Page 152 of Dove
My voice came out breathy as I pleaded, “Josh?—”
A throat cleared and my heart sank into my stomach. Josh released me like he’d been burned, but he didn’t go far, his hands hovering, likely to ensure I didn’t slip again as we both turned towards the entrance of the stable.
Dr. Sterling was smiling softly, the light streaming in behind her making her red hair glow. “Sorry to interrupt, I heard voices and figured you’d be in here with Clover.”
“Nothing to interrupt,” I dismissed a little too quickly. “Josh was just making sure I didn’t fall on my face. I can be so clumsy.” I prayed the laugh I forced out didn’t sound half as awkward as I currently felt.
Dr. Sterling’s smile never wavered, and she ignored my hasty explanation to ask, “Where’s my patient?”
I led her over to Clover, watching as she approached slowly and introduced herself to the large creature. Dr. Sterling was a petite woman with a soft-spoken voice, and while she had a sweet disposition, she held a fierce devotion to her patients. It was one of the many reasons she was so popular with both the townsfolkandthe animals. She was the best vet in town. Not to mention theonlyvet in town. She also happened to be the most eligible bachelorette. The men of Haven had been trying to lock her down since she moved out here to start her practice. But Dr. Sterling lived and breathed her work, and in all the years I’d known her, she had never agreed to a single date—or expressed even a hint of interest.
Both of those things were unheard of in a town as small and gossipy as Haven.
I choked down my unease at what Dr. Sterling had walked in on—and what she might be thinking. If there was anyone I trusted not to talk about us, it was her. She only cared about the animals she was tasked to treat; everything else was irrelevant.
I crept closer, staying out of the way, but I couldn’t deny I was interested in what she was doing. It was no secret I held a deep love for animals, and that at one point my goal had been to go into vet medicine. There had been a few summers where she’d kindly let me come by her clinic and shadow. They’d been some of my favorite summers to date. I’d been getting general requirements done at the local community college a couple towns over before my mom had gotten sick and I had to quit. But that didn’t mean my dreams had died. I still hoped one day Icould be a vet, even if it seemed unattainable now with the farm as my future.
Josh, perceptive as always when it came to me, curled a hand around my shoulder and called into the stall, “Hey, Doc, would you mind if Dove watched what you’re doing?”
“Josh,” I hissed under my breath.
Dr. Sterling glanced up from what she’d been doing, like she’d already forgotten we were there. “Of course not! Come on in, Dove.” She waved me in invitingly. “It might help her feel more at ease.”
I kept my feet firmly planted where they were, head shaking at her invitation. “No, no. I don’t want to get in your way.”
Now it was her turn to shake her head. “Nonsense. Are you still interested in pursuing vet medicine as a future career?”
I caught a glimpse of Josh, his eyes trained on me, as if waiting for the answer.
“Yes. I mean, I hope so.” I shrugged, uncertain. “But now… I don’t know.”
She smiled knowingly. “Well, it’s okay to not know right now with everything you two have been through. But I can explain what I’m doing and why, if you’d like?”
I crept into the stall, hovering inside the doorway. “If you’re sure…”
Her hand beckoned me closer. “I’m positive. It doesn’t take any more energy to explain what I’m doing while I’m doing it.”
I glanced back at Josh and he shooed me farther inside. “I’m going to finish up the other stalls. You stay here and make sure our girl’s comfortable.” With that, he was gone, heading over to the other stall across the breezeway. My stomach flipped briefly at his words, at him taking ownership of Clover, as if she was both our responsibility and not just something he’d been shackled with due to the passing of his father.
I watched him leave, and when I turned my attention back to Dr. Sterling, her easy-going smile had turned knowing.
“It’s nice to have him back, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled into Clover’s mane, where I hid my blush. “It is.”
Dr. Sterling was patient with Clover—and me, too. She seemed eager to answer my questions and was thorough in explaining what she was doing. By the end of the examination, she had a rough idea of what might be bothering the sweet mare.
I watched her as she quickly sanitized her tools and packed them up.
“Nothing a little time and medicine won’t heal. I’ll draw up a treatment plan and send it over.” She stood, hauling her large bag easily over her shoulder. “You have a natural talent, Dove. If you ever want to shadow me like you used to, let me know. Or if you need advice on getting into the field, never hesitate to give me a call.”
My stomach twisted, torn. As much as this job called to me, I just didn’t see it in my future now. I couldn’t leave the farm. I couldn’t leaveJosh,not when I’d just gotten him back.
“Thanks, Dr. Sterling. I appreciate it.”
She dipped her head. “Of course. Now, that part I hate.” Her eyes crinkled in regret. “There’s a matter of the bill. I’d been meaning to speak with Gareth about?—”
Josh popped up, making us both jump. “How is she, Doc?”
