Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
I t took nearly twenty minutes to get to the clinic, and Stark drove slowly down the long, bumpy driveway to the vet clinic and parked next to Rayna’s SUV. Lights burned in the clinic building as he joined Rayna at the back of her SUV.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she opened up the back.
“You need me to carry the dog into the clinic,” he said.
“I’m stronger than I look,” she said.
He ignored her and carefully picked up the dog. As they walked toward the clinic, the door opened, and a dark-haired man wearing just a t-shirt and jeans stepped out into the cold.
“Hey, Rayna.”
“Hi, Nathan. Sorry, it’s so late.”
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “Bring her inside.”
Stark carried the dog inside, following Rayna and Nathan through the front lobby to the swinging door that separated the treatment area from the rest of the clinic.
“Set her down here, please.” Nathan pointed to a metal treatment table covered with a blanket.
Stark set the dog down, and Nathan glanced at him. “I’m Nathan Henshaw.”
“Isaac Stark,” he said.
Nathan petted the dog with a gentle hand. “Hey, girl. Looks like you got yourself into some trouble.” He glanced at Rayna. “Is this the stray you’ve been trying to catch?”
“Yes,” Rayna said.
“Okay. Can you hold her upper half, please?”
Rayna nodded, and Stark stepped back to give them both room, silently watching as Nathan assessed the dog’s leg, prodding and manipulating it lightly, making soft noises of comfort when the dog cried out in pain.
Nathan stepped back, and Rayna said, “Do we need to amputate?”
“No, I think it looks worse than it is because there’s so much torn skin,” he said.
“Thank God,” Rayna said.
“For now, I’ll sedate, give pain meds, and clean and suture the wounds. I don’t think her leg is broken, but radiographs would confirm that.”
Stark watched as Rayna chewed viciously at her bottom lip. She studied the dog before taking a deep breath. “Are the x-rays necessary?”
“There are definitely no major breaks, but there could be a slight fracture.” Nathan glanced at the dog. “That being said, we can save costs by not doing the radiographs.”
“Yeah, okay, let’s hold off on doing them,” Rayna said, a tired defeat in her voice that made Stark’s chest tighten again. “I wish we could do the x-rays, but you know…”
“I do,” Nathan said sympathetically. He squeezed Rayna’s shoulder. “Is it better to do them? Sure, but sometimes you can only do what you can do.”
Rayna’s phone rang, and she glanced at it and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, I need to take this.”
She took a few steps away. “Hey, Nicole. What’s up?”
She listened for a few minutes before saying, “He’s not putting any weight on it? When did he fall down the stairs? Okay, I’m actually at Brandt’s Vet Clinic right now. Can you meet me here with -”
She stopped, listening quietly and pinching the bridge of her nose again. “Yeah, no, I get it. I’ll be there soon to grab him. Sure, no problem.”
She ended the call and turned to Nathan. “Mr. Magoo fell down the stairs.”
“Again?” Nathan said. “I told Nicole the last time that she needed to carry him down the stairs from now on. He’s too old and unsteady to use the stairs.”
“Yeah, I told her the same thing, and she promised me she would, but…” Rayna took another deep breath. “She thinks his leg might actually be broken this time but can’t bring him to the clinic because her husband is on nights and the kids are in bed. Do you think he should be seen tonight, or do you think I can save on the emergency fee and keep him quiet until the morning and bring him in then?”
“Bring him now,” Nathan said. “I’ll give you the two-for-one emergency fee deal.”
“Thanks, Nathan.” Rayna gave him a grateful smile. “Nicole’s deep on the south side, so I’ll be at least thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be here,” Nathan said cheerfully.
Stark followed Rayna into the lobby, lightly taking hold of her arm and bringing her to a stop at the front door. “Hey, you’re driving over to the south side right now?”
“Yes,” she said, glancing pointedly at his hand on her arm.
He didn’t loosen his grip. “That’s too dangerous, Ms. Abrams.”
“I’ll be fine. Let go of me, please.”
He released her, irritation washing over him as she walked out of the clinic without saying another word. He followed her. “You shouldn’t go alone to the south side at this time of night. You’ll be kidnapped or murdered.”
“Okay, drama queen,” she said as she opened the SUV’s driver door and slid inside.
She gaped at him when he opened the passenger door and climbed into the seat. “What are you doing?”
“Going with you,” he said.
“No,” she said.
“Yes,” he said.
“Get out of my car, Stark.”
“Make me,” he said.
“Jesus, I do not have fucking time for this,” she snapped before starting the SUV. He buckled his seat belt as she drove down the driveway. He winced and braced his hand against the roof as they flew over the bumps. “Christ, does this thing have any shocks?”
She didn’t answer, and he glanced at her. “Do you own anything that isn’t thirty years old?”
“No one asked you to get in the car,” she said.
“Like I’m going to let you die on the south side tonight,” he said.
“Only because you know if I die, you’ll never get my property,” she said.
“Precisely,” he snapped.
“Yeah, well, the joke’s on you because you’re not getting it as long as I’m alive either,” she snipped.
“Why aren’t you doing x-rays for that dog?” he asked.
She blinked at the sudden change in subject. “Nathan said they weren’t necessary.”
“No, that isn’t what he said,” Stark said. “What if that dog’s leg is broken?”
She stared stonily at the road. “It’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
“You’re a rescue. Aren’t you supposed to be helping the animals? Why aren’t you doing the x-rays when it’s obvious the poor dog needs them?”
“Because x-rays cost money,” she snarled, her brown eyes spitting sparks. “If I do the x-rays for this dog, then I can’t do the x-rays for Mr. Magoo, who may need them more. Or tomorrow, I might get a call with a dog who definitely has a broken leg, and not doing the x-rays isn’t an option. When you rely solely on donations, you don’t get the luxury of giving every animal the best treatment available. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, and unless you’d like to put your money where your goddamn mouth is and foot the bill tonight, maybe you could do me a favour and quit berating me for the hard fucking choices I have to make.”
She stopped, dragging in a ragged breath, her hands clenched tight around the steering wheel. Feeling like the biggest dickhead in the universe, Stark said, “I apologize for what I said.”
She just nodded, and he looked away from what he was pretty sure was the shine of tears in her eyes. Christ, he really was an asshole.
* * *
Stark parked his car in the driveway and climbed out. Rayna was parking her SUV in her driveway. She glanced at him before she disappeared into her house, holding a cat carrier. He walked to his house, stepping into the warmth and kicking off his boots.
He went into the kitchen and studied the blood on his jacket before taking it off and draping it over a chair. He’d drop it off for dry cleaning later today, though he didn’t hold out much hope they’d actually get it clean.
He brewed himself a cup of coffee, checking the time on the microwave. It was just after five in the morning, and despite having been awake all night, he felt jumpy and restless. He’d never quite had a night like last night before.
On the way to the south side, Rayna had gotten another call, this one from a new foster who’d been fostering two kittens for two weeks. One of the kittens had scratched her kid, and she was demanding that Rayna pick up both kittens immediately.
After picking up Mr. Magoo, Rayna stopped at the kitten foster home and grabbed the two kittens before heading back toward the clinic. They hadn’t been at the clinic for more than ten minutes before she’d gotten another call. This one was about a stray cat that had been caught in a trap, and the people wanted it off their property, or they’d leave it in the trap overnight in the cold. They’d left Mr. Magoo and the kittens at the clinic and gone to get the cat before returning to the clinic.
By that time, it was almost three in the morning, and Stark could have left, but he’d stayed instead. Mr. Magoo, an ancient shih-tzu with cataracts and a cheerful attitude despite having what turned out to be a broken leg, was x-rayed and given pain meds and a kennel to rest in. Nathan would cast his leg in the morning with the help of his staff. The stray dog had been put in a larger kennel, her wounds sutured, and her body relaxed after being given sedatives and pain medication.
After examining the stray cat, they discovered that he was friendly but intact. Rayna had arranged to leave him at the clinic to be neutered the following morning while she looked for a foster home for him. Finally, at around four-thirty, with the two kittens in tow, Rayna had dropped him off at his car, and they’d both driven home.
He walked into the den and looked out the window. It was the only one in the house that faced Rayna’s house. He could see the lights on in the kitchen. She apparently wasn’t headed to bed either. Maybe she was as amped up as he was.
I know a way you could help her relax. Help you both relax.
He headed toward his bedroom. Fucking Rayna was not the answer to his restlessness. He flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling before standing and checking on Molly. The kittens were sleeping against her, and Molly made a soft chirp to him. He reached into the box and scratched her cheeks before returning to his bed. He sat down and stared at the television, then turned on his gaming system. He would game for a while until his jittery energy was gone.
Two hours later, he was back in the kitchen, yawning hugely and grabbing a glass of water to drink before going to bed. He rubbed his gritty eyes and yawned again. Christ, he was finally feeling the effects of being up all night.
He left the kitchen and hesitated before walking to the den to check out the window again. Rayna was leaving her house. Her hair was in its usual ponytail, but she had changed her clothes. Even from where he stood, he could see the weariness on her face as she climbed into the SUV and started it.
“Christ, does she never sleep?” he said as she backed out of her driveway and drove away.
He closed the blinds and headed back to his room, falling on the bed with a soft groan and closing his eyes.