yellow light. Frankly, that thought was ridiculous. We’d only just had our first date and here I was worrying about being a decent stepmother? Thank God Lex couldn’t read minds.

  I pulled into Steve’s veterinary clinic in seven minutes. I had managed to drive fast, but also safely, without jostling my poor, sweet dog in the back too much.

  As soon as my car was in park, I jumped out of the car and ran around to help Lex out of the back seat. Steve and Yvonne were already outside as well, ready to help us in.

  Steve paused when he saw Lex, but to his credit, he only stumbled for a split second. My face grew hot. I hadn’t realized until just now that Lex had never put a shirt on in the midst of all the panic.

  Yvonne cleared her throat. “Here. Bring him into exam room one.” She held the door open as Steve rushed to help Lex place Penny onto an exam table.

  “Oh, ouch,” Steve said, pulling up Penny’s top lip to examine where the cuts were. Yvonne stayed slightly behind, handing Steve tools and materials as he needed them. “What flowers did you say he got into?”

  “Tudor roses and lilacs,” Lex answered for me.

  Steve glanced up briefly, his gaze landing first on Lex’s torso, then on his hand at the back of my neck, before trailing over to me. “Good. Neither of those are toxic to animals. If it had been a lily, he would be in a lot more danger.”

  I stood behind Penny, stroking my fingers gently down his back. He was being so good, all things considered. He wasn’t snapping or growling despite the fact that he was clearly in pain.

  Tears filled my eyes and I sniffled as I felt the weight of Lex’s hand knead the back of my neck, his thumb circling in reassuring movements over my skin. I immediately felt better with his touch, and sighing, I let my head fall back against his broad, bare chest.

  “There’s a thorn in his paw, too,” I said, making sure Steve saw it.

  My brother glanced at me, sending the most reassuring smile he could manage. I could tell because it was the same smile he gave me in high school when I was admitted to the hospital.

  Steve moved to the sink, grabbing a vial of medicine and a needle. “The good news is, I’ve seen so much worse than this. Seriously. He’s going to be fine.”

  My chest collapsed with the heaved breath escaping my lungs. “The bad news?”

  “He does need some stitches, mostly around his mouth which is going to be a tough area to keep clean and from ripping open. There’s one thorn in his paw and one piece of glass I need to extract. But those are smaller puncture wounds. Basically, he stepped on the thorn and glass. I can remove, clean, and cauterize them easily enough. But much like his mouth, you’ll have to be diligent about keeping the wounds clean. I have little paw booties he can wear while he’s outside, but inside, you’ll want to remove them so the wound gets some air.

  I nodded. “How long will he need to wear the booties?”

  “You’ll see him start to feel better in a couple of days and he should have decent enough scabs in a week to be able to stop wearing the booties. The stitches in his mouth, they’re similar to the way you got stitches when you had your wisdom teeth out. The wound can get wet, obviously. And they’ll dissolve in a week or so. I’ll give you a sanitizing mouth rinse for him, too, that you can pour directly into his water bowl.”

  “I can handle that.”

  Lex gave my neck a squeeze and kissed the top of my head.

  Then, after moving to a closet in the corner, Steve grabbed a folded scrubs shirt and tossed it to Lex. “For the love of God, please put this on so I can at least pretend you two weren’t doing what I think you were doing while this happened.”

  I stifled a laugh and buried my face into Lex’s shoulder as he grinned and slid the shirt over his head and tugged it down his long, lean torso.

  “You know,” I said, nudging my brother with my toe, “I’m best frien
ds with your fiancé. Trust me when I say I’ve heard way too much about your situations—”

  “Nope,” Steve said, laughing as he tapped the syringe. “Not listening. You two were playing Scrabble in the other room while this happened. That’s what I think and that’s the story I’m sticking to.”

  Yvonne hid her smile beneath her fist.

  “Sure,” I said, shrugging as Steve and Yvonne prepped for the stitches. “We were playing Scrabble,” I said. “Naked Scrabble.”

  Steve winced as Yvonne laughed out loud this time. “You didn’t actually think that would work, did you?”

  Steve sighed. “One could hope, right?” He walked back over to Penny and placed his hand on his head. “I’m going to give him the sedative and pain killers now. He won’t be out entirely, but it will make him really groggy and lethargic for the rest of the night. The pain meds will also help keep him sleepy for tomorrow as well.” Steve paused, looking directly at me. “This part is not fun and I usually make my regular clients leave the room for it.”

  The implication hung there between us. He wanted us to leave Penny in there to let him do the stitches without us watching.

  I stroked my thumb along Penny’s hind leg. “Shouldn’t someone be here with him while you stitch him up?”

  “I will,” Yvonne said. “I’ve assisted Steve on similar cases before and I’m not squeamish.” She swallowed and looked down at Penny while talking. “But if you’re not used to it, it’s not always pretty. Even with the medicine and sedative, he will still likely whimper and feel discomfort. It’s not easy to watch, and I think what Steve is saying is we don’t want to have to care for you as well as Penny if you pass out or start crying.”

  My face hardened at that. I didn’t cry often. Even still, I nodded and looked to Lex who gave me the warmest smile, squeezing my hand. “It’s your call. I’ll support whichever you want to do.”

  “Ronnie,” Steve’s voice boomed. “You’re the toughest chick I know in so many ways… but not when it comes to blood.”

  I swallowed because I knew he was right. I wasn’t a person who necessarily passed out at the sight of it… but I’ve been known to grow queasy and lose my lunch. I nodded. “We’ll be right outside.”

  Lex followed me out the door and fell into the seat beside me, rubbing at his eyes. “Well, shit. I thought your brother liked me… but that glare he was giving me? I think I might have to prove myself to him.”

  I laughed, but the sound wasn’t quite the same as it usually was. It lacked the heartfelt luster. “We probably should have thought to grab your shirt,” I said, nudging his ribs with my elbow.

  I sighed and silence enveloped us as we leaned back in the chairs, settling in for what I assumed would be a long wait. It wasn’t like Penny was having surgery or anything, but stitches and extractions? Sounded like it could be a while.

  It was nice to have someone here with me. For years, it had just been me against the world. Sure, I had my siblings. And I would always have them. But there was a huge difference between the comfort I got from Callie and the comfort Lex was able to give me here and tonight. I swallowed, uncertain of what to say… but also I knew I needed to say something. “You’re going to make an incredible dad,” I whispered.

  I felt his arm around me tighten as though my words were a tether, tugging us together.

  I winced, realizing that I probably said the wrong thing. I was the queen of that. “I mean, you already are a father, of course. I didn’t mean to imply you were any less of her father—”

  He squeezed me into his side. “Right now, I’m her father. But I’m not her dad. I’m really terrified that it won’t come naturally to me.”

  I looked up at him, noting his tight knit brow and the worried frown. “According to Cam, every parent feels that way at some point. Hell, I’m not anyone’s mother, and I worry about that. Like I’m missing the mommy gene or something. But the way you handled Penny? Lex, that was amazing. I don’t know what I would have done without you there. You were calm, sweet, comforting—”

  “You don’t know what you would have done without me there?” He chuckled in a way that held absolutely no humor. “It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been there,” he said. “I was the one who bought those stupid roses and that vase in the first place.”

  I squeezed Lex’s hand. “Hey, this is not your fault. I’m the one who left them on the counter within reach of a dog that I know finds mischief. We can all find blame, but accidents happen, right?”

  Lex exhaled a short breath. “Right.” Then, looking down at me, he offered me a small flicker of a smile. “This bit of drama aside, I had an amazing night with you.”

  With a sharp inhale, I smiled back, feeling my chest go warm. “Me too. So much for keeping our relationship between us though, huh? I mean, I love my brother, but he’s got the biggest mouth out of anyone in this town.”

  Lex chuckled. “Maybe that’s for the best. Maybe we needed to dive into the deep end rather than dip a toe into the shallow end.”

  God, I hoped he was right.

  We stayed locked in each other’s gaze a moment longer before the shrill ring of Lex’s cell phone cut through our silence. “Sorry,” Lex murmured, fumbling to find his phone in his pants pocket and glancing at the screen. His face twisted. “My lawyer,” he said.

  I glanced at the clock on the wall. It certainly wasn’t late by most standards, but 9:00 p.m. wasn’t exactly early for a business call either. It could mean just about anything though—from bad news to amazing news that can’t wait.

  “Do you mind…?”

  “No, of course not. Answer it.”

  What kind of a monster would I be if I minded my date taking a call about the court case regarding his daughter?

  He punched the answer button, standing and pacing nervously in Steve’s waiting room. “Brady,” he answered.

  I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall and trying to tune out his conversation out of respect for his privacy. Even still, it was impossible to entirely not listen. Phrases and words filtered over to me.

  “What? Are you serious?” A few more seconds of silence. “That’s great news. Not exactly for Sarah… yet. But, wow. Thank you, Brady. Yes, keep me posted.”

  Finally, I felt Lex return to his seat beside me, and his hand draped over mine as I opened my eyes to look at him.

  “Olivia’s grandparents liked me. Well, her grandmother more than her grandfather.”

  I smiled and squeezed his hand. “How could they not?”

  He gave a self-deprecating chuckle and ran his free hand through his tousled, chestnut hair. “You’d be surprised.” With another deep breath, he continued. “They—they said that as long as the blood work comes back next week clean and as a match, they want to try joint custody with me for six weeks to see how it goes.”

  My heart leapt, pounding in my chest and as I looked up at Lex, who was staring ahead, not quite looking at me. I watched a single tear slip down his cheek. He quickly swiped it away with the back of his hand. “That’s amazing,” I said. “Congratulations. What happens after six weeks?”

  “I—I don’t know. I told them I’d do drug testing for them for a year to prove sobriety. I honestly don’t know what they want. If they would want to continue with joint custody or if I’ll get sole custody. Sarah is probably going to prison for a year, with the charges against her. Her trial doesn’t start for a few weeks and I guess her parents can’t afford the bail money at the moment.”

  All that peace we had established tonight and in the last few hours tensed inside me. “Sarah?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

  “Oh, Olivia’s mum. She’s in jail right now awaiting trial for stealing cars.”

  My blood ran icy. How did I not consider that Lex’s ex would be in the picture here? Of course she would… he has a child with her. I gulped and looked down at my finger, picking at my cuticles nervously. Lex is not Brandon. Just because I had one boyfriend leave m
e and lie about his feelings for an ex didn’t mean Lex would do that, too.

  Anxiety spiked, making my heart race in my chest. Then again, Lex had a child with this woman. There was no escaping her. No matter what… no matter their feelings for each other, if he and I were going to date, I had to be okay with her. I had to find a way to trust him.

  I blinked, looking over at him as he worried his bottom lip, staring at his feet.

  “Would Sarah’s parents not want to split custody?”

  Lex shook his head. “It seems like they’re tired. They want to be a part of Olivia’s life, but they don’t want to be her parents.”

  That made sense. I’m sure my mom would raise Maddie if she had to, but she much preferred to be a grandparent rather than a guardian. “What do you want, Lex?” I asked.

  He grew silent for several moments and I let him be alone with his thoughts. Had anyone asked him what he wanted in this situation? Had he even stopped to think about it?

  “I… I want my daughter. I want her as often as I possibly can.” His voice cracked and he pressed his fist to his mouth, clearing his throat. “I’ve missed so much already. But I also don’t want to take her away from her grandparents and a life she’s familiar with.”

  “She’s not even two, right?” He nodded. “Then now’s the time for her to get onto a new schedule. She hasn’t begun school. Routines can change for children as long as she still gets to see her grandparents and the things that she’s familiar with. She’ll be fine with the adjustments. It just may take some time.”

  He lifted my hand from my knee and kissed my knuckle. “How’d you get so smart?”

  I shrugged and gave him a smile. “My brother went through this with his daughter after his wife passed. It’s not easy, but kids are resilient. And at the end of the day, Olivia gets to have her dad in her life now.” No thanks to your ex, I thought, but swallowed my words.

  He nodded. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. I know that. But I worry for her. I worry for the fact that this might be a constant battle between Sarah, me, and her parents.”