Page 70 of The Way Back Home

“You know I pulled over because I didn’t think it was safe you being out here all alone, but I guess there’s no chance of anyone getting near you with your guard dog there,” Jude says.

“I’m sorry. She’s an ex-MWD.” I sigh. “I guess approaching cars for her are still a trigger. We’re trying to socialize her, but there are some kinks,” I grimace. “Obviously.”

“That’s August’s dog, right?”

“Yeah, sort of. How did you know?”

“I’ve seen the two of them around town.”

“She couldn’t be rehomed.” I shrug. “And she’s not fit for the field, so it was Paws for Cause or an injection that would take her over the rainbow bridge. She deserves more than that. August seems to be the only one she’ll listen too.”

“Right.” He twists his mouth into a hard line. “And he what, loaned her to you for the day?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, at the risk of having my face chewed off, do you ladies want a lift?”

“Oh, that’s okay. We can just walk.”

“It’s one hundred and fifty degrees out,” he deadpans. As if the sweat pooling between my boobs didn’t already tell me that.

“Okay, that’d be great, thank you.”

“Hop in.” He removes his Wayfarers and places them in the center console. My gaze flits over his tailored black pants and a button-up dress shirt. He’s too dressed up for a day at the clinic.

“I’m not ruining another date, am I?” I say, almost afraid of the answer because now that I’ve felt that cool air-conditioning wafting through the window, I don’t want to give it up.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll forgive me.”

“Oh, my God, really?” I glance down the road. “Okay, that’s it. I am not cock blocking you again.”

“Great, then get in,” he says with a smile that could catapult Colgate sales sky-high.

I laugh and open the door, but Zora goes on high alert, barking at Doc. “Like pet, like owner, huh?”

I frown, but let that one slide. I don’t know what their history is, but I know these two men have a list of issues a mile long.

“In the back, Zora,” I command, though I try using the playful high-pitched tone of voice August takes with her. That way she’ll know I’m not threatened by the doc, and hopefully, we can make it back to Tanglewood in one piece.

The dog whines and hops up on the leather upholstery, jumping into the tiny backseat. Almost immediately she leans forward to breathe down the doc’s neck. I wasn’t sure if she could sense that this man had been far too close to a lot of doggy butts with his thermometer or if she just didn’t like him in principle because August would have hated me hopping in his car, but as far as Zora is concerned, there is no love lost for this veterinarian.Poor guy.

“And how’s my favorite patient doing?” he coos to Betty, and as if her and Zora couldn’t be any more different, Betty practically jumps out of my arms and into the doc’s lap and kisses his downturned face by nuzzling against his lips with her snout, her tiny tongue poking out every now and again. Jude chuckles. “Now, why can’t your owner take after you?”

I shake my head and close the door. “I’m not climbing on into your lap to lick your face, Doc.”

“You got me,” he says, making out like I just shot him in the heart. Jude glances down at Betty's leg and frowns, gently touching the swollen plaster. “Olivia, why is her cast wet?”

Uh-oh.

“Um, we might have taken a little dip in the water,” I say this as if it’s a question, which obviously it’s not, but for someone so pretty, Jude has a mean cranky doctor face.

He scrubs a hand over his cleanly shaven jaw. “You took her swimming?”

“Maybe?”

“Jesus,” he says and starts the engine. “You realize you could have undone all of the progress she’s made.”

“I didn’t know she’d go in,” I explain. “Who knew pigs could swim?”

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