The flowers were really pretty and they made the truck smell sweet. Wes’s gesture was charming and annoying. Was he trying to remind her that they’d been sweethearts once upon a time? She didn’t need any reminders.
Oh, no. The realization settled in her stomach. Valentine’s Day. She’d completely forgotten to celebrate the holiday at work. She should have had some chocolates and decorations for her staff at the clinic today. She usually did something nice for them on a holiday. She’d been working so much, she’d been so tired lately, she’d totally forgotten.
It was all too much. She needed sleep. She needed time to process all this. She definitely didn’t need some fake valentine from a guy who couldn’t possible feel anything for her. “Wes, don’t be silly. I don’t want flowers.”
“I owe you some, don’t I? I left right before prom. I was definitely planning to get you flowers that night.”
“That was so long ago. Let’s just forget about that night.” She tried to ignore the roses, now a reminder of when things were so much sweeter. When she’d been the kind of girl who couldn’t wait to go to the prom with the boy she loved.
Wes stared out the window, the only sign of tension the restless tapping of his fingers on the sill. When they pulled up in front of her office, he spoke. “I’m sorry that things went wrong tonight. I was trying to prove to you that I could be an asset to your practice.”
Emily put the truck in Park and reached for the door handle. “I don’t see why you want to work with me. We don’t exactly have a simple relationship.”
“Shelter Creek is my dream place to live.” He reached for his door handle, then looked over at her with a slight smile. “You’re my dream coworker. You always have been.”
He was all charm, and that young woman who’d wished for prom and roses wanted to believe him. “Yeah, right,” she scoffed. “You don’t know me. I could be a nightmare coworker. The truth is, you want to work with me because I’m the only gig in town. If you’re going to resort to flattery, get out of my truck.”
He obliged and she hopped out, too. Her whole body cried out for sleep, but there were still a few things to do at her desk before she could go home. “Thanks for your help tonight, Wes. But I’m not sure us working together is a good idea.”
He came around the back of the truck. “I won’t flatter. That was dumb. But just listen to me for a moment. Please?”
Emily crossed her arms over her chest and waited.
“Like I said earlier, there were a lot of reasons I didn’t reach out over the years. And there was fear, too. Fear I couldn’t shake. That you wouldn’t want to hear from me. That you hated me.”
“I did hate you, for a while.” But she didn’t, anymore. How could she, when she knew why he’d left? And all he’d been through over the years? But without all her old anger wrapped around her, she felt suddenly exposed. Like every old emotion had emerged from its hiding place.
He cleared his throat. Maybe he felt a little vulnerable, too. “Just take the roses home, okay? Put them in some water. Let them be the start of an apology I’ve owed you for so long now. Please?”
She liked that. The start of an apology. He wasn’t trying to put a little bandage on such a big hurt.
Wes pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “Thanks for letting me tag along. I hope I was somewhat helpful.”
That was the problem. He had been helpful. And he had been right about Two Socks. Plus, she desperately needed another vet, and one who was great with horses would be a big asset in this ranching town. But Wes? Being near him every day would be like voluntarily walking through an emotional minefield. “What will you do if you don’t work with me?”
“Hope I can find some work close by? Or start my own practice and give you a little competition?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think everything through. I just dropped my brother off at the airport, went home and started packing.”
“So you came here on an impulse.”
“I came because I finally felt like I could.”
Everything around them, the night, the breeze, her heart banging in her chest, stilled at his words. She didn’t know what it was he hoped for. She had no idea what she wanted, either. But she knew she couldn’t work at such a frantic pace much longer. And that she didn’t want Wes to disappear, again. “You can start Monday,” she told him. “For a one-week trial. If that works out, we can try it for a month. That’s all I can offer.”
“It’s more than I have the right to hope for,” he said. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret giving me a chance. What time should I be here on Monday?”
“Eight in the morning.” Doubt in her decision mixed with the scramble of thoughts in her mind. Now she was the one acting on impulse. She should have told him she needed time to think. That she needed sleep.
“Thank you, Emily. I promise you won’t regret this.” He took a step back, as if he was going to leave before she changed her mind.
When his hand went to the brim of his cowboy hat, and he tipped it in her direction, it was a reminder of how little she knew him. Her California city boy had become a Texas cowboy, and walked a bunch of unfamiliar roads in between. “I’ll see you Monday.”
Emily watched him get in his truck. He gave her a wave, started the engine and drove away. She watched his taillights until he turned a corner out of sight. He’d promised she wouldn’t regret giving him a chance, but Emily was pretty sure she already did.
CHAPTER FIVE
“REX, YOU KNOW you have to be really good today.” Wes looked into his dog’s icy blue eyes and wished one more time that he could bring the husky with him. He always had when he worked in Texas. But Wes knew he was already pushing his luck by asking to work with Emily. He had a lot to prove this week and couldn’t be distracted by his dog.
Rex flopped over on the deck for a belly rub, waving his big white paws in the air.
“You ham.” Wes rubbed the dog’s stomach and looked around the backyard of the cottage he’d rented on the eastern edge of town. The high fence that ringed a decent-sized grassy yard had been the main reason he’d chosen this place. Luckily, the house was kind of nice, too—an old wooden cabin with what had to be the original enamel range in the kitchen and a claw-foot tub in the bathroom. Plus, and most important, the landlord allowed dogs and had agreed to a monthly lease.
Wes gave Rex another pat and went through the door into the kitchen. He took the toys stuffed with dog treats, and the giant bed he’d bought for Rex to lounge on, and brought them back outside. He’d spent the weekend building a doghouse out of plywood that he’d set in one corner of the deck. There was a soft bed in there, too, though so far his dog hadn’t shown much interest in his daytime shelter.
Rex took the fake bone and started gnawing, eager for the snack hidden inside. Wes quietly shut the back door and hurried out the front to get to work.
Once he’d parked his truck in the clinic parking lot, Wes took a few deep breaths. This was it. His chance to prove what he could do. His chance to show Emily what he’d become. To see if the dream he’d harbored for so long could possibly come true.
All those years in between them, and he’d never forgotten her. In the few quiet moments he’d had, in between his multiple jobs and caring for his brother, he’d pull out his memories of Emily and pore over the details like they were a secret treasure. She’d been quiet and studious when they were young, but when she laughed, it was wholehearted and pure and shattered all the cool he’d tried so hard to maintain.
He used to be one of the reasons she smiled and laughed. He’d loved that he could break through her intense, intellectual mind and get her to relax. He’d give a lot to make her laugh again—but could he? He’d hurt her so badly when he left. He’d been such a coward afterward. Afraid to reach out. Afraid that if he heard her voice he’d crack and crumble. Sure that the brittle strength he’d summoned to
get himself and Jamie through so many hard times would disappear if he let himself feel how much he missed her.
He’d known that coming back here was a long shot. That earning her trust again might be impossible. But he had to try. If he failed, maybe he’d finally be able to let go of all these long-held dreams and move on. If he succeeded… He couldn’t even think that far ahead. He just had to focus on getting through this day without messing up too badly.
Opening the door to the clinic, he inhaled the familiar smell of disinfectant, with an undercurrent of dog. A young woman with short brown hair was seated behind the front desk.
“May I help you?” she asked, her smile as cheerful as her cat-shaped earrings.
“I’m here to meet Emily.”
“Oh! You’re the vet who’s going to be working with Dr. Fielding this week. Welcome!”
“I’m Wes Marlow. And you are?”
“Lily Robinson. Have a seat. I’ll see if she’s available.”
Wes sat on a padded bench in the waiting area. Lily went into the back of the clinic, then returned to answer the phone, Wes listened in. It was someone concerned that their cat was off his food. Lily transferred the call back to someone named Trisha, a veterinary technician, then took another call. Her demeanor was bright and professional. The office felt calm and welcoming, though Wes still wasn’t used to the lavender color scheme. But if he ignored it, and the fancy decor, he could put himself right back in time to when he and Emily would come here to help her father. They’d made a little money cleaning cages and tidying up, but mostly they’d loved watching her father and his technicians at work. The way Tom assessed an animal, diagnosed it and made it better had seemed like magic to both of them. Was it any wonder they’d both gone into veterinary medicine?
He and Emily had been friends those first couple years. Two teens put together unexpectedly by her parents’ desire to help out a kid in need. Theirs had been an uneasy connection at first. Wes had thought Emily resented him when he first arrived, but later she’d confided that he’d intimidated her with his tough exterior, city style and rough manners.
Tom and Meg had polished him up in no time, and eventually his and Emily’s shared interests had grown into a friendship. They helped each other navigate school and homework and the small-town high school social scene. They became inseparable buddies who, on a warm evening walk during the summer after junior year, confessed that they were completely crazy about each other.
“You made it.” Emily came toward him dressed in jeans and a dark green sweatshirt, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. His memories of his high school sweetheart merged with this strong, confident woman who was motioning for him to follow her. “Come on into the back. I’ll introduce you to the staff and show you around.”
He followed her, smiling as Lily caught his eye and mouthed good luck. They went past Emily’s office and on into the three exam rooms, all spotlessly clean and painted in calming pale colors similar to the lobby. Cute photographs of animals were enlarged into portraits on the walls.
“Hang on.” Wes put a gentle hand on Emily’s arm to stop her as she was leaving the third exam room. “Did you take those pictures?”
She nodded and he thought the skin over her cheekbones flushed a little. “I did. Yes.”
“You stuck with photography all these years?”
Her eyes widened a bit, like she was startled he remembered the hobby she’d taken up during their senior year of high school. Then she raised her shoulders, shrugging off his interest. “Not so much anymore. I took those while I was still working with my father. Since he retired, there hasn’t been a lot of time.”
Wes nodded, taking one last glance at the close-up photo of a kitten. It was lying on its back, holding a small felt mouse between its front paws. “Great shot. You could have a side hustle taking photos like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need a side hustle. Come on.” Then she paused and the look she gave him over her shoulder was softer, almost shy. “Thank you for noticing, though. And for the compliment.”
“It’s sincere. I’m not just trying to butter you up so you give me a job.”
And there it was. Faint but radiant. The smile he remembered. The humor that crinkled cute lines around her big blue eyes. “I’m glad. I avoid butter. It’s bad for you.”
Wes smiled back, relishing the brief moment of connection before she led the way into the back of the building. There was the surgery room and a couple of exam tables, with supplies neatly housed on shelves and tucked into labeled cabinets. It had never been this organized back here when they were kids. He should have guessed Emily would run a tight ship.
A blonde woman about their age came out of the storage closet with a big basket of towels. When she caught sight of Wes, she stopped suddenly. “Oh.” Her gaze flickered to Emily for a moment, then back to him. “You must be Wes.”
“Wes, meet Trisha Dale. Formerly Trisha Gilbert. She was a couple years behind us in high school.”
“I remember you,” Trisha said.
Wes didn’t remember her, so he just nodded.
“Trisha is a good friend of mine and used to be my chief technician. She’s filling in today since my head tech, Molly, is out sick.”
“I look forward to working together,” Wes said.
“Sadly for us, Trisha spends most of her working hours at the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center these days, rehabilitating animals.” Emily finished with a loud sigh of mock despair.
Trisha grinned. “With Emily’s guidance and advice, of course.” She set her basket down on the counter behind her, and when she turned back toward them, Wes could see that she was pregnant. She put her hands on her rounded belly. “I hope you stick around, Wes. I’ll be taking a break from work once this guy is born. Which means they’ll be relying on Emily more than ever.”
Wes gaped at Emily. “You work in a wildlife center on top of running this practice? Do you sleep?”
“Not much.” Emily smiled at Trisha and Wes wished she’d beam the same warmth onto him. “Trish, I give it maybe six weeks before you’re passing that baby to Liam so you can go visit your animal friends at the shelter.”
Trisha laughed. “We’ll see. I’ll have my hands full as a mother of two. It might not matter how much I miss those animals. Anyway, it’s nice to have you here, Wes. I’d better get moving. We’re a little behind schedule.”
She took her basket to a tall cabinet at the end of the room and began folding the towels and placing them on the shelf.
“We have field appointments this morning,” Emily explained. “Luckily, Trisha agreed to come in and help us get things set up here. Then I have Dan, another tech, scheduled for this afternoon. So we should be okay.”
“I’ve never run my own practice before,” Wes said. “I’ve always been the associate vet. I’m sure the scheduling and the business side of things keeps you busy.”
Emily nodded. “You have no idea. I didn’t, until it was all on my shoulders. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but somehow this place is still standing.”
“More than standing, I’d say. It seems pretty organized,” Wes told her. “No offense to your father, but it never looked this neat when we were kids.”
“Not his strong point, for sure.” Emily motioned toward the front. “Let me show you the schedule for today. I’m sure Lily has printed it out for us by now.”
In the reception area she showed him the printout. Looking over her shoulder at the schedule sheet, Wes inhaled a faint floral scent from her hair. It was calming and soothing and some part of him wished he could spend a few moments just breathing her in. That they could get out of here and lie on their backs in a big field and watch clouds sailing above them in the sky like they had when they were young. Maybe then they could talk all this out. Maybe then he could try to tell her more about the years he’d struggled, about why he�
��d stayed away, and why he couldn’t wait to be free to come back here.
But no. He had to be professional. He had to take his cues from her and she was all business.
“We’re going out to check on Two Socks,” she was saying. “I went on Saturday to change the bandage, but yesterday Haley changed it herself. I want to double-check that she’s got the hang of it.”
“Sounds good.” Wes scanned the paper. “This is a really packed morning.”
“Welcome to my world. I’m the only vet in the immediate area. And spring is coming up. So we’ll have calving, lambing and foaling on top of all the usual stuff.”
It was going to be a lot for two people. How she got it done on her own, he had no idea. He figured he’d find out today. “Looks like we’d better get started.”
She grabbed her coat and he followed her to the truck, this time remembering to let her take the wheel. They drove for a moment in silence before Emily spoke. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you really want to work with me? I mean…” She paused, and as he watched her she pressed her lips together like she wanted to stop whatever she was going to say. “I guess I need to know what you want out of this.”
This was Emily. Straightforward. No games, ever. So he’d be as straight as he could, too. “I have always wanted to see you again. I have always wanted the chance to say I’m sorry for the way I left. For maybe hurting you.”
“Maybe?”
“I don’t want to assume anything. Maybe you were just fine.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was fine. Absolutely.”
He studied her profile, trying to figure out whether she was being sarcastic. “You seem fine.” A faint, wry smile tilted the corner of her mouth. It took away any hope of holding back. “I’ll be totally honest. In my perfect world, you forgive me, we like working together and we live happily-ever-after.”
“Veterinary practice is stressful. That happily-ever-after part seems like a stretch.”
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