Hart & Stocker

by Max Ellendale

  "Nope."

  The front door opened and in walked the first patient of the day. We never booked by owner name, always by pet, so when Marjie walked in toting a small golden puppy, my brows lifted in surprise.

  "Hi, Willa," she said, a warm smile across her pale lips.

  "You're Winston?" I pointed at the puppy in her arms.

  "The very one." She beamed, giving the pup a kiss on the head. I smiled at her affection for the cute little puppy. "Thanks for seeing us."

  "Of course. Come on back." I waved for her to follow me to the first exam room.

  Normally, Marjorie grinded my gears with her syrupy attitude, and country poshness that made me want to strangle her. Sage, who shared some flavors of that at times, balanced her out. It had been years since I'd spent any significant amount of time alone with her. Luckily, I could handle it in a work setting.

  Marjorie set the puppy on the floor, and his tail wagged like crazy when I dropped down to sit with him. "Well, aren't you cute." I laughed as he climbed into my lap, and tossed himself on his back, his legs kicking about. "He's a little fluff ball. Where did you get him? Not many Golden Doodles around here."

  "A breeder south of Seattle. He's a mini," she said, crouching beside us. "My husband gifted him to me for our anniversary. I love Doodles but never considered getting one. Our other is a rescue."

  "I remember." I couldn't help grinning at the puppy that nibbled the shit out of my fingers. "He's so cute."

  "I know." Marjie giggled a bit. "He's very well-behaved already. Paper trained. He's had some shots." She pulled the papers from her bag. "But I wanted you to check him to be sure."

  "At first sight, he looks very healthy." I lifted the puppy, holding him nose to nose. He lashed out to lick me and I grinned. "And happy."

  "Oh good."

  "Let's get you all examined, shall we?" I stood while cradling him and Marjie followed as I set him on the exam table. Winston was too little to fear the table like older dogs. Marjie stood on the other side of the table while I affixed my stethoscope and listened to Winston's heart and lungs to start. She watched my face, her lip between her teeth like any nervous parent. "How is Lizzie with him?" I asked in order to distract her.

  "She's excellent. Gentle, luckily. He's smaller than Beeju, so we've had to teach her to be careful."

  While we chatted, I poked around the pup's belly and checked his tiny bits. His feet and ears came next, all while I worked to keep Marjie distracted. Winston thought it was a fun little game and made it easier by rolling on his back.

  "Lizzie and Macie get on well," I said. "Macie loves animals, but my sister is hesitant because of her schedule." I lifted Winston after I zeroed out the small scale and set him on it.

  "I can't blame her. Not working makes it easier on me." She gnawed her lip again. "How's he look so far?"

  "He's looking great. Joanna is going to come get him in a moment to take him to the treatment room for a nail clipping." I poked at his little paws. "They're a bit sharp."

  "I noticed that, too. Is it unusual?"

  "Nope. He probably hasn't been on pavement much." I smiled while checking his teeth and gums. He loved it and kept licking my fingers. "He's got a good temperament already."

  "That's good to hear." Marjorie's spirits lifted.

  Joanna appeared right on time and her eyes widened the moment she saw the puppy. "Oh my goodness, look at him." We both laughed as she swooped in to grab him up. "You're the cutest!" she squeaked, and the dog licked her all over her face. "I'll be right back."

  "Don't fall too much in love, Jo." I grinned at her as I put together Winston's chart with the papers Marjie gave me, then grabbed a new puppy kit from the drawer.

  "I won't," she said, and toted him out.

  "I'm glad everyone loves him. You have a great crew here," said Marjie.

  "I do. They're all wonderful." I set the bag of goodies down on the table. "In here, there's some information about what to expect, and notes about when his shots will be due. Some flea and tick medicine samples and a few treats as well."

  "Thanks, Willa." She lifted it and peeked inside, pulling out a rainbow colored leash with Hart's Veterinary Clinic embroidered on it. Her smile lifted when she held it out. "This is cute. Thank you."

  "Gotta slip that representation in where I can," I said, smirking as I jotted down the last of my notes. "I'd like to see him again in two weeks. Can you bring a stool sample before then?"

  "I can." She nodded and slipped the leash back in the bag.

  When I pocketed my pen and closed the file, Marjie met my gaze. "Great. Enjoy him. I love his name."

  "Lizzie picked it," she said, grinning. "She also picked Beetlejuice for the other dog so I think we lucked out this time."

  I laughed at that, shaking my head. "Beeju is a good name though."

  "Thankfully." She grinned, tucking the supplies into her bag.

  When quiet fell, I glanced to the door in hopes that Joanna would return swiftly. I imagined she and the other techs going crazy for the little guy as they would with all the rest of the puppies due in today.

  "So…" began Marjie, cutting the awkward silence. "How's things with Dakota Stocker?"

  "Oh, um." I didn't expect the question at all, or the social visit that came with the medical. "Really good."

  "It's been a few months now?" she asked, her brow lifted.

  "Almost two officially, yeah."

  "Your names are cute. Hart and Stocker." Her brows lifted with her smile. "It's like a romance novel or something. Or a Hallmark movie."

  "Hallmark would never feature lesbians," I said, shaking my head at the notion. "They pretend that only white heterosexual couples deserve happiness in places like this."

  "Maybe that's why hardly any of their movies take place in the city."

  "Probably."

  "You know...Dakota was my friend growing up. She doesn't talk to any of us now, but when I heard what happened to her, it made me sad. I wanted to be there for her. We all did..."

  "Situations change people," was all I could come up with.

  "You know, what Kellee said about her having a crush on you when we were kids was true. She loved animals like you and when you got that pig, it was all over." Marjie smiled sadly, tapping the tip of her boot on the floor. "She was going to ask you out at the Lavender Festival, but that was the day her mom told her they were moving. Did you know?"

  "I didn't know that…" I toyed with the plush pad on the table, dusting off a few stray dog hairs.

  "She was the only gay person I ever knew. That any of us knew…"

  "I think she's always identified as bisexual," I said. Correcting her seemed like the thing to do at the time. The uncomfortable conversation had me squirming, but I was trapped there until Joanna returned.

  "Yeah. You're right." The conversation faded for a moment and I thought I was in the clear until she said, "I think the two of you are a good match. You're a lot alike in some ways."

  "How?" My brow furrowed. What did Marjie know about me anyway?

  "You and Dakota, you both keep yourselves on the outskirts of life. I mean, socially anyway. I know Sage tries to get you to hang out with us, but you don't." She held up her hands. "Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing or that you have to, but I'm just saying that I understand it might be difficult to not have people who get you."

  "It is...sometimes." I never expected her to say any of this, and my disdain for her general presence began to fade.

  "We do have things in common, Willa. All of us. We don't have to be gay or straight to share common interests."

  "It's not that…" I ran my fingers through my hair, and smirked when I thought of Dax's nervous habit. "It's more hanging around people who are partnered off. Being the only single person in town was kind of difficult."

  "Not the only—" I cocked a brow at her and she laughed. "Okay, good point. Small town and all."

  "Yeah." I laughed at that. "So, yeah...I don't have a lot in common.
No marriage, no kids, no house, or traditional small town existence."

  "Well, you're a Seattle transplant after all. Still." She shrugged. "Sage would really like if her best friend joined her other best friends for a beer now and then. We're small, but not typical, Will. We accept you and all of our residents, no matter what their story of origin."

  "I'll think about it. Thank you for saying all that…"

  "I meant it."

  Joanna returned with a freshly primped Winston who now had a blue bow clipped to his collar. "He's all ready for you, Momma."

  "Hooray." Marjie grinned, and accepted the dog into her arms. "Thank you for caring for him."

  "If you have any problems, don't hesitate. If he has unusual stool, odd behavior. Give us a call. Otherwise, we'll see you in a few weeks."

  "Thanks, Willa." Marjie smiled and Joanna led her out. "Bye."

  "Bye."

  Chapter Thirteen

  "So, I heard you had a puppy-filled day," said Sage as we sat together at Rooney's for the first time in awhile. I downed my beer like I hadn't had one in weeks. Which I hadn't, at least not paired with a Rooney's burger and nachos.

  "I did. It was a lot of fun," I said, swiping the cheese off my fingers with a napkin. "Marjie had a few things to say..."

  "I heard about that, too." Sage glanced at me after setting down her burger and going for the fries.

  "I feel like you put her up to it."

  "Wrong, Will. That was all her."

  "I remain skeptical."

  "I'm not surprised." Sage sighed. "How's Dax?"

  "She's good. Still at work." I leaned my elbow on the bar counter while crunching on a nacho. "I think she likes having dinner with our family."

  "I mean, we're entertaining at best." Sage laughed, shaking her head. "Macie's a little obsessed with her. She's not used to cool. The rest of us aren't cool at all."

  "Objection. I'm very cool."

  Sage laughed hard, shoving my shoulder. "Will, you've been cool for all of five minutes in your entire life."

  "You have no idea what my Seattle life was like, so don't even."

  "Oh, I evened." She grinned, wagging her brows as she took a swig of beer. "Not cool."

  "Jerk." I swatted her hand and it only egged her on. A large group of at least ten people entered the bar at the same time and I nearly pouted. "Is tonight trivia?"

  "Karaoke. Wanna sing?" She flicked an eyebrow at me.

  "No way. Have you heard my voice?"

  "I have and it's cute. C'mon. Let's karaoke. No one we even know is here," she said, gesturing around us.

  "Except literally half the town?"

  "Fine." She downed the rest of the beer, then before she set it down, Andy swooped in with another. "We have three hours to decide. Thanks, Andy."

  "Uck. I'm not staying here for three hours."

  "Why? Waiting for your girlfriend?" She made kissy faces at me and it earned her another shove.

  "Double jerk. Of course."

  "Are you in love with her, Will? Like really, truly in love? The messy, stupid, ridiculous kind of love that makes you fall for her every day?" Sage rested her chin on her fist while gazing at me with bright, mischievous eyes.

  "Is it that obvious?" I threw a fry at her and she caught it.

  "Extremely. Let me hear you say it."

  I sighed, my heart skipping a beat as I formulated the words in my brain. "Yes. I'm messy, stupid, ridiculously in love with Dax."

  "Have you told her?"

  "Not yet…"

  "Do you think she's in love with you?"

  "I'm not sure. But I think and hope so." I gripped the cool bottle of beer tighter in my palms. Just thinking about Dax not being in love with me brought a sense of fear and worry to the surface.

  "Well, I've seen how she looks at you. And there's no question about it." Sage paused to watch me for a moment. "Mom also loves her."

  "I know. I'm so surprised about that."

  "Mom was always fond of her. I mean, she and Rowan were close before Rowan went all posh and moved to Seattle. That's what Mom said anyway. Dakota got caught in the fray."

  "Well, if Mom likes Dax then my life is looking up."

  Sage laughed around her bite of burger. "It is."

  My phone buzzed on the counter and I looked down to see a text from Dax. I swiped my screen and read it.

  Hi, baby…

  My face heated to a flush seeing her typed expression. Hi, honey.

  Shitty news. Stuck in Seattle tonight. Couldn't serve warrant.

  My bed is going to be very lonely after this weekend.

  Mine, too. Well, my car. While waiting for suspect to show up.

  That sounds unpleasant. Anything I can do?

  Send me a pic of your tits.

  I laughed aloud and Sage leaned over my shoulder to snoop. She grinned, bumping her head with mine.

  Dax!

  ;)

  I will before bed.

  Yay. Call you when things quiet. Xo

  Okay. Xo

  "That's the longest text conversation we've ever had," I told Sage, smiling stupidly at my phone.

  "Is it the longest time you've spent apart since you started dating?" asked Sage.

  "Not since the beginning, no. Recently though, yeah."

  "Distance changes things. People communicate more. Jake texts me like once a week, usually asking me if I need something from the store." She shrugged, then took a sip of her beer. "If our schedules get hectic, we text more."

  "It makes sense." I poked around my phone for a minute before setting it down. "She said she'd call. We've never spoken on the phone."

  "Well, sounds like your night is going to be interesting." Sage laughed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "C'mon. Karaoke time."

  "No," I whined, but Sage dragged me from my seat anyway.

  ***

  With no girlfriend waiting for me, I returned home after checking on Joanna who was doing an overnight with a post-surgery patient in the clinic. The freshly neutered puppy recovered well, and Doctor Harmon was still there looking after him to boot.

  I left them to it and returned back to my apartment around ten.

  It'd been a long time since I'd been in a relationship, and I'd almost forgotten what the separation after an intense weekend felt like. A sullen emptiness accompanied my happiness. I wasn't used to missing someone who was just out of reach and it made me feel a little pathetic.

  When I emerged from the shower, I saw a text waiting from Dax when I lifted my phone from the bed.

  Asleep yet?

  Nope. No sleep.

  Put Skype on your phone.

  What's Skype?

  Girl, app store. Skype.

  LOL. Okay. Hang on.

  It took me a minute or two to set it up while hopping into bed. I installed it, set up whatever I needed to, then texted Dax the contact information as it prompted.

  Soon after, the strange ring rattled my phone and I swiped to answer. The video chat screen opened and Dax's cocky smirk filled the screen.

  "Hey, Grandma. 'What's Skype?' Really?"

  "Hush up that pretty face of yours." I couldn't help smiling despite her teasing. "Hi."

  "Hi." Dax dropped her head back against the seat of her car. Even in the dim light, her misty green eyes shimmered. She watched me, falling quiet like she often did in person.

  "Can I tell you something?" I settled back against the headboard, leaning against the pillows. The damp towel gathered around my thighs as I held it under my arms.

  "Of course."

  "When you text me and called me baby, I really liked that." My mouth curved into a smile of its own volition. "A lot."

  Dax leaned her head on her hand, a soft smile on her lips as she watched me on the screen. It took a few seconds to respond, but she said, "You call me honey."

  "Because you're my honey."

  "You're my baby."

  I sucked in my breath as a wave of emotion tightened my throat. "I want to
say things to you, but not over the phone," I said, swiping at the tear that slipped down my cheek.

  "Me too." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Don't cry, Willa."

  "I'm sorry." I sniffled then laughed. "It's pathetic."

  "It's not. It's...meaningful."

  "Yeah." I drew a deep in-breath. "We've never talked on the phone."

  "I know. I'm not very good at it."

  "You are right now."

  "Because I can see you," she said. "Speaking of, are you naked?" Her mouth twitched with her smirk.

  I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Towel." I tilted the phone down to show her. "You caught me after a shower."

  "Can you be naked?"

  "I can." I bit my bottom lip. "Are you alone in that car?"

  "I am. My colleague is across the street."

  "When will you be home?" I unwrapped my towel, and let it fall away. Never in my life had I sent a nude photo, let alone revealed myself in a video chat.

  "Tomorrow afternoon most likely." Her brows lifted when she saw me drop the towel. "What've you got to show me there, Willa?"

  "Just me." I tilted the phone so she could see my breasts in the frame. My face heated to a bright red blush when I saw myself in the tiny screen in the corner. "I can see myself. It's strange."

  She grinned, slouching in her chair a bit. "Ignore it for now. You're beautiful."

  "According to you."

  "And a room full of law enforcement lesbians, apparently." She lifted her chin, nodding for me to continue. "Show me more."

  "Your group peers are really nice." I nearly gnawed a hole in my cheek as I moved the phone so that she could get a better look at all of me.

  "You're beautiful," she repeated, growing quiet as she watched me. "Bend your knees."

  "Dax." If my face was red before, it must've been purple now. I bent my knees while slouching, which exposed some of my lower half. My hand fell to my stomach out of habit.

  Her phone made a sound and it startled me. "What was that?"

  "Took a screenshot of you."

  "Dax! Delete that."

  She laughed, shaking her head. "Nope. It's revenge for when you took those pictures of me getting mauled by goats."

  "That's hardly equal."

  "How wet are you?" Dax grinned now, her eyes twinkling with mischief.