Second Act

by Herkness, Nancy

  Then Hugh had come over to visit the dog tent. His beauty was blinding. The black hair, the surreal turquoise eyes. She’d asked him if they were colored contact lenses, which had made him laugh. The bone structure of his face was striking, with its clean, slashing angles that made the camera linger. He was in costume, which meant jeans and a ripped T-shirt that displayed the symmetrical ridges of his abdominal muscles and the dusting of dark hair over his pecs.

  He’d told her that he needed to interact more with the dogs to deepen his interpretation of his role. Jessica had seen no reason to doubt him, since he seemed like a celestial being who could have no possible interest in her. But Hugh later confessed that he’d used that as a ploy to talk with her, an admission she’d found both baffling and immensely flattering. As far as she was concerned, someone who looked like Hugh didn’t need an excuse to chat her up, but part of his appeal was that he felt he had.

  When Hugh asked her out for dinner a few days later, she thought she’d heard him wrong.

  “Poor choice of topic, I guess,” Pete said, pulling her mind back to the present.

  “It’s fine,” Jessica said. “I’m long over Hugh.” Or so she’d thought until the last couple of days.

  Pete lifted an eyebrow in a way that indicated he wasn’t convinced, so she decided not to mention that she’d just run into her ex. “Our lives have taken very different directions for a reason.”

  “I hear you,” he said. “Opposite coasts and all.”

  “And different stratospheres.”

  Except Hugh was on her coast at the moment. But that wouldn’t last. The Julian Best movies always shot in a multitude of exotic locations. Hugh would move on and forget her existence again. Annoying that the thought hurt.

  She welcomed the arrival of dessert and cheese. The brigadeiro was rich and silky with the contrast of a crunchy cookie-crumb topping. “This is worth turning into a pumpkin for,” she said.

  Pete held out a small chunk of bread topped with cheese drizzled with honey. “Try this aged pecorino. Next time you might skip the chocolate.”

  As she took it from him, her fingertips brushed his. A ripple of awareness ran through her. Something shifted on Pete’s face as well. When she bit into his offering, his gaze was on her lips. The sweetness of the honey brought out the sharp, smoky flavor of the cheese. “Mmm, you might have made a convert,” she said, polishing it off.

  “Have some more.” He started to assemble another morsel.

  “No, that’s your dessert.”

  He smiled straight into her eyes. “Watching you eat it is my dessert.”

  She sucked in a breath as a shiver rolled up her spine. He was leaving her in no doubt of his interest. If only she could stop comparing him to Hugh.

  He switched his focus back to the cheese, saying, “Any chance you’re a hockey fan? I have luxury box seats at the Rangers game next Saturday.”

  Should she start down this road? She liked the comfortable rumble of his laughter, the admiration that glowed in his eyes, and the deft movements of his big hands as he put together another cheese sample. Pete appeared so straightforward and uncomplicated, without any of Hugh’s sharp, dangerous edges.

  “If it’s like the cheese course, I could be persuaded,” she said.

  A slow smile lit his face. “I’ll pick you up at five thirty, if you’ll be done with work by then. No problem if you aren’t. I don’t need to hear ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ being sung badly.”

  “I’ll be ready.” She tried to finish up by four on Saturdays. Otherwise she was just too exhausted the next day.

  He looked at his watch again and signaled the waiter for the check. “Time to go, so I can get you home on time, as agreed.”

  She liked the fact that he was a man who remembered his promises and kept them.

  Chapter 5

  “It’s Monday, so why are you smiling?” Carla asked as she placed a plastic takeout container and a bottle of water on Jessica’s desk.

  “Because I’m starving and you brought me food.” Jessica unsnapped the cover and snatched up the sandwich. Taking a huge bite, she sighed with appreciation and mumbled, “I love curried chicken salad.”

  Geode hopped up on her desk in a bid to share her lunch, but she set him back on the floor, ignoring the annoyed twitch of his fluffy orange tail. “Curry wouldn’t agree with you, buddy.”

  Carla sat down in the other chair and crossed her arms. “I ain’t talking a chicken salad kind of smile, honey. That’s a man kind of smile.” The manager’s eyes widened, and her voice took on a note of awe. “Did you go out with that movie star? He’d put a giant, happy grin on my face.”

  Jessica had decided not to mention her upcoming dinner with Hugh. Carla would make all kinds of erroneous assumptions. “Nope. I had dinner with a fellow Iowan. From my hometown, in fact, so we had a lot of memories to share.”

  “Is he a tall, strapping, good-looking Iowan?”

  “You might describe him that way.” Jessica took a swig of water to hide the smile that had started the interrogation. After stewing about it half the night, she’d decided to enjoy whatever this was with Pete. She could use it to take her mind off Hugh.

  “I knew it was a man,” Carla said, sitting back with a smug look. “He better be a good man or he’ll be hearing from me.”

  “Haven’t you learned that Iowans are all nice people?”

  “Nice ain’t what you want. You need some fun.”

  “He could probably make me a terrific corn maze,” Jessica said, taking another bite. “It’s considered an art form in Iowa.”

  “A corn maze.” Carla snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I meant by fun.”

  “You’d be surprised at what you can do in the far corners of a corn maze.”

  “If it involves dirt, cows, and insects, it’s not my idea of a good time.” Carla smoothed the red silk scarf she’d dressed up her sapphire-blue scrubs with. “I’m thinking a king-size bed with six-hundred-thread-count sheets and the big strapping Iowan stretched out across it, buck naked.”

  Jessica choked on her water as she pictured Pete in that scenario.

  “My job here is done,” Carla said with a smirk as she stood up and strolled out the door.

  Jessica took another bite of her sandwich. Pete had texted her earlier to say how much he’d enjoyed the evening before.

  In contrast, she hadn’t heard a word from Hugh. She knew he worked long hours when he was filming, but she’d expected something about their upcoming dinner, especially after the cryptic message. She’d considered canceling but decided that she was curious to find out what he was like now that he was so successful and famous. Not surprisingly, he seemed different, more self-assured and less focused on something always beyond him, yet his intensity and magnetism were the same as the man she’d once been engaged to.

  “Hey, Doc, can I talk to you about Khonsu over at the center? I’m worried about—” Diego stuck his head around her office door, his dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you was . . . were eating.”

  Jessica beckoned him in. “I can eat and listen at the same time.”

  As Diego eased himself down onto the chair, it creaked under his weight. The boy was only thirteen, but he had the height and breadth of a large man. Ironically, he wanted to use his strength to protect helpless animals. He was so terrific with them that Jessica had taken him on as an intern. His ambition was to become a veterinarian, so she helped him with his science courses in school, too.

  As if to prove Diego’s animal-handling skills, the usually standoffish Geode leaped into his lap and butted his head against the boy’s chin. Diego stroked the orange-and-white cat absently. “Shaq been having diarrhea bad for a couple of days. And now Khonsu got . . . has got the runs, too. I promised Felicia and Isaiah I’d talk to you about it, since they’re the dogs’ owners.” The boy’s hand paused on Geode’s back. “Could you come take a look at them?”

  “Of course,” Jessica sa
id.

  Diego’s face lit up with relief. “Sorry to make you come to the center, but since there’s two of them . . .”

  The George Washington Carver After-School Care Center was one of South Harlem’s treasures. It offered a safe after-school environment to disadvantaged neighborhood kids ages eight to thirteen, along with computer access, homework help, and healthy food, all at no charge. But what made the center special to Jessica was their K-9 Angelz program, the brainchild of the center’s director, Emily Wade Varela.

  The K-9 Angelz allowed the kids to adopt rescue dogs who then lived at the center. Taking care of the dogs taught the children responsibility, gave them a sense that they were needed, and, of course, offered the best benefit of all, unconditional love. In turn, the dogs were given a wonderful home.

  Jessica supported the program by providing veterinary care at cost—and sometimes even less than that. She also made house calls when necessary. Honestly, she enjoyed seeing the kids and the dogs interact, so her visits there were a pleasure, even though they required extra time.

  However, the diarrhea was worrisome in an environment where multiple dogs lived together. “I’m glad you came to me right away,” she said. “We don’t want any more dogs to get sick if we can help it.”

  Fortunately, her patient load was relatively light that afternoon, and several could be taken care of by the vet techs. Jessica managed to get free by four thirty, when she indulged herself and Diego in the luxury of a ride share to the Carver Center.

  Powell, the security guard, greeted them at the door. As they passed the kitchen and dining area, Jessica heard the clatter and scrape of dishes and the voices of the children eating their snack, as the staff diplomatically called the hearty dinner they served in the late afternoon. For some of the kids, it was the best meal they’d have all day.

  Diego headed down the stairs to the ground floor, where a large room had been converted to a bare-bones but cheerful kennel. A couple of windows offered natural light that made the cream-colored walls glow. Ten crates of assorted sizes were lined up on the long side wall, while two big ones stood slightly apart with plastic tarps underneath them.

  As soon as the dogs saw Diego and Jessica, a chorus of barked greetings rose, and a medium-sized black dog trotted over from where he’d been lying on a plaid dog bed. Diego put down Jessica’s vet bag, which he’d insisted on carrying, and bent to give the dog a pet. “Hey, Mario, boy.” Then he put his finger to his lips and said in a commanding voice, “Quiet.”

  Only a few more yaps sounded before all twelve dogs fell silent.

  “The kids have been working hard on training, I see.” Jessica was impressed.

  “They listen to me better than to their owners sometimes,” Diego admitted. He knelt and stroked Mario, the dog whose life he’d saved the year before after the little creature had been hit by a car. Now Mario and Diego were devoted to each other.

  She opened her bag and pulled on a pair of sterile gloves before handing Diego a pair. “Okay, let’s take a look at Shaq and Khonsu.”

  “They’re in those crates over there,” Diego said, pointing to the two separate ones she’d noticed earlier. “I figured I should try to isolate them as much as I could.”

  “Excellent thinking,” Jessica said with a nod. “You’re going to make one terrific vet.”

  Diego’s brilliant smile warmed her heart. His early life had been rough, according to the center’s director. His mother was missing in action, and his father was a loan shark who wanted Diego to use his size to intimidate deadbeat customers. The boy refused, so his father had told him to go sleep on the street. Luckily, Diego had found his way to the Carver Center and eventually been adopted by one of the board members, Violet Johnson. The boy had blossomed in his new environment, becoming the unofficial leader of the K-9 Angelz program.

  When she swung open the door to the crate labeled “Shaq,” the giant brindle pit bull stood up, much to Jessica’s relief. “C’mon, boy,” she said, inviting him to step out onto the tarp.

  Shaq wagged his tail as she checked his gums and his skin elasticity. “His hydration is still good,” she said, wrinkling her nose as the big dog passed very stinky gas. “How’s his appetite?”

  “Shaq never quit on a meal in his entire life,” Diego said with a snort.

  “Have either of the dogs vomited?”

  The boy shook his head. “Just a lot of diarrhea.”

  “That’s fun to clean up. Okay, Shaq, back in your crate for now.” Jessica latched the door and pulled on a clean pair of gloves. “Now for the other invalid.”

  Khonsu sat up when she opened the crate door, his oversized ears pricked up and forward. “Here, boy, come see me,” Jessica coaxed. The medium-sized black dog rose slowly and stepped out of the crate before sitting down once more. Again, she smelled the unmistakable odor of gastrointestinal issues. “Hmm, he seems less peppy than Shaq. How long has he been showing symptoms?”

  “About twenty-four hours, I think,” Diego said. “I was in church most of yesterday, so I wasn’t around here.”

  “He’s okay on the hydration,” she said after checking his skin and gums. “How about his appetite?”

  “Not as strong as Shaq’s, but he’s still eating.”

  “I’m guessing that it’s giardia, but I’ll need to take some fecal samples to confirm the diagnosis. In the meantime, I’m going to start them on metronidazole.” She rummaged around in her bag for the plastic bottle of pills she’d tossed in when packing the duffel.

  “I’ll get you the Pill Pockets,” Diego said, going to a shelf of neatly arranged dog supplies.

  Jessica took the bag of treats that camouflaged the meds and stuffed a pill in one. Shaq swallowed it with enthusiasm. “Let’s just cross our fingers he doesn’t throw it up,” Jessica said as she prepped a pill for Khonsu.

  She knelt in front of the smaller dog and waved the morsel under his nose. He cooperated by gulping it down.

  Jessica stood and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the twelve crates enclosed in one area, a perfect breeding ground for the easily transmitted parasite. She didn’t want to take the dogs back to her office for fear of spreading it even farther.

  “Here’s what we need to do,” she said. “Keep the two dogs separate from the others, just the way you already have. In fact, if we can find a different room to move them to, that would be the best. Everything they touch—their bowls, bedding, toys, leashes—has to be kept separate as well. They can’t go out in the dog playground with the others. Most important, they need to poop someplace completely isolated, and then the mess has to be removed right away.”

  If it was giardia, the whole kennel area would have to be cleaned and disinfected. She should shut down the center’s popular dog yard, but until she confirmed the diagnosis, she didn’t want to go to that extreme. It would put a huge burden on the already overworked staff of the Carver Center. Not that they would complain. Everyone who worked there was devoted to helping the kids.

  “Right now, I’m going to take Shaq out for a walk to see if I can get a stool sample,” Jessica said. “You can start isolating the two patients’ equipment.”

  An hour later, she had her answer. Shaq had giardia. She plunked down at her desk in her quiet office and called Emily Varela’s office to give her the bad news. The director sighed in resignation when Jessica explained the measures that needed to be taken. “Well, I knew when I started the K-9 Angelz program that it wouldn’t be easy. I’ll bring the staff up to speed and see if I can set up an isolation room.”

  “I’ll send a vet tech over tomorrow to supervise the cleaning,” Jessica said before disconnecting.

  Tiana stuck her head in the door. “Hey, Doc, all the boarding patients are settled in and doing fine. You need anything before I go?”

  Jessica glanced at the clock on the wall and winced when she saw that it was nearly seven. “Thanks, but I’ll be heading home soon myself.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Ti
ana said.

  Jessica groaned as she leaned back in her chair. She’d expected to be done by five today. Tomorrow included evening appointments, so she’d be working for twelve hours.

  The thought of walking home and stopping to pick up dinner somewhere along the way was suddenly more than she could handle. She pulled her phone out of her scrubs pocket to call a ride share and discovered several text messages piled up.

  One was from Aidan, telling her that he was cooking dinner for them both tonight. She typed back, You are an angel! She added an emoticon of a smiley face with horns and a halo.

  Then she scrolled to the next text. It was from Hugh: I’ve been thinking about you ever since we ran into each other.

  His words sent a strange flutter through her chest. In the midst of filming a major motion picture, the movie’s star was thinking about her.

  He’d sent a second text right after that. I’ll pick you up at six on Wednesday. I tried to make it earlier, but the shooting schedule is wall to wall. I look forward to learning who you are now.

  That reminded her of what had made Hugh so fascinating. The intensity with which he had focused on her both flattered and made her nervous.

  Who was she now?

  Chapter 6

  At seven forty-five the next evening, Carla walked into the examination room where Jessica and Tiana were wrestling with a German shepherd mix who didn’t want to have his temperature taken. “Hon, you gotta stop and eat something,” the receptionist said to Jessica. “I saw your dinner still in the bag on your desk.”

  “I’m a little busy right now,” Jessica said, holding the dog’s haunches so he didn’t leap off the table. “In fact, could you get Matthew in here to help?”

  “As soon as this one’s done, you take a break,” Carla ordered.

  Jessica knew better than to argue when Carla was on the warpath, so she nodded.