Brought Together by a Pup
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Sue MacKay
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CHAPTER ONE
‘WILLOW, I’VE PUT you down as my partner for the wedding.’
The overly confident voice of her friend’s brother filled the car.
Couldn’t be.
Willow checked the screen of her phone. She’d stopped for a coffee on the way home after a weekend at Noosa in anticipation of Pip’s wedding. Now this.
Definitely Dr Dave Greenslade calling. She shuddered. The last man she wanted anything to do with. This side of her ninetieth birthday anyway. She’d heard stories from one of the bridesmaids about his wandering hands. He hadn’t asked her to be his partner, just told her, as though she should be grateful he’d take her since she had a disability. Arrogance personified was Dave. Didn’t matter. She wasn’t accepting his plan.
She still had to sit at the same table on the day, so she’d better play a little bit nice, for Pip’s sake. ‘Thanks, but I don’t need a partner.’ Not him anyway. His attitude of ‘I’m so important’ had rubbed her up the wrong way the few times she’d seen him.
‘Come on. You don’t want to go on your own. You’ll look better hanging off my arm. Everyone who means anything will be there.’
Count her out, then. She wasn’t going just to be ‘noticed’. Anyway, he was exaggerating, because most of Pip’s friends were nurses at the Gold Coast Hospital, regular people. ‘Again, no thanks,’ she said through gritted teeth.
‘You think you’re going to get a better offer this close to the wedding? When you don’t know many decent people on the Gold Coast and I’m offering? You can’t do better than that. Think of who I am.’ His ego wasn’t taking being turned down.
Fury began to bubble up her throat. To hell with the dirt bag. ‘I’ll look just fine.’ Walking in on her own or with her hand slipped through some man’s arm, she’d make sure of it. After this one’s smart-mouthed comments she was going to find a partner, even if she had to pay him. No one put her down. No one. ‘I’ll see you there.’
And turn my back on you when I do.
‘Looking forward to it.’ Dave sounded peeved.
‘We’ll wave as we dance past,’ she added for good measure. He’d made her mad. She’d hazard a bet that he’d come up with the idea of asking her because no one else would go with him. She smiled.
‘We? Thought you didn’t have a partner? Make up your mind, Willow. I wouldn’t have thought you’d find someone suitable so easily.’
‘Bye, Dave.’ She stabbed the off button. Stuck-up egotist who believed he was the best cardiologist in Australia. Unfortunately, rumour said he might be right. Obviously he hadn’t taken a course about learning to be compassionate. Hard to believe he grew up in the same family as Pippa. Except she might be behind that call, having occasionally hinted Willow should go out with Dave. She hadn’t been keen before; after that conversation he didn’t stand a chance.
She was seething as she pulled back out onto the road. So what if she had a prosthetic lower leg? Along with the deep scarring on her upper arm and shoulder, she wasn’t the prettiest girl on the block, but did that matter? It didn’t make her unacceptable amongst people, or hadn’t so far, any rate. Apart from the last man she’d set out to have a bit of fun with who hadn’t been able to look at her leg when she’d removed the prosthesis to have sex. His look of disgust had reiterated a big lesson she’d learned after the accident. Not to let anyone who wouldn’t take her as she was get close. They didn’t deserve the effort. She was worth a lot more than them.
She had three weeks to find a man who might not mind how she limped because no way in hell would she let Dave think he was right.
Willow, you moron. You said we, as in you’d have a partner. When there isn’t even a hint of a man in your life.
She’d taken a break from getting back into the dating game since the last mistake. She didn’t give a brass razoo about what other people thought of her false leg. It got her from A to B, made her capable of continuing in the career she adored working with animals, and kept her independent. ‘So, Greenslade, go bite yourself somewhere it hurts.’ Turning off the highway, she headed onto a secondary road.
‘Who are you going to find to go to the wedding with?’ an annoying little voice in the back of her head demanded.
There was the problem. The men she’d worked with in her last job were all in relationships, which was probably why she got on with them so well. They posed no threats to her sometimes fragile outward determination to be treated equally to everyone else. There might be someone available at the vet clinic she was starting at on Wednesday, but the chances were slim. It didn’t leave her a lot of time to suss anyone out enough. She did like to know a little about who she dated, just to be safe.
‘Whoa. Look out.’ Willow swerved to avoid a dog half standing, half sprawled at the side of the road.
Braking, she glanced in the rear-vision mirror. The animal hadn’t moved. Parking on the verge, she got out and, ignoring the stabs of pain the prosthesis sent to her knee, jogged unevenly back to the dog, which was whining pitifully. The pain-filled eyes watching her approach snagged her heart and sucked her in. A quick glance told her it was a male. Plus his feet were big for his size indicating he was a puppy, possibly about ten months old.
‘What’s up, little fella?’
He was shaking hard, as though afraid, but the vet nurse in her suspected shock to be the stronger reason—and pain. Given where he was and how his back leg was tucked underneath his belly, it was more than likely that he’d been hit by a vehicle. He needed help, and he was going to get it.
An ache she always tried to ignore began deep inside. If she stopped wandering the world she could have love, whether from a four-footed male or one with two feet firmly on the ground, either would give her a new perspective on life. One she wasn’t ready for. Being continuously on the move left little time to reflect on the past and the tragedy that had altered her for ever, and that was how she liked it.
Crouching down on her good knee, she slowly reached one hand out for the pup to sniff. ‘What happened? Did you get hit by a car?’ At the end of the working day this road was busy with people keen to get home to their beachfront properties, or, in her case, the air-conditioned house three streets away from Main Beach in Southport she’d moved into six months ago when she came to the Gold Coast to work a temporary position at another vet clinic. She shared it with two women, one a pilot, the other a beauty therapist.
When the dog, likely a Huntaway, let her pat his head, she slowly began moving her hands over his neck and down his back, chest, and finally to the rear leg he held at an unnatural angle, making soothing sounds as she went. Every touch was slow and gentle, so as not to frighten or hurt, nor get bitten for her trouble. ‘There you go. I think you’ve dislocated your hip, fella. I’m a vet nurse, in case you’re doubting me. You need to see a vet.’
She’d go straight to Rural and Suburban Veterinary Clinic in Southport where her next contract started the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t far and she might be able to help with this fella, something she wanted to do as those sad eyes sucked her in deeper and deeper with every agonised breath he took.
At the car, she opened the back door before limping back to lift the dog off the roadside. Dang but he was heavy for a pup. Her back protested. Which was nothing to what her right leg was doing as she teetered towards the car. Tough. She was not dropping him. No way. The pain would be unbearable for him. As it was, he was whimpering full on, which got faster and louder when she made it to the car and leaned in awkwardly to place him on the back seat. ‘There you go.’
After giving him another rub over his head and ears, she went around to the front seat and got in, ignoring the ache in her leg muscles from all the driving she’d been doing over the last few days. A lot of groaning was going on in the back. ‘I’m onto it. Lie as still as you can for a few more minutes.’
He answered with a low moan.
‘It’s going to be all right. Promise.’ Wrong thing to say. She knew better than to make promises she mightn’t be able to keep. Her well and truly ex-boyfriend had promised she’d be fine after the accident that cost her the lower half of her right leg and two close friends who died at the scene. That was before he’d learned about the amputation. When he had, he’d taken one look, said he couldn’t cope and gone home to pack his bags. But this pup was going to be fine, though he did look as though he could do with a few decent feeds as his ribs were too obvious. ‘What’s your story, fella?’
Another moan.
‘I should’ve learnt to speak dog.’
Won’t be necessary, Willow. The vet will find he’s been chipped, the owner’s name will become apparent and he can be reunited with those who love him.
‘Lucky boy,’ she sighed. Not that she couldn’t return home to Sydney and her family whenever she wanted. Any time the wanderlust backed off, that was, which wasn’t on the horizon yet, if it ever would be. Certainly not before the memories of those two friends who’d died and all they were missing out on had receded to the back of her mind and she could face life without feeling guilty she could still make plans and be happy.
Five minutes later she pulled up outside an ordinary-looking single-storey building with a large sign telling her she’d found the veterinary clinic right where she’d believed it was. Even better, there were lights on inside, which probably meant that it had been a busy day since it was now seven o’clock—and Monday night. ‘You stay there while I go get us some help.’ Not that there was much chance of him moving unaided.
The pup continued to whimper.
Her heart tightened and had her leaning between the seats to pat her passenger. ‘This is the best place for you right now. Someone’s going to make you all good again.’ They’d better or they’d have her to answer to. She’d been interviewed online by one of the vets, Joe, and he’d come across as genuinely compassionate about animals in need of treatment. Okay, like most vets she’d worked with. Still, hopefully it would be him inside.
It took a lot of knocking and buzzer pressing before the door finally swung open and a tall, unshaven man with tired eyes and drooping shoulders stood in front of her. ‘Yes?’
Not Joe, the vet who’d interviewed her online. ‘Are you a vet?’
‘I am.’
‘I have a puppy in my car I think might’ve been hit by a vehicle. I found him on the side of the road a way back.’ She inclined her head towards her car. ‘I’m Willow Taylor, by the way.’
‘I’ll come take a look.’ He shoved a stopper under the door to keep it from closing and followed her to the car.
Her name hadn’t registered. A new vet nurse, temporary at that, obviously wasn’t the most important thing on his mind. ‘It’s my pick his hip’s dislocated.’ She opened the door. ‘Here you go, fella. This man’s a vet.’
The vet leaned in and did much the same to reassure the puppy as she had earlier before touching the hip. After a couple of minutes, he straightened. ‘Let’s get him inside.’
‘It’s not going to be easy extricating him from the car. I didn’t think about that when I put him on the back seat. Not that I had a lot of choice.’ She went to the front and pulled the seat forward, allowing a little more space for those wide shoulders.
‘I’ve got him,’ the man said and straightened slowly with the dog in his arms. ‘Follow me.’
Yes, sir.
She hadn’t been about to disappear before finding out more about the injuries and where the dog’s owner was anyway. Pinging the locks on her car, she went inside and closed the door when told. The way the orders rolled off his tongue the guy probably had a brood of kids at home he was used to issuing instructions to.
‘Hopefully he’s microchipped,’ she said to the straight back she was following.
‘I’ll check shortly. First he needs pain relief. Then I’ll see what the problem is. The way he’s favouring his hip says it is a dislocation, but there might also be fractures. There’s also something wrong with his paw.’
This was sounding a lot like the accident she’d had years back. More and more coming to light as the minutes went by and medics poked and prodded. ‘Will you amputate if there’s no hope of a fracture healing?’ she asked even when she knew the answer, her mind going back to her accident.
‘Depends on a lot of things.’
Didn’t she know it? ‘I suppose.’ One option was euthanasia, the other a badly deformed leg to run around on for ever. The only option she’d faced when the truck had crashed through the group of cyclists she was part of and run over her lower leg was to lose the lower half of that limb. Her ex, Gavin, had tried to deal with what happened, but couldn’t manage it. He had still broken her heart, even when it was already busted over the deaths of her friends.
Following the vet into a procedure room, Willow watched him place the dog ever so carefully on the table. His gentleness made her blink, even though she’d seen it often in the many clinics she’d worked at. His four-footed patients must adore him. And she’d bet the humans in his life did. She moved to the top of the table and ran her hand over the pup’s head, back and forth, to keep him calm.
Again pain-filled eyes met hers and a low whine sent chills down her spine. ‘Shh. You’re going to be okay.’
He’d better be. She’d promised. The trust in his eyes was undoing her resolve to remain aloof. But he’d have an owner. She was leaving in eight weeks.
Sorry, boyo, but I’m not the one for you.
The vet studied his patient, professionalism all over his face and in his gaze.
Willow studied him from under lowered eyelids, not so professionally. His well-worn jeans fitted perfectly, while the wrinkled shirt did little to hide honed upper-arm and chest muscles. Not that she was in the market for a man. Not even the idea of a short fling got her all hot and twitchy these days. She only had to remember the look on the face of the last man she’d dated when they’d got down and dirty in her bed to know she wasn’t ready to completely expose her imperfect body to another one any time soon.
Those fingers touching, pressing, soothing the animal were long and strong, and evoked memories of being made love to by Gavin in the days before the transport truck jackknifed into the cyclists’ path and changed her life for ever. What a nightmare that ride had turned into, a nightmare that hadn’t gone away since. Willow swallowed, and concentrated on the sad little guy she’d rescued from the side of the road and how the vet would get him back up and running around, tail wagging.
‘I suspect he was injured at least a day ago, if not more. There’s too much muscle stiffness for it to have happened in the past few hours. I’ll X-ray his hip, then decide what to do next.’ He turned his intense gaze on her as though she were in need of his help as much as the dog. How untrue. ‘I’m Carter Adams, by the way.’
In case he’d missed it the first time she told him, ‘I’m Willow. I start working here on Wednesday.’
His eyes widened. ‘Welcome to the clinic, Willow. Not quite how you’d have expected your first time with us to be, I imagine.’
‘Can’t say it was, but when I found the pup I figured I might as well bring him here. Though you might’ve preferred I went elsewhere so you could go home. You look like you’ve had a big day.’ When his forest-green eyes widened further, she muttered, ‘Just saying it how I see it.’ Those eyes were intense.
‘Right.’ He turned to the pup. ‘I’ll get on with this.’
Thankfully, she’d be back on the road any minute and this interlude of insanity over a pair of eyes would be a brief blip in her memory. By tomorrow she’d have gathered her scattered brain and put it under control so come Wednesday it would be as though she’d never met him and could start with a clean slate. Then she opened her mouth and blurted, ‘Do you want a hand?’ So her brain was on autopilot. She was always offering to help whenever she thought she might be useful. Maybe this was a dream and any second she’d wake up and have a darned good laugh at herself.
‘He seems comfortable with you so, yes, it would help if you remained with us for a while to keep him settled.’
With us. Sounded good. They wouldn’t be total strangers when she turned up on Wednesday. Then again, so what? She was used to strangers in her life, what with only working temporary positions and moving towns on a regular basis, so half an hour in Carter’s company wouldn’t change any of that. ‘You’re on.’ Turning to their patient, she returned to petting him. The other male in the room was quite something. Good-looking for sure. Especially with that chin and the stubble. Nothing like stubble rubbing against her palm.
Don’t you need a date for the wedding?
So what? She was hardly going to blurt that out. She wouldn’t get to even start the job on Wednesday. But he could be a contender. She’d take her time and find out if he was as decent as he came across with the pup. Good looks meant nothing if not backed up with a kind and caring personality. He’d been all of that with the pup, not so much with her. More like aloof, or plain couldn’t give a toss about her other than as a vet nurse. Which was how he should be. That was her role here, nothing more.
Carter ignored the hot vibes emanating from the woman on the other side of the table where the dog lay quiet under her soothing hands. A bitzer. Not her; the pup. Mostly Huntaway with some retriever thrown into the mix by the look of him. She was pedigree. Fine features, sharp eyes—and tongue—with a slight body. She had a serious limp, her right leg not up to scratch. Permanent or temporary injury? It was anyone’s guess. He wasn’t asking. He knew his boundaries. Anyway, he had a job to do getting this sorry animal back up and about. Maybe not running, but hobbling would be a good start. Then he could finally finish up for the day. He was going to get to know this woman a little better later on in the week over other surgeries and then this unusual pique of interest would fizzle away.
‘Hold him while I administer a tranquilliser. I don’t want to rely on either of us keeping him still while I examine him. Strange noises and people could agitate him further.’ She’d be used to that, but he couldn’t keep quiet round her. It was almost as though talking would keep her at a distance. He might be doing a lot of talking over the coming months if that was the case, but he doubted it. He really wasn’t interested in looking further. ‘Pup mightn’t move, but he’s already had enough shocks for one day.’ Again, he wasn’t saying anything she wouldn’t know. Obviously the hectic day had caught up.
Empathy filled her face. ‘No problem.’ Firm hands with perfectly manicured nails painted with a blue that matched her eyes held the dog’s lower quarters. Was she understanding the dog’s situation from a personal point of view? Something to do with why she limped? Again, he wasn’t asking.
As soon as he’d finished administering the drug, Carter dispensed the needle into the hazard bin and set up the overhead radiology equipment, all the time strangely aware of his companion. The human one. The animal situation was something he was used to so was no distraction. Though tonight was proving an exception to that; distraction seeming to be the way of things with his helper here in the same air he was breathing. Concentration was required and then he’d soon have the job done and the woman would leave.
Yet he couldn’t help asking, ‘Have you got a dog? You’re very good with this one.’
‘No, I don’t have any pets.’
That wasn’t a good look in his book. Pets were wonderful for making people’s days brighter more than almost anything or anyone else did. Though this woman was gentle and understanding with the dog she’d brought in so she could be redeemed. ‘You’d be the first vet nurse I’ve met who doesn’t have a dog or cat.’
‘I only came to the Gold Coast for eight months. It wouldn’t have been fair to take on a dog then leave him when I move away.’
‘You could always take it with you.’
‘I came here from Singapore, and I’m not sure where I’m headed next.’
Her accent was dinkum Aussie. ‘Where are you from originally?’ He hadn’t read her CV. Joe had said she ticked all the boxes more than well, so he and Seamus had gone along with the recommendation to give her the job. It was only temporary after all, two months wasn’t long unless she turned out to be useless, and so far she appeared more than competent.
‘Sydney. In the burbs.’ She leaned over the pup and touched his head. ‘How you doing, fella?’ Her eyes were fixed on the animal, gone from looking at him.
The dog didn’t move. Out for the count.
‘He’s good to go.’ Whereas his helper appeared uncomfortable with him asking about personal info. It was a good thing he knew when to shut up or he might be without an assistant for the next half-hour or so.
Five minutes later, Carter stepped away from the images on the screen. ‘The sacroiliac joint is dislocated, no fractures to be seen. I’ll position the joint back in place with a synthetic ligament to maintain it in situ while he starts walking again. He’ll have to take things easy for about six weeks. Here’s hoping his owner is good with that. Let’s get ready.’
Willow took the smock he handed her and slipped her arms into it. When she reached up to button the smock in place at the back of her neck, superb curves filled the front of the dull blue fabric.
Carter swung the X-ray out of the way. Working alongside her was going to be interesting. Soft hands were soothing the pup’s head, even though the animal was unaware of anything going on. He shoved away an errant image of those hands on his skin, and got on with the job of helping his patient.
Willow looked up at him, tiredness coming off her in waves now. ‘What about his paw? It looks messy. At least it’s not bleeding, though if he was injured days ago he’s probably licked it clean.’
‘A deep cut that requires suturing, but again, no fractures.’ Carter prepared the induction agent. About to ask the nurse to hold the dog’s shoulder while he administered the drug that would keep the animal sedated, he paused.
Her hands were already firmly in place, keeping their patient still. Once again her focus was entirely on the dog. Nothing else seemed to matter. Nor should it. The pup was his only concern too, even if it was a little hard to ignore such a lovely woman standing so near. He swallowed. It shouldn’t be. It was what he did with most women, near or far. He took no notice of them. As simple as that. Except this one oozed sexiness, and a kindness also emanated from her, which he suspected might not be only for animals in need.
It didn’t make any difference. He wasn’t into relationships, short or long term. A fling here and there was fine, but there was no room for love in his heart. There’d only been one love of his life. Cassandra. They’d known each other most of their lives, gone to school together, got together as boyfriend and girlfriend at the age of fifteen and been inseparable ever since. When they had begun planning their wedding five years ago both families had been stoked. The day of their wedding had been sunny and warm, the spring flowers blooming as though they’d been set up to open wide on that particular day. Nothing could go wrong. Or so he’d thought until two hours before he was due at the altar.
Cass had driven up to his parents’ house to talk to him, dressed not in a flowing gown but in jeans and tee shirt, her hair tied in a messy ponytail, her eyes underscored with dark shadows. His gut was taking a dive and his heart dying even before she told him she was leaving him, leaving home, and going to live in England. Put simply, she was jilting him.
‘Have you fixed many dislocations?’ A low voice intruded upon his dour memories.
‘Um, yes, it’s quite common, though just as often because of arthritis as trauma. How’s he going?’
‘Probably dreaming about a big bone.’ She pinched a paw.
The dog didn’t move or make a sound.
‘Let’s get this done.’ Picking up a scalpel, Carter made a quick incision to insert the synthetic ligament designed to keep the joint capsule in place. As he rotated the joint he could sense the woman watching him.
Relax. I know what I’m doing.
‘Sorry, I wasn’t doubting you.’ A pink shade flared in her tanned cheeks.
He’d spoken aloud? Hell. That was not a good look in front of the new nurse. It was probably because it had been a busy day that had left him feeling shattered. ‘Pass me that bowl, would you?’
‘Sure.’ She didn’t have to ask which one or where from. She must’ve been sussing out the room and gear while he dealt with the pup.
Despite himself, he smiled. And softened on the inside. It was such a new sensation he couldn’t help smiling some more. It felt good. As if a load was beginning to fall away from where it had been lodged for years. But that couldn’t be right. Half an hour ago he hadn’t known this woman existed. The fact she was joining the clinic didn’t mean he was about to become interested in her.
Once he’d completed putting the pup back together, he scanned for a microchip then put the number he found into the database. ‘Name’s Axel. He’s ten months old.’ Noting the address of his owner, he lifted the pup and took him through to a cage for the night. After chucking his scrub top in the laundry basket, he told his helper, ‘I’ll let dog control know he’s here shortly. Would you like a coffee first?’
‘Sounds good. I’ll order some dinner to pick up after I leave here.’ Her smile showed exhaustion and her cheeks were a little pale. As for that limp, it seemed worse than when she’d first knocked on the door.
He still wasn’t asking. Instead he said, ‘There’s a reasonable pizza place two doors down I can recommend. I often use them.’ In the kitchen area he opened a drawer and handed her the menu. ‘Take a look.’
‘Cheers.’
As she perused the menu, he made instant coffee and pushed a mug in her direction. ‘There you go.’
‘Thanks.’ A woman of few words, it seemed.
The front door burst open. ‘Carter, what’s going on? I’ve been ringing and leaving messages and you haven’t got back to me once. Everyone’s waiting for you.’ Yvette stormed into the room and came to an abrupt halt. ‘Oh, I see. I bet you were going to say you’d been held up by an animal needing your attention.’ Her fiery eyes locked on Willow.
Forgetting to let Yvette know he’d be late for his business partner’s birthday dinner was bad. He got it. But she needed to calm down. ‘As a matter of fact, I have been treating a dog that’s been in an accident.’
Willow intervened before Yvette could shout any more nonsense. ‘I found Axel on the side of the road and brought him here.’
Yvette smirked. ‘Sure you did. Think I believe that? Look at the two of you all cosy with coffees and poring over the pizza menu for dinner. Thanks, Carter. You really are an arse. Joe’s wondering what’s going on.’
He hadn’t been standing within two metres of the menu or the woman holding it. ‘Hold on, Yvette. This is Willow. She’s starting with us this week. Joe interviewed her last Monday.’
Willow placed her mug on the bench, along with the menu, and headed for the door. ‘I’ll get on my way. See you Wednesday. Bye.’ The door closed firmly behind her.
Which made it perfectly obvious she wasn’t staying to clear the air between him and Yvette. Not that he could blame her. It wasn’t her problem. He and Yvette had organised a surprise evening for Joe to celebrate his thirtieth birthday, and yet the moment Willow had turned up with the dog, he’d all but forgotten about it. Which showed how much she’d screwed with his mind. That hadn’t happened in for ever. Nor was it happening again. ‘I’ll go clean myself up and change and meet you there.’
‘Get a move on, will you? The hours are flying past.’ Yvette was in a right mood, which wasn’t unusual lately. She and Joe were having a few difficulties in their relationship, which would be adding to her stress right now. She wanted tonight to go well in the hope it could lay to rest some of the tension between her and Joe. ‘I’ll wait for you.’
‘Sorry I got held up. I should’ve been in touch to let you know. Once I started working on Axel’s injuries everything else went out of my mind.’ He wasn’t telling her he had forgotten most things when he’d opened the door to find the woman holding the dog in her arms. It was unlike him, and really told him he was an idiot. ‘As you well know, this is what sometimes happens in our line of work. I’m a vet because I care about animals and helping them recover from injuries or illnesses. I can’t walk away and come back in the morning to put them out of their misery. Joe’s the same.’
She slumped. ‘I messed up by charging in here like that, didn’t I? You seemed very comfortable with her. I didn’t even know you were employing a new nurse. Joe said nothing about it. Willow, did you say?’
‘Yes. She’s filling in while Abbie’s away.’ No, he hadn’t been comfortable around the new nurse when they’d stopped working. That was when the unwanted sensations of interest had started up. He’d managed to quickly squash them. Not that he was saying any of this to Yvette. She’d be telling Joe the moment they got to the restaurant, probably as something to get him listening to her. Carter headed for the locker, where a clean shirt and trousers always hung in case he got caught out just like this.
‘There was a spark in your eyes I haven’t seen in a long time.’
Give me a break. As if. Willow was nice, all right. Nothing more.
‘Go back to the restaurant. I’ll be right behind you. Promise.’ He did not need any of his friends hinting at the idea he might find a woman to become interested in. They’d be wasting their time and he’d be annoyed at them for hoping. Never again would he hand over his heart. If Cassandra couldn’t step up beside him to say ‘I do’ when they knew each other so well, then he doubted there was another woman he’d want to take a chance on.
‘No more animals to rescue tonight, Carter.’ Yvette wagged her finger at him. At last she was smiling, tightly but a vast improvement on the angry face that had stormed through the door minutes ago. ‘But if she were to return, bring her along.’
Willow. Her name is Willow, not she.
‘Get out of here.’ Carter tried not to smile too but one was already breaking across his face as he thought about Willow.
‘See you in ten.’
‘Fifteen.’ He glanced out into the car park as Yvette opened the door but the only vehicle in sight was hers. No sign of Willow’s car. What was he thinking? Willow might look lovely, but she hadn’t acted as though she was in a hurry to get to know him any further. Something he was grateful for. She hadn’t even said she’d phone him to find out how the pup was doing. He could breathe again.
Carter laughed as he checked on Axel to see how he was recovering before turning off the lights and heading out to his ute. If he had an over-inflated ego, it had just been dented, for which he should be grateful. A few hours with his friends would rein in these off-limits thoughts about a gorgeous woman who no doubt had a full life and didn’t need a pathetic vet wondering if she was single and available for a date. Was Willow single?
An oath filled the air. Who cared? Not him.
