Page 26 of New in Town

“What’s his name?” she asks as she gets to work doing a wellness check of the dog’s vitals.

“His name is Axel,” Jimmy answers from behind her. She quickly determines Axel’s breathing and heart rate are normal. She checks his eyes and mouth, then presses her hand along him. He reacts to no pressure, exhibiting no distress until she gets to his front left leg.

“Jimmy, we need to get Axel to the clinic so I can get an x-ray of his leg. I don’t want him to put any weight on it until I know what’s wrong. Can you carry him to your truck out front?”

The older man clasps his hands together, “I can try.” At this, Grey steps further into the room.

“I’ve got him, Jim.” Grey approaches and scoops the injured dog up in his arms. Jimmy guides them to his truck in the driveway and motions for Grey to lay the dog in the back of the cab. Once Axel is in the truck, Grey takes her hand and guides her back to his truck. His thumb swirling circles against her skin on the drive, they lead Jimmy to the clinic.

* * *

“A fracture,” she murmurs to the dog as she reviews the x-ray.

Opening the door, she peeks her head out into the lobby. It’s dark in the clinic, she hadn’t bothered to turn all the lights on, only a few as they traveled back to where she needed to go. Down the hall, she can make out the two men sitting together in the lobby.

“Come on back Jimmy,” she calls to them. He rises and nods in appreciation to Grey who slides further down in his chair to wait. Something about having him there with her is making Maddie’s heart swell, but she doesn’t stop to examine the feeling.

She explains to Jimmy that it’s a fracture in Axel’s front leg and she needs to splint and wrap it. But other than that, the dog is completely healthy. “Thank you, ma’am,” Jimmy sighs with gratitude as he wraps his arms around his dog’s neck in a hug. His leg splinted, Axel is able to walk on his own again, with a limp.

Jimmy and Axel leave for home, meaning Maddie and Grey are once again alone. He helps her clean and lock up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder on the walk out to his truck. “Our dates might get you noticed, but what you just did is what will get you clients. Jimmy won’t ever forget who helped him late at night when he was panicking,” he whispers, lips at her ear.

Warmth spreads through her and she’s not sure if she should attribute it to his comment, his closeness, or both. “It felt good to do that. I might not like being in crisis all the time, but to flex my emergency skills again… it felt good. I want this to work here, I want to be able to form those relationships.”

He squeezes her shoulder in response as they head back to her apartment. This time when they park out front, he climbs out of the truck to walk her to her door. “Thank you for your help tonight,” she says, leaning in the alcove of her doorway, stuffed dog under her arm.

Nodding, he brushes a strand of hair from her face. “It’s my pleasure,” he says in her favorite velvety tone. He absently plays with her hair for another moment before he turns to walk away.

“Grey,” she calls after him.

He looks over his shoulder as she hurries to close the gap between them. Lifting herself up on her toes, she presses her lips against his cheek. His hand comes to her waist, holding her against him as she lingers.

“Sleep well, Greyson,” she whispers before taking a step back. His eyes meet hers and she notices they are ablaze in a deeper shade of blue than usual. A flicker of heat surges through her at the sight.

“Sleep well, sweetheart,” he says softly. She hesitates, then turns back for her door before she does anything that will keep him from leaving at all tonight.

* * *

Maddie wraps her hand around her coffee mug and steps back to survey her work. It’s been a slow morning at the clinic, giving her time to finish her inventory project. During the last week, she’s managed to reorganize the jumble in which the Potts brothers had their stock. And jumble is putting it mildly.

She retreats to her office, reaching into the pocket of her black jogger scrub pants and withdraws her phone. Noticing a text from her mom, guilt gnaws at her for being so distant from Charlotte since the move.

Charlotte

I have the morning off. Do you have any time to chat today? It’s been so long since you’ve called.

Pursing her lips, she sinks into one of the armchairs across from her desk and pulls her sneaker clad feet up underneath her. She clicks on the phone icon to call her mom and Charlotte answers on the first ring.

“Well look who it is!” her mom greets her on the other end of the line.

“Hi, Mom. How are things?”

“All is the same here. How is it there? Have you decided you are going to be a small town gal? I just can’t believe you would trade everything Denver has to offer for a few square blocks. Oh! And all those cowboys. Please tell me you haven’t fallen for any pickup lines at the local bar?”

Maddie sighs. She loves her mom, and knows she means well. But Charlotte has the ability to utterly drain her in a single conversation. “I haven’t even gone to any bars since being here, Mom.” She doesn’t add that a cowboy came and found her at work instead.

“It’s a good thing to keep away. There’s nothing honest hidden under those ten-gallon hats that grace the barstools.”

As her mom continues her warnings, Maddie finds her thoughts drifting to her date last night. The feeling of Grey’s hand in hers, the sight of his full smile. She can’t imagine a better date, yet again.Except for maybe a more fun ending, she thinks. What would have happened in the truck if there was no interruption?

---