Kate James - Sanctuary Cove

If the weather was inhospitable, Emma would curl up in one of the comfortable chairs near the fireplace in the great room and read.

For the most part, the only people she felt comfortable interacting with were the veterinarian and his assistant, Sherri. Once in a while, Emma’s former assistant or one of her old colleagues would call, although as time passed, their contact became less frequent. She had to admit that it was mostly her doing, as they reminded her of the job she’d loved and lost.

Emma visited Theo regularly, but she avoided the clinic’s closing time. Josh might have had a small-town practice, but she learned that it was a busy, thriving one. If she visited during the day, Josh was more than likely seeing patients, and odds were she’d manage to avoid him. He stirred up strange feelings in her that she wasn’t comfortable with, and thinking about him caused insecurities of a different nature to emerge. Her relationship with Richard had apparently harmed more than her confidence in her professional capabilities. She didn’t feel self-assured about her personal appeal, either.

Thus, Sherri became Emma’s primary contact for Theo. But thinking of Theo invariably brought Josh to mind.

Emma stood in the kitchen and gazed out the window, trying not to think of him.

A sudden rustle of the brush at the edge of the forest helped her cause. A beautiful doe cautiously stepped into the clearing. Emma felt everything go soft inside her, as she watched the doe stop, its graceful legs slightly spread, and scent the air. Apparently satisfied that there was no immediate danger, she lowered her head, ears twitching, and began to graze.

Emma was enthralled. She placed her mug on the counter. Whether due to the muted sound or the motion that might have been visible through the glass, the doe’s head whipped up, and she was immediately on alert. Emma remained motionless, not wanting to scare her away. A few moments passed and the doe continued to feed, until she finally decided she’d had enough and leaped back into the forest, her bright white tail held high.

The short vignette left Emma with a sense of contentment—even joy—she couldn’t remember feeling for a while. Her spirits lifted, she felt eager to work on her current assignment and planned to keep at it until it was finished. Then she’d treat herself to a trip into town to visit Theo.

The work went better than she’d anticipated. Arriving at the veterinary clinic midafternoon, Emma walked into the empty waiting room. Sherri glanced up from behind the reception counter and grinned. “Hey! How’s it going?”

Josh’s assistant was compact in build, with short, spiky black hair, warm hazel eyes, a small, pert nose and a mouth that seemed to be turned upward in a perpetual smile. Sherri had a forthright, affable personality that Emma had felt drawn to right away.

Emma returned Sherri’s smile and greeting.

“Theo’s going to be happy to see you,” Sherri noted. “He’s definitely having a good day.”

“Sill no luck finding his owner?”

Sherri shook her head, and Emma felt her usual twinge of guilt for what she considered selfish relief each time Sherri told her no one had come forward to claim him.

“Just give me a minute to clear this stuff up,” Sherri said, lifting a stack of papers, “and I’ll take you back.”

“No problem. Quiet day today,” Emma observed.

“We had a couple of cancellations.”

“Is Josh having work done to his house?” Emma inquired as she leaned casually on the reception counter and watched Sherri sort the documents.

“Work? Oh, you mean the ladder and the pressure washer beside his garage?”

Emma nodded.

“No. Not exactly work.” The sparkle of humor that usually lit Sherri’s eyes was distinctly absent when she rose and moved to the file cabinet. “More of a cleanup.”

“A cleanup?”

“It’s to get rid of a little farewell present that was left for him.”

Emma arched an eyebrow. “Sorry, I don’t understand.”

Sherri shot a furtive glance at the closed examination room door. “Crazy ex-girlfriend. She wasn’t happy about the relationship being over between her and Josh, and she likes to show her displeasure. Did some damage here a while back. Broke some exterior light fixtures, trampled some plants. The pièce de résistance was spray-painting exactly what she thought of Josh on the side of his garage.”

“Oh, no. That’s terrible...”

Sherri shrugged. “Josh can handle it. But thankfully she’s been quiet for a couple of weeks now. He’s hoping she’s moved on. As for the graffiti, he’s tried to scrub it off with soap and water, but it didn’t work. He’s finally gotten around to renting the proper equipment to do the job.”

When Sherri was done, Emma followed her to the back. Listening to her friendly chatter, it occurred to Emma that she was starting to get a little tired of her self-imposed isolation. “Do you have any plans after work today?” she asked on impulse.

“No. Why?”

“Would you like to stop by my place for a drink?”

“I’d love to!” Sherri said with a grin as they entered the recovery room.

Upon seeing them, Theo stood and his tail thumped against the back of the cage. Emma noted happily that he was less awkward getting up. He came to her without hesitation. She ruffled his fur before snapping a leash to his collar. She took him for a slow walk around Josh’s property. Theo still favored his injured leg, but as the weeks passed, the bone was healing and he was able to put more weight on it. Since Theo didn’t seem to be in any discomfort or pain, Emma kept him out longer than usual, noting again how nicely he walked on a leash.

* * *

JOSH BACKED OUT of the examination room and held the door open for his last patient of the day. “There’s no charge, for this visit, Mrs. Ross, since it’s a follow-up.”

After he escorted Mrs. Ross and her cat out, Josh joined Sherri by the window, where she was standing. Together they watched Emma exercise Theo.

“Good movement. Nice stride today,” Sherri remarked.

Josh rubbed his chin and kept his eyes on Emma. “Hmm. I don’t recall an occasion she didn’t have good movement. Or a nice, ah...stride.”

Sherri laughed and jabbed Josh lightly in the ribs with her elbow. “I was talking about Theo.” She leaned against the sill and gave Josh a considering look. “If you’re interested in Emma, why haven’t you made a move?”

He folded his arms and shrugged. “I think she needs some space. I also get the distinct impression she’s trying to avoid me. So I’ve let her.”

The phone rang and Sherri dashed over to answer it.

Still watching Emma, Josh murmured to himself, “It might be time to change that, though.”

“No, I’m sorry but he’s not here right now.” Josh could hear Sherri behind him lie to the caller. He turned and gave her a questioning look. Sherri cast her eyes to the ceiling, and his smile faded. He had a feeling he knew who was on the other end of the line. His suspicion was confirmed when Sherri stated in a placating voice, “C’mon, Crystal. Calm down.” For Josh’s benefit, she moved her index finger in a circular motion next to her temple. “No. I’m sure your life isn’t over simply because Josh isn’t in it.” There was a pause and Sherri dropped down into the chair. “Yes. I know he’s a cad.” She mouthed the word cad in an exaggerated manner, pointed at Josh and made a face that drew a reluctant smile from him. “No, I don’t think he’s changed his mind. No, definitely not a good idea for you to drive—”

Sherri held the phone away from her ear. Crystal was yelling loud enough for Josh to hear her clear across the room.

He’d had enough. He wasn’t going to let Crystal be abusive with Sherri. He started across the room, but Sherri held her hand out and put the receiver back to her ear. “Crystal... Crystal!” The second time she’d said her name, she’d shouted. “Why don’t you have a nice glass of wine and think about what a cad Josh is. I’m sure you’ll realize he’s just not good enough for you, and you’re better off without him.”