Take It Easy

by Scarlett Brooks

  “Dr. Kennedy, thank you for coming. We know you were at--.”

  I held up my hand, silencing the nurse before I soared into the changing room. I ripped my dress off faster than ever and opened up my locker. I pulled out the few pairs of scrubs I kept there on hand for instances like this, and I slipped effortlessly into them. I tried ignoring the wetness between my legs. The fluids slowly trickling down my thighs. I pulled my shirt over my head and readied myself for surgery, scrubbing my arms down and tying a mask over my face.

  “Okay, what’s the diagnosis?” I asked as I walked into the surgery room.

  Cara was already in there, ready to go. “Hit and run. The owner found the dog. I’ve already set the two back legs, but we can’t cast them until we figure out where the internal bleeding is coming from.”

  “Yes. His stomach is filling rapidly, and we don’t have much blood on hand to give him. We have to find it, and quick,” a vet tech said.

  Thankfully, the dog was already sedated and on a breathing tube. Because exploratory surgery took full-on anesthesia.

  “Is the owner here?” I asked.

  “No. They passed out in the waiting room and gashed their head open, so the owner is on his way to the hospital across town,” Cara responded.

  “Great. Okay. Then we can take our time. I’m going to need as much sterile gauze as you can get me and let’s get ready to sew this dog back up. We’ll cauterize if necessary, but saving this dog’s life is imperative. We’ll use whatever we can,” I said.

  Then, I made the first incision.

  Never in my life had I walked out of a surgery room with so much animal blood on me. After draining the dog’s stomach and chasing around the internal bleeding, I located three spots where a major artery had been cut in the crash. I had to remove pieces of bone surging through the poor dog’s system before they reached his heart, then I had to cauterize the knicks so he would stop bleeding into his stomach. There were a couple of moments where I thought he wasn’t going to make it. Where his heart rate skyrocketed and wouldn't come back down.

  But in the end, once we removed the breathing tube, he laid there safely and soundly in the crate we had padded and made up for him. But things were still going to be touch and go through the night. There was no use in me going anywhere in case something happened. The poor dog had two casted back legs, three cauterization points, and forty-seven stitches in his poor body. Not to mention the bruising and swelling that came with being hit by the car in the first place. A hit and run. It made me sick.

  “You’re going to be just fine, okay?” I whispered.

  I laid down on the floor next to the fenced-in area where the dog was and fell asleep with him. I wanted to be right there if anything happened. I also didn’t want him to wake up alone. I fell asleep on the concrete floor with my arm propped up underneath me and my hand stuck through the fencing to rest on his beating heart as he slept.

  And when he got up that next morning, it jolted me awake.

  “Hey there buddy, how are you--?”

  The dog was sitting back on his haunches with his two casted legs sticking out from underneath him. He had the goofiest smile on his face and his tongue was hanging out. I sat up and smiled, my eyes darting over his body. No busted stitches. No signs of internal bleeding any longer. If anything, the only difference was that some of his swelling had gone down.

  “Why does it not shock me that you stayed the night here?”

  I turned my head and looked at one of the vet techs that came by to feed the animals every morning.

  “Hey there. What time is it?” I asked.

  “Six in the morning. On the nose. How’d the little guy do? We all got an alert about it,” she said.

  “He did great, and it looks like he’s still doing great. Could you feed and water him first?” I asked.

  “That was the plan, Dr. K. Hey any word on the mare from the Graves farm? Cara told the office about your amazing save!”

  “Yeah, she made it, but the rehab is going to be nearly a month. I’m sure she’ll be glad to meet that little colt when it’s all over. Such a beautiful horse.”

  She nodded as I got up from the ground and the dog barked at me. And in my mind, it sounded almost as if the dog was thanking me. I watched the tech fill up his feed and water dish, and he bent down and went to town. He devoured the food and slurped down the water, and I motioned for the woman to give him another two scoops of food.

  “He’s going to need his energy to heal,” I said.

  “Fair enough. I’ll put on his chart for the lunchtime tech to see about giving him a little more as well,” she said.

  “I appreciate it, thank you.”

  I walked my aching body back into the locker room and closed the door. I sat down on the bench, putting my head in my hands. I was so glad the dog was okay, but I felt terrible for missing the end of the charity event. Missing the dancing and the clean-up. I was responsible for that clean-up. Well, not in Lauren or Emily’s eyes. But, I felt responsible for it. I had a hand in making the mess in the first place.

  The air conditioning roared to life and I felt something tickle my ankle. I jerked my leg away before I looked, and that was when I saw it. The beautiful blue dress I hadn’t bothered to hang up last night. It was a stunning dress. I had borrowed it from Cara. I picked up the dress and laid it over my lap, careful to maneuver it away from the dirtier parts of my scrubs.

  I ran my fingers over the silken fabric. Over the sheer overlay that had won me over with the dress. It was a beautiful piece of clothing. One I would have never purchased for myself. I sighed and stood up. I removed a hanger from my locker and hung up the dress, then let it dangle from the set-up I had placed in my personal space. I stripped myself of my dirty scrubs and searched around for a trash bag. They could be thrown away, as far as I was concerned. There was no getting those types of stains out of them. I pulled a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from my locker and pulled them on, trying to block out the events of last night.

  But as I pulled the jeans over my thighs, it all came barreling back.

  His warm chocolate eyes. His effortless kiss. The way his hands guided my hips. He was perfect in every way, and I didn’t even know the man’s name. I wish I had gotten his name. I wish I hadn’t been so captivated by his horse and his smile that I would have thought, like a normal person, to ask. I sighed as I pulled the dress from the locker and closed it. I gathered my personal effects and made my way to my car. I needed to drop it off for dry-cleaning before I returned it.

  Especially since it still smelled like him.

  As I passed off the dress to the dry cleaners through my window, I took the ticket and sat there for a second. I enjoyed my life. I loved it with every fiber of my being. But last night had been wonderful. The alcohol. The crystal glasses. The plates of food that were prepared by a five-star chef-commanded kitchen. I’d never been one for glitz and glamor. I’d never been one who was swayed by money or expensive things. It wasn't something I was after. It had never been, and it would never be.

  But, last night had been fun.

  Maybe a little bit of glamor once in a while wouldn’t hurt.

  As I made my way back to my office, I cleared my mind as best as I could. I had a few scattered appointments that Sunday afternoon, but nothing major. Just some check-ins for animals on medication or who had stitches that needed to be removed. Until those appointments came around, I could get some mindless work done. Paperwork. Invoicing. General cleaning up. And if I got it all done before noon, I could climb up onto my patient’s bed and take a little nap.

  One I desperately needed.

  8

  Logan

  I paced my office back and forth, racking my brain as to who that woman could have been. I flipped through the rolodex of my brain. I replayed every part of last night, wondering if someone else had said her name in my presence. The beauty in blue had dominated my dreams last night. But not simply sexually. Her eyes were there. Her curled h
air was there. Her beautiful curves and her effortless smile were there. The way she bonded with Trigger was there. The way she nuzzled him and he nuzzled in return was there.

  Everything about her had been there. And that had never happened before, either.

  I was experiencing so many firsts with this woman, and I had no way to contact her! No way to look her up! And all because I didn’t have sense enough to pry her damn name out of her. I raked my hand through my hair and sighed.

  I had no idea how I’d ever find her again.

  9

  Gwen

  A week after the charity auction, things started falling back into place at the rescue. Funds had been distributed accordingly and supplies had been purchased. The debts had been paid off in full and the animals that were already in its care were able to get the help they needed before going home. Bank accounts were filled and some repairs that were long overdue had been scheduled and paid for. Everything was looking up with regard to the rescue, which meant I could get back to focusing on my profession.

  My veterinary practice.

  “Morning, Dr. Kennedy.”

  “You know you can call me Gwen, Cara. I’ve told you this a million times.”

  “Maybe when I get my degree,” she said, smiling.

  “Well, before then, if you can manage to get past the traditions that were ingrained into you...” I said.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “How are things this morning?”

  “Pretty quiet. Had a child come in with his pet mouse. Turns out the mouse apparently liked eating the fuzz the child kept feeding it. That was not a pretty sight, but the mouse is fine. Don’t know about the child’s behind, though.”

  “Ah, the joys of parenting in a doctor’s office. Anything else?” I asked as I set my things down.

  “I got a phone call from a man who’s bringing his horse over. Says it’s limping pretty badly. I didn’t get many details because the call kept cutting in and out. But, he should be pulling up with his trailer anytime now.”

  “Did you happen to catch what was wrong with the horse?” I asked. I hoped it wasn’t Mr. Graves again, he had already had a tough month without Ginger at home.

  “Something about his leg. Or hip. Or possibly limp? Either way, it didn’t strike me as too bad.”

  “Anything else I should know about?” I asked.

  “That’s it for this morning. Been pretty slow,” she said.

  “Then, I’ll go get prepared for our newest client.”

  I walked into my office and started gathering up a bit of paperwork the owner would have to fill out while I was checking over his horse. I slid it onto a clipboard and grabbed a pen, then picked out a pair of gloves. I had plastic ziplock bags for the larger animals that couldn't come into my office with supplies I’d need to look them over. Alcohol wipes. Massive tongue depressors. Flashlights to look in their eyes and ears. Things of that sort. They helped me diagnose before I got the larger animals around back so I could work on them.

  And just as I grabbed that plastic bag, I heard a truck pull up.

  “They’re here, Dr. K!” Cara exclaimed.

  “Thank you,” I called back.

  I walked out of my office and started for the parking lot. The owner had backed the trailer up to the curb and was slowly inching the horse out of the trailer backwards. Younger guy, definitely not Mr. Graves, thank goodness. I stood and watched as the horse walked. Well, limped rather. It was a pretty significant limp in its hind right leg as well. The horse almost didn’t want to touch it down to the ground. My first concern was that the horse had a tendon issue. That something had been ripped or torn in some way. Especially since the horse didn’t want to walk on it.

  “I’ve been told your horse is having an issue with it’s leg,” I said.

  I walked up to the owner in the massive cowboy hat.

  “I’ll want to get your horse around back as quickly as possible. If there’s a ripped or snapped tendon, it’ll require surgery. And I still have a chunk of time in my day to schedule that for toda--.”

  The man took his cowboy hat off and my eyes widened. A surprised grin slid across his face as he gripped his hat and settled it against his leg. My eyes dropped down his body, taking in the jeans and boots he wore. The dirt on his flannel shirt that clung to a chest I’d felt against mine last week.

  My knight in shining armor.

  “Trigger?” I asked as I looked over at the horse.

  I watched him look over at me before he gave a valiant nod.

  “A veterinarian. Why does that not shock me at all?” the man asked.

  I turned my head back to him as he held out his hand for me to shake. I took it within mine and felt a spark of electricity shoot up my arm. His hands were callused from years of hard work. Very unlike a real estate agent. I looked down in shock at our connection before my eyes ran back up his arm, taking in the veins that bulged from the forearms that were exposed due to the rolling up of his sleeves.

  “The woman in the blue dress,” the man said.

  Oh my freaking God. I’d had a one-night stand with one of my patients’ owners.

  I heard the horse whinny in pain and it pulled me from my trance. Trigger was in a great deal of pain, and I didn’t want him to have to wait any longer. I handed the clipboard silently to the man in front of me, then walked around and grabbed his reins. I never mixed business with pleasure. Hell, I never partook in pleasure. It was a distraction, and an unnecessary one. But especially with the owner of one of my clients. What had I been thinking? I wasn’t, that was the answer. I hadn’t been thinking about the repercussions of my actions that night, and now they were coming back to bite me in the ass.

  Great.

  I led Trigger slowly around the main building of my veterinary office and headed back for the barn. He was moving slowly, and he kept jerking the reins from my hands. Well, he kept trying. I wanted to get him looked at as soon as possible. One, so I could diagnose him and get him treatment; and two, so I could get myself out of this embarrassing scenario.

  I walked us into the barn and led Trigger to my equipment while Mr. Knight over there filled out the paperwork.

  I tied the reins off to one of the posts and I quickly got to work. I pulled rubber gloves on and smoothed my hand down Trigger’s neck. Down the length of his body. Down his behind. I slid my hand all the way down to his hurt hoof and he easily kicked it up for me. It wasn’t one he wanted to stand on anyway. I didn’t see anything in his hoof that was the cause of the pain, so I started feeling around a bit. Trigger jerked. At one point in time his tail swatted at me. My fingers pressed down and rolled around, and the sounds Trigger made broke my heart.

  But when I finally rolled over it, I knew what had happened.

  “How long has he been like this?” I asked.

  “Couple days now,” the man said.

  “Okay. Did you properly cool him down after your adventure to the charity event?”

  “I did. Washed him down, got him food and water, made him stay in the stall for the night.”

  “Has he been doing anything strenuous since then?”

  “Just running in the fields behind my house, like usual,” he said.

  The fields behind his house. Part of me longed to see those fields. Maybe he owned more horses?

  I shook my head. “Well, Trigger here’s got a torn tendon. Possibly from not enough rest after making the trek into town and back for the charity event. It’ll require surgery. Things like that don’t heal with a simple cast,” I said.

  “You said you had time to work in a surgery today, right?” he asked.

  “I do. It won’t be until around two, but I can block off the rest of my afternoon before closing up my office in order to work on Trigger here.”

  “I’d appreciate that. He doesn't like being away from home for too long. I don’t want him to have to be here any longer than he has to be.”

  “I’ll make sure it goes smoothly,” I said.

>   “I’m Logan, by the way.”

  I stood up from my crouched position, my eyes still on Trigger’s leg. I wanted to go ahead and do my pre-op assessment while I was out there. It would keep my mind focused on the day ahead of me, and it would keep me from looking over at him.

  The man with the beautiful brown eyes.

  “Nice to meet you, Logan. I’m Dr. Gwen.”

  “Well, Dr. Gwen, whatever you need to do to fix him up is fine with me. He’s the first horse I’ve ever owned. He’s special to me,” Logan said.

  I smiled softly at his statement. My heart also broke a bit for him. It was obvious in his voice that he cared for Trigger. A lot. And anyone who loved horses as much as that was someone that deserved the best care. In all honesty, it was someone I could see myself with in the long run. Maybe my attraction to him hadn’t been so bad in the first place. I found myself feeling less guilty about the fact that he was a client and more guilty about the fact that I hadn’t introduced myself sooner.

  “You can call me Gwen, however. If you’d like. Just Gwen.”

  I looked over and watched a beautiful smile slide across Logan’s cheeks.

  “Okay, Just Gwen. But you might regret that,” he said.

  However, I had a feeling I wouldn’t.

  10

  Logan

  Holy. Shit. The beautiful woman from the other night was the town’s main veterinarian. So many more pieces were falling into place. Gwen was beautiful. Brilliant. Intelligent and drop-dead incredible. Not to mention she had a love of horses that rivaled mine. She was the perfect package for me. The all-encompassing woman that had captivated my attention.

  “I’m going to go ahead and get the rest of my pre-op out of the way,” Gwen said.

  Her voice ripped me from my trance.

  “That’s fine. I still have to finish filling out this paperwork.”