Chapter Twelve

Hal

The next morning, I stand at the door of Izzy’s room, lean on the wall, and watch her. She has a terrier under sedation, and she’s in the process of cleaning the pads of its paws. It has a demodex infection, the tiny mites burrowing into its feet, and it’s been wearing a cone of shame for months. It’s going to feel a whole lot better once she’s cleaned it up.

Her hair is tied back this morning, and she’s leaning over the dog, lost in concentration. Nurse Em, standing beside her, spots me and raises her eyebrows, asking me if I want to interrupt Izzy, but I give a little shake of my head. Em glances at Izz and her lips curve up, but she doesn’t say anything.

I’m content to wait and observe. Izzy’s wearing an interesting long-sleeved T-shirt with colored horizontal stripes—nothing like her usual olive-green or russet-colored tops. She’s in a colorful mood. I wonder if it has anything to do with our kiss.

The T-shirt clings to her slender figure, outlining her breasts and her narrow waist. I remember how she felt last night, when I pressed up against her under the tree. She was so nervous, actually shaking when I first kissed her, but as soon as I touched my lips to hers it was as if all that tension went away. And when she slid her hands onto my skin, I had to fight not to tear off her clothes and have her there and then.

But I know I’ve got to take it slow. Izzy needs seducing, and I’m more than happy to play along.

Wow, she looks sexy though. Maybe it’s because of the way she’s dealing with the dog. She’s so calm, so capable. She brings a woman’s compassion with her smart brain, and it’s an enticing mix. Her hands are slender but strong. I have no problem imagining them closing around the erection that miraculously appears when I think about seeing her naked.

It’s been a while since I’ve had sex, so maybe that’s why I’m feeling the heat at the moment. Everything about this woman is turning me on. I want her badly, and although I’m prepared to wait, I don’t know I can wait that long.

She glances up at that moment, right when I’m thinking about what it would be like to strip off that stripy shirt, undo her bra, and fill my hands with her breasts. She does a double take, meets my eyes, obviously guesses what I’m thinking, and turns scarlet.

Em looks at her and laughs, and Izzy goes even redder.

I give a small chuckle, push off the door, and walk away. My work here is done.

*

A little later, there’s a lull in the morning’s rush, and I’m dealing with some paperwork when Rosie comes in carrying a Westie—a West Highland White Terrier. It’s basically a white ball of fluff with a face, and it’s wearing a muzzle.

Rosie pauses in the doorway, and we survey each other. “This is Prince,” she announces. The Westie wriggles in her arms. “His owner has dropped him off and said she’ll pick him up later. She was a bit upset. He’s been aggressive, which he isn’t normally, and last night he bit her.” She attempts to calm the dog. “Everyone else is busy. If you’d rather me wait…”

I rise from the computer. “Of course not.” The two of us have got to get used to working with each other.

“I thought you’d be good with him, anyway,” she says.

I come over to her and take the dog out of her arms. She inhales as my arm brushes hers, but I ignore it and turn away to place the dog on my table.

He’s quivering, nervous more than aggressive, I think. He doesn’t like the muzzle, but I understand why the owner’s done it if he’s bitten her.

I suspect the dog’s in pain or has a sore spot somewhere, but I can’t investigate until he’s calmed down. So I take a while to talk to him, leaning on the table, stroking his back and showing him I’m not a threat, and I’m only here to help. The dog quietens, his dark eyes staring up into mine, and within a few minutes he’s laying down and rolling over, showing me his vulnerable belly.

Rosie approaches the table after a while, her arms folded. When she speaks, her voice is husky. “I’ll never get tired of watching you do that.”

I don’t stop stroking the dog, but I do glance up at her.

“I miss you,” she whispers.

I return my gaze to the dog. “Not now, Rosie.”

“I hear you went on a date last night with Izzy.”

Fuck. I’d hoped it would take a bit longer before she found out, although I’m not surprised considering everyone here already seems to know.

I don’t reply, and instead I begin moving my hands over him, applying gentle pressure as I search for any sore spots.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Rosie asks.

“Nope.” I feel his back legs. Nothing there.

“Are you dating her?”

“It’s none of your business.” I press his tummy. He doesn’t react.

“I know you’re angry with me,” she says. “And I understand why you wanted some time apart. But I’d hoped that after a while we might try again. You loved me, once.”

I search the dog’s front legs, then sink my hands into the fur around his neck and head, feeling for any lumps and bumps.

I was fond of Rosie. I still am. She’s intelligent, funny, and a little wicked in bed. But there are things I don’t like about her. She’s selfish. Pushy. She liked to boss me about, to act as if she owned me, and I’m not into that. I don’t like the way she spoke to me in front of people, slightly mocking and superior. I can’t imagine Izzy ever doing that. A few months ago, after work one day, one of the girls asked if I’d mind if Rosie went out with them to a male striptease show, Rosie said, “Don’t ask Hal. He’s a good boy, he does as he’s told.” I thought that would amuse Izzy, but instead she gave Rosie a hard look, although she didn’t say anything. I loved her for that, and it might have been the point at which I started to think the cracks in my relationship with Rosie were not going to be fixed.

I pause, leaving my hands on the dog, and look up at her. “You killed whatever feelings I had for you the day you slept with someone else. We’re done, Rosie. The sooner you accept that, the better.”

“You weren’t talking to me,” she says fiercely. “You just shut up shop, and I couldn’t get you to communicate at all.”

“I’m sorry about that. But whatever I did, it didn’t warrant you having an affair.”

“It was one time, Hal, it wasn’t an affair.”

I’m determined not to have a shouting match in my surgery. “We’ve been through all this, and I’m not going through it again.”

“We haven’t been through it. You just walked out. We haven’t talked about it at all.”

She’s right, but that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it now.

“I know you better than anyone,” she says. “You really want to throw away a year-long relationship because of one stupid mistake?”

Even as she says it, though, I know she’s wrong. Izzy knows me ten times better than Rosie could ever hope to.

I’ve finished examining the dog and I’ve found nothing. Either it’s internal, a brain tumor or something, or it could be in his mouth.

“Hal!” She snaps the word because I’m ignoring her.

“Keep your voice down,” I bite back as the Westie pushes himself up.

Her eyes fill with tears, and her mouth sets in a mutinous line. “You’re really dumping me for Izzy? Were you sleeping with her before we broke up?”

“God, no. Not everyone believes cheating is acceptable in a relationship.”

“I wish you’d stop saying that!” She looks genuinely distressed, as if she really thinks I’m being unfair. “It was one quick fuck, and I didn’t even enjoy it. It was solace. And because of that you’re dating Izzy. Jesus. She’s my friend. Talk about put a knife in my back.”

I’ve had enough of this; I just want her to go away. “What’s going on between me and Izzy has nothing to do with you.”

Her face has turned red. “I can’t believe it. She’s so fucking cold. She’s probably frigid. You like beautiful women, Hal. I bet she looks like a Sphynx cat with all that burned skin.”

I go still. When I speak, I keep my voice soft because of the dog, but maybe it’s more menacing because of that. “Get out of my surgery.”

Rosie hesitates. I can see by the look on her face she knows she’s said the worst possible thing to me.

She turns and walks out.

I’m shaking with anger, and that’s the opposite of what this dog needs right now. I blow out a long breath, trying to regain my equilibrium. Outside, though, I can hear raised voices. Rosie’s gone into Izzy’s surgery, and she’s shouting at her. I distinctly hear the words, “You fucking bitch”. Oh jeez, all the people in the waiting room… And Izzy… She doesn’t deserve this. I’ve got to do something.

Heart racing, I straighten and go to lift Prince and put him in the pen, but Stefan appears at my open door and holds up a hand. “Stay there,” he says. “I’ll deal with it.” He goes out again, closing the door behind him.

I feel a wave of relief and thankfulness that I work with such good friends. I don’t want Izzy to have to go through this, but she’s a big girl and I know she’d tell me she can handle a two-hundred-pound male Great Dane, so she’ll have no trouble with a one-hundred-and-thirty-pound girl. And Stefan’s down to earth and not afraid to say what he thinks.

Despite this, I can hear shrieking, and I wince. Rosie’s lost the plot. She’s spoiled, that’s the problem, and she’s not getting what she wants. I lean on the table and close my eyes. Suddenly, I feel really tired, and I wish it was nearer to the end of the day, and I could just get in a car with Izzy and head off somewhere. She has a very calming presence, and I know she’d make me feel better. Unless this thing with Rosie makes her think I’m not worth the effort.

Outside, a male voice says something sharp. It’s not Stefan—I think they’ve called Leon over. Shit, it must be bad. I can hear Rosie shouting and crying, and Leon firmly telling her to leave the surgery with him. She screams something—it might have been my name—and Leon snaps, “Rosie, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

There are more voices, and I think I can hear Izzy’s soft one, telling Rosie to go out and calm down. I feel ashamed. They were friends, and because of me that friendship is now ruined. I sigh and run a hand through Prince’s fur. “Women, eh?” I say, and he nuzzles my hand.

Trying to ignore what’s going on outside, I remove his muzzle gently and place it to one side. “There,” I tell him. “That’s better.” The others would sedate him before attempting to examine his teeth, but at that moment I don’t care if I’m bitten. I deserve it.

Talking to him calmly, I stroke his face, shutting out everything else, concentrating on the poor animal who’s in pain. Eventually, he lets me pry open his jaws, and I take a quick look inside. I see it immediately—a broken tooth and a particularly nasty abscess. It’s probably throbbing like a bastard.

“Aw.” I release his jaws and rub his head. “Poor little fella.” I will have to sedate him to remove the tooth and clean him up—not even I can do that without him being under.

He licks my hand, and I stroke his back, trying to tell him by touch that everything’s going to be okay. “All right, fella,” I murmur. “We’ll be okay. It’s just a tooth. I’ll make it all go away for you.”

It strikes me that the shouting has stopped outside, and I look up at the door. It’s open, and Izzy’s standing there, her hands in her pockets. Part of me registers that I inhale sharply at the unexpected sight of her—that my heart beats faster. Her lips curve up—she knows I’m feeling the same way that she felt only a few hours ago, when I stood at her door.

“Abscess?” she says, taking a hand out of her pocket and gesturing at the dog.

“Yeah.” My voice is a tad squeaky.

She surveys me for a moment. “Wanna go to the cinema tonight?”

The words make me melt. She knows I could hear what was going on outside, and that I’d be upset by it, and worried what she was thinking. There’s something so restful about her. I can’t imagine her ever making a scene about anything. I love her calmness. She’s a balm for my troubled soul.

I nod, feeling an odd wave of emotion at the thought that this is my best friend, the person I trust more than anyone else in the world, and we’re dating. Last night she kissed me, and hopefully tonight she’ll kiss me again.

“Six thirty by the car,” she says, pushing off the door. “Don’t be late.” She walks away.

I blow out a breath and look down at Prince. Then I scoop him up in my arms and bury my face in his fur. “All right, little fella. We’ll get you sorted.” I place him in the pen behind me. I’ll ask Em to help me with the op and get him done this afternoon.

Leon appears in the doorway, and he comes in and pushes the door shut with his foot. “You all right?” he asks, eyeing me with a frown.

I straighten. “Has she gone?”

“Yeah. I suggested she hand in her resignation before I fire her. She agreed. I’ve told her I’ll give her two weeks’ pay, and that she needn’t work out her notice.”

I run a hand through my hair. I’m not going to have to face her every day. I feel such a swell of relief I nearly bawl like a toddler. “Thanks.”

“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for the Ark. Don’t need that kind of caustic atmosphere around the place.” His words are harsh, but his eyes are gentle. He did do it for me.

I nod, and he smiles and walks out. I’m glad he’s gone. I don’t want him to see the tears in my eyes.