Puppy Love for the Veterinarian

by Amy Woods

  Unmistakable hurt clouded his features the second she made that decision, but he quickly, expertly erased it.

  “I’d love a cup,” she said, the air thick with static between them. “It smells amazing.”

  He nodded, giving her a soft grin. “Stay here. I’ll be right back with it.”

  * * *

  Ethan was halfway to the break room before he realized he hadn’t even asked how June took her coffee. The oversight was just another testament to the trouble he’d gotten into.

  She was intoxicating, mesmerizing like a siren, and like a fool, he couldn’t stay away from her song.

  And if he didn’t watch out, he’d be back in the same place, drowning once again as he had with Jessica. Even though everything in him wanted to do the exact opposite, he would have to be more careful.

  He pressed his fingers into his tired eyes, then pulled a clean mug from the dish dryer, a reminder of the night before. Those delicious brownies and those even more delicious lips. The taste of her was almost gone, and he’d stupidly attempted to get it back, only to have June turn away from him.

  He should be grateful—at least one of them was thinking clearly.

  Grabbing the carafe, he poured her a cup of the expensive, delicious brew his father indulged in and shared with everyone at the office, adding a splash of half-and-half from the fridge and just a little sugar, feeling like an idiot for wanting to get it right. He stopped himself from adding a sprinkle of cinnamon. It would just have to do.

  And with any luck, he’d have her back in her car and out of his life soon enough.

  He gave the coffee a quick stir and headed back down the hallway, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.

  It had just been a long night; that was all. June was a beautiful, sweet girl, and he enjoyed her company, but that didn’t mean it had to turn into anything more.

  If only someone could tell his stupid-ass heart the same.

  June was still standing at the window when he entered the reception area, the blanket he’d draped over her the night before wrapped around her shoulders. Her red hair draped across the soft white material, and she looked like an angel.

  Which gave him an idea. Snow angels, snowmen—June had never experienced a real chance to enjoy this kind of weather.

  “Here you are.” She turned and reached for the coffee, closing her eyes as she drew in her first long sip.

  “Oh, my God, this is sooo good. How’d you know how to fix it just the way I like it?”

  “Wild guess. Speaking of wild, finish that coffee and put your coat on.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m going to give the pups their breakfast and I’ll meet you out front in ten minutes.” She opened her mouth to ask questions or to argue, but he held up a finger, stopping her.

  “Out front. Ten minutes. See you there.”

  Ethan’s pulse raced and his heart felt lighter than it had in months. He didn’t want to believe that it was June making his body behave that way, so he gave credit to the snow. The problem with that theory was that he’d seen a hundred snowfalls, most of them even more magical than this one. Paris, London, New York—the small-town Texas weather couldn’t even begin to compare. He loved the idea of sharing this one with someone he barely knew but who’d reminded him that life could go on after heartbreak. He knew there was no future with June for lots of reasons, the most basic being that the two lived in different cities and probably had different goals, but right then, none of that mattered. The only thing he wanted that morning was to show her a great time in his favorite weather.

  After checking and feeding the puppies, he threw on his coat and dashed outdoors, regretting that his father didn’t keep a sled in his office. The temperature was perfect when he opened the back door and stepped into several feet of powder that reminded him of fresh whipped cream. There was not a hint of the previous day’s harsh wind, just cold, crisp air on an occasional whispery breeze. The snow stung his hands as it seeped through his mittens, but Ethan didn’t care.

  He worked as if in a trance, determined to make June share one of those beautiful smiles with him again, the kind she’d tried to hide after he’d kissed her berry lips. What harm could there be in making a woman smile? It didn’t have to mean forever, and it wouldn’t. But didn’t he deserve a moment’s happiness after the way the past year had gone? Didn’t June?

  Just as he’d thought her name, the woman stepped outside, glancing around before she caught his eye.

  “Ethan, what are you up to out here?”

  He watched her as she paced nearer, enjoying the way the sun’s bright rays danced over her hair, causing it to glisten like a crown adorned with rubies. Her eyes were impossibly green in the dreamlike morning light.

  “What’s that behind you?” she asked, veering right so she could get a glimpse of what he’d hidden.

  He couldn’t stop himself smiling like a little boy as he stepped out of her way, waving his arms like a magician’s assistant.

  June’s hands flew to cover her mouth, and those emerald eyes lit up, glistening in the sunshine that reflected off the snow.

  Then he heard the best music ever as she threw her head back and laughed, before her feet did a little dance. She squealed. “Is that a snowman?”

  “Just for you,” he answered, taking far too much delight in her reaction to his simple gift, the only thing he could think to give her for making him feel like the frost inside him had begun to melt a little.

  “He’s perfect.” She held out her arms and spun in a little circle before running toward him. Ethan opened his arms just in time to catch her, but lost his footing as she threw her body into his, plunging them both into the snow.

  His laughter mingled with hers, and he didn’t at all mind the wetness starting to soak into his back. All he knew was her weight on top of him as she raised up on her elbows and stared down into his face, and the curtain of auburn that came down to tickle his cheeks as she bent to kiss him, her mouth warm and eager, pressing hard into his. When their lips parted, he pulled her close into his chest and held her there for a long moment, unwilling to let her go just yet.

  Finally, only when he began to freeze and thus worried that June would be vulnerable to the same, he twisted his body to the side and rose, holding out his hands to help her up.

  Her smile disappeared as they stood face-to-face, and all he heard was their matched heavy breathing.

  “Ethan, I...”

  He covered her lips with a finger. “Shh, don’t say anything. Just...just enjoy this with me, will you?”

  She was right, of course.

  “I get where you’re coming from,” he said, the words pouring out of him before he could measure them to make sure they conveyed what he wanted them to, not necessarily exactly what he was thinking. “But that’s just it, June. I don’t want to talk about it, at all. I don’t want to try to figure out what’s going on between us.”

  Her eyes had narrowed and there was a crease between her brows.

  “Wouldn’t you rather just let this be what it is?”

  She looked down at her hands.

  “That’s my point, though, Ethan. We just met. I don’t know what this is, and I don’t think you do, either.”

  He rubbed a soggy mitten over his forehead. “I know, I know. But why do we need to understand it at all? Why can’t we just enjoy it while it lasts?”

  Her expression changed, and as she took time to think of what to say next, he thought he saw something new register.

  “I’m not sure where this is going, but I think I see what you’re saying.”

  He waited.

  “And, well, the more I think about it, and even though it sounds crazy, you might be on to something.”

  He took her hand.

  “A
ll I mean is that, we both know this thing won’t last—it can’t, anyway—because I’m leaving in a few weeks and you’ve got a life here.”

  She cringed at that last part, but he didn’t want to stop and examine that. He needed to convince her to let him spend more time with her, before it was all over. He wanted to soak up her sweetness, to let it seep under his skin so he could take it with him. It didn’t need to mean anything more. Maybe not everything happened for a reason. Weren’t some things in life just pleasant coincidences?

  “We seem to get along, you and I, and if I’m not mistaken, we both had some fun last night, despite the evening not going the way either of us had planned. So while I’m here, and while you’ve got those puppies for the next few days and they’ll need some medical care, let’s just enjoy each other.”

  She bit her lip again, that sexy little gesture that let him know she was considering it.

  “But, Ethan, is that wise? You’ve had your heart broken recently, as have I, and we both need time to mend. Does it really make sense to start something up right now?”

  “That’s just it, though. We wouldn’t be starting anything. Look at it like this. We’ll just be having a little fun before we both go our separate ways and get back out there. You’re right that we’re both unprepared to get into relationships again any time soon, so let’s...use each other as practice...for lack of a better term.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest, pushing past her resistance. “Let’s enjoy each other’s company, make each other better and have a few laughs, before we go back to real life. What do you say?”

  A look of sadness whispered across her features, but was gone instantly. She smiled up at him, making his heart flutter a little.

  “All right, Dr. Singh,” she said. “You have yourself a deal.”

  He placed his hands on each side of her face and brushed her chilly nose with his lips.

  He didn’t care what kind of fire he might have been walking into, as long as he got to see her again after that morning.

  “Deal?” she asked.

  “Deal.”

  With that, he picked her up and swirled her around and around until they were both dizzy, from the spinning, yes, but also probably from something else. When he set her down, June headed over to examine the snowman, giggling with joy over the jerky treat nose, kibble mouth and doggy biscuit eyes he’d scrambled together. As she studied his creation, Ethan knelt to form a snowball, gasping in surprise when one of June’s own smacked him right in the middle of his back.

  * * *

  “I don’t know why, but it surprises me a little that you like country music so much.”

  Ethan grinned, the corner of his eye crinkling behind aviator glasses. Of course they made him look even more stunning.

  “Is it because I’m half-Indian?”

  She considered his question; she hadn’t really thought much about his ethnicity, other than the fact that his father’s heritage had obviously given him the most gorgeous, terra-cotta skin she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Nope, not that,” she said, drawing out her answer to make him sweat a little. He tried to pretend he didn’t care, but the longer she spent with him, the more she could see how much he wanted her to like him.

  Even though they’d discussed their intention earlier that morning, that whatever their odd little relationship was would not turn into anything serious, it was still a refreshing quality in a man, to be able to see that he wanted to please her.

  “I’ve got it,” she said. “I think it’s just that country music doesn’t mesh with your worldliness or something.” She poked his side, making him laugh. “Seems like you’d be more of a classical music type.” She eyed him up and down. “I can totally see you fake-conducting an orchestra as you drive to work or something.”

  “Ah, but that’s why I like it so much.” He turned and flashed a smile full of perfect white teeth against incredible copper skin. “Reminds me of the simple things in life.”

  They were in Ethan’s large black SUV, headed in the direction where June had left her car. The weather couldn’t have been more different than it was the day before; not a cloud in the blue sky, thick mounds of snow gradually beginning to melt as the sun reclaimed her throne. It would take time for the powder to turn back into liquid, and then Peach Leaf would face the possible threat of flooding.

  They weren’t out of the dark just yet, but things were beginning to look up. She said a silent little prayer that they would find her car in decent shape, but it wouldn’t do much good to hold her breath. The old thing wasn’t in great health to begin with; it would be a small miracle of it survived the beating it had taken the night before.

  Loosening her seat belt a little, June turned toward the backseat to check on the pups. Ethan had nestled blankets into one of the crates from the clinic, then wrapped the little guys inside so they’d be safe on the way to her apartment, where June was thrilled she’d get to watch them until Margaret called her back into work. Ethan had said they’d figure things out from there, but she’d made him promise he wouldn’t let anyone adopt them until they were one hundred percent healthy. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but the idea of never seeing them again made her stomach churn.

  Gently, she poked a finger between the bars, squealing when the male pup bounced over and began to nibble on it. She took that as a sign that he was having a good morning.

  That made two of them, she thought, reminiscing about the impromptu snowball fight with Ethan and the adorable snowman he’d built for her, completely out of the blue. She tried not to overanalyze how good it made her feel to be with him, to play, and to have the freedom to kiss him with such abandon without expecting anything serious in return.

  She knew it wouldn’t last, but maybe he had a point. It was a hell of a lot of fun to be spoiled, to be enjoyed, and even though she hadn’t agreed with him at first, she was beginning to come around to his way of thinking. Perhaps their plan would work out fine, after all. No strings, no attachments and, most important, no promises.

  Just pure, unbridled fun between two people on the mend. Surely, everything would be fine.

  “Okay, that’s starting to hurt, mister,” she said, taking back her nibbled finger.

  “I wouldn’t let him do that too much, June. He might start to think it’s okay.”

  “I won’t,” she promised. “I just like seeing him up and full of energy.”

  “Well, you’ll get plenty of it over the next few days.” He tossed a glance her way before refocusing his attention on the road. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “What? Take care of a few puppies? How hard can it be?”

  He coughed out a laugh. “I’d love to hear you say that again in a few days.”

  She started to retort, but paused as Ethan slowed the SUV.

  “Is that it?” he asked. “Your car.”

  She turned back to the front and caught sight of the old hunk of metal out the front window, barely recognizable underneath a mountain of snow. “Yep, has to be.”

  He turned off the road, getting as close to her vehicle as he could manage without pummeling into a bank of powder. When the SUV stopped, June reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. Without lifting her head, she grabbed at the door handle only to find Ethan had gotten out, come around and opened the door for her. Such a gentleman. She accepted his offered hand and stepped out of the warm vehicle, which he’d left running to keep the puppies from getting too cold.

  By the time they reached her car, moisture had soaked the bottoms of her jeans, but that problem took a backseat to a bigger one pretty darn fast.

  She shouldn’t have been surprised, but that didn’t make it any less annoying when she stuck the key in the ignition, only to find the engine wouldn’t turn over after a dozen tries.

 
Someone in control, someone who had her life together, would have bought a new battery before the weather turned so cold and sapped the last dredges of energy from the nearly four-year-old one. But June had not been so responsible. Between her full work schedule and not wanting to part with the hundred or so bucks a new one would cost, this was what she deserved.

  She looked up to find Ethan staring at her, his long body blocking out the sun as he leaned over her driver’s side door.

  “Thought you were getting rid of me that fast, did you?”

  She tossed her shoulders back and tilted her head, debating whether to punch him in those toned abs or straight on the nose.

  “What the hell do you look so happy about?” Her question was genuine; shouldn’t he be getting tired of her just about now? Shouldn’t he be dying to get back to his parents’ house so he could get cleaned up and take a much-needed nap?

  “Nothing,” he said, but the grin didn’t fade. He offered her his hand. “Come on, then. No use beating a dead horse.”

  “I’ve never liked that expression,” she said.

  “Neither have I actually, but it suits the situation. There’s no point in trying that key again.”

  She did just that as he rolled his eyes, then shook his outstretched hand.

  They tried jumping her car a few times, but it wouldn’t take the juice. The old thing had simply given up.

  “Come on. Let’s get you home. Once you’ve had something to eat and we get the puppies settled in, we’ll call a tow truck.”

  She hated to admit it, but she liked the sound of that we. Exhausted, hungry and craving a near-boiling bath, it was nice to have someone with her, someone who still managed to drum up energy after the long night, someone who put her needs first. It was a good quality in a man...a good quality in a boyfriend...or even a husband.

  She almost gasped when the word entered her mind, but the more she tried to shoo it away, the stickier it got.

  Once they got back at her apartment, Ethan was relentlessly sweet, making oatmeal for them both while June took the puppies out of their crate and onto her small back patio. She cheered them on and gave them treats when they went to the bathroom on the least snowy patch of grass she could find, which seemed to come naturally to them since they’d likely been living outside. Her heart ached at the thought of their mother, and she promised then and there that she would take good care of them until she found them good homes. She knew it might not be possible, but she hoped she could find a way to keep them together.