by Pamela Tracy
Interesting, but he wasn’t in the market for a bolo tie.
Ten more minutes, he told himself, and then he had to go to bed.
The oldest daughter, Beth, had more initials behind her name than Joe. The youngest daughter, Cathy, was the most photogenic and had the largest presence on the web. She and her friends made good use of both Facebook and Twitter. Joe would need a whole day just to understand her Facebook page. He was a bit surprised to see she was majoring in elementary education—she looked like she should be doing commercials or modeling.
Joe found an obit for Annie’s father. He’d been dead over a year, just as Annie and her mother claimed. It didn’t say how he died and listed that he was survived by a wife and three daughters. Donations could be made to one of the cancer charities.
Reading the obit brought back memories of his mother. The family, per Elizabeth’s wishes, asked that donations be made to the Bonner Springs Animal Care Center.
As for Annie’s mother, she really didn’t have a web presence. There was a homepage for the Armchair Detectives, but it was vague, and when he clicked on links, most were still under construction. Either the Jamisons were new to the con game or very good at it.
He’d finished the bag of chips, Jacko was asleep at his feet, and, judging by the darkness outside, Joe should go to bed. It had been a long day.
Instead of sleep, he checked on the two cats and one ferret who had been his guests downstairs in overnight care and then returned to his computer. He went back to the OhSoClean website again and studied the photos of Annie. Of the three girls, she appealed to him the most.
This morning, bright and ridiculously early, even with her hair mussed from a backseat snooze, Annie had looked, well, she’d looked better than anything he’d seen in quite a while. Better than Honey Smith, owner of a spoiled rotten Chihuahua, who thought smalltown veterinarians made money. Better than Betsy Mayhew, who had managed to sit next to him every Sunday morning at church until finally realizing that Joe only planned to say “I do” if someone happened to say, “Hey, who knows how to treat ringworm?”
Chapter Six
“Dr. Joe!”
Joe opened one eye. Someone was standing outside and hollering.
“Dr. Joe!”
It had been years since he’d fallen asleep at the computer.
“We open in about ten minutes, just take a seat,” he called down the stairs. Right, like whoever was outside could hear him. He grabbed his jeans from off the floor, hurried down the stairs, opened the front door, and greeted his first appointment of the day. “I’ll be right with you.”
“Okay!”
His first thought was, Where is my receptionist? Unfortunately, his next thought was, Guess I’ll be looking for a new one. This one had already called in sick more than a dozen times during the three months she’d worked for him. If she’d called in today, he’d not be running late. The phone would have woken him up. He quickly changed out of his jeans and into his work clothes, meaning a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt stenciled with Kelly’s Animal Clinic, and then put a lab coat over the shirt before taking the stairs two at a time.
“Thank you for waiting,” he said to Julie Marsh as he headed for the front desk. She nodded, unperturbed. The oldest of seven children, and pretty much raising the younger six, Julie no doubt considered sitting in an empty office and leisurely reading a magazine a treat.
“Just give me one more minute.” Joe frowned as he pulled the file on Oscar Marsh, the cat he’d held overnight for observation. Oscar no longer had fur on the nape of his neck. His family, who dearly loved him, insisted that Joe watch the cat and try to figure out what the problem was.
Joe released Oscar and told Julia that Oscar’s fur loss had something to do with the two-year-old twins he shared a last name with.
Two hours and three clients later, Joe finally had time to call his receptionist on her parents’ landline instead of her personal cell phone number. Her weeping mother answered. Lucy had taken off yesterday and was probably on her way to New Orleans or maybe even Denver or Omaha.
His last three receptionists had all left for greener pastures. What they didn’t seem to realize was that New Orleans, Omaha, and Denver didn’t really have greener pastures—just more fast food restaurants, movie theaters, and pavement.
At least the previous three had given notice.
Tuesday was the day he operated a small pet clinic. Without someone manning the front desk, it meant putting out a yellow pad and letting people write down their names when they arrived. Not his favorite way to do business, but he’d done it before. He was still small, that helped.
And hurt.
Cats and dogs made up most of his in-town business. Oh, there were a few ferrets, birds, and one potbellied pig tossed in for good measure. An hour later, Joe smiled at little Ashley Bond, all of five years old, as she held her cat tightly against her. Tiger Bond was scheduled to become a soprano.
“Of course I won’t hurt him. I’ll do the surgery, and you can pick him up tonight.” Joe bent down. “He’ll feel a little sore and need lots of petting. Think you can handle that?”
Ashley nodded and loosened her grip. Joe had to admit that Tiger was a good-natured cat. Feline fur clumped in damp patches where a little girl’s love had clasped too tightly. Tiger hadn’t even meowed.
“I was hoping to ask you about his claws,” Dan said.
Joe had his own opinion about the importance of claws to a cat, but he’d learned to pick his battles.
“Have you tried double-sided tape?” he asked.
“What?”
“If you put the sticky tape on the area he’s scratching, that might stop him.”
“Please, Daddy.”
Dan looked like the scratching dilemma might deduct lives from Tiger’s original nine.
Joe took advantage of Dan’s indecision. “There’s also a spray that leaves a scent humans can’t smell, but animals despise. Try that.”
Tiger nuzzled into Joe’s neck, as if thanking him for saving his claws.
After the Bonds left, Joe rubbed Tiger’s neck. “I think you lucked out this time, but I’d rethink my choice of a sharpening tool.”
“A dog just threw up in your waiting room.”
It was her, Annie Jamison, standing in the door of his examining room and looking like she belonged.
For once, the perfect response came. “Well, maybe you can put on your OhSoClean apron and get rid of it.”
“I’d rather put on my OhSoClean apron and get rid of you.”
Had anyone else been that quick with a comeback, Joe would have laughed. Unfortunately, Annie probably wasn’t joking. “What do you want? I’m busy. My receptionist quit on me, no notice or anything.”
“I can see that. I put out a new yellow pad. You were on the last page, and it’s full.”
“Don’t do me any favors.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to.” She turned, flipping her hair in a sign of anger that only women could manage.
The Jamison women, at least the mom, had tilted his perfectly balanced life. And now there was this one, who, for some reason, he didn’t want to let waltz out of his examining room. “Wait! Just why did you come here?”
“Because it seems to me we’re on the same side.” She was at the door, holding it open, and tapping long fingernails against the frame.
“Same side? Us? I don’t think so.”
“Mr. Kelly. You obviously don’t want my mother here. Well, guess what? I don’t want her here, either. And as soon as I figure out if those coins can be found, I’ll be working on finding them and getting my mother home to Arizona. It seems to me, if we work together, we can solve both our problems.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. He wondered if they were as smooth and warm as they looked. Tiger let out a low growl and squirmed.
Her bracelets jangled back to her wrists as her hands went to her sides. Her eyes flashed. Her green earrings sparkled under the harsh light in the e
xamination room. Green meant “go” and, oh, he wanted to. He wanted to go wherever this lady was leading.
If only her mother wasn’t taking advantage of his dad. Joe had tried calling him twice. “Where are our parents today?”
“I’ll tell you where they’re not. They are not tearing that house apart looking for the coins. Instead, they went to some farmer’s market somewhere.”
“Harrumph” was the only response Joe could think of.
Annie stood half in the room and half ready to flee. “There’s a diner at the corner of town. I passed it on my way into town yesterday morning when a kind stranger picked me up and took me to the B&B. If you’re interested in talking, meet me at your dad’s at seven tonight.”
“Well, work is—”
“What time do you finish, Mr. Kelly?”
“I don’t know. Today’s going to be a long one. Why don’t you—”
“Let’s try for seven,” Annie suggested.
Joe grunted. Truthfully, it was the only response he could think of.
* * * * *
Joe’s truck wasn’t at the café at seven. Annie turned her rental around and drove to his office. Joe’s truck, as well as four other vehicles, were parked in front. Shaking her head, she grabbed her purse and headed in.
Pushing open the front door, Annie nodded at the people waiting. This time, she really looked over Joe’s place of business. A poster depicting every breed of dog known to man took up a whole wall. Shelves of medication and shampoo gathered dust. For the most part, the human patrons looked more miserable than their animal counterparts. Who knew how long they’d been waiting. Annie’s fingers itched for a broom. Joe’s place of business needed a woman’s touch almost as much as his dad’s house did. Helping Joe might actually give Annie insight into what was happening with her mother. Plus, it gave her something worthwhile to do.
Picking up the yellow pad, she asked, “Has Bridgett Doolittle been helped?”
“She went in an hour ago,” a disgruntled cowboy said.
Annie crossed that name off the list and called out four more names, only to be told they’d come and gone. The cowboy finally set his wiggling Chihuahua down—Bonner Springs certainly had more than its share of Chihuahuas—and came over to show Annie who was in with the doc.
If the list was correct, Joe still needed to see three patients before he’d be ready to meet Annie for dinner. She smiled at the people waiting and went back to the examination room. Carefully opening the door, she asked, “Do you need anything?”
“You? Again?” Joe was clipping the toenails of a Dalmatian.
Black and white fur blurred against the black T-shirt and white pants of a woman who had dyed her hair an interesting shade of black. She looked somewhat familiar. A small girl was by her side. The woman popped her gum and smiled with interest at Annie. “You new?”
“No, old and desperate. I figured if I helped Joe out, he’d have no choice but to take me out to dinner.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “Just exactly what are you doing out there?”
“Figuring out where you are with your schedule. You have three people waiting.”
“Was Jacko out there?” he asked, completely off topic.
“No.”
He whistled. Immediately, Annie heard a bark from out back. After a moment Jacko joined them. Joe looked relieved and went back to working on the Dalmatian’s nails. The dog’s owner perused Annie.
A little disconcerted, Annie rubbed Jacko’s ears. “We’re not going to eat at seven. You do know that?”
“Last time I checked my watch, it was six thirty.” Joe carefully finished the back paw he was working on. He placed his clippers on the counter and moved toward Annie. It took two steps to get from the dog to her. Annie wanted to back away, but his eyes held hers. They were deep brown, intelligent, and so challenging that she felt a shiver feather down her back.
“Lady, my father wants help. I don’t.”
“We can help each other.” She tried to make her words sound brave, but instead she squeaked a bit like the dog lying on the examining table. His whimper earned him a quick kiss from his owner. Annie’s whimper didn’t even earn a halfhearted smile.
“We cannot work together.” He said the words slowly.
Her mouth went dry. Whatever had she been thinking coming here on the spur of the moment? Working with the son probably wouldn’t get her any closer to understanding what was going on in the Kelly home.
It was the probably that kept her determined.
“I need a good meal.”
“Go back to Arizona.”
“I’m not going without my mother.”
“Take her.”
“She won’t leave. I tried common sense with her last night, as we searched the front porch for the coins. I tried wheedling this morning. My older sister’s used every threat in the books. Mom says she has a job to do and she’s not leaving until it’s done.”
“Well—”
Annie felt anger start to burn. “Joe Kelly, if you’d take the time to listen, you’d see that we are on the same side.”
“Take a chance, Joe,” the Dalmatian lady encouraged. “You need more excitement in your life. Plus, she’s from Arizona. I happen to know great things happen there. My mom is there.”
“Hush up, Marlee.”
“I like Arizona, too,” the little girl said. “Last time we went there, we visited the gland canyon.”
One of Joe’s eyelids twitched. Annie saw the beginning of a smile. She needed to act quickly. “I’m off work for two weeks, but I don’t want to stay that long. If we meet tonight, maybe we can figure out how to cut that time in half. Maybe we can figure out a way to get my mother and your father to come to their senses. Believe me, I want to go home.”
“Taking your mother?”
“The quicker we find the coins, the quicker that will happen.”
Joe grunted.
“You guys pick at each other like you’re married,” Marlee said. “Take her up on it, Joe. It’s long past time for those coins to turn up.”
Joe picked the clippers back up and shook them at Marlee, who simply grinned.
A few moments later Annie stood at his front desk. Both Jacko and the little girl had followed her. “I’m Katie. I like your bracelets. See mine?”
She held up her arms. What looked like rubber bands circled her delicate wrists.
Annie bent down until she was eye level with Katie. “Yours are very pretty.”
“Mommy bought them for me. Where did you get yours?”
“I made them.”
Katie’s eyes widened. “Really? I wonder if Mommy would let me make some bracelets.”
Before Annie could respond, Katie twirled around and was gone, leaving her alone to consider Joe’s reception area. It was a study in simplicity. The computer looked forlorn, a glass of pens and pencils waited for somebody to realize they were there, and a calendar advertising some sort of ringworm ointment hung on the wall. After determining which animal was next, Annie thumbed through an old banged-up cabinet and found the file. A quick glance showed small, precise handwriting and detailed accounts. She put it on the counter to give to Joe. On the yellow pad, a few people had written notes concerning when they wanted their next appointment. Annie put them next to the computer so they would be noticed and typed in. She even managed to convince one of the people waiting to reschedule. Then she started to clean. Jacko curled up on the floor and watched.
At eight o’clock she blew an errant, flying cluster of dog fur away from her mouth and went back to the examining room. The last patient was obviously one of Joe’s favorites. Annie leaned against the wall and listened as he discussed with Agnes Miller what to do for the dog that must be at least as old as its owner.
“Are you buying the special Science Diet I told you about?” he asked.
“Now, that stuff is too fancy for Clarence here. He turns his nose up at it. He likes what I eat.”
“But what you e
at isn’t good for him.”
Mrs. Miller blushed, and Annie saw what a beauty the woman must have been in her prime. This was a side to Joe she’d not seen before. Yes, coming here had been a good idea. They were on the same side, and if they worked together, Annie could get her mother home much quicker.
A few minutes later, armed with a grocery bag full of free samples of the Science Diet dog food and a prescription for canine arthritis medicine, Mrs. Miller left.
“I’m going to head upstairs to my apartment,” Joe said. “Give me a few minutes to shower and change, and I’ll be ready.”
“I don’t think so,” Annie said, looking down at her shirt decorated with so many animal hairs that she was tempted to consider shaving. “I’m not going out covered in fur if you’re not.”
“Go home and change…” He stopped, a pained look on his face.
Home? Yeah, right, thought Annie, disturbed that he felt as awkward about the word as she did. His aunt’s house was not her home. “I bought some new clothes today. They’re in my car. I’ll get them and then use the restroom down here to get ready.”
She should have tried on the jeans before buying them. They were a bit tighter than she liked. Okay, no more candy bars. Ever. Sucking in her stomach, she managed to secure the snap. Okay, no more French vanilla creamer in her coffee. Ever. Then she brushed fur from who knows what or how many animals off the knees. She might as well be a magnet. Well, she wasn’t out to impress anyone.
A moment later, Joe ushered her out the front door of the clinic. His jeans molded to perfect thighs, and his button-down shirt did little to hide firm muscles. He’d washed his hair, or at least dampened it, and tiny beads of water glimmered on the long brown strands. Usually, Annie liked clean-shaven men, but Joe Kelly could be the one to change that little preference. Jacko pranced at his side.