by Aria Ford
I smiled at her gratefully and popped a fry in my mouth.
“Well,” I said. “I just got this new patient on Friday. She’s a German shepherd, and she’s gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful dog. But she has hip dysplasia so bad that she can barely walk sometimes. She’s only two, so it’s really weird.”
“Seriously?” Ryan asked, interrupting me.
“What? You wanted to talk about something else,” I said.
“And that’s what you chose?” he asked, laughing.
I narrowed my eyes angrily. After just a short time, I was already fed up with his attitude. He was cocky and rude, just like he’d been as a teenager. As time passed, I let myself believe he was a good person underneath everything. Even when he was at his worst, he was still nice to me. I guess that was because I was a kid, and now he didn’t care. There was no obligation to be polite or kind in my presence.
“This was a mistake,” I said softly. “Bradley wanted me to check in on you, but obviously that’s not what you want. I’m just going to go.”
“What?” Ryan asked, blinking with surprise. “Why?”
“Because you’re cocky, and you’re being an ass,” I said without hesitation. Being blunt was never my forte, but I couldn’t help it.
“I’m not,” he began, but I cut him off with a look.
“I’m not a kid anymore, Ryan,” I snapped. “I know we haven’t seen each other in years, but I really thought this would be nice. Catching up. Seeing you again. But it’s not.”
With that, I stood up and left the diner. Ryan called out my name, but I didn’t bother turning around. My hamburger sat untouched on the table; my appetite suddenly gone. I stormed across the street until I reached my car.
I glanced behind me to see if Ryan followed, but he was nowhere in sight. With a roll of my eyes, I unlocked my car and climbed behind the wheel. As I sat there, my anger slowly faded away and was replaced with a deep disappointment. My hopes for this afternoon had been high. I was nervous, but excited. I didn’t know what I expected from Ryan, but it wasn’t this.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ryan
My week dragged on torturously. After lunch with Jacqueline, I didn’t do anything for three full days. When she stormed out of the diner, I was surprised by how much of a drama queen she’d become. Just when I finally relaxed enough to talk to her normally, she flew off the handle. I couldn’t believe she would overreact like that. As I finished my burger, I thought about calling Bradley to tell him how crazy his sister was.
As the week progressed, though, I realized Jacqueline may not have overreacted. I was a little gruff with her. Being in the military for so long hardened me. I was always cocky, arrogance was my most prominent trait, but I’d worsened over the years. My friends didn’t care because they were the same way. All SEALs had a cocky undertone when they spoke, but most of them could hide it around other people, especially girls. Me? I never saw the point. I wasn’t around anyone long enough for it to matter, and I never spent more than one night with a woman.
Jacqueline was different. She was Bradley’s sister. I’d known her for years. I realized too late that I shouldn’t have popped off on her that way. She didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of my snarky comments. If anything, she deserved my best behavior.
It was nice of her to come by and see me. Even if Bradley asked her to, she didn’t have to listen. She could have easily moved on with her life without giving me a second thought, but she didn’t. She came over.
Thursday morning was slow. I went for a jog and took a long shower. When I got out, I realized how much of the day was left. I sighed and sat on the couch, just staring at my blank walls. This would have been the perfect day to call up a friend for lunch or drinks, but I didn’t have anyone in Richmond. The only person I knew was Jacqueline, and I’d successfully managed to piss her off already. As I thought that, I realized that I needed to fix things. Jacqueline was Bradley’s sister after all. I couldn’t let her hate me forever. Plus, it couldn’t hurt to have a friend in town.
I grabbed my phone and looked up where the nearest animal shelter was. Once I found it, I threw on my shoes and hurried out to my car. I drove a few miles until I reached the place. It was tucked in the corner of an old shopping center.
At first I worried it was closed. There didn’t appear to be any lights on inside, and only one car sat out front. With a frown, I parked and walked up to the front door. Peering inside, I saw movement behind the desk. I opened the door and was greeted by a loud bell.
“Welcome,” a chipper voice said. I looked behind the counter and saw an older woman standing there with a wide smile on her face. “How can I help you today?”
“Well,” I said, stepping forward. “I’m looking for a pet.”
“We have those here,” she said, smiling. “What kind? Dog? Cat? Bird?”
“You have birds?” I asked, surprised.
She nodded. “We do. Do you like birds?”
“Honestly, I’m not really an animal person,” I admitted.
She frowned and leaned across the counter, eyeing me closely. I immediately felt self-conscious and wished I’d dressed better. This woman was old enough to be my grandmother. I felt like she was seconds away from scolding me.
“Young man,” she said. “Why are you really here?”
“Okay,” I said, sighing. “Listen, there’s this girl who I really pissed off. She’s a veterinarian, and I thought that I could … I don’t know, I thought if I showed up with a … You know what? Never mind. This was a shitty idea.”
I turned to leave, shaking my head as I walked. I couldn’t believe my own stupidity. What was I thinking? I couldn’t take care of a pet. I could barely take care of myself most of the time.
“Wait,” the woman called. I turned around slowly, waiting for her continue. “You like this girl?”
“Not romantically,” I said quickly. “She’s my best friend’s little sister. He’d kill me if he knew I upset her. I’m just trying to make it right.”
The woman smiled knowingly and nodded. Without a word, she motioned for me to follow her. She led me into the backroom where cages were lined up against the walls. I was shocked to see how many animals she had. There were dogs and cats and, sure enough, birds. Everywhere I looked, my eyes fell on a furry or feathery face.
“This way,” she said. “I’m thinking a cat for you. If you don’t like animals that much, a cat would be perfect. They can pretty much care for themselves. As long as you feed them and provide a litter box, they’re good to go.”
“That sounds perfect,” I said with a nod.
“You don’t have to cuddle them,” she said. “But don’t you dare mistreat them. They’ll claw you to bits if you do.”
“I won’t,” I said, laughing. “I don’t hate animals, you know. I just didn’t grow up with pets. Never had the chance to get one.”
“That’s a shame,” she said, stopping in front of a cage. “Every child should have a pet.”
“I guess,” I said. I looked at the cage behind her and saw a small, grey cat lying in a ball.
“This is Bob,” the woman said. “He’s been here for years. He needs a home. What do you think?”
Bob was pressed against the back wall of his cage with his eyes squeezed tightly closed. I crept closer to the cage and peered inside, inspecting him silently. When I put my hand on the cage, his eye shot open and locked on my face. He looked at me with a bored expression, meowed once, and then went back to sleep. I laughed and turned back to the woman.
“I’ll take him,” I said.
She smiled. “Great. Head back up front and I’ll get him ready for you.”
I nodded and turned around. Walking back to the front of the shelter, I felt an odd sense of excitement wash over me. I’d never liked cats much, but Bob seemed okay. If anything, he would just lie around and leave me alone. To me, that was the perfect kind of pet.
It was a few minutes before
the older woman made her way back up front. She held a small cage in one hand with a folder in the other. She set the cage on the counter, and I saw Bob sleeping inside.
“Here he is,” she said enthusiastically. “I just need you to sign some paperwork, and you’ll be good to go.”
“Okay,” I said as she laid a sheet of paper and a pen in front of me. I signed the paper quickly and pulled out my wallet. “How much?”
“He’s free,” she said with a wave of her hand. “We’ve had Bob for too long. If you’re willing to take him, I won’t charge you.”
“Really?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with him. “Why?”
“I’m just happy he’s getting a good home,” she said.
I nodded and picked up the cage. She smiled as I left, taking Bob and the paperwork with me. I’d already looked up Jacqueline’s vet clinic and knew exactly where it was. I drove for fifteen minutes before I found it. My hands were sweating when I pulled into the parking lot. As I walked inside, I felt ridiculous. My plan suddenly seemed insane.
“Hi there,” a young receptionist said as I stepped into the waiting room.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m here to get my cat checked out. I just adopted him this morning, so I want to make sure everything’s okay before I take him home.”
“Sure.” The receptionist grinned. “What’s his name?”
“Bob,” I said, slightly embarrassed.
“Well hello to Bob,” she said. “Just take a seat, and I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” I said with a nod.
I took Bob over to a free chair and sat down. As I looked at him inside the cage, I thought about letting him out, but I was afraid he might bolt. The last thing I needed was to chase my new cat all over Jacqueline’s clinic. Instead, I just held the cage in my lap and watched the door, waiting for it to open.
When it did, Jacqueline stepped into the waiting room with a clipboard in her hands. She was looking down and didn’t see me at first.
“All righty,” she called out. “Bob. Bob the cat?”
“Right here,” I said, standing up and taking a few steps forward.
Jacqueline finally looked up, and her eyes fell on my face. She looked from me to Bob’s cage with a confused expression. I stood there awkwardly, just waiting for her to say something. She didn’t. Instead, she jerked her head to the side, gesturing for me to follow her back. Together, we walked to the back, letting the waiting room door slam shut behind us.
CHAPTER SIX
Jacqueline
Ryan followed me back to an exam room without a word. I could tell he was nervous when I saw him in the waiting room. I was shocked to see him, but I was more surprised to see him holding a cat. Ryan was never an animal person. In fact, I remembered him boldly stating that he hated cats when were kids. As we entered the exam room, I smiled to myself while Ryan set Bob’s cage on the table. I was fiddling with the papers on my clipboard to avoid looking at Ryan.
“If you could just take him out,” I said, without turning around. “That would be great.”
“Um,” he said shakily. “Sure. Yeah, I can do that.”
I heard the latch on Bob’s cage move and then the door swing open. Bob meowed and then hissed loudly, making Ryan jump backward. When I turned around, Ryan’s face was red, and his eyes were wide with anger. I laughed and walked over to the cage. Slowly, I reached inside and pulled Bob out.
He was big and grey with wide eyes. When he looked at me, I could tell he was scared, but I held him against my chest for a few seconds just to calm him. Once he was ready, I laid him on the table and gently stroked his fur while I turned my attention to Ryan.
“Why the hell do you have a cat?” I asked.
“I wanted one.” He shrugged, still slightly red from his interaction with Bob. “I thought having a pet would be nice. You know, everyone should have a pet.”
“Oh?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “They should? Because last time I checked, you hate cats.”
“I do not,” he said, feigning offense. “Why would you say such a thing? And in front of my cat too. Geez, Jacqueline. Really?”
I narrowed my eyes and tried not to laugh. After I left the diner, I never thought I’d see Ryan again. He wasn’t the kind of guy to make much effort when it came to apologies, so I didn’t expect him to try. I especially didn’t imagine he would show up at my clinic with some random cat.
“Is he even yours?” I asked with suspicion.
Ryan laughed. “Of course, he’s mine. I adopted him this morning.”
“Where?” I asked.
“The shelter over on Monroe,” he answered easily. “They said he’d been there for years, so I got him for free.”
“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Justina gave him to you.”
“You know that woman?” Ryan asked, a look of fear passing over his face.
“I do,” I said. “We work closely with all the local shelters.”
“Oh,” Ryan said. “Well, that’s nice.”
“Justina is great,” I said, clearing my throat and turning to face Bob. “If she gave you Bob, then she thinks he’ll be a good fit. She always takes the time to really match a pet with an owner. Not many shelters do that.”
“Yeah, she was definitely something,” Ryan mumbled.
“Since he came from Justina, I’m sure Bob is fine,” I continued. “But I’ll give him a quick check, and we can set up his next appointment. From what I see, he’s about five years old. That means he should be up to date on shots, but I’ll check his paperwork to be sure. Did you bring it?”
“Right here,” Ryan said, handing me a folder.
“Thank you,” I said, taking it and laying it on my clipboard.
“So, he looks okay?” Ryan asked. “Healthy?”
I nodded. “He’s fine.”
“Good,” Ryan said. “I would hate to have to take him back already.”
I looked up sharply. Ryan was grinning, clearly trying to get a rise out me. I just rolled my eyes and looked back down at Bob. I ran my hands over his back, feelings his bones and joints slowly. He wasn’t a young cat, but he also wasn’t old. He was in perfect health, and I just hoped Ryan would take good care of him.
“Listen,” I said seriously. “Having a pet isn’t a joke, okay? You can’t just leave him to his own devices. You have to take care of him.”
“I do?” Ryan asked with fake surprise. “And here I was, thinking I could just install a kitty door and let him loose.”
“Not funny,” I said.
“You mean, he won’t hunt for his own food?” Ryan asked with wide eyes. “Damn, I hoped he might bring me a bird or two. You know how much I love pigeon stew.”
“Shut up,” I snapped. The corners of my mouth twitched upward, but I kept the smile off my face. I was still angry with Ryan for how he treated me at lunch. His jokes were wasted on me.
“Jacqueline, he’ll be fine,” Ryan promised. “I swear, I won’t kill him. If he stops hissing at me, I may even buy him a toy.”
“Okay,” I said, ignoring Ryan’s jab. “He’s good to go. I think we should see him back in about six months.”
“That long?” Ryan asked.
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Six months. In the meantime, we’ll get you set up with a food sample for him. He can pretty much eat any cat food at this point, but we always give out samples to new patients.”
“I’m going out tomorrow night,” Ryan said suddenly.
“What?” I asked, taken aback by his sudden subject change.
“Tomorrow night,” he repeated. “I’m going out. I don’t know anything about this city, so I need to explore it a bit. You should come with me.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Like that’ll happen.”
“Come on,” he said. “I’m sorry I was a dick, okay?”
I laughed. “That’s your apology? Seriously, Ryan?”
“Jacqueline,” he said. “You are the only person I know in Richmond, so
please stop hating me long enough to show me around. Just for one night. Please.”
“No,” I said firmly. “But thanks for the business. Bob’s a cute cat.”
With that, I turned to leave the exam room. Ryan sighed and moved to put Bob back in his cage. Bob didn’t hiss this time, but he wiggled away from Ryan, making it harder for him to put him inside. Just as Bob was safely locked away, I stepped out into the hallway and hurried toward the front desk.
“You’re impossible,” Ryan called, following quickly behind me.
“Just busy,” I said. “Good to see you, Ryan. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Jacqueline!” he said as I disappeared around the corner.
Safely tucked away behind the front desk, I grinned to myself. Ryan was still standing right on the other side of the wall, sighing repeatedly. I knew he could tell I was still there, but he couldn’t see me. I fought the urge to laugh as he finally gave up and walked back into the waiting room. From where I stood, I could see him step up to the front desk, but he couldn’t see me.
My receptionist, Heidi, signed him out and gave him his free samples. After he paid, he lingered by the desk for a few seconds.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” Heidi asked politely.