Page 36 of To Belong Together
In his hurry to stand, John’s foot caught in the blanket. He stumbled, but Erin got an arm around him and held him up.
At the commotion, both dogs jumped off the couch with agility that put his to shame.
“Dizzy?” Erin asked.
He blinked as the room righted itself, but nodding might start it to spinning again.
“I hear it happens with concussions,” Erin said.
Did the concussion also explain the way he felt short of breath at having her arm around him? With a steadying inhale, he slid from her grasp to look at Camo.
“On his left side. See?”
Camo’s brindle fur gaped away from a two-inch cut, pink tissue showing. Why wasn’t it bleeding? Had it happened when Camo barked at Trigger in the yard?
“He needs a vet, right?” Erin asked.
Camo sat and peered up at John, begging for attention.
John worked his phone out of his pocket. He’d been ordered to avoid screens, but how else could he call the vet?
The receptionist instructed him to bring Camo in.
He hung up, lowered himself to the floor, leaned against the couch, and used his good hand to scrub the dog’s head. Camo behaved so normally, John would wonder if he’d started hallucinating if not for Erin.
“They didn’t ask you to wait, did they?” Erin asked.
“They’ll fit him in, but I can’t drive.” Doctor’s orders. He wasn’t even sure he could ride in a car. Moving had awakened the throb of his headache, and the anxiety he’d felt riding with Gannon would be worse with a driver he didn’t know.
“I’ll drive you.” She hesitated. “Or I can take him myself.”
This from Erin, who was afraid of dogs.
For stitches, they’d put Camo under. The process would take hours, and John couldn’t handle one trip to Hartley, let alone a long one or two separate trips. “I’ll call Gannon.”
“I’m already here, and I owe you one.” She did the same sweep of his injuries as Addie had. “More than one.”
Camo panted in John’s face, content.
The dog would behave for Erin, and Gannon and Addie had already gone far enough out of their way.
“His leash is in the closet by the door.”
“Okay. And this is the vet in Hartley?”
He nodded. “I’ll call ahead and give them my credit card.”
Erin chewed her lip as she clipped on Camo’s leash, but other than that, if she was nervous, it didn’t show. Trigger, whining at being left behind, took Camo’s spot next to John on the floor.
Erin studied them with concern. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yes.” Returning to the chair would prove his point, but moving sounded like arduous work. He’d get there. Eventually.
Erin nodded once and turned to leave.
“Take good care of him.”
A smile softened her expression. “Will do.”
