Page 10 of Clearly Charmed

‘Flora?’ he said. ‘That’s an unusual name too.’

‘Flower names run in my family,’ was all I gave him.

‘Have you had her since she was a pup?’

‘No. I’d been in practice for about a year when we had a two-day white-out snowstorm that shut down the mountain passes. I went outside after it was over to clear off the steps outside, and there she was asleep on the porch. Poor thing was curled up like she was doing everything she could to stay warm. She didn’t have any tags.’ I gave him that same stern look from the trail. ‘I called around town, but nobody knew where she belonged. My guess is someone wanted to get rid of her, saw a vet’s office, and decided it was as good a place as any to dump her. Bastards.’

I ran my hand over Flora’s head, and she let out a contented huff. ‘My plan was to find her a good home, but once I started clinic that day, the animals gravitated toward her. Dogs, no matter their size. Cats too. Even had a rabbit hop right up and nuzzle one of her giant paws. Flora stayed calm through it all. After that, I decided the clinic needed a mascot. She’s been by my side ever since.’

‘And she helps you, too.’ His knowing look said we were back to the magic. ‘On the trail, why didn’t you tell me you were a vet?’ He paused like he was going to say more but then snapped his mouth shut.

‘I’m not in the habit of giving out personal information to strangers. And even if I’d told you, would you have listened?’

He glanced at the frames on the wall again. ‘I’d like to think I would have, but you didn’t give me a chance.’

There was that flash of familiarity again. Like I’d known him my entire life, and it was beginning to freak me out.

I jumped up and moved to the door. ‘Leave me your number. I’ll have my receptionist call you when Indy’s ready to go tomorrow morning.’

He stood, wincing as he straightened up. Those stupid boots.

‘Clean your blisters when you get home or they’ll get infected. Wash the skin with soap and water, then slather them in Vaseline. Use a few Band-Aids to cover them overnight.’

He scrubbed at his jaw again. ‘Band-Aids? Vaseline? Not sure my uncle Rich has that stuff at the cabin.’

I rolled my eyes and pointed to a plastic chair. We didn’t have human patients, but my vet tech, Bree, insisted we keep a small first aid kit in every room.

‘Sit and let me take a look.’

His wide, grateful smile sent that flutter through me again. Once he was in the chair, he tugged off his boots. He winced at the blood stains on the heels of his socks, gingerly peeling them off his feet.

‘Yep, you’re a mess.’

He let out a low chuckle like he knew I meant more than his feet.

I slid on some gloves and bent to check the damage. Quarter-sized blisters covered his skin. The affected areas around them were an angry shade of red.

A low hiss escaped Bryce’s mouth when I cleaned the wounds with soap and water.

‘First human patient?’ he joked.

‘No, a few years ago I was driving down from Fort Collins and came upon a car accident. A tourist hit a patch of black ice and spun out. Smashed his head pretty good on the windshield.’

He gave another wince.

‘I made sure the guy stayed stable. Applied pressure to the wound until the sheriff and ambulance arrived.’

‘I’ve watched you in action twice now, and all I can say is that the animals in this community are damn lucky. If I was staying, you’d definitely be Indy’s vet.’

That awestruck stare was back, and I found myself focusing on the dusty blue rings that surrounded his pupils.

He leaned in, his warm breath close. Too close. He reached out and tucked a loose hair behind my ear. His gaze searched mine, that narrowed, questioning look returning. This time it wasn’t about the rumors. It was about a raw need that wasn’t hard to miss. A need I shockingly felt too.

Indy made another small whine, and I was reminded that this guy was a stranger. A stranger I had zero intention of kissing.

‘You can put your boots back on.’ I pulled off my gloves and busied myself with putting a sample tube of Vaseline and a handful of Band-Aids into a plastic bag. ‘Here.’ I shoved them at his chest. ‘Use these for the next few days.’

Indy gave another low whine from his pile of blankets, and I scurried away to check his heart and lungs. ‘Looks like the marijuana is working its way out of his system. He’ll be better soon.’