‘Hey, are you OK?’
Jonas’s concerned tone brought her back to earth. She pasted a smile on her face. ‘I’m fine. Why did you ask?’
‘You looked strange. How are those meds working for you?’
‘My symptoms are tolerable now, but not gone by any means. I’m not complaining. By the way, have you heard if Susan has had any luck in locating Carl Walker?’
‘I talked to her a little while ago. She’s still working on it. Hey, do you mind if we take your mini-van to the vet’s this evening?’
She grinned. ‘Don’t you want to get dog hair in your sports car?’
‘Dog hair I can live with,’ he replied. ‘I just don’t think I’ll have room for two adults, two children and one very large dog.’
‘OK. We’ll pick you up at five.’
‘No later,’ he warned. ‘The office closes at five-thirty.’
‘We’ll be there. You do realize it would be easier if you went by yourself.’
‘It would be,’ he agreed, ‘but Angie would be so disappointed. She’d never forgive me.’
Megan wondered why he would care, but the fact that he did touched her. Jonas was a special man, a veritable prince, but if she didn’t stop thinking of him in those terms, she would be in far worse trouble than she already was.
She saw those qualities again a few hours later after she parked in front of the vet’s office and took Trevor out of his car seat. He squirmed and wailed his displeasure until Jonas came around the vehicle and took him from her arms.
In an instant the tears of rage disappeared and a happy smile stretched across his tiny features.
Megan was astounded as much by Trevor’s actions as Jonas’s inclination to take over as if he’d done it a thousand times before. ‘I can’t believe he wants you to carry him. I’m not complaining, but if I’m around, he usually wants me.’
Jonas poked a finger in Trevor’s tummy, sending the youngster into gales of laughter as he scrunched his shoulders and grabbed for Jonas’s hand. ‘There’s a first time for everything.’
At that moment a flash of blinding insight made what she’d started to suspect and refused to believe an unalterable fact.
He was so right—there was a first time for everything. For her, she’d truly fallen in love.
CHAPTER EIGHT
IT COULDN’T be, Megan thought numbly as she watched Angie slide her small hand into Jonas’s larger one. She wasn’t looking for love. If she had been, she certainly wouldn’t have chosen a man who lived out of a suitcase and proclaimed himself a nomad.
Yet the more she searched inside herself, the more she realized it was true. She had fallen in love.
Reason demanded otherwise, but in her heart her feelings for Jonas were undeniable and exceeded those she’d had for Dwight. She supposed it was only logical to fall in love with a man who made her feel as if she were the most special person in the entire world. What woman could resist a guy whose kiss turned her insides to mush and made her skin tingle as it clamored for his touch? And how could she hold out against the same man who also took a genuine interest in her children?
The question burning in her mind was what was she going to do with her newfound knowledge?
Nothing, she decided. If he knew how quickly she’d tumbled head over heels, he’d disappear in a flash. She’d already borrowed a page from his book and decided to simply enjoy their time together for however long it lasted. But now that she knew she loved him, she wanted more than precious memories for the days ahead. She wanted Jonas himself and she refused to settle for anything less. She simply had to figure out a way to help him put aside his own fears of commitment.
Jonas halted in his tracks to glance over his shoulder at her. ‘Are you coming?’
She shook herself out of her mental fugue and hurried to catch up. ‘Sorry. My mind wandered there for a minute. Here, I’ll get the door.’
Inside the vet’s office, Megan stood next to Jonas and her family at the counter as they waited for the vet assistant’s attention. Although Megan held out her arms to Trevor, the toddler dug his face in Jonas’s neck and hung on tightly as if to insist on staying right where he was.
‘He’s fine,’ Jonas told her. ‘I don’t mind holding him.’
He seemed sincere, but Megan didn’t want him to think he didn’t have a choice. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah. In case you’re worried, I haven’t dropped a baby yet.’
She laughed at his comment. ‘I feel so much better now.’
‘Mommy,’ Angie asked, ‘why does it smell funny in here?’
‘That’s the disinfectant and the floor cleaner,’ she told her. The odor wasn’t unlike what she smelled on a daily basis, but quite a bit stronger.
‘Is our dog going to smell like this?’ she asked.
‘No,’ Megan reassured her.
The girl wearing a blue lab coat finally finished the note she’d been writing and flashed a welcoming smile at Jonas. ‘What can I help you with?’ she asked.
‘I brought a dog in this morning,’ Jonas said. ‘A golden retriever.’
‘Oh, yes. She’s ready to go. I’ll get her.’ She disappeared into the kennel area and soon returned with the animal on a leash.
‘Ooh, she’s so pretty,’ Angie exclaimed, echoing Megan’s thoughts. Now that it had been groomed, the retriever’s dingy yellow coat had become the color of burnished copper.
‘She cleaned up nicely,’ the assistant said, clearly pleased. ‘Brushing and combing her a couple of times a week will help her stay clean and neat. Retrievers shed a lot, you know.’
Jonas assumed as much and he mentally added a brush and comb to its box of doggy possessions. He was beginning to think that owning a pet was like having a kid when one considered all the paraphernalia associated with each.
Neither was it surprising that his med school buddy had given away his dog. What did seem amazing was why anyone bothered to keep one.
‘Her vaccinations are all up to date now and our tests didn’t detect any parasites.’ She handed the leash to Jonas and he in turn passed it to Megan.
‘How old is she?’ he asked.
‘I’ll get Dr Millard and you can ask him,’ the girl said. A few minutes later, she returned with the balding forty-year-old veterinarian who wore jeans and a blue tunic.
‘Hi, Jonas,’ he said with a broad smile.
‘Doug,’ Jonas acknowledged. ‘How’s the golf game?’
‘I played Sunday,’ Doug admitted, ‘but I should have stayed home and watched the pros on television. How about you?’
Jonas grinned. ‘My score was bad enough on Saturday that I needed a week to recover. I really appreciate you working this dog into your schedule on such short notice.’
‘After I beat you by six strokes, I figure you deserved a break.’
‘Thanks, but be prepared for a rematch,’ Jonas joked. ‘So, what can you tell me about her?’ He motioned toward the dog, who patiently sat on her haunches.
‘She’s probably three or four and in good health—no signs of the hip or elbow dysplasia that we often see in this breed.’ He bent down and scratched the retriever’s ears. ‘She has a sweet disposition, so I’m guessing she hasn’t been abused. Retrievers do like to follow their noses and wander, but I’m not aware of anyone looking for one that matches her description. My guess is that whoever owned her changed his or her mind.’
‘So they dropped her off in the country to fend for herself,’ Megan finished.
Doug gave a fatalistic shrug. ‘It happens. She looks like she’s had a few litters, so you might want to consider bringing her back for a little surgery. Unless you want to raise puppies, too.’
Jonas’ grin was rueful. ‘I don’t want to raise a pet of any kind, young or old.’
‘Then it’s something you or her new owner will need to consider. I wouldn’t put off the decision too long for obvious reasons.’
‘Thanks, Doug.’
‘Let me know if I
can help again,’ he said before he disappeared into the back office.
‘At least we know why she acts so calm,’ Megan said. ‘She’s outgrown her rambunctious puppy stage.’
‘Your dog hasn’t acted aggressive or hyperactive, like some we get,’ the assistant offered. ‘Just remember, though, that golden retrievers love to go on brisk walks and run in open spaces. I took her out earlier and she loves to fetch. Frisbees work great.’
While Jonas was digesting this information and wondering when he’d exercise his unwelcome responsibility, the girl keyed a few strokes on her computer, then handed him a tag. ‘All I need now is a name.’
‘Jonas Taylor.’
She chuckled. ‘For the dog.’
‘I have no idea what her name is.’ Jonas sounded surprised. ‘She just walked into my yard last week and hasn’t left.’
She didn’t appear concerned. ‘Then you have the honor of giving her one.’
‘But why do you need a name?’ he asked.
‘We usually list the pet’s name next to the owner’s in our records.’
‘I’m not the owner,’ he protested. ‘She’s a stray. I only brought her here to make sure she was healthy before I gave her away. You don’t know of anyone who wants a retriever, do you?’
‘Not at the moment. If you’d like to put a notice on our bulletin board, you certainly can.’ She pointed to the far wall where the corkboard was covered with fliers for dog grooming services, farriers, kennels and registered Persian cats.
‘So, do you want to choose a name for her?’
For lack of a better word, he promptly said, ‘Girl.’
Angie, who had spent the last few minutes petting a tolerant retriever, objected. ‘We can’t call her that. Not when she looks as bright and shiny as a new penny.’ Her eyes brightened. ‘Why can’t we call her Penny?’
Immediately the dog woofed, as if giving her stamp of approval.
‘If it wasn’t her name before, she certainly likes it now,’ Megan commented.
Jonas sighed, giving in to the inevitable. ‘Penny it is.’
The assistant typed on the keypad. ‘You really should consider putting her on heartworm medicine.’
He frowned. His benevolent gesture was turning into far more than he’d anticipated. ‘I thought you said she didn’t have any parasites.’
‘She doesn’t. The medicine is strictly preventative. Once animals get heartworms, their treatment runs into several hundred dollars. Prevention is cheaper in the long run.’
While he paused to weigh his options, Megan interrupted. ‘You can send the pills with her to her new home, along with the dog food.’
Knowing he didn’t have a choice, he let out a faint sigh. ‘All right. Give me a few doses.’
After several more keystrokes, a receipt rolled out of the printer. The assistant pulled a small package out from under the counter and placed it on top. ‘There are six chewable squares, each square to be given once a month. Try to give it on the same day each month for maximum effectiveness.’
‘OK.’
‘In case you decide on birth control for your pet, Dr Millard performs his elective surgeries on Fridays. We like to schedule those procedures a week ahead of time.’
Overwhelmed by all the information and instructions, Jonas simply said, ‘I’ll think about it.’
Jonas juggled Trevor to dig out his billfold and pay the bill. He nearly gasped at the figure, but didn’t.
Megan, however, made a small, throaty sound. ‘That’s three times as much as I pay for Trevor’s well-baby checkups,’ she mumbled in a voice for his ears only.
‘And you wonder why I don’t want the responsibility of a dog?’ he mumbled back.
‘Now that you’ve decided on a name, would you like a tag?’ the assistant asked. ‘We can engrave her name, along with your address and phone number, in case she’s ever lost.’
‘No, thanks,’ Jonas replied firmly.
Eager to leave before the woman tried to sell him a personalized doghouse, too, Jonas snapped his fingers at Penny, said, ‘Let’s go, girl,’ and started toward the door. It took some doing to get everyone into Megan’s mini-van, but soon they were on the road.
‘Have you been calling her Girl all this time?’ Megan asked, curious.
‘It may not be original, but it’s appropriate,’ he said defensively. ‘I assumed the new owners would prefer to have the honor.’
‘I’m glad we picked Penny,’ Angie said from the back seat.
‘I was thinking along the lines of Rover,’ he said. ‘After all, who knows how far and where she roamed before she ended in my yard?’
‘Rover’s a boy name,’ Angie insisted. ‘Penny’s a girl.’
‘You chose very well,’ Megan assured her. ‘I doubt if either of us would have thought of it.’
‘I’ll second that,’ Jonas said wryly. This whole incident had taken on surreal qualities. His stray dog, the one who was supposed to have moved on after it had regained its strength, now had a name to go with its special dog food, heartworm chewables and a rabies tag that led directly to him.
Even now, with a sweet-smelling dog in the back seat, he couldn’t believe how his kind gesture had turned into a major responsibility. Giving the dog leftovers to eat and water to drink was a far cry from being worried about birth control and heartworms, for Pete’s sake!
He frowned as he planned ways to find it—Penny—a new home.
‘Having second thoughts?’ Megan asked, as if she’d read his mind.
‘Second, third and fourth,’ he admitted.
‘You could have taken her to the Humane Society.’
‘I should have. I really thought she’d leave after a few days, though.’
‘She hasn’t, so maybe that’s a sign you should keep her.’
‘I can’t,’ he said flatly. ‘I’ll be moving soon. Trying to find an apartment that allows dogs, especially one her size, won’t be easy.’
‘But not impossible.’
No, it wasn’t, but he didn’t want the hassle. Even if Penny was good company, someone to welcome him home each night, he didn’t want the ties.
‘I thought all men, especially bachelors, liked owning a dog.’
‘Why would you think that?’
She shrugged. ‘It’s someone to talk to.’
‘I prefer two-legged conversationalists.’
‘A dog could bring your slippers to you.’
‘I don’t wear slippers.’
‘You can train her to fetch your newspaper. You heard the lady say she liked to fetch, which stands to reason since Penny’s a retriever.’
‘I buy my paper at the hospital.’
‘Penny would be a warm body to curl up with on cold winter nights. Someone who won’t expect anything more than a scratch behind the ears, a tummy rub and a brisk walk for exercise.’
The only warm body Jonas wanted beside his was seated behind the wheel. As for scratches, tummy rubs and exercise, he’d rather share such activities with the woman in arm’s reach, not a four-legged furball.
‘Well, now,’ he drawled. ‘Not to point out the obvious, but I prefer doing those things with someone from my own species.’ He grinned. ‘Plus, I don’t have to worry about my date shedding hair all over the furniture.’
Megan turned a bright shade of pink. ‘I suppose, with a girl in every port, a dog wouldn’t compare.’
Wishing that Megan would be the girl for him in this particular port, and that she wasn’t the hearth-and-home type, curiosity drove him to ask, ‘Does it bother you to know I’ve, um, dated a lot?’
‘By dating, I assume you mean…’
‘I’m not in the habit of playing Russian roulette with my health. On the other hand, I haven’t lived a celibate existence either.’ He grinned. ‘I’m rather discriminating about who I sleep with.’
‘Am I supposed to be impressed?’
‘Reassured,’ he corrected. Then, because she hadn’t answered his original qu
estion, he asked again. ‘Does my history bother you?’
A small smile tugged at her mouth. ‘Should it?’
He’d hoped she would have said the opposite. He certainly didn’t like to think about her and Dwight sharing a bed. Just a mental image of Dwight trying to kiss her made him jealous enough for his blood pressure to rise twenty points.
‘As far I’m concerned,’ she added airily, ‘if you have to “play doctor” so often, it only means that you’re still working on your technique. You know what they say, “Practice makes perfect.”’
Seeing her prim expression, he laughed. ‘Are you volunteering to help me with my bedside manner?’
She chuckled. ‘I would, but I’m under orders to behave myself.’
‘I’ll have to have a talk with your physician,’ he returned.
‘It won’t do any good.’ She sighed melodramatically. ‘He’s a real stickler for following instructions.’
He snapped his fingers. ‘Just my luck.’
‘Seriously though,’ she said, ‘why haven’t you settled down? Surely you’ve met a woman or two who was special enough to plant those thoughts in your head.’
‘They were already married. I don’t poach.’
‘I was referring to single women.’
‘There were a few,’ he admitted.
‘What happened?’
‘Nothing, really. We just never progressed to that stage.’ ‘Why not?’
‘I’ve seen enough failed marriages and relationships to know that I don’t want to be a part of something that won’t last.’
At first, Megan didn’t answer. Then, staring straight ahead, she spoke quietly. ‘Nothing does. In the end, it’s quality, not quantity, that matters.’
‘I saw you and Megan out last night,’ Gene mentioned during a slow time in the ER a week later.
Jonas downed half of his coffee. ‘Really? I didn’t see you.’
Gene chuckled. ‘I’m not surprised. With Megan, her two kids and your dog, your attention was definitely occupied.’
Jonas grinned. Between Angie riding her trike ahead of them as her angel wings fluttered behind her, Penny either pulling him along because she wanted to run after Angie or weaving her way around their legs and tangling her leash in Trevor’s stroller, it had made for an interesting evening walk.
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