The rich aroma of Columbian coffee wafted up into Jory Crosswind’s face as he took his first sip. He hummed with contentment at the robust flavor that spread across his tongue, the liquid piping hot, but that was exactly how he liked it. He’d never been one to do things half-assed, and that included his drinks. No lukewarm coffee for him; if that meant he brewed a new pot, then that’s what it meant.

And he really needed that jolt of caffeine right about now, because the mid-day slump was upon him in full force. He’d been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning, starting bright and early at six AM. Two large-breed dog spays, a couple feline neuters, and emergency exploratory abdominal surgery for a kitten who’d been vomiting nonstop—and that wasn’t counting the scheduled office visits—and it was only three in the afternoon

Now that he finally had a chance to take a breather, all he wanted to do was sit in the office and drink his weight in coffee. He needed to grab a quick bite to eat, but he’d been in a hurry this morning and had spaced packing a lunch. Maybe he could stop and buy a burger and some fries. His stomach clenched, gurgling loudly as if it liked this idea, and Jory laughed.

“Okay there, Doc?”

Hemi Tembrook was the newest addition to the Sundog Park Veterinary Hospital staff. Jory had hired him after one of his favorite assistants decided to step down and become a full-time mommy of three. Seeing as Hemi had all but dragged his cousin Kit out of his antisocial shell, it was the least he could do, and it was a good move, too. Their clientele loved him—and his lovable moose of a husky who came to work with Hemi every day.

Jory turned to face the man, who lounged in the oversized leather desk chair, his hands laced behind his head. Hemi raised a brow and Jory grinned. “Yeah. I’m good. I was just thinking about food. Forgot to pack a lunch and all of a sudden, I realized that I’m starving.” He patted his stomach and took another gulp of coffee.

“Jesus, it must run in the family. I’ve seen the lunches you pack! You and Kit are both bottomless pits.”

“Hey now,” Jory warned with a chuckle, pointing a finger at him. “To be fair, I earn every one of those calories at the gym. Plus, I haven’t eaten a bite since dinner yesterday and it’s been crazy busy. Hey, speaking of, when’s my next appointment?” If he was lucky, maybe he’d have time to run into town and grab fast food or a to-go box from the Sundance Diner.

Hemi rolled his chair across the room with a clatter of wheels on tile, coming to a halt in front of the reception desk. With a couple of clicks, he brought the computer to life. It took him three seconds of scrolling to find what would’ve taken Jory ten minutes. Give him a video game and he’d have it mastered in an hour, but computers? He didn’t quite speak their language.

“You’ve got about forty minutes before Zazu comes in for a routine check-up and nail trim,” Hemi announced. “So if you’re gonna make a food run, you’d better hurry. Actually…” He leaned forwards to fish his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans, then slapped a crisp five dollar bill into Jory’s hand. “Pick me up something, please?”

“Now who’s the bottomless pit?” Jory teased. “I saw you eating breakfast earlier!”

“Well, maybe I worked up an appetite before coming in for my shift. Ever think of that?” Hemi retorted.

Jory choked on his next swig of coffee, clapping a hand over his mouth so he didn’t sputter it all over the floor. Straightening up, he coughed. “I don’t want to hear about my cousin’s sex life, please and thank you.”

He was glad Kit was finally getting laid, but damn. He tucked the money into the pocket of his paw-print scrubs and turned the conversation back to something they could both enjoy. Like food. Though to be honest, sex didn’t sound half bad. “What do you want?”

The other man laughed, but his cheeks turned bright pink at Jory’s pointed look. “Sorry, Doc. I don’t care. A burger and fries? A couple of tacos? I’m not picky. Whatever you’re getting works for me.” He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug and Jory took that as his cue to leave.

He ran to the back to grab his jacket off the hook, pulling it on as he strolled to the front doors of the office. “Alright. I’m gonna jet. Hold down the fort while I’m gone and if Zazu’s mom gets here early, tell her that I went on an emergency lunch run.” She was a regular. She’d understand.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Jory escaped out into the damp spring day. The sun was peeking through gray clouds that held a promise of rain, whether they needed it or not. The sidewalks were still wet from this morning’s downpour and several earthworms had washed up onto the pavement. Jory was careful not to step on them on his way out to his SUV.

Despite the fact that hunger was gnawing at him, his attention wandered right back to Hemi’s snarky comment. Work up an appetite. Right. Lord, how long had it been since Jory had gotten laid? Awhile, that was for damn sure. He’d hooked up a couple of times to scratch the itch, but beyond that? It’d been years since his last real relationship.

His busy life kept him distracted, but every now and then he found himself wishing he had someone to snuggle with while watching late night talk shows. Someone to take out for dinner every once in awhile, someone to give his affection to that wasn’t four-legged and furry. For the longest time, he was content to be alone but lately, the loneliness had been growing a little bit louder.

The thing was, he wasn’t quite sure how to go about finding a lover. Dating sites? Grindr? Things had changed drastically since his college years. Back then, it seemed so easy and fluid to slide from partner to partner, exploring one another’s bodies between the sheets of dormitory beds. Now he didn’t even know where to look.

He released a sigh that puffed up his cheeks. It whistled out between his teeth. Maybe he should start thinking about trying to find someone. It was tempting for sure, but did he honestly have the time to dedicate to a relationship? He’d have to find someone who could handle his tendency to be a workaholic. Someone who wasn’t clinging to him every spare moment of the day.

Been there, done that, and it had been exhausting.

As he rolled up to the drive-through speaker, he pushed those thoughts off to the side. He could deal with them later. Right now, food was the only thing he wanted to think about. A static-y voice greeted him, “Hi there. Order whenever you’re ready!”

After a quick scan of the menu board, he ordered a couple of double cheeseburgers, two medium fries, a strawberry milkshake for him and an iced caramel coffee for Hemi. It wasn’t Brew You quality, but it would make him smile, and wasn’t that the point? Jory genuinely enjoyed making people happy.

At the window, he handed a pink-haired girl his Visa. The dye was so bright it was almost florescent, a loud pop of color in a sea of greyscale monotony. He grinned when she gave him back his card and the receipt, then added, “I love your hair.”

Her face lit up. “Thank you! My boss doesn’t like it too much, but fuck the police, right?” She laughed and waved a hand. “You have a great day, sir!”

“You too!” And just like that, he’d made someone’s day a little bit brighter. It gave him warm fuzzies inside. Or maybe that was the hunger setting in, he wasn’t sure. Collecting his drinks and a grease-stained brown paper bag of food, he drove back to the office. By the time he parked, his entire car smelled like a burger joint. He couldn’t wait to take a bite.

“Here.” Jory fished out a cheeseburger and a fry, then gave Hemi the coffee and his five dollars back. Hemi opened his mouth to argue, but Jory poked him in the chest, then popped a French fry into his mouth. Mmm, salty. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Consider it a tip. Let’s eat!”

His last client of the day was a last-minute appointment. Peri Andrews was one of the waitresses that worked over at the Sundance, but she was also one of Hemi’s friends. She’d called earlier this afternoon hoping they could squeeze her dog in before they closed and of course, Jory couldn’t turn away an animal in need. It wasn’t in his nature, so they’d penned her in. He’d already sent his techs home for the day, but he could handle a simple wellness check on his own.

“What’s going on with Rudy today?” he asked when she plopped the curly-haired poodle mix down on the exam table. Rudy’s tail began to wag. He blinked up at the vet with brown doe-eyes. After ruffling his ears, Jory grabbed a pair of purple gloves out of the box on the counter and pulled them on with a snap of latex.

“Nothing, really, except he’s got some really bad gas. I’m pretty sure he got into the trash this morning. You know how it is. He’s a sneaky little devil.” She peppered his fuzzy white head with kisses, then leaned against the table and met his gaze. “Actually, can I ask you a question? It’s kind of personal.” She made a face, then giggled. “Sorry.”

Jory blinked at her. “Sure?”

“Good. Okay, so first of all, thank you for bringing Thiessen home safe and sound—and before you ask, I know it was you. I know your car.” Peri was practically vibrating with restless energy, her words rushed together. “Here’s the thing, and Thiessen is gonna kill me for asking you cuz he doesn’t know I know, but is there any way you’d want to go on a date with him? Like, maybe Friday?”

For a moment, all he could do was stare at her. Wait, what? “A date?”

“Yes. With Thiessen.” She squirmed, nibbling on a fingernail. “He’s been in a funk and I’ve tried to hook him up with cute guys, but… Ugh, he’s gonna murder me. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he seems kinda smitten with you. I haven’t seen him show interest in anyone for a long time and I figured, maybe you’d wanna humor me and take him out? You don’t have to, of course—wait. Crap. Are you single?”

“Yes.” He grinned. She didn’t ask if he was gay, just if he was single. For some reason, that tickled him. She was ballsy, he’d give her that.

She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank god. So, what do you think?”

Jory could’ve laughed at the irony. He’d already made up his mind that he’d fiddle around online tonight and maybe put a couple pictures up on a dating site, and now Peri was playing matchmaker? What were the chances of that? “You didn’t have to book an appointment just to talk to me, you know.”

Pink crept up her neck to stain her cheeks, but she grinned like the cat that ate the canary. “Soooo? Is that a yes?” She batted her lashes, then threw both arms around Rudy to hug him to her chest. He whined and licked at her chin, obviously confused to why he was at the vet’s office. Jory was certain there wasn’t a thing wrong with the pup. “Pretty please? One little date, that’s all I ask.”

A date with Thiessen Ward. The enigma of Sundog Park.

Jory wasn’t the kind of person who could drive past someone in need. When he saw the man huddled on the shoulder of the road, his car flipped bottoms-up in the ditch behind him, everything inside of him screamed to stop and help. The poor guy had looked like a drowned cat, but he definitely hadn’t missed the way Thiessen had looked at him—really looked—and there was no denying the intensity in his green eyes.

Interest? Maybe. There’d definitely been a spark.

So why not? What could it hurt? If nothing else, they’d both get a meal out of it.

“Okay.”

Peri brightened. “Really?”

“Sure. I mean, I’m way out of the dating loop as it is. Maybe a blind date is exactly what we both need. When and where?”

“That’s for you to decide, big guy. You’re the one taking him out. Here, I’ll give you my number and when you figure out what you wanna do, text me and I’ll set everything up.” She bounced on the balls of her feet and ruffled Rudy’s curly fur. “Thank you!”

Jory shook his head and reached for the dog. “While you’re here, I’ll go ahead and do a quick physical exam. Might as well get what you paid for, right?”

Her smirk told him all he needed to know. “Don’t worry. I did.”

Thiessen meandered through the soggy lot of the used car dealership, his hands tucked into the pockets of his Levi’s. Peri bounced along at his side like an exuberant puppy, zig-zagging past him to take a look at the vehicles on display. She stopped to inspect a sleek golden car with chips of micro-glitter in its paint job.

Thiessen paused for only a moment, then wrinkled his nose. It was no doubt dazzling in the sunlight, but it had better be 24-karat gold glitter for that price tag.

“Sure you don’t wanna buy something new?” Peri ran her finger over the glossy finish almost wistfully.

He huffed. “It’ll be new.” New to him, anyway.

Standing up straight, Peri stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. “Yeah, but I mean new-new. Brand new. Never been driven, new-car-smell new. You can afford it, so why not? Why go with something that’s a few years old and already out of date?”

“I don’t do enough driving to warrant a brand new car, and it’s not like I need the fancy features.” He bunched his shoulders in a quick shrug. It was true. He really didn’t enjoy driving all that much anyway, and being a right-leg amputee, it meant he had to rely on hand controls. If it weren’t for needing that little glimmer of independence, he would’ve been perfectly happy to let Peri taxi him around.

She pouted. “But this one is so pretty.”

“You’re such a diva. Besides, gold’s not really my color,” he replied. “Let’s keep looking.”

He continued to browse until he found something that caught his eye. A two-year-old hunter green Jeep crossover with a step-bar and only about ten thousand miles on it. The salesman played it up, showcasing its best features in that smarmy charm that all salesmen seemed to possess, but all Thiessen cared about was that it drove soundly.

“Let’s take it out,” Peri announced, plucking the keys from the man’s hand before climbing up into the driver’s seat. Thiessen moved around to the other side of the vehicle and while Peri drove them through town, he played with buttons in an attempt to figure out the dash. “This is nice.”

“Pretty smooth,” he agreed, glancing out the window.

“Has satellite radio!”

“That’s not a necessity, Perr.”

“It is if you ever wanna take a road trip,” she replied with a too-sweet smile. “Lighten up, Mr. Grumpypants.”

“I’m not grumpy, just tired. I didn’t sleep well.” He huffed. Insomnia was a bitch, but the bright side was that he was blazing through his novel at break-neck speed. He couldn’t remember the last time the words flowed so easily.

Peri’s eyebrows jumped up. “Ooh? Naughty dreams again, Thee? You’re kinda obsessed with that guy, huh?”

“Fuck off.”

She just laughed. “Actually, I’ve got a solution to your lack-of-boyfriend problems.”

The way she said it, her voice pitching high with badly-concealed excitement, made his stomach lurch. Oh lord, he knew that tone. He scowled at her. “Please. Not another blind date—”

“Hear me out, at least! So, he’s like, super gorgeous and totally your type. You know, tall, dark and handsome? And he’s inked. If I wasn’t so sure he was gay, I’d totally snatch him up for myself.” She sighed dreamily, batting her lashes.

The tightness in Thiessen’s throat thickened and he swallowed hard. “Okay. So?”

“So.” She cast him a pointed look. “I talked to him and he’s game for a date.”

Yep. He knew it. “I’ll pass,” he said dryly.

“No, no, no. I mean it, you’re gonna drool when you see him. Please go? Pretty please? If you go and you absolutely hate it, I’ll… I’ll…” She nibbled her lip and thought about it for a moment. “I’ll be your personal maid for a month, how about that? I’ll do your housework and all you have to do is go on one teeny-weeny date with a hottie. Yes?”

Thiessen leaned back in his seat and scrubbed both hands over his face. “Peri.” The last blind date she’d set him up with had been disastrous. The guy was cute, he’d give him that. Dinner had been nice, but he’d gotten super handsy halfway through the movie and Thiessen had freaked out. He ended up walking the two miles back to Peri’s place. He hadn’t gone out since.

“Please?” Her voice was a whine. “Don’t make me get dramatic. You know I’ll do it.”

He sighed. He hated turning her down. He knew she wanted him to have a little happiness in his life. She only wanted the best for him, which made him feel like a grade-A jerk when he blew her off. Worse, it made him feel like a terrible friend. Sometimes he didn’t know why she stuck around.

What could one date hurt? He could consider it research for his novel, if nothing else. Have dinner, share a few drinks and some probably-awkward conversation, and then he could politely duck out and return to his boring-but-safe life.

“Okay, fine, but if I text you an SOS, you’d better haul ass to come get me. I’m not walking home in the rain,” he grumbled.

She squealed so loudly his ears rang. “Yay! Thank you. This one’s like, ten times better than the last guy, I promise.” She bounced in her seat. “Ready to go back and test drive another one?”

“Nah. This one’ll do,” he told her. It rode smooth and the seats were comfortable, and maybe the satellite radio would end up being neat, though he doubted he’d be going on a road trip anytime soon. “Let’s take her back so I can write them a check and be done with it. Once I install the hand controls, I’ll drop you off at your car. Does that work?”

She flashed a one-hundred watt smile. “Sounds like a plan!”

Friday evening came all too soon, and with it came an explosion of nerves. Thiessen had spent the better part of the afternoon anxiously pacing and flipping through his entire wardrobe to try and find something half-decent to wear. This was why he didn’t date. He hated the jitters and he was definitely getting cold feet, but Peri refused to let him back out.

She lounged on his bed, her hands laced behind her head, with one leg swung up to balance perfectly poised on her knee. She wiggled her toes inside her pug-patterned socks.

“Breathe,” she reminded him as he yanked hangers back and forth on the bars of his walk-in closet.

He scowled. “Shut up.” His stomach felt like it might eat itself.

“Thiessen. Relax! This guy is a gentleman. Trust me on this, okay? Have a little faith in your BFF.” She hummed a few bars of a song that was vaguely familiar, then stretched her arms out on either side of her. The king-sized mattress dwarfed her five-two pixie frame. “Just be yourself.”

He snorted at that. “Right. Because I’m such a great person.”

“Oh, shut up. You are a great person! You’re the best person I know and one of these days, you’ll see it. So just take a deep breath and pick a damn outfit before I pick it for you.”

He settled on tight-fitting black skinny jeans and a silky white button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He paired that with a fitted blazer and his leather Doc Martens. “This is as good as its gonna get,” he muttered, staring himself up and down in the reflection of his full-length mirror.

Peri squealed softly. “You’re hot. Here, let me do your hair.”

He knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer so with a sigh, he followed her into the bathroom and let her work her magic. Her years of beauty school shone through with the way she styled his hair in an array of tousled spikes. A couple swipes of black eyeliner along his water-lines brought out the “moody” in his green eyes—or so she said.

“Perfection.”

“I feel like I’m gonna puke.”

“You’ll be fine,” she promised him. “Okay! It’s almost six. Are you ready?”

“No.” He seriously felt like he might worship the porcelain throne at any moment, but she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall. He limped after her, grumbling all the way.

He’d asked her where they were going about a hundred times, but she’d been hush-hush all week. He wasn’t surprised that they were going out of town, since restaurants were slim pickings in a town like Sundog Park, but when she pulled up to one of Archer Pointe’s fancier steakhouses, he scowled. Damn it, she knew him too well. A perfectly grilled steak was his kryptonite.

She beamed at him. “Just relax and have fun, okay? Text me if you need me. I love you, Thee!”

“Love you, too.” He stepped out of the car and stood on the curb for a moment. Before he could chicken out and get back in, she honked and sped off down the road. He stifled a groan. “Okay. You can do this. Can’t be any worse than last time, right?”

He hoped.

Sucking down a couple of deep breaths, he grabbed the handle of the door and went inside. The rich and savory scents of sizzling, peppery steak filled the air and waitstaff bustled past with their arms loaded down by ceramic plates heaping with food.

His stomach squeezed with hunger despite his nerves. He hesitated in the entryway, glancing at the “Please Wait To Be Seated” sign. Stretching up on his tip-toes, he looked out over tables, wondering how the hell he’d recognize his date, only to see a dark-haired man wave him over. That must be the guy.

Thiessen took two strides towards the table and froze, the breath halting in his lungs with an icy chill. The man sitting there, waiting for him with a warm smile on his gorgeous face, was none other than his roadside savior.

Peri, what have you done?