Chapter 26 – Teagan
“Hey Teagan,” Louis calls to me from the doorway of the back room where I’m currently filing paperwork from last week’s visits while trying to catch up on administrative work we’d neglected after the storm that blew in four weeks ago caused us to fall behind.
“Hey Doc. What’s going on?” I reply.
“I need to step out for an hour to run to the dentist. Do you think you can cover things for the next thirty minutes until we close for lunch?”
“No problem at all.” I smile as he nods, then pauses in the doorway.
“It’s been really nice to have you here this last month. I think you’ve been fitting right in.”
“Thanks, Doc. I’ve really been enjoying my time here, too,” I respond.
And I have been enjoying my time here far more than I ever expected.
Hearing that things have been going well from Louis’s perspective only adds to my optimism about our upcoming discussion.
This is my last week in Lonestar Junction according to our original agreement, and with the date to discuss purchasing his business quickly approaching, I feel confident he’ll make me an offer.
That confidence matters even more now, considering how things with Wilder have shifted—escalating from passionate hookups to a full-blown, exclusive relationship.
Since our zoo trip with Georgia, Willow, and the kids, Wilder and I have spent nearly every evening together.
Some nights we’re at the ranch, cooking dinner and hanging out with Willow, while other nights we’re at my place, tucked into our own little world when Willow has a sleep over with friends.
Each moment spent together deepens our connection.
Though it’s only been a short time since we reunited, we’ve fallen fast, picking up right where we left off five years ago—only this time, it feels more solid, more real.
A few minutes after I hear the front door close behind Louis as he heads out to his appointment, the door jingles again. A moment later, a small voice calls out, “Hello? Is anyone here?”
I pause mid-sentence in the paperwork I’m working on, setting down my pen as I stand and make my way into the main lobby.
There, I find two girls—one a teenager, the other younger, maybe a preteen.
They’re dressed casually, their faces bright with curiosity.
The younger one is clutching a small fishbowl, the water inside sloshing slightly as a tiny goldfish darts around.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Keating. What can I help you girls with today?” I ask.
The taller girl steps forward. “Hi. I'm Becca. We have a goldfish that needs help.” She points down at the bowl, her voice matter of fact and I have to conceal my smile.
“Well, we don’t typically see fish here—it’s more of a specialized field to work with aquatics—but I can certainly take a look and see if it’s something that needs to be referred out to one of the larger facilities nearby.
What exactly are your concerns?” I ask, as I look down at the goldfish swimming in the glass container again.
“Um... she’s just not eating,” the younger one responds.
“Okay, do you have a parent or guardian with you?”
“I’m eighteen years old,” the older one says.
“Ok, well let’s go to the back and we’ll see what’s wrong.”
The two girls follow me to the examination room at the back of the facility, placing the glass bowl on the table as I wash my hands and pull on gloves. “Okay, have there been any recent dietary or environmental changes? Is there anything I should know about before I perform the examination?”
The older girl snorts and then coughs, trying to conceal her laughter as my eyebrows raise. The younger girl maintains a straight face and responds, “Nope.”
I gently reach into the bowl and touch the fish with a brush that’s tender.
The fish moves and continues to swim around contently.
There are no signs of external infection, discoloration, swelling, or injury to their scales.
It looks like a regular goldfish you'd find at a pet store with normal levels of activity and health. Certainly nothing that I’d suggest they see a specialist for, which would be an extremely expensive bill.
“Do you have their food with you?” I ask.
The younger girl nods and retrieves a container marked 'goldfish food' from her crossbody bag. I pop the top of the container, pick out a single flake, and drop it into the bowl. The fish instantly swims towards it and gobbles up the flake happily.
Okay… so the fish was hungry. Are these girls messing with me?
“She’s healed!” the older one says dramatically, gesturing with her arms widely.
My eyebrows raise as the younger one continues to look straight ahead at me, curiously.
I walk to the sink, take off my gloves, and rinse my hands because I’m a professional and I’ve seen stranger things than this. Plus, they’re young and maybe don’t know how to care for their fish.
“Just continue to keep an eye on them. If you purchased it recently, they may still be adjusting to their new and unfamiliar environment. Goldfish can be fickle. One day they might want to eat, and the next they don’t.
” I smile and nod at them both. “So, I need to close the shop soon for our lunch break, but was there anything else that I could help you two with today?”
The older one looks at the younger one, who is still staring at me intently without saying a word. She nudges her as if she’s trying to get her to respond. “Yes, is there anything else you want to ask the nice Dr. Keating, Riley?”
I stand waiting impatiently as I glance at the time. We should be closing for lunch now and I'm supposed to meet up with Wilder for pizza however, that thought freezes as the name of the young girl registers in my mind.
My eyes snap back to the little girl with chestnut brown hair and green eyes whose name is...
Riley?