Page 64 of The Rescuer

“Doesn’t Nevada do quickie div—annulments?”

“You have to take up residence. Six weeks or something, I think, which isn’t long—all things considered—but neither of us can afford that kind of time away from Colorado right now. We may as well take care of it from here.”

Reece no longer questioned whether the paperwork was legit. The marriage was real, and though ill-conceived, it would take more than wishing to make it go away. Now the question was whether they got an annulment or a divorce. But he’d wrestle with that thorny issue later. “Like I said, we’ll think more clearly in the morning.”

“And I still have the clinic to deal with. God, why are catastrophes all piling up at once?”

“Marrying me is unexpected, shocking even, but acatastrophe? Ouch. Avalanches are catastrophic. Tidal waves. A meteor plowing into the earth.” She replied with an epic eye-roll. “Let’s focus on the easy one first. Can your backup in Ouray keep being your backup while you put the clinic back together? What’s her name again?”

“Lark Bunting. I think so. I’ll have to call her tomorrow and double-check.”

“Does she know she’s named after the state bird?”

“No idea. She’s from New Jersey.”

Their easy banter continued over dinner, during kitchen cleanup, and afterward, as they sat on the floor in front of a crackling fire, drinking Mexican coffees. Reece had brought Mr. Whiskers out of the guest bedroom, and the cat was curled up between Neve’s crossed legs. Pearl lay at Neve’s back, either snoring or letting out tiny yelps as she ran in her sleep. Reece sat spread-legged amid them, using Neve’s couch as a backrest.

It occurred to him that this was the most comfortable Thanksgiving he’d enjoyed in a long time, despite the day being … surreal. He was simplybeing, and he liked it.

Neve raised her mug to her mouth and took a careful sip, leaving a tiny dollop of whipped cream on her lower lip.

He pointed at it. “You’ve got whipped cream—right there.” If they had been intimate, he would have simply leaned in and licked it off. Maybe taken a little more from her cup and spread it over her mouth. Better yet, pulled off her sweater, unhooked her bra. and—

Jesuuuuus! This is Neve you’re thinking about.He normally didn’t have such specifically lewd thoughts about women. And heshouldn’tbe having them about this woman he’d known his whole life. It was almost … criminal. Didn’t keep him from having them, though.

He stared at her plush pink lips and conjured the kiss he’d laid on her in front of Elvin and the world, but his memory was fragmented. For one insane moment, he considered asking her for a redo. In fact, his brain was all over the damn place. He had been on a roller coaster of emotions since the day before, and he couldn’t decide if it was exhaustion shorting his circuits or being this close to Neve.

She placed her mug on the floor and slid Hailey’s locket along its chain, and his attention zeroed in on her bare fingers. “What did you do with your ring?”

“I tucked it away in its fancy little box to keep it safe. I didn’t have time to check consumer law in Nevada, but I’m betting you can return it and get your money back. Speaking of un-Reece-like behavior, that ring …”

“Who says that’s not like me?” He had no problem with the notion of showering a woman he loved enough to marry with expensive gifts. Except he had no clue what being in love felt like, and certainly not to that extreme. While he’d witnessed it, the sensation was as foreign as the aliens in aStar Warsmovie. “Did you ever consider I might be the kind of guy who enjoys spoiling the woman in his life with nice jewelry?”

“Eighty-thousand-dollar nice?” she scoffed. “I see you’re still wearingyourring.”

He glanced down at his left hand. “So I am. I hadn’t even noticed.”

Her denim blues went round. “You’re not going to leave it on, are you?”

“I’ll take it off later and put it in the fancy box with yours so I don’t lose it.”

Funny how its weight felt natural on his finger.

Chapter 17

On the Brink of Rational

They spent the nextday making phone calls, prowling the internet, and driving by Neve’s clinic to see if the lab folks had finished up yet. They came up empty on pretty much each task. Retail stores might be open for Black Friday, but every other business seemed to be shut down, including the County Crimes Unit.

Shane was off somewhere doing something that prevented him from answering his phone. Aside from getting updates about Neve’s clinic, Reece wanted to pump him for information about Diane and her little boy. For now, he and Neve existed in a vacuum.

On their way to Reece’s parents’ house, Neve placed a call to Dr. Bunting and put it on speaker.

“Dr. Embry, I am so sorry to hear you’ve experienced another troublesome episode at your clinic.” The vet’s voice was stiff,and Reece’s mind wandered to Neve’s warmth and how it washed over her patients and their owners in reassuring waves. Neve could put anyone at ease. Hopefully, Dr. Bunting showed a similar demeanor to her own clientele.

“Thank you, Lark.”

“Ah, I’d prefer to be addressed as Dr. Bunting, if you don’t mind. I worked hard to earn that degree, though you wouldn’t know it to speak with my family.”

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