by J. M. Snyder
Dr. Copeland tilted Charlie around and around and the fucker didn’t even try to bite him. Maybe his daughter was right. Maybe Charlie bit only Shawn.
The vet scrunched his brow and glanced at them. “Where is the lump?”
Seriously? Shawn was reconsidering his first impression. The guy might be hot, but he clearly wasn’t very good at his job. At all. The lump was literally right in front of him.
Clementine slipped her hand into his. “Show him, Daddy,” she murmured, pleading at him with her big blue eyes.
Shawn pointed to the can’t-miss-it-huge-lump. “Right there. We just noticed it this morning. Do you…do you think it’s a tumor?”
Dr. Copeland snorted and deep dimples on each cheek made an appearance as he returned Charlie to the box and took a deep breath.
Shawn stared at him. Hard. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Laughing at the possibility his daughter’s pet could be dying right there?
The vet cocked his head and smiled at Clementine. “Charlie is going to be okay.”
“He is?” she squealed. “Promise?”
Shawn shook his head as the vet nodded. “Dr. Copeland—”
“Logan,” he offered. “You can call me Logan.”
Shawn met his gaze and there went that surge to his toes again. Fuck. What was up with this guy? “Logan.” He raked his fingers through his shaggy hair and wished he’d made time for a haircut recently. “Um, I’m Shawn.” He sighed. He was losing his train of thought. He glanced at the box. Right…Charlie! “How can you say he’s okay? That lump. It wasn’t there before.”
Logan cleared his throat and swallowed, and Shawn couldn’t take his eyes off the man’s Adam’s apple, bobbing up and down. He wondered how Logan tasted…right there.
The vet glanced at Clementine again and pursed his lips for a moment, then met Shawn’s gaze. “So, Charlie doesn’t have a lump, or growth, or anything that could hurt him. Charlie is…maturing,” he explained, his gaze boring into Shawn, eyes twinkling.
It took a minute for the word to sink in. Holy shit. Shawn’s mouth gaped as he stared at Logan. He’d rushed to the vet in a panic because the hamster’s testicles had descended?
Logan smiled, clearly understanding that his explanation had sunk in. “No charge,” he added, his lips twitching with amusement.
Shawn had never felt so embarrassed. Heat flooded his face as he picked up the box. “Thank you.”
“Daddy, Charlie’s going to be okay!”
He nodded, attempting to tug her along. Now that the fear had subsided, she was more interested in talking to the vet.
“You have paw prints on your shirt and your pants,” she pointed out.
He laughed. “I do. I also have a set just like this with Snoopy on it, too.”
She jumped in delight and pulled her hand from Shawn’s to clap. “My daddy has a Snoopy shirt! And Snoopy pajamas!”
Logan quirked an eyebrow. “Really?” Heat flashed in his eyes. “I’d sure like to see that…sometime.”
Holy cow, the heat flashing in Logan’s eyes would melt any snow headed their way. He focused on his daughter, still too embarrassed by the whole hamster testicle thing. “Clem, we have to go. Zip up your coat, honey. It’s still cold out.”
“It’s going to snow,” she informed Logan. “A lot.”
“I know. This is my first snow. I just moved here from Florida.”
Florida to Windy Oaks, Missouri? That was definitely a change. “Make sure you’re prepared in case the power goes out,” Shawn advised.
“I’m in a hotel down the road until the moving van arrives tomorrow. Hampton Inn off Highway 76.”
Why was he sharing that with Shawn?
“Well, they’re probably set for the storm. Come on, Clem. We’ve got to get you to Grandma and Grandpa’s house before the snow starts.”
“Yay! I get to spend the night there! Two nights,” she confided to Logan in a loud whisper. “We’re going to make Valentine’s cookies. With sprinkles.”
“I bet they turn out yummy!”
She nodded seriously. “But we can only have one because we’re saving them for Valentine’s Day on Sunday. Grandma says we have to keep our eyes on Grandpa ‘cause he tries to steal them. Especially ones with frosting. We’re going to make heart ones and chocolate chip ones and peanut butter ones.”
Shawn bit back a smile and watched her tick each kind of cookie on her fingers. She was on a roll and he knew what that was like. To give Logan credit, the man followed along, staying engaged with Clem. She tended to wear out some people, but the hot vet seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.
He snuck a peek at the vet’s hand. No ring. Shawn hadn’t dated—truly dated—in years. His parents took Clem one weekend a month to give him some down-time. He used to go out one of those nights and find a guy to hook up with, but maybe he’d outgrown that, because he just couldn’t find the interest for the bars or clubs anymore. God, was he already an old man at thirty-two?
His gaze landed on Logan’s muscled thighs and heat spread through his belly as he imagined being trapped between them. Fuck, he liked a strong man. Liked feeling the weight of a man on him. And Logan oozed strength. Shawn’s felt flush at the dirty images filling his mind. Now was not the time, he chastised himself.
“Daddy, right?”
He stared at his daughter and blinked. “What? I’m sorry. My mind wandered.” He dared a glance at Logan and his breath caught when he saw his hazel eyes crinkling with amusement. Damn. Busted again. The way Logan looked at him told Shawn the vet knew exactly where his mind had been wandering.
Clem stomped her foot to let him know she was exasperated. “Your favorite cookies are the heart ones, right?”
He tore his gaze from Logan. “Uh, right. Yes. Favorites. Mine.” Good God, could he try to remember how to talk? It was bad enough he’d rushed Charlie to the vet for descended testicles, but now he was making a fool of himself over the sexy veterinarian.
“I’ll bring some home and we can bring you some for Valentine’s Day, okay, Dr. Copeland?”
Logan laughed. “I would love some cookies. But we’re not open Sunday.”
She brought her finger to mouth and tapped away as she thought—a habit she got from Shawn. She liked to mimic him. Her eyes widened and she smiled. “You can come over Sunday! I’ll be back from Grandma and Grandpa’s house and I’ll have lots of cookies. Right, Daddy?”
Shit. “Um, honey, I’m sure Dr. Co—I mean, Logan—already has plans for Valentine’s Day.”
Logan stepped around the exam table and leaned forward. “Actually, my Sunday is wide open,” he confided, his hot breath skimming Shawn’s cheek.
Shawn gulped. Was Logan messing with him? Trying to be nice because of Clem? “Um, well, sure…why don’t you stop by Sunday around three?”
Logan grinned and cocked his head. “I would love to. Thanks for the invite, Clementine.”
She scrunched up her face as she stared back at him. “Why are you alone on Valentine’s Day? It’s the day for love.”
Shawn nearly choked. “Honey, that’s not polite. You’re asking personal questions.”
Clementine harrumphed and shrugged. “Why? You don’t love anybody either, Daddy.”
Logan chuckled while Shawn grabbed her hand and tried to pull her along. “Yes, I do.”
Logan’s eyebrows rose as their gazes met.
“I love you, Clem. You’re my Valentine.”
She giggled. “I know that. I mean you don’t have a boyfriend.” She turned her attention to Logan. “He’s a good daddy and makes yummy chicken.”
Holy shit. She was trying to play matchmaker. He narrowed his eyes at his daughter. Here he’d thought she was just being innocent by inviting Logan over for cookies and she’d had an ulterior motive the whole time. The doc didn’t need to know he was a good daddy…or that he’d love to call Logan “Daddy” while they were naked and sweaty and…fuck, he needed to get out of there.
> “Clem, that’s enough.” He finally glanced at Logan again and shook his head. “I’m sorry. She’s…got ideas. Um, I guess you need my address.”
Logan glanced at the paperwork on the clipboard. “Looks like I’ve got it. If you’re sure I should still come by?”
“Of course! You saved Charlie!”
They both laughed at that and Shawn nodded. “Of course.”
“You live on Poplar Lane?” Logan asked, an eyebrow raising.
“Yeah. Why?”
Logan chuckled low. “Nothing. I’ll see you…Sunday.”
Okay, that was weird. The guy nearly tripped over the word Sunday. “Okay. Stay safe. Snow could be coming in tonight.”
“Will do. See you later. Bye, Clementine,” he called as she trailed behind her dad, waving goodbye.
Chapter 2
Logan
He couldn’t stop smiling and Andrea finally called him on it.
“All right, what’s going on? You’ve been grinning for an hour and we don’t even have any patients. Not since the hamster, anyway. I’m bored out of my mind.”
“I have a…well, not a date, but plans with…well…” He leaned against the front counter. What was he supposed to call Sunday? A get-together? The cute dad hadn’t invited him, but Logan wasn’t blind, he’d seen the man’s interest. Hell, he was interested, too. He hadn’t reacted to a guy like that in a long time.
Shawn was sexy. Probably about six inches shorter than his own six-four. Even through the heavy jacket, it was obvious the guy was in good shape. Add in the light blond hair, a little on the shaggy side, matching stubble on his jaw, and the sky blue eyes, and Logan was in lust.
But it was the way Shawn acted with his daughter that pulled at his heartstrings. The love between them was strong and apparent in everything they said and did. Clementine was adorable and clearly adored her dad. And Charlie? He chuckled. That was one for the books. He’d never had someone bring in a hamster for descended testicles before.
Andrea cleared her throat.
He laughed. “Sorry. Got a little lost in my head there for a minute.” He shrugged, then told her about little Clementine basically setting him up with her dad. By the time he was done, Andrea was laughing along with him.
“That’s the cutest thing ever, though.”
He had to agree. And finding out they lived on Poplar Lane was an interesting bit of information, but he was new to town and wasn’t exactly sure how the streets ran. Shawn’s house could be across town from where he was thinking.
The wind whistled through the front window and he looked outside. Branches waved in the air from the grove of trees across the road, and the skies had darkened. He turned back to Andrea and thumbed over his shoulder. “Snow’s definitely coming. We don’t have any appointments, so how about we close up a little early? Greg already called and said he’s coming in soon.”
When Logan had first started at the clinic, he’d taken a few night shifts himself, but once Greg started and the man made it known he was a night owl and preferred the evening shifts, they’d mostly been given to him. While they weren’t open evenings, someone stayed with the animals overnight. Right now, they had only one dog and two cats, all three to be picked up by Monday. The guy had a way with animals, and since he was in college, he said it gave him time to study, too.
Logan’s own dog, Bailey, was at the clinic every day, too, because he couldn’t leave him at the hotel, but he left with him each night. Logan couldn’t wait to move into his new home. He hoped the coming snow didn’t delay the moving van tomorrow. He was anxious to finally get settled. Living out of a hotel was getting old.
“Logan?” Andrea stood watching him.
He shook his head, scattering his thoughts. “Sorry. So, closing early?”
Her eyes sparkled and she smiled. “No argument from me. I’m ready to get out of here!”
“Big plans tonight?”
She grinned and did a little standing-in-place kind of jig. “Yes. Me. Sherry. A bottle of wine. Pizza. And we’re going to binge on Doris Day movies.”
He laughed. He’d been working at the clinic only for a couple of weeks, but he’d already come to think of Andrea as a friend. She was warm and honest and passionately loved the animals.
She picked up a couple of fortune cookies from her desk. “We never ate these after lunch. Want one?”
Usually he passed. They weren’t his favorite, but he was a little hungry. “Sure.”
She handed it over, and he tore open the clear plastic package and broke the cookie in half as she did the same.
“Woo-hoo.” Andrea held out the little slip of paper. “Says I’m going to win the lottery if I play these numbers.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”
“Why not? Might be worth a shot,” she said with a shrug. “What does yours say?”
He pulled the slip of paper from the broken cookie pieces and his eyes widened in surprise. The words were so tiny, he had to squint as he brought it closer to his face and read it out loud…
“Among the sweets and colors blue
Your destiny waits for you
Among the poplars and the snow
Three hearts meet and love will grow.”
“What the hell? Let me see that,” she exclaimed, and he handed it over. “I’ve never seen a fortune like this!”
Poplars? It had to be another coincidence. A shiver ran down his spine and he shook his head, laughing. He wasn’t going to read anything into it. Not even when the image of Shawn’s blue eyes came to mind.
“Three hearts? Something you want to tell me Logan?” she teased.
Heat flooded his face as he shook his head. Nope. Not mentioning any of his threesomes from his younger days. Never gonna happen.
Her laughter bounced through the room as she shut down her computer and cleaned up their mess. “Well, I’m still going to play the lottery. Want to go in on it with me?”
Logan pulled out his wallet and handed her a few dollars. “Might as well. Never know, right?”
* * * *
Ten minutes later, he was locking the door, and trying to balance a new bag of dog food while Bailey wagged his tail and tugged hard at his leash, eager to go for a ride in the truck. The air smelled of snow and he wondered how much longer it would hold off. Dark gray clouds loomed over the town, and all he’d heard throughout the day was the biggest snowstorm of the year was on the way.
Bailey settled into the passenger seat of the Silverado and Logan stored the dog food behind his seat. Soon, they made their way to Poplar Lane and his new home. The real estate agent had texted to say he’d had to run out of town, but he’d left the keys with Logan’s next door neighbor. Since Logan’s house stood on the corner, he had only one neighbor on the east side.
As he pulled into the subdivision, he smiled. The neighborhood wasn’t new, but it was well-kept. Lots of ranches and two-stories. Tree-lined streets. A small park and pool for the residents was only one block from his new home. It was a family-friendly place and most of the homes had fencing around the backyards. He was thrilled the house he purchased had one and couldn’t wait to let Bailey out in it.
“You’re going to love our new home,” he told the Golden Retriever currently staring out the window at the passing homes, mouth open, tongue lolling out. Logan rubbed the dog’s head. “Such a good boy.”
Bailey side-eyed him and gave a quiet woof of delight before he turned back to the window.
Logan pulled into the drive of the house, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face. The two-story needed a good paint job and he had a lot of ideas for upgrades inside, but the wrap-around porch was what had sold him. The moment he’d laid eyes on it, he’d known he was going to buy the house and install a porch swing. A vintage-styled swing, large enough for two or more people. He dreamed for the day he would be rocking there, wrapped up in a cozy blanket with the man of his dreams. Maybe sharing cocoa.
Oh, God. Get a grip, Logan.
When did your dreams turn into a Normal Rockwell painting? He laughed at himself and climbed out of the truck, Bailey close at his heels but ready to sprint.
He tightened the grip on the leash. “Stay with me,” he ordered.
Bailey wagged his tail in response.
Logan led Bailey along the sidewalk toward the ranch next door. He noted the pink bicycle leaning against the garage door and smiled. He loved kids. Someday he hoped to be in a committed relationship with a man that wanted to have children.
Bailey stopped to sniff the bike and give an appreciative bark before Logan managed to get him to the door. He rapped his knuckles against the wood and waited as he heard footsteps growing louder.
When the door opened, Logan’s breath whooshed out as he found himself staring into gorgeous blue eyes.
“Dr. Copeland?” Shawn’s eyebrows rose. “Is everything okay?”
Logan dropped the leash and Bailey, never one to miss out on a chance to make a mad dash, did just that, charging into the living room and running circles around the sofa.
Shawn’s mouth dropped open and Logan rushed forward to collect his dog. “Bailey! Bailey, stop it right now!”
The dog barked, lowering his head to his paws, his big tail fanning the air.
“No, Bailey, we’re not playing,” Logan warned. Please don’t break anything!
At the sound of a loud squeak, he and Bailey turned in unison to see Charlie watching from his cage, currently sitting on a round coffee table, while Shawn disappeared into another room.
Logan’s heart thudded as he pictured Bailey knocking over the cage. “Bailey! Come here.”
The dog barked and ran away, Logan hot on his heels until they reached the kitchen. Shawn stood at the back, the door wide open. Bailey spied the yard and practically flew out onto the deck and down the few stairs to the yard.
“Don’t worry. It’s fenced and the gate’s locked,” Shawn assured him.
Logan peered out over the yard, watching his dog tear around the perimeter like he owned the place. He chuckled and finally ripped away his gaze to smile at Shawn. “He’s in heaven out there. A whole new yard to smell? He’d be busy all night.”