Healing You

by Katana Collins

  “Poor mama. You’re gonna be okay.” Yvonne walked as smoothly as she could to Steve, careful not jostle the dog too much.

  “I’ve think I’ve got an infection here.” She spoke quietly, trying not to startle the dog.

  He looked up from putting an IV into a poodle. Once the drip started, he took the Chihuahua, cradling her in his arms like an infant. He shook his head, forehead wrinkled. “Nights like this, I really hate my job.”

  Yvonne swallowed, feeling emotion fizzle in her nose. “Me too. But it’s also when we’re needed the most.”

  He sighed. “I know. It doesn’t get any easier, though.”

  “If it did, I would worry about you.”

  One side of his mouth quirked. “I kinda like the thought of you worrying about me.” Something warm wriggled in her belly, but before she could respond, he jerked his chin toward his medicine bag. “Could you hand me the syringe of antibiotics? I marked it with a blue sticker on the end.”

  Yvonne nodded and grabbed the shot, handing it to Steve as he lowered himself to a sitting position. Nestling the terrified dog into the crook of his knee, he massaged her neck before stretching her leg out. “Could you cover her eyes?”

  Yvonne’s gaze darted to his. “Seriously?”

  “Yep. It’s instinctual for them to squirm when they see the shot. Needles are scary, even to dogs.”

  “Okay,” she said, resting her palm over the Chihuahua’s eyes. She’d been to more puppy mills than she cared to count. She’d helped with hundreds of antibiotic injections and never once had she been asked to cover a dog’s eyes. Though every part of her doubted the legitimacy of this, the dog didn’t flinch or pull away until the needle was already in.

  “There we go.” Steve dropped the empty syringe into a bag marked Used. “Could you tell them to be really careful when bathing her, or any of the other dogs who are infected. Don’t put her in the pool with the other dirty water. Use fresh water from a hose and a very gentle soap.”

  “I’ll tell them.” Yvonne stared in awe at Steve. He was truly incredible.

  On paper, everything that Steve did to help these animals was the same as any other vet… and yet, it wasn’t. She’d seen veterinarians working at puppy mills, helping dog after dog get treated. She’d watched as infected dogs and cats got injections. But no veterinarian in her experience was ever so tender. She’d never in all her years seen a vet be concerned about the dog’s reaction to seeing a needle.

  “You’re amazing.” The admission slipped from her lips faster than she’d had time to stop it. If she wasn’t wearing disgusting work gloves, she would have dropped her face into her hands right then and there. “I mean—well…” With a sigh, she smiled in spite of herself. “I mean you’re amazing. Seriously. You’re saving them in a way that I could never do single-handedly.”

  He stroked his thumb between the Chihuahua’s eyes. “With great power comes great responsibility.” His grin widened at Yvonne.

  “Superman?”

  “Close. Spider-Man.”

  She laughed. “How was that close?”

  “It started with an ‘S’.”

  She shook her head, standing with the dog in her arms. The Chihuahua’s shivering had almost stopped, and the little animal sighed. “I know, sweet girl. You’re safe now. I promise.”

  “For the record, Yvonne? I think you’re pretty amazing, too.”

  Butterflies lurched from her stomach into her chest and a swell of emotion crashed over her.

  “Steve!” A leggy brunette with beautifully tanned skin and glistening brown eyes grinned at him, walking over with a medical bag in hand. “Steve, it’s so great to see you.”

  “Dawn.” Steve flicked another glance at Yvonne before standing and giving the woman a hug.

  A flush crawled across Yvonne’s skin and she felt a sudden protectiveness for Sophy. I’m not that guy, my ass, she thought.

  “Dawn, this is Yvonne, animal rescuer extraordinaire. Yvonne, this is Dr. Dawn DeLaine. We went to veterinary school together.” His arm held fast around Dawn’s waist, tugging her against his hip.

  Yvonne managed a tight-lipped smile, offering Dawn her hand. She was willowy and tall, with sleek dark hair and tailored black pants. She was everything Yvonne’s parents tried to make her into, and everything Yvonne had rejected. “Dr. DeLaine, I can’t thank you enough for helping out tonight.” Dawn took her hand and despite its delicateness, she had a firm grip.

  “I’m happy to help. Any friend of Steve’s…” She winked at him. “And please, call me Dawn.”

  Something in the way Dawn winked at Steve, her eyes lingering and drifting down his body… Yvonne felt like she was walking into the middle of something, and was suddenly extremely uncomfortable. “Well, supplies are over on that table. We’re mostly just trying to get all the dogs comfortable and clean for transport. And we’re in desperate need of fosters if you have any clients—”

  “Oh, I definitely do,” Dawn nodded. “I have a cat at home, but I could take one of the smaller, more docile dogs with me for a few days at least.”

  Yvonne smiled and Dawn matched her grin. Yep, she liked this girl already. “That would be amazing, thank you.” Dawn nodded, rushing off to the other end of the yard to begin work. Yvonne watched her for a moment as she coaxed a puggle out of its cage.

  Steve tucked a hand into Yvonne’s elbow, tenderly pulling her into his body. The Chihuahua blinked slowly, nearly asleep. His heavy breaths pushed against her chest and his body heat radiated strong against her skin. “You okay?” he asked, searching her face for answers.

  Yvonne chewed her bottom lip, and as she gained courage, she lifted her gaze to his. Those blue eyes twinkled beneath the heated work lamps. A bead of sweat trickled from his hairline down his temple and over his scar. “I’m fine,” she said, only the words came out shaky. Her gaze traveled to where Dawn knelt next to the crate. “She seems really sweet, Steve.”

  His eyebrows pulled together. “Yeah, she is. She’s one of my best friends from vet school.”

  Yvonne raised an eyebrow. Friends? And she couldn’t help the relief she felt at that.

  Steve pulled back, dropping his hand from her elbow. “What?” he said, sounding suddenly defensive. “Dawn and I are just friends. That’s all.”

  “I didn’t say you weren’t.” Yvonne kept her voice even, but even with that, she was never good at masking her feelings.

  He gave a derisive snort. “Why do I even feel the need to explain myself to you? You haven’t spoken to me in years. What the hell do you care who I am or am not sleeping with?”

  “I don’t care. I didn’t even say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to. I already told you. I’m not that guy. Dawn and I are friends. That’s all.”

  “Fine. But you are awfully defensive considering all I said was that she was sweet.”

  Steve shook his head, bending to scoop up his medicine bag. “If your fiancé is half as interested in his ex’s dating life as you are in mine, you two are in for quite a marriage.”

  The insult knocked the wind right out of her, her stomach tightening with the blow. “Steve!” she called after him as he walked away. But he didn’t turn around. “I’m not engaged anymore,” she muttered. But he was too far away to hear her.

  ‡

  Chapter Six

  Steve sighed, flopping against the building with a sigh. Dawn sidled up beside him, handing him a coffee.

  “Where the hell did you get this?” he asked.

  She shrugged and sipped hers. “The redhead over there brought a container of coffee for everyone.” She nodded across the street toward Lila, who owned a local diner with her mother.

  Lila stood talking to Yvonne and her assistant Carrie, while they all hovered around the coffee as though it was an oxygen tank in space. Even with dozens of volunteers helping, it had taken hours to get all the dogs cleaned and cared for. And thank God for the fact that none of them seemed to require surgery—yet. In
the next day or so, they might begin to see other trauma.

  “She’s beautiful,” Dawn said from behind her coffee cup. Her brown-eyed gaze slid from Yvonne to him.

  He rolled his eyes in response. “Mmm,” he grunted. “It’ll never happen.”

  Yvonne’s laughter boomed through the night as she threw her head back, finding something Carrie said hilarious. She was sitting on the hood of her car, with her feet tucked beneath her. She quieted and wiped an eye, looking over at them. Her laugh turned brittle and she ducked her gaze away.

  “You sure about that?” Dawn’s rose-colored mouth curved.

  “Yes.” He looked down at his swinging legs.

  “Okay, okay. Jeez. No need to get so snippy…” But her voice faded, and when Steve finally looked at his friend again, she was staring at him, eyes narrowed. “She’s the one,” she finally whispered.

  “The what?”

  “The one. The girl from your accident. The one you refuse to talk about, isn’t she?”

  He sniffed and scratched behind his neck. “Dawn—”

  “She is!” Dawn pushed off the wall, pointing at him. “You scratched your neck. That’s her. Oh my God, I never thought I’d meet this girl.”

  “Well, you did. Can you drop it now?”

  “Oh, Steve. Please tell me—”

  Carrie and Yvonne walked toward them, and Steve nearly stomped on Dawn’s pricey leather boots to get her to shut her trap.

  “Hey,” Yvonne said, her cheeks the most lovely shade of pink. “I just wanted to thank you both again. Please send me the bill and we’ll do everything we can to cover the costs. Between Maple Grove Animal Rescue and the Laconia Humane Society, we should be able to meet a monthly payment plan.”

  Dawn shifted a look at Steve before grinning. “No need for the thanks. Besides, Steve spent the last ten minutes convincing me to rip up and throw away any bill I might have for tonight.”

  “Please don’t do that. It shouldn’t come out of your pocket. That’s very sweet, but we have a budget for things of this nature.”

  Dawn nodded. “I know. I’m not promising to throw away the bill every time. But for now you can use that budget on the next problem. Besides, some of these guys are gonna need some serious doses of antibiotics. The first one’s free, right?”

  Steve laughed at Dawn’s dark sense of humor. “Did you just make a dealer joke?”

  “Don’t pretend you weren’t about to make the same joke.” Dawn shoved him with a shoulder.

  His eyes stayed on Yvonne, who was doing everything in her power to find somewhere else to look. It was hard to explain to most women, but that was just Dawn. She was naturally flirtatious, but also a fiercely loyal friend. And if something were ever going to happen between them, it would have long ago.

  Dawn followed his gaze to Yvonne, and she cleared her throat, scooting a few inches away from him. He inwardly shook his head. Too little, too late, Dawn.

  “Hey, Yvonne, Carrie…we were going to go the 24-hour Denny’s to grab something to eat after this. Wanna join?” she asked.

  Carrie nodded. “I’m starvi—”

  “No, thank you,” Yvonne said at the same time. She blinked rapidly, meeting Steve’s glances for a half second before looking down at her phone. “I have to find homes for the twenty dogs I’m taking tonight.” She sighed. “Plus, I have a sick dog to get home to, too.”

  Dawn’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m sorry.” Then she gave a quick side glance to Steve. “Should we have Carrie or someone bring you something to eat?”

  “Thanks, but it’s really not necessary. I’ll be fine.”

  With that, Yvonne headed back to the several vans of caged dogs.

  “Hey, Yvonne!” Steve chased after her, jogging to catch up. “Which dogs are you taking?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know which ones exactly yet. The Humane Society is almost entirely full though, so I’ll be finding them as many foster homes as fast as I can.” She checked her phone. “And it’s almost too late to call around to my volunteers.”

  “Here.” Steve grabbed a scrap of paper from his back pocket and, looking around the cages, wrote down which dogs were in most dire need. “These guys will need the most medical attention. When you get them into fosters, be sure to bring them to me for treatments. I’ll be able to give you a huge break on bills. Basically just the medications at cost. And if you need me to take one or two home with me, I’m sure Molly won’t mind.”

  She shook her head, dropping her hand to her thigh. “I can’t let you do that. You deserve to be paid for your time.”

  “Seriously, it’s not a problem. Are you able to take the Chihuahua tonight? Her infection is the worst, and I’d like to get her out of that cage as soon as possible.”

  “I’m way ahead of you.” She pulled open the door to the backseat of her car. Curled in the back, the Chihuahua lay on a pile of blankets, already fast asleep.

  “Good.” There was a pause as a feeling of regret surged through his chest. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. Dawn and I spent most of grad school convincing people we were just friends. Guess I’m still a little defensive. But I had no right assuming anything about your fiancé. I mean, if he managed to steal your heart, he must be pretty damn great.” It felt like the right thing to do—apologizing. And it didn’t hurt that maybe he was fishing for answers about her engagement status while he was at it. Shameless, he knew. And yet, he also didn’t care.

  She didn’t respond immediately. And Steve didn’t walk away.

  “I was prying. I’m the one who should be apologizing.” She offered him a regretful half-smile as she moved around to the driver’s side and climbed into the front seat. Something tightened in his throat at seeing her there behind the wheel. So near another windshield that had caused her so much damage.

  She had been prying. Making assumptions. The question was—why? Why did she care? Why did he catch her staring at him like she did when they were in high school and still in love? She should hate him… hell, she did hate him. The proof had been in that letter. Had she moved past the hatred finally? Was it simply curiosity? Or had that ember never been fully extinguished—even after almost thirteen years? That was the thing about embers. When you kick one, it can either spark into a flame or tamp out. And Steve had no idea if he was ready to handle the kind of fire he knew Yvonne could spark.

  ‡

  Chapter Seven

  It had taken another two hours to find temporary fosters for the twenty dogs, three of which Yvonne had to bring home to her one bedroom herself. Carrie took another two home.

  The next morning, Yvonne sat outside Elsa’s diner, Gatsby at her feet and Carrie across the table from her. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, the pressure feeling surprisingly good despite the stress piling up. “What are we going to do? We used all the grant money to reimburse past medical expenses. How are we going to afford this? How are we going to place twenty more dogs into homes?” she asked, more to herself than her assistant.

  Assistant. She hated that term. Carrie was so much more than an assistant. She was her colleague. Her partner. Her friend.

  “Well…” Carrie flipped through some papers. “We have two thousand in the rescue funds. That should be enough to get by… for now.”

  “Barely. Not after we cover the cost of food and medicines. That will maybe last us a couple of weeks with twenty new dogs. Not to mention the other eight kittens we took the other day and our fifteen other foster dogs we need to get adopted.” Money had always been an issue with their rescue. Yvonne and Carrie had perfected the art of grant writing, and their fundraising efforts were getting better and better. Yet, with animals constantly in need, they managed to burn through those funds faster than a fire through a paper factory.

  There was silence as the two sat there staring at their uneaten plates of eggs and toast. Yvonne shoved hers around with the fork a little bit, swirling them with her potatoes. God, this sucked.

  “Didn
’t you say that your parents had—”

  “Carrie, no.”

  “But it’s your money—”

  “I said no. We can do this without their help.”

  “Ummm.” Carrie tapped the edge of her spoon to the table, in thought. “We could have another dinner party?”

  Yvonne shook her head. “The only people who end up buying those plated meals are our friends and families. It doesn’t really bring in new donors or money.”

  Silence again. Looking up beyond Carrie’s shoulders, she saw Steve stretch from within his booth inside the diner. He signaled to Elsa for the check and stood, grabbing his wallet from his pocket.

  Yvonne licked her lips, remembering the sight of Steve shirtless in his running shorts. The way his muscles clenched as he lifted his body out of the lake. A thought slipped into her mind. “We could do an adoption event… like a 10K or a Fun Run or something. At the end of the run we could have food and a party with all the adoptable dogs.”

  “Oh! I like that! We can publicize it around the state too, so that we bring in people not just from Maple Grove. Runners travel all over for races!”

  “The Humane Society will help us advertise it, I’m sure.” Yvonne felt that little flutter of excitement in her belly. The kind she always got when she knew she had a great idea. “This could be good. Maybe we can have one longer race… around six miles, and another shorter run for families who want to participate, but aren’t serious runners.”

  “I love the idea!” Carrie squealed and kicked her feet under the table. “And we could have the event after the run at Steve’s clinic! He has that awesome doggy playground in the back for physical therapy and when he boards animals.”

  Yvonne’s fork froze midway to her mouth. She cleared her throat and resumed chewing. “Um, yeah. Or, you know, we could ask the Laconia Humane Society to use their facility?”