Ann Roth - Montana Vet

The sun was about to set and vivid pink streaks colored the paling sky. The usual rush-hour traffic filled the highway, but Emily didn’t mind. With beauty all around her and dinner plans, she couldn’t help but be happy.

Too happy for a ho-hum night with her mom and Bill. She really needed to get out more.

She parked in the driveway of the house, which was a stunning mixture of cream-colored brick, river stone and tempered glass. The landscaped yard was nothing like the trampled grass around the shelter grounds. Carrying a bottle of Spanish wine she’d picked up, she followed the flagstone walkway to the raised brick stoop, then opened the front door and let herself in.

The place was quiet. Leaving her jacket and purse in the entry, Emily headed for the living room, on the opposite side of the house. The huge space was only marginally smaller than her entire apartment, and decorated with beautiful, expensive furnishings.

Where were her mother and Bill? After stopping to admire the falls from the picture window, Emily checked the state-of-the-art kitchen. No one there, either. She peered out the sliding glass door that opened onto the back yard and patio. The grill was out and ready for action, but she didn’t see her mother or stepfather.

She set the wine she’d brought on the granite counter and returned to the living room. “Hello?” she called. “Mom? Bill? I’m here!”

“We’ll be right out!” Her mother’s muffled reply came from the direction of the master bedroom.

A long few minutes later, the couple appeared, with their arms around each other’s waists. Her mother looked slightly disheveled and radiant, and Bill wore a big grin. Emily didn’t want to think of what had put the glow in their faces. Some things were too gross to contemplate. Four years of marriage and they still acted like newlyweds.

They were insanely happy, which was wonderful. After Emily’s father had walked out and left her mom struggling to pay the bills and keep a roof over their heads, she deserved a loving man. She liked to say that Bill’s wealth was the icing on her happiness cake.

Emily didn’t care about Bill’s money. He was a good guy who really cared about her mother. She wanted a man like Bill. She’d thought she’d found him in Harvey. They’d discussed marriage and children multiple times, and she’d assumed that they would be together forever.

Then a well-known architecture firm on the East Coast had offered him a plum job. Emily hadn’t wanted to give up her beloved shelter, but she’d been ready to find her replacement so that she could go with him. Things hadn’t worked out the way she’d imagined, however. Harvey had taken his dog with him, but not Emily. She’d been single ever since.

Her mother came over to exchange cheek kisses with her. Bill gave her a hug.

“How’s the packing coming along?” she asked.

“We were just working on that, only then we got a little distracted.” Her mother and Bill exchanged meaningful glances.

He chuckled. “We sure did.”

TMI—too much information, Emily thought. She cleared her throat. “I noticed you uncovered the grill out back.”

“We’re having steak tonight.” Bill licked his lips and patted his slight paunch. “Are you hungry, Em?”

“Starving.”

“Me, too. As soon as I fix the drinks, I’ll fix the steaks.”

In the kitchen, Emily’s mother and Bill kissed as if they were about to part for days before he stepped through the sliding glass door to the patio.

Her mother watched him go with a dreamy sigh. Emily shook her head. Sometimes the lovey-dovey stuff got old. “What can I do to help?” she asked.

“Set the table and open that bottle of wine so it can breathe. I’ll heat the rolls and empty the salad into a bowl.”

While they worked, they caught up on each other’s lives, just as they had when they’d lived in the one-bedroom apartment where Emily had grown up—on the rare occasions when her mother had been home in time to help with the evening meal. Usually, Emily had prepared it alone.

Before long, Bill returned with the sizzling steaks. They sat at the kitchen table and loaded their plates.

“Are you excited about your trip?” Emily asked as they ate.

“Just a little.” Bill’s lips twitched.

He and Emily’s suddenly gleeful mother exchanged brilliant grins, and then launched into a detailed itinerary of where they were going and when. Emily had already heard most of before, but didn’t mind hearing it again. In their excitement, the two finished each other’s sentences and occasionally interrupted one another. They were so involved in the back and forth that they seemed to forget she was there.

Emily felt like a third wheel. Melancholy crept in, and no longer hungry, she picked at her food. At times like this, she wished she was part of a couple.

But that would mean dating again, which she hadn’t done since Harvey. Emily’s wayward thoughts homed in on a certain sexy veterinarian. She quickly dismissed that idea. She’d had to resort to arm twisting to get Seth to take the volunteer job in the first place, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize that by going out with the man. If he was even interested. Because if they were to go out and then things between them soured... At any time, he could walk away from the shelter. Besides, between it and her website business, she was way too busy to date.

Which wasn’t exactly the full truth. The thing was, even though it had been more than fifteen months since Harvey had left, and even though Emily was totally over him, she wasn’t over what he’d done. Bad enough, breaking her heart. He wasn’t the first. But leaving her behind without a backward glance, the same as her father had? She wasn’t about to put herself in that position ever again, and she for sure wasn’t ready to start dating. Besides, the dogs at the shelter depended on her, and that was where her focus needed to be—on providing them with a temporary place to stay and finding them good homes.

Refusing to be ignored for one more minute, she changed the subject. “I had an unpleasant surprise this week.” That got her mother and Bill’s attention. “You remember Rich Addison, the veterinarian who’s volunteered at the shelter since I opened our doors? He decided to retire.”

Knowing what that meant, her mother frowned. “What are you going to do?”

“I think I’ve found a replacement.”

“Already? That’s great!” Bill looked pensive. “I’ve sold insurance policies to most of the animal docs in town. Who is it?”

“Actually, he’s new here, having recently moved back from California. His name is Seth Pettit and he works mostly with livestock.”

“I know Seth.” Bill nodded. “He phoned shortly after he arrived, and I set him up with the insurance he needs.”

Her mother frowned. “If Dr. Pettit works with livestock, why is he volunteering at the shelter?”

“He likes to be called by his first name,” Emily said. “His...” She paused. How to explain Taylor? “He’s guardian to a teenage girl who will be doing her community service at The Wagging Tail.”

“They’re volunteering together.” Bill gave a nod of approval. “I used to do that with Kara.” His daughter from his first marriage, now in her early forties. “It’s a good bonding experience.”

“They won’t exactly be doing their volunteer work at the same time,” Emily said.

“Still, it’s nice that they’ll both become familiar with the shelter. They’ll have something to talk about.”

She hadn’t thought of it that way, but Bill was right.

They were finishing their dessert when her “dog emergency” pager buzzed. The number of one of the volunteers who rescued abused animals showed on the screen. “I need to check this,” Emily said. “Excuse me.”