He could only hear her voice through the speakers, but he could imagine that the corners of her eyes were crinkling the way they always did whenever he threw out ambitious goals and she tried to infuse some reality into the conversation.
Leo’s grandfather Doc had just suffered a stroke, and he’d flown back to help run his grandparents’ business until they could find a suitable replacement. One year would be plenty of time to accomplish that. It had to be. Then, once he fulfilled his familial obligations, he’d be free once again.
“You can take as much time as you need,” Callum, his college roommate and co-founder of the non-profit, spoke up.
“One year off-site, then I’ll be back in the field.” Leo disconnected the call before they could question his timeline any further.
Three hundred and sixty-five days. That was the amount of time he’d committed to be back in his hometown, and he wasn’t going to start extending that on day one, for God’s sake. As it was, he had to keep reminding himself that it wasn’t a prison sentence, because that’s what it felt like.
The sun beat down on him as he stepped out of the pickup truck he’d bought, in cash, on his sixteenth birthday. He hadn’t driven it in eighteen years. When he left to go into the army, he’d given it to his grandfather to use for the clinic, so thankfully it had been maintained. If it had sat idle all that time, he doubted it would still run.
The morning air was crisp and had a chilly bite. It was fall in Harper’s Crossing, Illinois. The climate was definitely different than the dry heat in the township in Tanzania where he’d spent the past six months. Or the sweltering humidity of the remote village in the jungles of Honduras where he’d resided for nine months before that. Or the balmy ocean breezes on the coastal terrain of Malaysia where he’d lived for eight months before that.
He loved everything about his work with Vets Across the Globe. The organization’s mission was educating the members of impoverished communities, so they were better able to care for and treat the animals in their region. The people in the remote locations he worked in relied on those animals, not only for their livelihoods, but also survival. The work was rewarding in more ways than he’d ever be able to express.
But he had to admit that his motives were not purely altruistic. It served him, as well. He thrived on going to new places, learning new cultures, and overcoming new obstacles.
Since landing at O’Hare and arriving in his hometown less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been suffocating. It was strange to feel claustrophobic in such an open, expansive environment. But that’s exactly what he felt. Like one of the wildebeests he’d seen just days ago in Tanzania was sitting on his chest.
As he’d driven through downtown on the way to the clinic, he’d been shocked at just how much had changed in the area since the last time he’d been home. When he was young, his grandpa’s practice had been smack dab in the middle of the industrial park, but over the past few years the entire area had been developed. Gentrified. That was what his grandma called it.
It had been renamed The Riverwalk. When he was a kid, there had only been two businesses there that were open to the public—the vet’s office and an auto shop, both of which were still there.
But now the clinic was surrounded by what looked to be thriving retail establishments. On the short drive from his grandparents’ house, he’d seen a coffee shop, a dentist’s office, a yoga studio, and a pet store, just to name a few.
“DiCaprio!”
Leo hadn’t heard his high school nickname in close to twenty years. Besides having the first three letters of the movie star’s first name, Leo had never understood the comparison. But he guessed there were worse people to be associated with.
He turned and saw Cameron Hollis walking toward him. Actually, more like charging toward him. Leo barely had time to block before Cam rushed him like they were back on the gridiron in high school. The next thing he knew, he was being lifted off the ground. Since Leo stood six foot two and weighed in at just over two hundred pounds of muscle, that was no easy feat.
“Holy shit, Cam!” Leo grunted as his friend lowered him to the ground and he pushed away. He and Cam had been close in high school, but they hadn’t been in touch over the nearly two decades since. He seriously doubted the lineman had shown up as a welcome party of one. “What are you doing here?”
“My wife forgot her lunch.” Cam held up a neon green insulated tote bag.
“Your wife?” Leo hadn’t kept up with his childhood friends. He was on Instagram, but he didn’t post that often and never scrolled. He only used the platform to bring awareness to the non-profit.
“Yeah, Meg.”
“Meg?” The only Meg that Leo knew was Megan Gifford. He’d been in 4H with her and she’d worked for his grandpa at the clinic back in high school. She was also a straight-A student and a national debate champion. Leo wasn’t trying to be a dick, but she was way out of his friend’s league.
“You remember Megan Gifford? Well, Hollis now. She was in 4H with us.”
“You married Megan Gifford?”
“Hell, yeah, I did.” Cam pulled out his phone. The screensaver was of his friend with Meg and three kids. “That’s our oldest Phoebe, and those are the twins, Poppy and Penelope. And baby number four is due any day. I’m praying for a boy.”
“Wow. How long have you two been together?”
“A little over five years now.” Cam stood a little taller. “We’ve been busy.”
“That’s…” Unbelievable. Insane. Not possible. “Amazing! Congrats, man.”
“You can’t believe it, can you?” His friend chuckled. “Don’t feel bad. Half the town thought it was some elaborate prank I was pulling.”
That made a hell of a lot more sense than those two actually being a couple, Leo thought. Cam was notorious for his pranks. Senior year, he’d managed to float the principal’s car down the river on a wooden raft.
His friend sighed. “To be honest, I still can’t believe it either. I think I must’ve finally just worn her down. I wake up every day knowing I won the lottery. I have a beautiful, smart, classy, wife and three—almost four—incredible kids. I do drop off at school and practices, and I even chaperoned a field trip. Did you ever think I’d be that guy?”
“No.” Leo answered honestly.
“Leo!” Angie, the clinic’s office manager, peeked her head out the door. “Doc’s on the phone. He said he tried your cell.”
His grandpa had called while he’d been on the conference call and Leo hadn’t been able to pick up. He figured it hadn’t been an emergency since he’d just left the man. It was most likely more instructions for things he wanted Leo to do—and he’d already given him a list a mile long. He turned to Cam. “I’d better go take that. It’s good to see you, man.”
“You, too, dude” Cam held the insulated container out to the office manager. “Hey, Ang, can you give this to Meg? I’ve gotta run and pick up the twins.”
“She forgot her lunch again?” Angie took the bag from him.
“Yep. She sure did.” Cam chuckled, and his face lit up just talking about how his wife had left her lunch behind. Leo couldn’t imagine feeling that way about another person. He’d only had one serious relationship in his life, and she’d broken up with him because he’d been—direct quote—“emotionally unavailable.”
Cam turned to leave and slapped Leo on the shoulder. “We should grab a beer soon and catch up!”
“Sounds good.”
Leo walked into the office and spent the next hour fielding calls from his grandfather and getting up to speed with how things ran there. He was relieved when he was finally able to see his first patient, and even more relieved that he was able to give the owners good news.
Mr. and Mrs. Lennox had brought Lady in because they thought she might have a tumor in her abdomen.
“She’s pregnant,” he announced.
“Pregnant?” The golden retriever’s owners looked at one another with relieved expressions as
he continued to adjust the sonogram wand.
“Yes, she is,” Leo confirmed, then pointed at the monitor and added. “And it looks like there are two pups.”
“You’re having twins!” Mrs. Lennox exclaimed as she nuzzled against Lady’s head.
Leo didn’t feel the need to correct her by saying that technically they weren’t twins. Lady just had two puppies in her litter. He knew people liked to anthropomorphize their pets, and it was harmless. In fact, it even helped with the bonding. He finished up the exam and was happy to be able to report that Lady was in perfectly good health.
“How’s Doc doing?” Mr. Lennox asked as he and his wife were exiting the room with Lady.
“He’s doing good.” It was true, all things considered. Leo never thought he’d see the day that something would slow his grandfather down, but the stroke he’d suffered had done just that. Thankfully, he was expected to make a full recovery. But the doctor had warned if his grandfather didn’t start taking better care of himself, then something much worse could be on the horizon.
A few months back, his grandma had fallen and had to have a hip replaced. Leo was convinced the stress of caring for his wife while trying to keep up with the practice must’ve contributed to his grandfather’s current health crisis.
Guilt ate at Leo for not coming back sooner.
“And Kitty, how is she doing?” Mrs. Lennox asked.
“Great! It’s like she hasn’t missed a beat.” If anything, his grandma was feistier than ever. The new hip had given her a new lease on life. She’d even taken up dance classes at the community center.
“I bet Doc and Kitty are over the moon to have you home,” Mr. Lennox commented.
They were. And, for Leo, that was part of the problem. He’d explained to them that his return was temporary, but he was ninety-nine percent sure that everything he’d said had gone in one ear and out the other.
Growing up in Harper’s Crossing had been idyllic. Especially since his grandfather was the town vet. This practice had raised him just as much, if not more, than his mom had. His dad had never been in the picture, so his mom was basically a single mom. Being a research scientist, she’d worked upwards of sixteen hours a day—seven days a week, sometimes. But he’d never felt neglected. He’d had the clinic and his grandparents.
“You give them our love.” Mrs. Lennox’s soft, wrinkled hand patted Leo’s cheek. “It’s good to have you back home.”
“It’s good to be back,” Leo lied.
As much as he’d enjoyed his childhood, specifically being at the clinic, he’d spent it literally counting the days until he turned eighteen and could get out. And he had done just that.
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, he’d enlisted in the army and served for four years. After that, he joined the Peace Corps and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
When he’d turned thirty, he and Callum had started a non-profit, kind of a veterinary version of Doctors Without Borders. In the past six years, Leo had traveled to twelve different impoverished countries. He’d helped set up clinics and teach locals the basics of veterinary medicine. In a lot of those places, healthy animals were the only way entire villages survived.
He loved making a difference, and also the nomadic lifestyle that came with it. Every six months or so he started over, moved to a new place to build the infrastructure of a vet clinic. He met new people, learned new cultures, and was faced with new challenges.
Growing up in Harper’s Crossing, he’d dreamed of leaving and seeing the world, and that was exactly what he’d done. His passport had hundreds of stamps on it. As time went on, he kept thinking he was going to give up his migratory lifestyle and put down roots. But years had passed, and he still hadn’t done it—and wouldn’t be doing it now if it weren’t for his grandparents’ health scares.
When he’d got the call from his cousin Lance telling him that their grandfather was in the hospital, he’d jumped on the next plane out of Tanzania. Four flights and two very long layovers had given him plenty of time to think, and he’d come to the conclusion that this might just be the sign he’d been waiting for. Time for him to hang up his passport and plant himself in one place. For a while, at least.
But here he’d been in town less than twenty-four hours, and his restlessness was already nearing critical mass.
He wanted to want to be there, but the truth was, he just didn’t. What he wanted was adventure. Waking up each day not knowing what was going to happen next. Life in Harper’s Crossing felt like a Groundhog’s Day existence to him.
Apart from an emergency call or occasional crazy case, like the one time his grandpa had to remove a chewed up dildo that a dog had eaten, it was basically the same thing every day.
He hated routine. He thrived on the unexpected.
There wasn’t a ton of unexpected to be found when you were waking up in the same place, going to the same job, and seeing the same people every single day.
Leo headed down the hall toward the next exam room and passed a corkboard filled with photographs hanging on the wall. He stopped up short and did a double take. There were dozens of pictures, most of which were of his grandparents, animals, and staff—but one photo stood out.
He stepped closer. A woman with curly brown hair, large green eyes, and a smile that could light up the world stared back at him. Her smile hit him like a punch in the gut, knocking the wind right out of him. He’d never experienced anything like it before. Having a physical reaction to a photo of a stranger was definitely a first for him.
“That’s Jasmine,” Meg, Cam’s wife, pointed to the picture as she adjusted the brace she was wearing around her very large pregnant belly. “She’s one of our vet techs.”
Leo couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious that his friend’s wife had noticed him noticing the picture.
“She looks familiar,” Leo lied. “Was she in our class?”
It was a stupid question considering the woman in the picture looked like she was in her twenties, and he’d just turned thirty-six.
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment to us or an insult to her, but no. She graduated an entire decade after us.” Meg chuckled. “Wow…that just made me feel really old.” She shook her head.
“When does she work?” Leo knew that he was pressing his luck asking a follow-up question, but he couldn’t help himself.
“She’s in on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays in the afternoon. She’s supposed to be here now, but Angie said that she called to say she’s running late.” Meg frowned, her face etched with worry.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure it is. It’s just, that’s not like her. She’s never missed a day or been late in her life. For anything.”
“Do you think you should give her a call?” he asked, fighting the sudden urge to offer to do it himself.
He watched as Meg considered it, but then she shook her head. “Nah, I’m sure she’s fine.”
That might be the case, but Leo wasn’t so sure. He wanted evidence that she was okay, and not because he needed to cover her shift if she wasn’t. He feared his inexplicable concern was more personal than professional.
And that was even scarier to him than the reality of being here for the next year.
Chapter 3
Meg’s smiling face greeted Jasmine from behind the counter of Riverwalk Veterinary Clinic. Her honey blonde hair was piled on top of her head and her large brown eyes widened. “Hey, Jazzy girl!”
“Hi, sorry I’m late,” Jasmine apologized.
“No worries,” Meg chirped.
As she walked toward her friend and co-worker her legs felt like jelly and her head was still spinning. She’d spent an hour just driving around, trying to process what she’d just witnessed. It hadn’t worked. She was fairly certain she was in shock.
She wasn’t sure which reality was harder to process: that she was pregnant, or that Corbin was cheating on her. Part of her might be in denial when it
came to both circumstances.
Why would a man ask someone to marry them…only to then cheat on that person less than a week later? Unless it wasn’t the first time. Fraya said that he worked from home every Monday. How long had this been going on?
All the times that Corbin had called and said that he had a late meeting or needed to take clients out for dinner came rushing back to Jasmine. She’d never even thought to question it. Call her naïve, but it honestly never occurred to her that Corbin might be cheating on her.
They’d been together for so long, and they’d been happy. At least, they never fought. Maybe those were two different things? She didn’t know. It wasn’t like she’d ever had an example to compare it to.
Growing up, the foster families that she’d lived with weren’t exactly the epitome of healthy relationships. And the only stable home she’d been in had been a single parent one. Nanette had been in her sixties when she’d adopted Jasmine, and had lost her husband ten years before that.
Oh, God. She’d have to tell Nan about everything. Corbin cheating, being pregnant. She’d only ever wanted to make the one person in the world that had believed in her and loved her proud. The thought of her adopted mom’s reaction to her current life circumstances was almost too much to bear.
A wave of nausea hit her. She wasn’t sure if the cause was physical or psychological.
“Is everything okay?” her friend asked as Jasmine approached.
No. It’s not.
“Yep.” Jasmine bit the inside of her mouth hoping to keep the emotional breakdown at bay. “How are things here?”
“It’s been pretty slow for a Monday.” Meg waved her arm out over the empty waiting room. “Aside from the prodigal grandson returning.”
“The prodigal grandson?” Jasmine questioned.
“Or no, wait, I guess Lance would be the prodigal grandson. I can’t keep my biblical references straight. Either way, Leo is back.”
Doc and Kitty had two grandsons. Lance, a tattoo artist who’d been estranged from his family, had come to town a few months back when Kitty fell and broke her hip. And Leo, who’d been raised in town with his grandparents but had been overseas for years, had just returned.
Just One Touch - Leo & Jasmine (Crossroads Book 16) Page 2
