Page 16 of Fool Me

“The one and only. Unless there’s another in Timberline Peak?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” She pushes her hair over her shoulder. The little extra bit of skin shouldn’t make my finger itch to reach out and test the softness, but it does. I shove my hands in my pockets to stop myself. “But you’d know better than me—you grew up here.” The accusation in her voice slices through me.

Damn it, she’s still pissed, and a little small talk isn’t going to fix it.

When Harlowe and I shared my office and pizza, talking to her was as easy as breathing. And it made me feel like I had a place here, outside of the clinic.

The friends I had growing up here all moved on with life and they don’t know the man I am now at all. Staying away as long as I have cost me an easy reconciliation with them. But that night, Harlowe didn’t know anything about me. She had no reason to speculate about why I left or what my motives were for coming back until she found out my last name.

“Should we take a look at you, Echo?” I start.

His shaggy black tail wags excitedly and his left paw taps out a rhythm where he sits at Harlowe’s feet. At leasthe’shappy to see me.

His owner continues to glare at me and my annoyance with my brother amps up all over again.

So, I focus on the one thing I know she’ll talk to me about, and the reason we’re both here. “How has his energy been this week?”

“He slept a lot the first day, but he’s been more like himself since.”

“Any diarrhea or disorientation?”

“No. None at all. He’s been antsy the past few days. Bored, maybe.”

I check inside Echo’s mouth, looking at his gums. “Probably. Are you ready to get back to work?” I ask the only one here who is happy to see me, and Echo’s tail thumps in response.

His owner, on the other hand, is a little more cautious. I can’t tell if it’s fueled by concern for Echo, or her newfound attitude toward me.

Harlowe’s fingers scratch behind Echo’s ears. “I don’t want to rush it.”

“I’ll draw some blood, just to be sure, but I think he’ll be ready to come back by the end of the weekend.” Her shoulders lift with a deep inhale, and I can sense her hesitation. “Are you worried he’s not ready?”

“No. I’m sure he’s fine, and he needs to work just as much as we need him on the missions.”

“I’m sure the team misses him.” I dip my head, pausing to listen to his heart as I talk to him. “Your mom more than anyone.” I don’t mean to call her that, but it slips out.

In Houston, my boss had preferred to keep things formal, but here, with her, that feels stupid.

After the other night in my office, the professional boundaries are blurred, and now, even with her mad at me, I don’t want those barriers.

Finishing up our visit, Harlowe stays mostly silent, helping me with Echo here and there, but not saying much. With eachminute, the tension in the small room grows and I wish that Grace would interrupt us, just to create a buffer.

“As long as the blood work comes back clear, Echo can start back on missions this weekend.”

“Are there any extra precautions I need to take with him to prevent him from getting heat stroke again? I read that once it happens, it’s more likely to happen again.”

“It’s possible, but those studies aren’t conclusive. Just be diligent about taking breaks and pushing his water intake. Carry electrolytes for him when you know it’s going to be hot or humid—PetIV is a solid brand.”

She’s got her hand on the door, ready to leave, when she turns back around to face me, letting it drop at her side.

Just when I think that we’re going to get over this tension without a fuse lighting and taking us both out, she asks, “Did you know?” Her clipped words carry betrayal as she hurls them at me.

“Know what?” I brace myself because this feels ominous.

“About Canyon and me?”

Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does. “My parents know better than to mention my brother, and the two of us haven’t spoken more than a handful of words in the last decade. So, it’s safe to assume that I don’t.”

“We were dating when he skipped town after the avalanche.”

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