Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Walking into the clinic at eight in the morning felt strange after months of arriving when I knew the sun would set in just a couple of hours.
The morning light streaming through the windows made everything look different, brighter somehow.
Ava was already at her desk with a steaming cup of coffee, and Roxie emerged from the back with a clipboard in hand.
“Look who decided to join the land of the living.” Ava grinned at me. “How'd you sleep?”
“Better than I have in weeks.” The truth surprised me. Despite everything happening, having Graham's arms around me all night was the best sleep I'd gotten since the flowers arrived.
Roxie looked up from her clipboard. “How did the meeting with your family go yesterday?”
My chest tightened at the memory. “About as well as expected. Mama cried for twenty minutes.”
“Oh honey.” Roxie set down her clipboard and came around the reception desk. “I'm sure it was hard telling them about London after all this time.”
“It was. But it felt good too, you know? Like I could finally breathe again.” I fiddled with the strap of my purse. “They want to have Dad and the guys talk to Graham tonight.”
Ava snorted. “Figures.”
“When you say guys, you mean your brothers, right?” Roxie asked. “The overprotective ones?”
I nodded. “Seth and Randy. They're going to lose their minds when they find out about the stalker.”
Roxie squeezed my shoulder. “Graham can handle them.”
“I hope so. Seth's already suspicious because Graham only works with Onyx part-time.”
“That’s the same as Hart. They’re both ad hoc. My guess is within six months Roan and Simon are going to be begging them to work full-time. Their dance card is getting mighty full.”
The three of us were still talking when the front door chimed. Glenda walked in, her face lighting up when she saw me.
“Joy! I called this morning and Ava said you were working days, so I decided to pop in when you were on duty. I have a question about Rosebud.”
I walked over to greet her. “What's going on? Is she okay?”
“Oh, she's fine. Perfect, actually.” Glenda gave me a brief hug. “I've just been wondering about her food. Should I be cooking fresh meals for her instead of using the commercial kitten food?”
The question caught me off guard. Most new pet owners were worried about their animals eating enough, not whether they should be preparing gourmet meals.
“That's really thoughtful of you,” Roxie said, grinning as she stepped forward. “I don’t think any other client has ever asked that before. But high-quality commercial kitten food is actually better for her nutritional needs right now.”
Glenda smiled at Roxie gratefully. “Thanks, Roxie. I just want to give her the best. She's so precious.”
“She is,” Roxie agreed. “You should have brought her in.”
“She was napping in her little bed by the window. She looked so cute that I didn’t want to disturb her.”
“That’s sweet.” I smiled. “Don’t worry, Glenda, the food Roxie recommended has everything she needs for healthy growth.”
“If you want to supplement,” Ava added, “small pieces of cooked chicken or fish are fine as treats.”
Glenda beamed. “You're all so knowledgeable. Wasn’t I lucky finding the same place where this songstress worked?” She grinned at me. “Speaking of lucky, we should plan another girls' night soon. I had such a great time last time.”
“That sounds fun,” I said to be nice. With everything that was going on, I wasn’t feeling like going out, but then again, maybe a girls’ night out would be a good thing, and Glenda meant well.
“Perfect! Maybe this weekend?” Glenda's eyes sparkled with excitement. “I know this great little wine bar that just opened downtown.”
“I'll have to check my schedule,” I hedged, hating to disappoint her.
I saw Glenda’s expression dim before the bright smile returned.
“Of course. How are things going with Graham, by the way?”
Now that was something I was happy to talk about. “Good. Really good.”
“That's wonderful.” Glenda tilted her head and looked me straight in the eye.
“I’m so glad he's not like my ex-boyfriend. Rob was so possessive and controlling, always wanting to know where I was, who I was with.” She shuddered, and I watched her expression fill with pain, but then she shook her head, as if she were trying to shake off her melancholy mood.
“Actually,” she started slowly, “men like Rob can be dangerous, you know?” she said in a soft and nervous voice.
My stomach twisted. “Thank God Graham's nothing like that. As for Rob, I say it was a good day when you two broke up.”
“You can say that again, sister.” Ava grinned. “Men like that are the worst.”
Glenda glanced around and gave a shaky smile to the three of us. “Well, thanks for the advice about her food. You three are the best.”
“Anytime,” Roxie replied.
Glenda headed for the door, then turned back with a brighter smile. “Don't forget about that girls' night, Joy. We have so much to catch up on.”
“I won’t,” I assured her. I watched her leave, then picked up my purse and headed toward the back. “I'm going to check on our overnight patients.”
The familiar sounds and smells of the kennel area wrapped around me like a warm blanket. Three dogs were recovering from routine surgeries, and two cats were being treated for upper respiratory infections. This was my favorite part of the job, the hands-on care that made me feel useful.
I started with the golden retriever mix who'd been spayed yesterday. She lifted her head when I approached her kennel, her tail giving a tentative wag.
“Hey there, beautiful.” I opened the kennel door and sat down beside her. “How are you feeling this morning?”
She nuzzled against my hand, and I carefully checked her incision site. Everything looked good. No signs of infection or excessive swelling.
“You're going to be just fine,” I murmured, scratching behind her ears. “Your family's going to be so happy to take you home tomorrow.”
My phone buzzed with an incoming call. Graham's name on the screen made my heart skip a beat.
“Hey,” I answered, unable to keep the smile out of my voice.
“Hey yourself. How's your first day on the day shift going?”
The warmth in his voice melted something inside me. “Good. Really good. The morning light makes everything feel different, more hopeful somehow.”
“I'm glad. Any word from our friend?”
The happiness drained out of me. “No. Nothing since the texts the day before yesterday.”
“That's good. Maybe he's moved on.”
I wanted to believe that, but something in my gut told me this wasn't over. “Maybe.”
“Hey.” Graham's voice gentled. “We're going to figure this out, okay? You're safe.”
“I know.” And I did know. With Graham, I felt safer than I had in years. “What time are you coming home tonight?”
“Around five. I've got a few people coming over when I meet with your dad and brothers.”
My stomach clenched. “Graham, you don't need backup for a meeting with my dad and brothers.”
“Trust me, Doll. I do.” He chuckled, but I could hear the underlying tension. “Your brother Seth sounded like he was ready to come over and beat my ass just for existing.”
“He's protective.”
“I can handle protective. It's the homicidal rage I'm concerned about.” I could see Graham’s grin in my mind’s eye.
Despite my nerves, I laughed. “They're going to love you once they get to know you.”
“From your mouth to God's ears. I've got to get back to work, but I'll see you tonight.”
“Can't wait.”
The call ended, and I sat there grinning like an idiot. Glenda couldn't have been more wrong about Graham. He wasn't possessive or controlling like Rob. He was protective and caring, and the way he made me feel was nothing like the fear I'd experienced in London.
The golden retriever nudged my hand, bringing me back to the present. I spent the rest of the morning caring for the animals, letting their unconditional love and trust soothe my nerves about the upcoming meeting with the men in my family.
By the time my shift ended, the anxiety had crept back in.
I swung by the supermarket before going to Graham’s and spent far too much money as I practically cleared out the baking aisle.
I felt a little better, even though the drive to Graham’s house felt longer than usual, my mind spinning with worst-case scenarios.
What if Seth and Randy demanded I move back home? What if they refused to accept Graham? What if they blamed me for everything that had happened?
Graham's house was empty when I arrived, which meant I had time to work off some nervous energy. I headed straight for the kitchen and started pulling out the pans, bowls, and mixer that I’d brought with me from Jasper Creek.
Baking always helped me think, and I had a feeling we were going to need comfort food tonight.
I mixed up a batch of my Aunt Pattie's double-chocolate brownies, the kind with chunks of dark chocolate and a hint of espresso.
The familiar motions of measuring and mixing helped calm my racing thoughts, but they couldn't completely silence the voice in my head that whispered all the ways tonight could go wrong.
The brownies were just coming out of the oven when I heard the rumble of Graham’s Harley coming down the street.
Through the kitchen window, I watched Graham climb off his bike, followed by Roan getting out of his truck and Simon getting out of his 1960 Pontiac GTO.
Two trucks and a Jeep pulled up as well.
Graham walked through the front door first, his eyes immediately finding mine. The tension in his shoulders eased when he saw me.
“Something smells incredible in here.”
“Stress brownies,” I admitted, gesturing to the cooling pans on the counter.
He crossed the kitchen in three long strides and pulled me into his arms. The solid warmth of his body against mine made some of the anxiety leak out of my system.
“How bad are you freaking out?” he murmured against my hair.
“Scale of one to ten? About a fifteen.”