Dog Tags for Christmas

by Lindsay McKenna

  Willow joined him to lean against the chain-link fence, bundled against the cool breeze. Leaves skittered across the yard and her bright whiskey-colored eyes glinted with happiness. “He looks content, huh?”

  “He does.”

  “He’ll probably be good enough to adopt out soon. Another week maybe.”

  Flynn sighed, knowing that they couldn’t keep every animal that touched his heart. “I know. Give him as much time as you can, though.”

  Her strong hand rubbed over his back, as if she knew what he didn’t want to say.

  “Angela just called me. One of her undercover buddies says there is a new dog fighting group in town. They are actively being investigated, so she said to be patient.”

  Scowling, he turned to her. “But how many dogs have to end up like Oscar before they actually do something? How many dogs have I not found?”

  She sighed, just as unsettled. “I’m not sure. I sent her pictures of Oscar to add to the file, though.”

  Flynn nodded, worried that they would probably be more dogs lost before the ring was disbanded.

  Willow loved looking at Flynn. Tall and dark haired, she knew they were a striking couple. And Raven would be just as striking. Her inky dark hair and bright pale-gray eyes seemed to be staying.

  Flynn seemed distracted as he headed to work that day, and she wondered what he was thinking. Ever since she’d told him about the ongoing investigation he’d been preoccupied, scratching Maya’s head occasionally. She’d seen the look on his face before, and she hoped he didn’t plan on doing anything crazy.

  As she gave Raven a final kiss and headed toward work, the sun shining down on her and her energy good, the last thing she expected to see on the back steps of her office was the Hispanic boy and his dog. The dog hung limply in the boy’s arms, and didn’t appear to be conscious.

  “Please, Doctora,” he pleaded. “Can you help him? I had to leave him for a few days and his chain tangled. Por favor.”

  The desperate fear in his dark eyes could not be faked and Willow listened to her gut. “Yes, I will help. Bring him inside and let me turn on the lights. Room one.”

  The boy, shorter than her by several inches, hurried past her into the building. Willow flipped on lights and unlocked the front door so that Sue and Nicky could get in in a few minutes, then she headed to the exam room.

  The boy still cradled the dog.

  “Put him down here on the table,” Willow directed.

  He put the dog down reluctantly, as if he couldn’t bear to let him go. “Please, I don’t have a lot of money, but I will get some to pay you. I promise. Don’t let him die.”

  Willow waved the money issue aside. “Let me look at him. What happened?”

  “I had to leave him alone for a few days. The chain got tangled around a brick and he couldn’t get to his water.”

  Willow tested the rebound of his skin. Very dehydrated. She peeled the lips back to check the color. Very pale. The dog was already on the starvation side of condition. The cans of food they’d left him had probably been the only food the dog had had recently.

  She turned to the cupboards behind her, searching for a catheter and IV fluids. “He’s very, very sick. What is your name?”

  “Mateo,” he answered quietly. “And his is Ranvir.”

  “Mateo, I’m glad you brought him to me but he’s in a very dangerous condition right now. We’ll give him fluids to try to get him hydrated again, but I can’t promise you anything. He’s very, very sick.”

  Willow plugged her ears with the ends of the stethoscope. It took way too long to hear a gentle thud from the heart. The dog didn’t move when she pricked his vein to insert the catheter. She took his temperature and it was a few degrees low, but not too bad.

  “How long was he without water?”

  Mateo shook his head, his dark eyes filling with tears. “I’m not sure. Probably at least a couple of days. My father… I couldn’t get away.”

  Willow wanted to reach out and console the boy, but she didn’t think he would appreciate the contact. He had that ‘don’t touch me’ guardedness that some people had. Flynn used to have it as well.

  The dog opened its eyes and weakly nuzzled at Mateo. The boy’s hard veneer broke and he leaned down to caress the dog, snuffling into the short fur. Willow gave him a minute to get control over his emotions before she moved back in. The dog barely flinched as she inserted the catheter and hooked up the fluids.

  “The problem is, he’s very, very dehydrated, and when they get like this they start to damage their internal organs. We have to hope he’s not too far damaged.”

  Mateo wiped his eyes and blinked up at her. “He’s not. He’ll be fine. He’s a strong animal with a warrior heart. His name means ‘hero of battle’.”

  Willow had to force her own eyes to stay dry when he said that. This kid was going to break her heart. It was obvious he loved this dog with a passion.

  Smiling, she nodded. “I can see that. He waited for you to rescue him and now I’ll take over. You did a good job bringing him here.”

  Mateo didn’t look consoled, just more guilt-ridden. He looked up at her with big, dark brown eyes. “I didn’t save him, doctora. He saved me.”

  The front door jingled open then before she could ask him what he meant. Willow left him hovering over the dog.

  Sue was just putting down her purse on the desk, and Nicky was walking through the front door. “We have a patient in room one.”

  The women looked at her, confused. It was too early.

  “I had an owner and his dog waiting on the back steps for me. Nicky, he’s dehydrated and a little shocky. I started a line but we need to keep an eye on him.”

  The younger woman nodded, circling the counter to drop her backpack at the desk along the back wall. That spot was kind of a multi-use area.

  “Maybe you can try to get some details on the dog. The owner is pretty upset.”

  Sue sat at her keyboard. “What the name?”

  Willow blinked at her. “Well, the owner’s name is Mateo and the dog’s name is Ranvir, but I can’t tell you much more than that.”

  Sue and Nicky shared a look.

  “What?” Willow demanded.

  Nicky shook her head, grinning. “You have such a soft heart.”

  “Oh, whatever,” Willow turned away, heading back toward the exam room.

  Flynn couldn’t help but laugh as he read the text on his screen.

  “What’s up?” Chad asked.

  Flynn looked up at his buddy. Yes, technically he was one of the founding partners of the Lost and Found Investigative service, but there was no line between them. They all took their orders from Duncan. Only very rarely did Chad boss up. He was too much of a Texas good-old boy.

  “That kid I told you about that had been hanging around? He just turned up at Willow’s with a sick dog.”

  Chad frowned, obviously recalling the details Flynn had given him. “Do you need to go? Is she safe?”

  Flynn pursed his lips, shifting on the chair as he fought his overprotective tendencies. “I think she’s alright. We can finish this up and I might run over.”

  Chad nodded and they returned to the surveillance tape they were viewing.

  By the time he arrived at the office, bag of cheeseburgers swinging from his hand, the scrawny white dog was up on its feet, tail wagging. He seemed much happier to see Flynn than the young man with the bulldog expression on his face.

  Flynn acted surprised to see the kid, not sure what Willow had told him, as he walked through the hallway. But his eyes were for Willow. She was beautiful, as always, her voluptuous body bearing the marks of her recent pregnancy, but springing back as if she’d been born for the purpose. He scanned her expression for any tension, but there was no reservation in her eyes. Instead, they were smiling with welcome as they always did when he walked into the room. Though it was a little out of the norm he stepped into the examination room to press a kiss to her lips.

  W
illow seemed a little flustered, but returned the affection. Flynn pulled away when he felt a cold nose prodding at the burger bag.

  The dog was leaning as far over the table as he dared, drawn by the scent of the meat. The boy held onto his ragged blue collar, but he appeared to not want to hurt the dog.

  Willow laughed. “I would say he’s bouncing back nicely and ready to eat something. Not a burger, but we’ll get him something to nibble on that’ll be easier on his stomach.”

  Nicky must have anticipated what she would need because she brought in a small can of soft food with a plastic spoon sticking from the top. Flynn appreciated that the vet tech seemed as cautious of the boy and dog as he himself did. He flashed her a smile and her look faded, looking slightly fearful. Flynn frowned, wondering what the hell that had been about. Did he still intimidate her?

  The dog once again took control of the appointment, leaning forward to almost snatch the can out of Willow’s fingers. She gave him a spoonful of the meat, then set the can on the counter beyond the dog’s reach. “We can’t give him very much. He’ll probably just puke it up. He feels pretty good right now because of the fluids pumping into his body, but he’s going to crash a little bit while his body cycles it through.”

  “Do you have time for lunch?” Flynn asked her.

  Willow glanced up at him, smiling. “I do.” She looked at the boy. “Do you mind waiting for a bit? I don’t want Ranvir leaving until we at least get this bag into him.”

  The kid nodded. “Can I put him on the floor?”

  Willow nodded. Flynn pushed the burger bag into her hands and reached for the dog, but the kid beat him there, lowering the dog carefully to the tile. He watched the hose leading to the dog’s paw, making sure he didn’t kink it.

  Flynn was a little taken aback. It was obvious the kid was worried about his dog. And if he didn’t know better, he’d think there had been some tears not too long ago. His eyes were a little bloodshot.

  Without hesitation the boy, had Willow called him Mateo—sat on the floor with legs crossed. The dog immediately crawled onto his lap and curled up. The two looked like this was a normal position.

  Willow left the room, scratching Maya’s head as she passed, and headed to her office at the end of the hallway. She retrieved a couple of bottles of water and set them in front of the patient chairs. “This is a nice surprise. Were you worried about me when I sent you the text?”

  Flynn shrugged. “I’m allowed to be. You’re my wife and the mother of my child.”

  She quirked a dark brow at him but didn’t say anything as she unwrapped a cheeseburger. “How did you know I was craving oozy cheesy goodness? This is totally not on my diet plan.”

  Flynn snorted. “When are you not craving oozy cheesy goodness?” he teased.

  Willow shrugged in good-natured humor. “I have to keep these hips luscious for you.”

  His gaze traveled down her form and he gave her that sexy smile that promised more later. “Indeed you do.”

  They ate companionably. Though she’d been hungry, Willow only consumed one burger. “Why did you get so many?” Then understanding lit her eyes. “Ah.”

  Flynn was a little embarrassed he’d gotten the kid a couple of burgers. It would probably be like the dog food. Unwanted and unacknowledged. But he’d still gotten them.

  He could never say no to a starving anything.

  Willow gathered her trash and swallowed the rest of the water, her throat rippling with movement. Flynn reached out to touch her neck, unable to help himself. Willow had the most beautiful, creamy clear skin he’d ever seen on any woman. Or maybe that was just the rosy fuzziness of love he looked at her through.

  The guys at work would totally harass him if they saw him like this.

  Or maybe not. Several of them were tumbling quickly into their own crazy relationships.

  Nicky ducked her head into the open door. “Your one o’clock is here.”

  Nodding, Willow leaned forward for a kiss he was more than happy to give her. “Thank you for lunch, Sunshine. I’ll be fine with the kid. I really don’t think he’s a danger to me. If he doesn’t have a safe place to take that dog, I’m going to offer the kennel.”

  Flynn frowned, not sure he liked that she would be in even more contact with him. “You need to find out who this kid is and what he’s got going on that he can’t have the dog at his house.”

  Willow’s eyes had darkened, but she nodded her head, reaching back to tighten her ponytail. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  She leaned to kiss him again. “I love you, babe.”

  “I love you, too,” he sighed, knowing that she would do what she felt needed done.

  No, Willow would never outright go against his wishes, but she was beginning to learn to work around him. Or maybe she was just getting to know him that well. They hadn’t even known each other two years yet.

  “If you get kidnapped and held for ransom,” he growled.

  “…I’ll know exactly who to call,” she finished, grinning.

  Flynn grinned with her, loving that while he looked at the dark, she preferred to look at the light.

  “Okay. Call me later. Or text me. Something.”

  Winking, she turned and left the room, spare burgers in her hand. Flynn listened to her enter exam room one and hand off the burgers, with the excuse that she had eaten her fill. There was a deeper murmur from the kid, but she left the room empty handed and winked at him.

  Flynn wasn’t happy leaving her alone, but the kid genuinely seemed more worried about the dog than anything else. Maybe the niggling feeling of danger was wrong this time.

  When he moved to stand, something out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. Mace sat on the floor beside Willow’s desk. No, he reminded himself firmly, the apparition of Mace sat beside Willow’s desk. Rather than tense and on point, though, the dog sat relaxed, tail wagging slowly.

  “Are you telling me to chill?”

  The long-gone dog opened his mouth in a happy expression, then between one blink and the next he disappeared.

  Maya stood beside him, but she hadn’t moved to him like she’d been trained. Guess he hadn’t needed her to. With a stroke down her back, he stood and walked out of the office. He barely glanced at the exam room occupants.

  Chapter Five

  By the time Willow entered exam room one again, the spare burgers were gone and both of her patients were asleep. Mateo’s head leaned against the wall in a position that would surely ache in a while, but he seemed like he needed it.

  As soon as she knelt to check the dog, however, Mateo’s eyes popped open. He glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. “How is he doing, doctora?”

  Willow listened to the dog’s heart and breathing. “He sounds good.”

  She peeled back the dog’s lip to check his gums. “Looks good, too. I think we can take him off the drip.”

  Mateo smiled, rubbing Ranvir’s head. He murmured something in Spanish to the dog. “Can I take him home?”

  Willow didn’t say anything, but she sat down on the floor in front of them, her legs crossed. “Well, I guess he can leave the office,” she clarified, “but where are you going to take him? He needs to be watched closely for a while. You can’t leave him chained somewhere.”

  The young man frowned, looking older than any child should. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Frustration filled his expression.

  “Can I make a suggestion?”

  Mateo blinked at her, then nodded slowly.

  “Ranvir can stay here with us tonight. We’ll watch him and make sure he’s comfortable. If you don’t have a safe place to take him tomorrow, we’ll work something out so that he might be able to stay here for a while.”

  Mateo’s face darkened with hopeless anger and it took him a few moments to be able to articulate what he was feeling. Willow waited patiently.

  “I will pay you for his care, doctora. I will find a way.”

  Willow shr
ugged, appreciating the gumption. “Maybe we can work out a trade. I’m more concerned with Ranvir’s welfare.”

  Mateo looked down at his dog, fierce love in his eyes. “Yes,” he said eventually. “He may stay here tonight. Tomorrow I will come work for you after school and on the weekends.”

  Willow was a little torn on what she felt. It was a good thing to get Mateo and the dog off the streets, but she was a little … cautious of him. She knew what the neighborhood was like, and the residents. Crime had risen everywhere in the last few years.

  She set those reservations aside though, and gave him a nod. “Good. That’s a smart choice. You don’t want to endanger him again if you can avoid it. I promise you he will have good care here.”

  Mateo nodded, some of the tension leaving his eyes. “I know, doctora. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  Willow let him tell Ranvir goodbye, then led the dog back to one of the cages. Oscar lifted his head and wagged his tail at the new neighbor.

  When she left the back room, Mateo stood at the counter talking quietly to Sue. Willow waved and went into the next exam.

  It wasn’t as hectic as the day before, but steady enough that she didn’t get her little nap. When they finally flipped the closed sign, she was about to fall asleep standing up.

  She and Nicky went back to do a final check of the dogs, and Willow let Oscar out of the cage. He wagged his tail happily, in spite of the pain it probably caused him. She made a spur of the moment decision. “I’m going to take him home with me tonight.”

  Nicky looked up in surprise. “Really? Oh,” she said, slowly drawing the word out with a broad grin. “Flynn seems a little invested in him.”