Playing by Heart: Summer Beach Vets, #3

by H. Y. Hanna

  Charlie stood and looked at them miserably, feeling her own chest tighten and her eyes start to smart. I can’t cry, she thought fiercely. I have to be strong for them. Keeping her own emotions in check and remaining coolly distant was one thing she was still struggling with since starting her first job as a qualified vet. The other, more experienced, senior vets at the Summer Beach Veterinary Hospital seemed to have no problems maintaining emotional detachment, while at the same time still empathising with their patients. Charlie wished she could find that balance too. Instead, she still felt every loss and every pain as if it was her own pet who was suffering.

  “There’s no rush for you to make a decision,” she said gently as the wife continued to cry. “Sugar is stable now and comfortable. Why don’t I give you some time with her—I’ll leave you for a while and come back a bit later, okay?”

  “Thank you,” said the husband, looking up at her gratefully.

  Charlie gave him an encouraging smile, then left them huddled over the dog and went back to the vets’ inner office. Once she shut the door behind her, however, she felt the tears start again and she had to bite down hard on her lip. She leaned back against the door and closed her eyes for a moment, taking slow, deep breaths. She had to get herself back under control, especially if she was to go back in a while and take them through the euthanasia process.

  The door suddenly pushed against her back as somebody opened it. Charlie jumped and turned around. It was Dr Craig Murray, the head vet at the animal hospital and her unofficial mentor.

  “Oops... sorry, didn’t realise you were there.” His gaze sharpened. “You all right, Charlie?”

  “Yes,” said Charlie, sniffing hastily. She flushed with embarrassment. As the youngest vet at the practice, she already felt a constant need to prove herself and she didn’t want anybody knowing that she was getting emotional over a patient. “Yes, fine. I must have got something in my eye. Maybe that new antiseptic we’re using is irritating it.” She blinked rapidly.

  Craig eyed her shrewdly, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he shut the door behind him and said, “Can I speak to you about something?”

  “Sure,” said Charlie, wondering nervously if she had made a mistake somewhere earlier today. Sometimes she felt like she was constantly looking over her shoulder, second-guessing herself and worrying about her patient management decisions. Will I ever gain the calm experience that these older vets have? she wondered despairingly.

  “It’s... uh... a personal thing, actually,” said Craig, his cheeks reddening. Now it was his turn to look embarrassed.

  Charlie raised her eyebrows. It was not like Craig to seem so worried and unsure. Normally, the tall, good-looking vet was known for his quiet certainty and easy confidence. In fact, as the star of the hit TV series, Aussie Beach Vet, Craig had most of the nation—especially the female half—eating out of his hands.

  “It’s about Sara...” mumbled Craig.

  Ah. Charlie smiled. When it came to Sara, all Craig’s usual self-assurance deserted him. It had been sweet watching him fall madly in love. What was that line from the song in the ’80s? About love changing everything, from fools to kings? Craig and Sara’s whirlwind romance at the end of last year had caught everyone’s imagination—not just the locals at Summer Beach but the whole country, with tabloid magazines following every step of their courtship.

  Charlie had become good friends with Sara and felt sorry for the beautiful American, who had come over to Australia to escape paparazzi attention. Meeting Craig had meant that Sara had jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire!

  But somehow they had worked it out, and seeing how happy they were together now, it certainly seemed worth it. They were such a sweet couple. It almost made Charlie wistful sometimes—she had never experienced that kind of life-changing emotion. Well, maybe once... She pulled back sharply from the memory. No, she wasn’t going to go there. And anyway, that was years ago and a silly teenage thing.

  Charlie came out of her thoughts to see that Craig was still hesitating over what he wanted to say. “Did you want to ask me something about Sara?” she prompted.

  “Um, no... not exactly.” Craig hesitated, then rushed on. “Actually, I wanted to ask you to help me... uh... plan something for Sara. I need to get her to a certain place, at a certain time, without her suspecting anything.”

  “Oh, sure, no worries,” said Charlie, smiling. “Are you planning a surprise for her birthday or something?”

  Craig grinned and said, “No, I’m planning to ask her to marry me.”

  “Oh! Good onya, Craig!” Charlie beamed. She threw her arms around Craig and gave him a quick hug. “I’m so happy for you!”

  Craig returned the hug, then released her and said anxiously, “So you reckon she’ll say yes?”

  “Of course, she’ll say yes,” laughed Charlie. “Especially if you’re planning to get down on one knee.”

  Craig made a face. “I don’t want to do anything cheesy and clichéd. But I had this idea...”

  Charlie listened as he told her his plan. She smiled, watching him talk earnestly. It was all so romantic. Sara was a lucky woman.

  “I can’t wait to see her face,” she told Craig as he finished. “You’re probably going to end up on national TV with this proposal!”

  Craig frowned. “Actually, I was hoping to avoid that. You know how much Sara hates media attention. I think seeing her marriage proposal on TV is going to really upset her.”

  “I don’t know how you can avoid that,” said Charlie honestly. “Not unless you ask her quietly while doing the dishes, in the house one evening!” She chuckled. “Even if you just took her to a nice restaurant and presented her with the ring over dinner, someone will probably take pictures on their smartphone and sell it to the tabloids. You know how obsessed everyone is about your love life. There’s constant speculation over whether you’re going to propose. In fact, there’s constant speculation over whether Sara’s pregnant with your baby!”

  “Don’t start,” Craig groaned. “I hope Sara didn’t see those stories!”

  “We had some mags out in the waiting room last week—I thought I saw some pictures of you outside a jewellery store and the caption said something about you buying an engagement ring?” asked Charlie.

  Craig rolled his eyes. “I was actually going into the dry-cleaner’s opposite, but of course, the cameras had to take it from that angle so that it looked like I was heading for the jewellers. These bloody journos will make a story out of anything!” He sighed. “Maybe I’ll have to rethink my plan and do something more low-key.”

  He left and Charlie was alone in the room again. She was glad for the talk with Craig—it had taken her mind off Sugar and her owners for a bit. But now she was back to facing reality. She glanced at the clock. Should she go back to the hospital ward now? I’ll give it another fifteen minutes, she decided. She knew it was partly cowardice—she was just putting off the inevitable. At least this is the last case of the day, Charlie thought with relief. She wouldn’t have to worry about putting on a fake bright smile and going out to meet the next patient. She took off her white coat, sat down, and was just about to start tackling some reports when the door to the office swung open. Megan the receptionist stood there.

  “Someone’s just brought a baby koala in,” she said excitedly. “I think his dog attacked it.”

  Charlie stood up, her lips tightening. These irresponsible dog owners! Everyone knew that koalas were a protected species and very vulnerable to predators. There were rules about keeping your dog on leash when walking in National Parks and protected reserves, but she knew a lot of dog owners tended to ignore them. They figured that they would be able to control their dogs or that their precious pooch “would never hurt a fly”. They were invariably wrong. Even the cutest, fluffiest dog could still retain a strong, predatory instinct. By the time the owners realised that, it was often too late. But lots of dog owners continued to bend the rules, convinced that they could
be the exception. It was that classic Australian “she’ll be right” mentality—thinking everything will turn out okay, no need to worry about the details—which really annoyed Charlie sometimes.

  “All right, I’m coming. Put them in Consult Room 2, will you?” she said, standing up and pulling her white coat back on.

  A few minutes later, Charlie found herself outside the closed door of the consult room again. But this time, instead of being filled with dread, she was full of fuming irritation. She would give the owner a piece of her mind, she decided, once she had taken care of the koala. Make sure that he took his dog ownership responsibilities seriously.

  She pushed the door open and stepped inside, then stopped short, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at the man standing by the examination table. He looked up and his cool hazel eyes met hers.

  No, it can’t be him.

  Read more & get purchase links:

  Summer Beach Vets ~ H.Y. Hanna website

  Don’t Forget to Check Out The Other Books in this Series:

  CLICK HERE

  Escape Down Under: Summer Beach Romance series

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing for Love (Book 1)

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing to Win (Book 2)

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing by Heart (Book 3)

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing the Fool (Book 4)

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing Santa (Christmas Special – Book 2.5)

  Summer Beach Bride: Seaside Duet (Book 5)

  Australian Slang Glossary

  N.B. “rising trot” is known as “posting trot” in the United States

  Arvo – afternoon

  Aussie – a person from Australia (pronounced “Ozzie”) or an adjective for something that is Australian (e.g. “Aussie animals”)

  Beauty – great, fantastic, showing excited approval (often used in the phrases “You little beauty!” or “That’s beaut!”)

  Bloke – man (equivalent to “guy”)

  Bloody – known as “the Great Australian Adjective”, not regarded as profane or swearing, it is used as an intensifier for both positive and negative qualities (e.g. “bloody awful” and “bloody wonderful”)

  Blotto – very drunk

  Boardies – board shorts

  Brilliant – very good, excellent

  (To) Bucket Down – rain heavily

  Chalkie - teacher

  Cheers – general greeting, often used for thanking someone or saying goodbye or to sign notes

  Cold enough to freeze the medals off a brass monkey – very cold

  Crikey – an exclamation of surprise or bewilderment

  Cripes – an exclamation of surprise or dismay

  Dodgy – untrustworthy, possibly poor quality

  Fancy a drink? – would you like to have a drink (with me)

  G’day – the ubiquitous Australian greeting

  Give (someone) a holler – call them, contact them

  Good onya – a version of “good on you”, praising someone for their efforts, similar to “kudos”

  In a tick – in a second (tick of the clock)

  Littlies – small children

  Mate – friend, sometimes equivalent to “buddy”

  Me – sometimes used instead of “my” (e.g. “I’ve lost me socks”)

  No worries – no problems, don’t worry about it, that’s all right

  O.S. – overseas

  Pack up – to break, stop working

  Pash – a passionate kiss or to kiss someone passionately

  Plonk - wine

  Pom – someone from Britain (usually England)

  Pommyland – Britain

  Roo - kangaroo

  Spunky – describing an attractive person of either sex

  Strine – Australian slang, based on the way Australians pronounce “Australian” = “Aus-strine”

  Stubbie – a small squat 375 ml bottle of beer

  Ta – thank you

  “Tall poppy” – highly successful people who rise above the rest and may develop an overblown ego. They are often seen as needing to be “cut down” in Australia, where the culture favours the “underdog”

  Telly - television

  Too right – vehement agreement with something

  True-blue – genuine, authentic

  What do you do for a crust? – what do you do for a living, what’s your job

  The following Australian words are not “slang” but the meanings differ from American usage:

  Boot – the rear storage compartment of a motor vehicle

  Bonnet – the front cover over the engine of a motor vehicle

  Torch – flashlight (pen torch = penlight)

  About the Author

  H.Y. Hanna is the award-winning author of mysteries, sweet romances and romantic suspense. She also writes children's fiction and - under the pen name, "Penelope Swan" - Regency romances and mysteries inspired by Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'. After graduating from Oxford University, she tried her hand at a variety of jobs before returning to her first love: writing. She has won awards for her novels, poetry, short stories and journalism.

  A globe-trotter all her life, Hsin-Yi has lived in a variety of cultures, from Dubai to Auckland, London to New Jersey, but is now happily settled in Perth, Western Australia, with her husband and a rescue kitty. You can learn more about her and contact her at: www.hyhanna.com.

  Sign up to her mailing list to be notified of new releases, early reader discounts, special offers, giveaways and more! Click here: www.hyhanna.com/newsletter

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks as always to Melanie G. Howe, for being beta reader, critique partner, sympathetic ear and general all-round great friend. A special thank you goes to Dr David Neck, who helped to check the accuracy of all the veterinary details in the story.

  And I am eternally grateful to my wonderful husband for his unwavering support and encouragement, and for doing everything he can to give me more time to write and follow my dreams.

  Copyright © 2014 by H.Y. Hanna

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9941726-6-2

  www.hyhanna.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments, persons or animals, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

  Did you love Summer Beach Vets: Playing by Heart? Then you should read Summer Beach Vets: Playing the Fool by H.Y. Hanna!

  Charlie is the youngest vet at a busy animal hospital and passionate about her work. She's horrified when an injured baby koala is brought in - and even more horrified when she recognises the handsome stranger who rescued it as her first love. Todd Novak broke her heart once and there's no way she's letting him get under her defences again!Todd can't believe that his friend's little sister has grown up into such a beauty. As a dotcom billionaire, he's used to getting what he wants and suddenly, all he wants is the key to Charlie's heart. But with his playboy reputation and her bitter memories, can he ever convince Charlie to give him a second chance?

  escape Down Under...and find love in Summer Beach! * EACH BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE, or read them in order for more fun! Characters you loved from past books often return to delight again in this sweet romance series set in Summer Beach, Australia.

  - Summer Beach Vets: Playing for Love (Book 1) ~ Sara & Craig

  - Summer Beach Vets: Playing to Win (Book 2) ~ Ellie & Dan

  - Summer Beach Vets: Playing by Heart (Book 3) ~ Pippa & Matt

  - Summer Beach Vets: Playing the Fool (Book 4) ~ Charlie & Todd


  - Summer Beach Vets: Playing Santa (Christmas Special Book 2.5) ~ Holly & Nick

  - Summer Beach Bride: Seaside Duet (Book 5) ~ Ben & Natalie

  Also by H.Y. Hanna

  Big Honey Dog Mysteries

  Curse of the Scarab ~ Big Honey Dog Mysteries

  A Secret in Time ~ Big Honey Dog Mysteries

  Big Honey Dog Mysteries HOLIDAY COLLECTION

  Summer Beach Vets

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing for Love

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing to Win

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing by Heart

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing the Fool

  Summer Beach Vets: Playing Santa

  Summer Beach Bride: Seaside Duet

  Summer Beach Vets Collection Boxset

  The TENDER Series

  Tender Deceit

  Tender Treachery

  Tender Betrayal

  The TENDER Mysteries Box Set (Books 1 ~ 3)