Page 6 of New in Town

“Partner, sir?”

“My brother and I opened this clinic together, now it’s just me. I could use a partner, someone who will carry this on after me.”

“Are you—”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. And I have no retirement plans anytime soon. But this way we would have time to connect until I do retire.”

“This is all a bit too good to be true,” she says with a laugh.

He smiles warmly at her. “The offer is on the table. Take some time to think, settle in. We have a few months. In the meantime, that’s all I need from you today. You can head out to the reception desk to wait for any patients, I’ve got to wrap up your onboarding paperwork,” he says kindly.

With a nod, she removes herself from the armchair and moves to the door. As she’s about to step into the hall, Arlo stops her. “Maddie, I’m glad you’re here.”

She’s caught off guard by his tone sounding more like family than a new boss. But warmth blooms in her chest at his words, nevertheless. And when she replies, she can feel that her own words ring true. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

She can’t help but feel hopeful about working alongside him. The wandering thought of if he knew Henry still nags her, though. Would they have been friends? What kind of man was Henry? She is eager to learn more about him.

Biting down on her lip, she reminds herself that now is not the time. It wouldn’t be very appropriate to bring up her family drama. Especially on day one.

* * *

A bell rings as the clinic door opens and her gaze drifts up from her computer screen to see a small blue heeler being cradled against a strong, broad chest in a black T-shirt. The forearms holding the young puppy are muscled and tanned and she traces them with her eyes before lifting her gaze further north. She takes in his wide shoulders before finally reaching the ruggedly handsome face peering down at her. That’s when she notices his tranquil, cool blue eyes. And for a moment, as she stares into those eyes, the world drops away around her.

“Hi, are you Dr. Erickson by any chance?” the man before her asks. “When I called earlier, Arlo mentioned he has a new associate.”

She should be focusing on his words, but instead her brain catches on how deep and gravelly his voice sounds. She nods, closing her laptop and works to find her own voice. Before she can respond though, Arlo walks out from the back of the clinic.

“Ah Grey, you’re here. I take it you two have made introductions then?”

“Not officially sir,” the handsome pet owner, apparently named Grey, replies. His eyes slide back over to her, and she feels a rush at having his gaze on her once again. “I’ve gathered, though, that this is our new vet?”

“She is! Madelyn Erickson, meet Greyson James, point man for the finest ranch this side of the Laramie Mountains.”

The wordspoint manandranchsnap her out of her hormone induced haze. This means that the guy in front of her is a cowboy.Of course he’s a cowboy, she thinks, rising from behind the reception desk and noting how he towers over her and Arlo.

“A ranch. Well that explains the cattle dog then,” she says finally, reaching out to scratch behind the small animal’s ear.

“I’ll leave you to it, use any consult room you wish, Maddie,” Arlo calls as he heads back into his office.

“Right,” she says, her cheeks flushing at the way Grey is watching her. “You can follow me.”

As they move down the back hall, she can’t help but notice how the air in the small space suddenly feels charged. Desperate for a distraction, she glances over her shoulder and asks, “Where’s your cowboy hat?”

What kind of question is that, she scolds herself. The corner of Grey’s lip tilts up into a smirk before he shrugs and says, “They only let you wear it for certain things. It’s a rule.”

She stops walking, turning to look at him with wide eyes. It’s the casual delivery of his words that gets her for a second. But then his smirk breaks into a full smile and is accompanied by a deep laugh. She scowls, frustrated at herself for falling for something so absurd, and frustrated by the warmth she feels at the sound of his laugh.

“Sorry, bad joke. I actually just left it in the truck,” he offers, adjusting the puppy in his arms.

“So… Greyson, or Grey?” she starts, pushing past her flustered feeling and leading him into an exam room. “What does the point man do on a ranch?”

“Grey. And I ride a horse in front of a bunch of cows,” he says with a shrug.

She lets out a laugh of her own at that. “Oh, if that’s all. But I thought you guys were supposed to be behind them?”

He places his puppy on the exam table and pushes his hands down into his front pockets. “Most of the team are. I set the direction and speed, stuff like that.”

“Then you’re in charge? The top cowboy?” she teases.

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