Page 2 of Until Now
“What are you talking about?”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you actually lose your cool around a guy. It gives me faith. There’s hope for your future.”
There’s a wiping away of her fake tears followed by a giggle.
“You’ll excuse me. I have a consultation to attend to,” I say, pretending to be insulted.
“Your focus on your clients is really admirable, Doctor,” July calls to my retreating figure.
Never have I been so willing to stay late, and my friend knows why.
“See you tonight. That is if you haven’t eloped with the biker,” July says.
Her comment lands in the center of my heart. “Biker?”
“Get your motor running! Oh, wait! It already is.” She disappears into Exam Room Three.
A soft rap on the open door of my office results in a visceral reaction. Just the closeup sight of him tickles my lower regions, and more surprisingly, my heart picks up its beat. What the hell? That’s ridiculous. Our eyes meet. He rises and smiles.
“Hello, Mr. Ripley. I’m Dr. Grant,” I say, extending a hand.
When he takes my hand and wraps his fingers around it, I swear a kind of energy passes between us. It’s more like a sizzle. An inner dialogue begins.Dominique, get ahold of yourself!It’s just that I’m hungry for a real connection. And the dick.It’s been so long. That’s what’s happening. Yeah. Uh-huh.
“I’m Maxen, Kim Ripley’s brother.”
“Sit,” I say, taking my seat behind the desk.
A crooked smile breaks out on his face. “Shall I stay too?”
Ohhhh. That did sound like I was training my dog. But it was worth it to see what a smile does to that beautiful face. There’s quiet confidence there. I return it with one of my own. I’m suddenly aware of how I look. How freakin’ shitty. Lipstick worn off, a spot on my blouse from Tinkerbelle’s blood test. Why didn’t I unwind my hair? I look like a spinster schoolmarm from the Old West. Poor Miss Buttercup.
“How is your sister doing? We’ve all been concerned.”
A deep sigh escapes his full lips. “Better. She sustained some major injuries. It’s going to be a long recovery, and her life has been upended.”
“How’s her son doing? Are you staying with Hunter?”
“I’m here for the next three months. That’s when my younger brother will take over. Hunter’s having a tough time. Having the dog die in the accident was hard. Harder than he’s letting on. He didn’t want to come today, and I didn’t force him.” Then, as an afterthought, “Not sure what I’m doing when it comes to kids.”
My stomach twists with the thought of what that child has gone through and what he witnessed. I’ve an urge to console this veritable stranger. That or fuck him to death. Instead, I reach behind and take the cedar box from the shelf.
“It’s never easy. But I know this has been a particularly difficult passing. Please give Hunter all our affection. And tell him we all loved taking care of Boomer. He was a great dog. The whole staff loved to be around him. These are Boomer’s remains.”
I slide the box across the desk.
“Thank you.” And then, almost as an unintended comment, he adds, “Hunter was a quiet kid before. But now …”
In this moment, my heart breaks a little. Maxen has a soft heart, and it’s hurting for his nephew. When he talks about his new role, he looks a bit lost. Parenting is hard enough when you do it intentionally. To have it thrust on you is a whole other thing. Even if it is for the short-term.
“Do you think he’ll be wanting another dog?”
“I’m not going to ask right now. Besides, I brought my dog, Cali, from California. So, Hunter has her to connect with. That is if he wants to. So far, there doesn’t seem to be any interest.”
“That’s understandable. He’s a little broken right now. What breed is Cali?”
“She’s a black Lab. But to tell the truth, she’s mostly human.”
“If you need anything like medications or vaccinations for her, I’d be happy to be her temporary vet. We could get her records transferred.”
