Page 35 of Hold Me Instead
Chapter 10
Zachary
“Sohowlongdidyou say you’d be in town for?”
Zachary kept his eyes away from the client and instead on her Maltese, whose bright pink bows bobbed in the way of an ear inspection. “No end date at the moment. When was Muffin’s last checkup?”
He could easily check the paperwork, but it was better to keep this woman distracted.
“A year or so ago,” she purred, tilting her head so her blonde waves could swing over her shoulder. Her elbows rested on the small exam table across from Zachary, the low-cut top of her shirt creating a display. “How long has it been since you’ve been back?”
On a night out, he’d have no problem with the obvious signs she was throwing his way. But today, and at work, he wasn’t feeling it. It could be due to the strain at the practice—they were overbooked, and at rates he’d discovered hadn’t been updated in ages. Could be the major health scare with his father, which he still hadn’t processed. Could be that he didn’t have a job to return to.
Or could it be his currentboss, the woman who made him run hot and cold?
She’d been oddly quiet the day before—unnerving. His second full day in rotation with them had gone smoothly, but she’d kept herdistance. He’d watch her smile and laugh with staff, but barely nod to him in passing. Just as well, since he’d been completely focused onnotfucking up so he could prove his presence there was the right one.
Today, she’d waltzed into their office from the morning storm, wearing that brightly striped raincoat, and he’d felt a sense of relief as she joked about it raining cats and dogs. She even chuckled at her own words as she said them, knowing how well-worn they were. Her enjoyment had made him smile. Then she’d informed him he’d incorrectly entered notes into the server, which pissed him off not only because he’d spent extra time double-checking his work, but also because she was the one to catch it. Then she’d revealed a scrub top with rainbows and kittens and puppies, and he’dliterallyfelt his blood pressure drop. Being around her was like a hit of cardio.
“Dr. Lee?”
He’d been inspecting the dog on autopilot, preferring his own thoughts to this ill-timed conversation. He fumbled for her last question.
“Uh. It’s been about six years,” he answered. He stepped to the computer and entered some notes. “We’ll run a full blood panel on Muffin since she’s due, make sure everything is good. But otherwise, she looks healthy.”
The woman walked over and placed a hand on his forearm, her chilled, pale fingers spearing the sleeve of his white coat. “I really appreciate it. I’d love to take you out for a drink, help you get reacclimated to the area. Maybe tonight?”
“Thanks, but I can’t.” He glanced at her with a quick smile, then back to the monitor.
“How about tomorrow night?”
“Thank you, but no, Ms…” He scanned the screen, trying to locate her name.
“Please, call me Anna.”
Hell,no.
He cleared his throat as he closed the file. “Thanks for the offer, but no. Jasmine will be in shortly to get bloodwork, and we’ll be in touch. About Muffin.” He closed the door on her open mouth. Grateful to find Jasmine in the hall, he gave her the update and hurried to his office.
That was the last appointment for Friday, but he’d be sticking around a few more hours. He still had his dad’s paperwork, and apparently, plenty to fix from the day before.
Rounding into the office, he stopped in his tracks, finally registering the quiet. The sound of shuffling footsteps as techs cleaned up faded as he looked into the small room.
Charlie had a hip to her desk, her arms tight against her stomach, staring out the window as wind whipped the trees. One hand moved up and down the opposite arm in a soothing motion. The gray of dusk cast a filtered glow, highlighting the mess of her loose ponytail. The sight of her made him hold his breath. She was the stillness and, yet, embodied the storm. He didn’t want to break the spell, but he needed to know what cast it.
“You sure do make good use of the view,” he said. Immediately, he regretted the simple words, which were no match for the glistening hazel eyes that turned his way. Without thought, he was standing next to her. “Charlie?” He said it softly, reverently. Not wanting to add a wave to whatever had rocked her.
She looked into his eyes, blinking rapidly to fight back tears. Their honey and green hue was amped up to amber and moss, the muted lighthitting her from the side, her lashes damp and richly dark. Light pink splotches dotted her face, and Zachary reached out to touch her arm.
“Hey, Harris, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head slightly, not moving away from his touch. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then let it out. “We lost a patient today. Eighteen-year-old cat. His dad—this sweet old man—has been sick, and his caregiver brought the cat in today.” She let out a sad laugh, using it to step away from Zachary. “It’s never easy. Not sure why this one’s hitting me so hard.”
Zachary watched her tug her hair free and whip it into a knot on her head, swiping under her eyes as she cleared her throat. Suddenly, all he could picture was high-school Charlie, the first time she’d been assisting at the clinic when an animal was put to rest. He didn’t know her well at the time, but he remembered everything about her in that moment—the teal scrubs, black metal glasses framing glistening eyes, the way she bit on her lip to stay composed, like it was a test to pass. All he’d wanted to do was hug her and tell her it’d be okay.
He didn’t do it then, but watching her hands shake as she picked up her glasses and wiped the lenses, he could hold her now.
Zachary moved slowly, not wanting her to bolt, but giving her time to voice if she wanted space. Instead, her hands stopped moving, her eyes aimed at her desk. She bit that lip again, probably trying to fight whatever emotions wanted to burst free. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder, and when she leaned into his touch, guided her to face him and pulled her close.
