“I’ve always had a way with animals.It comes in handy being a vet.”

She packed her bag and shook Gary’s hand.“If you see any change, call me.If not, I’ll be out tomorrow early to check on him.”

“Thank you, Doc, for coming out.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“What the hell is going on?”

She twirled around to see Mac, the man from the night before.

Gary stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“Who let this piece of fluff in my barn?”Mac asked.

She knew that should have pissed her off but instead, he just made her want to laugh.

“Boss, she’s the new vet Dr.Sherman took on.”

Mac stared down at her.She saw his jaw clench when her mouth twitched, and one of her eyebrows rose.

He sneered at her.“Bullshit.You’re not a vet.You’re like twenty years old.”

“Ahhh,” she said sarcastically.“That’s sweet of you to say, but I’m actually twenty-seven.”

She knew she was pushing him, but she couldn’t help it.He was so fun to poke at.

“Where’d you get your degree?”

“Veterinary school in Chicago.Do you want to see my diploma?”she asked with an edge of mockery and a raised brow.

He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

“Boss, she done really good with Rush, and you should have seen him.He’s already in love with her.I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She waited for him to say something and then sighed.“Talk to Dr.Sherman.He’ll give you my credentials.”

“I don’t think that’s going to matter.You’re not big enough to deal with large animals.”

She gasped dramatically and pressed a hand to her heart.“Oh, wow, I didn’t know you had to be a certain height.No one told me.You’d think the seven years in college and working with four different vets, one of them would have said something.”

Mac glowered.“You’re a smart-ass.”

She shrugged and grinned.“It’s one of my failings.If there’s nothing else, I have other patients to see.”

“Doesn’t it actually take like eight years for vet school?You said you were there for seven years.Did you flunk out?”

She turned to him and smirked.“I actually finished in six and a half.I finished early because I’m kind of smart.”

He raised an eyebrow.“Oh, really?”

She heard the disbelief and shook her head.It didn’t matter if he believed her or not.She waved and walked off.

Besides the times she couldn’t save an animal, working with obnoxious animal owners was the worst part of her job, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.