Stray

by Natasha Stories

  The answer to my question about whether Egren would stay for the lunch or not came quickly enough, and I shouldn’t have been surprised. Despite the blow to his ego, Egren still controlled forty percent of the shares. He had to know that my thirty percent wasn’t enough by itself to accomplish anything. By the time I reached the room where lunch would be served, he was mingling with the others, shaking his head ruefully and putting on a show of good-natured acceptance. He’d bear watching. I accepted the congratulations of a few more of the shareholders before finding my seat and sipping at my water.

  Mrs. P approached and asked if the seat next to me was taken, nodding thoughtfully as I jumped to my feet and pulled the chair out for her. “You seem to be a polite young man,” she said, “and I trust you’ll keep your word regarding stopping new development here in the canyon. But I’d like to see you in private about your deplorable moral choices.”

  Barely keeping my jaw from dropping, all I could do was nod. First Doc, and now this sweet old lady, taking me to task, I assumed, because of my treatment of Ashleigh. Well, I had to admit, I’d been an asshat and worse. I owed Ashleigh a heartfelt apology, though I doubted she would accept it. But this was not the time or the place, and I was grateful that Mrs. P wasn’t going to pursue it here and now, either.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  The weekend passed slowly, and even the beautiful but cold sunny days couldn’t entice me outside except to go and tend to Max. I told myself I was being ridiculous; that I’d only known Jon for a few weeks, that I couldn’t possibly pine for him in spite of the evidence that he wasn’t what I needed.

  For the first time since Greg broke up with me, I forced myself to do some self-examination for what I really wanted out of a relationship. What I’d thought I had with Greg was safety, routine, someone who understood that my job wasn’t necessarily nine-to-five. Adequate sex.

  There was the problem. I’d settled for safe and adequate. Why had I done that? When I really thought about it, I didn’t want safety, though I didn’t want a cheater, either. I wanted excitement, not routine. And the times I’d been with Jon made me understand I didn’t want adequate when it came to sex, either.

  That ship had sailed, and as far as I knew, there wasn’t another racing yacht in this little town. The more I dwelled on it, the more I understood that my goal of buying the clinic was no longer what I wanted. I needed to get to a place where there were plenty of men to choose from and find someone who would treat me as I deserved.

  Strangely, that decision freed me from some of the anxiety and stress I’d been feeling about the clinic. Yes, I was under contract, and I could stay as long as I had to, even until the end of the contracted time if I must. After that, I would look for work back in Dallas, close to my family, or maybe in Denver, since I’d come to love Colorado. It was certain that Colorado people loved their animals and would spend what was necessary to take care of them properly. I was young; I could afford to take my time before opening my own clinic. My new plans began to cheer me.

  By Monday, I went to work determined to stay positive. I wouldn’t let Megan bother me, I’d even endure Jon’s presence as he picked up Max for therapy, assuming he continued that. It was doubtful, though.

  The board meeting he’d been planning for had taken place on Friday. I assumed he was now the CEO of Miles-McGraw, and far too busy to bother with a stray dog or a casual lay. That’s what I’d been to him, and to be perfectly honest, that first time it was what he’d been to me, at least until he gave me the best sex of my life.

  How shallow was I, that I would mistake that for the beginning of love? Love was about mutual respect and caring, wanting to be with someone for the rest of my life, genuine concern for the hopes and dreams of the loved one. Sure, great sex was a bonus, but wouldn’t love make for great sex anyway? Love would come. I was only twenty-nine, and that was too young to think my life was over just because I’d made a mistake with a hot, gorgeous hunk of man. Okay, two mistakes. Whatever.

  At three, a young man with wire-rimmed glasses and a shock of red hair arrived at the clinic and explained that Jon was unable to come, but he didn’t want the dog to miss his appointment. If it was okay with me, Jimmy Olsen, or Robin, or whatever this kid’s name was, would take Max to Boulder for his therapy. It was okay with me. I was actually surprised that Jon had spared a thought for Max, and pleased, more than I should have been. I got Max ready for his trip, and true to his nature he was as happy to see Red as he would have been to see Jon. Max loved people, that’s all. I promised to be there at six when they got back.

  At five, I walked down the street to Doc’s office, but stopped in shock when I saw Jon coming out, a spring in his step. I’d thought he was busy with work, but it seemed he had an appointment with Doc instead. What could have been so important that he’d skip seeing Max, but such good news that he was practically skipping when he left Doc’s office? I began to worry that Jon had been scared about a health matter, but I pushed it away. Clearly, he’d had good news, and it wasn’t my concern anyway. Nothing about Jon Miles was my concern.

  Then I remembered we’d had unprotected sex the last time. I was on the Pill, there was no concern about pregnancy. I probably should have stopped it after Greg, but the comfort of knowing exactly when Aunt Flo would be visiting had kept me from making any changes. What if Jon had gotten an STD test after our tryst, to make sure he was clean for Ashleigh? Feeling insulted, I stepped into the office in a surly mood.

  “Erin, good to see you!” Doc exclaimed, as if he didn’t see me every Monday for my shot.

  “Hi, Doc,” I said. The listless response made Doc peer at me in surprise, but he didn’t ask. He gave me my shot and then sat down on the examining room stool to chat, as usual.

  “What’s on your mind, Erin?” he asked. I hated in a way that he could read me so easily, but it was nice to have a fatherly man take an interest, too.

  “I saw Jon Miles coming out of your office. Is everything okay?”

  “You know I can’t talk about other patients with you, Erin. But why do you ask?”

  Surely, if Jon had an STD, Doc would be required to notify me. So everything was fine, and now I looked like an idiot. I needed a reason, stat.

  “Oh, I’ve just been wondering about how the board meeting went on Friday, what happened, you know? Jon hasn’t been around, and I shouldn’t call him, since he’s engaged to Ashleigh Egren and all. Or did she break it off after he got her dad fired?” I hadn’t even known I had all these questions. I got the mental picture of a cartoon character with words written on gold coins spilling out of his mouth while he looked on in horror. Where had I seen that, and when? Something lodged in my brain from my childhood, probably.

  “Well, I suppose it’s public knowledge that Jon’s been named CEO of Miles-McGraw. It’s good to have a member of the founding family in charge again.”

  I looked at him curiously. The last I knew, he was going to talk to Jon only reluctantly. What had happened during that talk? I almost asked, then realized if Doc wanted me to know, he’d tell me without asking.

  “What about him and Ashleigh?”

  “Well, sis, that isn’t my story to tell. I guess you’re upset with him because the two of you had a fling. I want you to know that there’s more to that boy than meets the eye, and it might be a good idea to give him a second chance. But that’s all I can say.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Just what I said, and that’s all,” he responded, without enlightening me any further. A flicker of hope bloomed in my chest somewhere, but I quenched it ruthlessly.

  “Well, I’m not going to seek him out. If he wants another chance, he’ll have to come to me, and he’d better have a good excuse for his behavior. I’m not a toy, and I’m not the other woman.”

  Doc nodded. “I get it, and you shouldn’t be either one of those things. Just, next time he tries to talk to you, give him a chance, okay?

  “So, I say that to you and n
ow you’re saying it back to me, is that it?” I challenged him. He had the grace to look down at his shoes, a slow flush creeping up his neck.

  “Okay, I deserved that. But, I did give him a chance after you asked me to, and it was the best decision I’ve made in twenty years. So I can highly recommend it to you.”

  “All right, Doc, fair enough. I won’t bite his head off next time he tries to speak to me. That’s all I can promise.”

  “Fair enough.”

  ~*~

  I didn’t see Jon for the rest of the week, nor did he try to call or text me. Not that I expected it. Mrs. P had put him pretty firmly in his place and told him I didn’t want to see him. I supposed it was good of him to respect that. Whenever I let a thought of him cross my mind, mostly when I was tending to Max, I pushed it away. There was no sense in dwelling on thoughts of him, clearly he’d made his choice.

  Red showed up again on Thursday to take Max to his PT. Max was due for a follow-up x-ray the next day, to see if the flesh was knitting around the pins I’d put in. If possible, I would remove his cast or at least replace it with something less bulky, so he’d start putting his weight down on the leg again. If he was ever to use it again, he needed to start exercising those muscles now. I said as much to Red, not really expecting Jon to care, but wanting him to know of Max’s progress. Hopefully the assistant would pass on the news to Jon.

  I still didn’t know what had happened with the engagement to Ashleigh. Would she even care that Jon had pushed her father out of the CEO position? Not that it was any of my business. I supposed I’d learn about it in the little local weekly if they got married before I left Sunshine.

  Christmas was exactly a week away, and then I was supposed to have a fun New Year’s weekend with my friends coming up to learn to ski. All except Dani, the bitch. I wasn’t up for it, didn’t really want to see any of them. It still galled me that none of them had given me a clue that Greg was cheating on me with Dani. But, I couldn’t let them see that, not if I wanted to have any friends left. That begged the question, was it better to have no friends or bad friends? I couldn’t answer it. Even Megan, with her constant harping and whiny brat behavior, was company of sorts.

  It was too late to make plans to see my family over Christmas; the flights would be prohibitive, and it would take me out of the clinic for the day before and the day after at a minimum. I called Mom and told her I wouldn’t make it, trying to sound upbeat so she wouldn’t worry that I had no plans for the holiday. Then I had to struggle to maintain a positive attitude, because it sucked that I had no plans for the holiday, no one to spend it with, nothing to do. I decided I’d get all the classic Christmas movies recorded on the DVR as they played for the next week, and spend all day Christmas with junk food and A Christmas Story, Scrooge, Nightmare Before Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That ought to pass the time.

  Friday changed everything, though.

  When I left the clinic, promising Max I’d see him in the morning, Jon was waiting for me outside, hunched against the light snow and wind. When I saw him, I stopped so quickly that my feet almost went out from under me on the slick sidewalk. He reached to steady me.

  “What are you doing here?” It was accusatory, bitter and a complete cliché, but it was all I had.

  “Waiting for you. I’m sorry, Erin, this takeover has been bigger than I anticipated. I should have called, or come by. Can I see Max?”

  I didn’t know why he hadn’t come in before the clinic was closed, or maybe he’d just pulled up when I came out. Relieved that he wasn’t there about us, I turned and unlocked the door again, walking through the darkened front of the clinic to the back by the illumination of the security lights. Jon followed silently, which was a little creepy, but at least I didn’t have to make conversation with him. Max gave a whine of recognition as Jon came into view, wagging his tail slowly as if unsure of his welcome.

  “Max, there’s a good boy, come on out. Come give me a hug, buddy. Shake.” Jon’s cajoling voice coaxed Max out and set his tail to wagging more enthusiastically as he licked Jon’s chin and leaned against him. “I’m sorry, buddy, did you miss me? I missed you. Good boy,” he continued, his steady patter beginning to relax both the dog and me. Jon gave Max some solid thumps with his open hand on the dog’s flank, then scratched behind both ears while gazing into the loving eyes of man’s best friend. This was why I loved Goldens. They’d forgive you anything, as long as you paid them positive attention. I wasn’t sure Jon deserved to be forgiven, but Max thought so.

  Still looking into Max’s eyes, Jon brought my attention to him by speaking my name. “Erin, I owe you some explanations. Doc says you may be willing to hear me out. Can I take you to dinner? Please?”

  If he hadn’t invoked Doc’s name, I might have refused. But I’d promised Doc to listen, and if Jon wanted me to listen over dinner, I guessed I could tolerate that.

  “No escargot,” I said firmly.

  “No, I’ll take you to a restaurant where the menu is in English, and you can order for yourself. Does that mean you’ll go with me?”

  “I should drive my own car.”

  “I won’t bite, Erin. I promise not to press you for anything you don’t want to give.”

  “I should change.”

  “You’re fine.”

  “All right.”

  The restaurant he had in mind was Papa’s, almost deserted at this time of night. At least I didn’t feel out of place in my clinic scrubs, fortunately unblemished by the day’s work. Jon was wearing a custom-tailored suit with a white shirt, looking like he’d just stepped out of the pages of GQ. The contrast might have been funny, but he was the one out of place, not me. There was no one to see us anyway, except Papa, tired from a long day behind the counter but game to serve us anyway. I ordered the famous burrito that Jon had told me about, it seemed long ago though it was only three weeks. So much had happened, it felt like three months instead.

  Jon made small talk until Papa served our food and withdrew to the kitchen to give us our privacy. The last diner besides us had left a few minutes before, and Papa had put out the Closed sign, saying he was closing early because he’d been short-handed that day and was tired. As soon as we were alone, Jon’s face took on an earnest expression that warned me something serious was coming.

  “Erin, I know that Ashleigh came and confronted you in the clinic, and that one of her hangers-on sent you a message through Megan. I want to apologize for that.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Why would he apologize for someone else’s behavior unless he felt responsible for the someone. I shrugged.

  “No, it’s a big deal. I need you to know that she was doing all of that because she was mad at me. It was my fault, and I’m sorry.”

  “Mad at you, why?”

  “Because I’d broken up with her. Actually, I tried to do it repeatedly, but I gave a mixed message, and that’s why it’s my fault.”

  “Maybe you’d better stop being mysterious and tell me exactly what you mean, Jon. Papa’s tired and wants to go home, we need to wind this up.”

  Jon raked his hands through his hair, standing it on end and making me remember my fingers entangled in it. I looked away, unable to keep the sudden lust out of my eyes and unwilling to let him see it.

  “Look, I know this makes me an asshole. I do. The truth is, I was only ever with Ashleigh to keep her dad from knowing what I was up to. I couldn’t stand her most of the time. She’s vain, bitchy and shallow, everything I don’t want in a woman.”

  “And yet you’re engaged to her,” I said, failing to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

  “No! I was never engaged to her, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. Yes, I strung her along, but we were never engaged. She made that up to screw things up between you and me. By the time she told you that, I’d told her we were through, and that was after she’d told me the same thing. Erin, I swear, I was never engaged to her.”

  “Why does any of this matter to me,
Jon? I don’t care whether you were engaged. You were with her, and you were still with her when you and I…”

  “I wasn’t! Okay, maybe one time after that first time with you, but I didn’t ask for it. She pushed herself at me.”

  “God, can you hear yourself? You’re a shithead, do you know that?”

  “Yes! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I was a shithead when I got together with her. I was a shithead for using her. And I was a shithead for being too weak, too uncertain of my success in my goals if Egren found out, to give her a firm message. Fuck, I even hedged when her dad confronted me. I did it all to get where I am today, and I feel like a snake because of it, but Erin, this canyon was worth it. I’d do it again. Please, can you forgive me?”