Page 30 of All I Need

I press my lips together and walk over to get a cup of coffee. After I get it doctored up the way I like with a shot of vanilla creamer, I turn around and lean against the counter. “I’m not going to be able to go to Walker’s clinic today.”

“What?” she asks, concern evident in her gaze on me.

I take a sip and sigh. “Gary’s being a special kind of jerk right now and wants his car back. It’s a long story but I don’t think he’s bluffing. And, you know, it’d be kind of nice to get my things out of his house and get my own car anyway. I’m tired of having anything of his around me.”

“It has to be today?”

“He left me a message threatening to call the cops if I didn’t bring his car back within twenty-four hours. My gut is telling me this is a chance to rip off the Band-Aid and get it over with.”

“Let me get ready and I’ll come with.”

“You don’t…” my words are cut off when she squints, doing her best to glare at me.

“Give me thirty minutes.”

“Thank you. It will be nice to have someone there for me,” I admit.

Her eyes soften and she stands. “My only sadness is hearing that you didn’t have someone before.” She walks over and squeezes my hand then winks before shuffling to her room to get ready.

“Miss Polly?” I call through the house.

“Yes?”

“Did you have breakfast? I’m going to make some toast and eggs.”

“That’d be lovely. Thank you.”

I set to work getting our breakfast ready. Just as I’m placing the strawberry jam, that she made herself, on the table, the doorbell rings.

She peeks her head around the corner, her hair now tamed but part of it in a clip like she’s in the middle of curling a section. “Can you get the door, Ellie? I’m expecting a delivery.”

“Sure.”

I open the door and I should be surprised but I’m quickly learning that Miss Polly always has a plan. And that plan seems to involve getting Walker and I together in every way she can.

“Let me guess. Miss Polly?”

He smiles and shrugs, his hands shoved in his jeans pockets. Jeans that probably were made for him with how perfectly they hug his thighs. His dark blond hair that’s usually mussed is now covered under a black ball cap and his dark gray t-shirt molds to his body, his strong biceps bulging from under the sleeves. From the scruff covering his jaw, it’s clear he didn’t take the time to shave this morning. The tattoo that wraps around his upper arm playing an alluring game of peek-a-boo.

I step aside to let him in. “Miss Polly, your delivery is here!”

“Oh? How does it look?”

Walker smirks and I roll my eyes. “Come on. I’m making breakfast.”

He follows me to the kitchen where I put two more pieces of bread into the toaster and add two more eggs into the scrambled egg mixture.

Walker grabs a mug from the cupboard and pours himself a cup of coffee, adding a bit of cream.

“Don’t you have patients today?”

“I had a light day and have another vet on staff on Wednesdays. He’s taking my appointments for me.”

“I’m sorry you’re rearranging your day,” I whisper, not fighting him on helping me. I’m quickly learning that once Miss Polly has something in her head, there’s nothing that will stand in her way.

“Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. Polly might be pushy but I do have a mind of my own.”

“Well, thank you. I suppose I should probably thank you, too, for stopping me from damaging his car. That wouldn’t turn out the best if I returned it today with a cracked windshield and enough dents that it looked like it was caught in a hail storm.”

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