Chapter 40
LEVI
My stomach grumbles as I look over my appointment schedule at the front desk of the clinic for the hundredth time today, hoping that time for lunch magically appears on the computer screen.
It doesn’t.
I had to move my appointments back to the clinic after the barn burned down. I lost a good portion of my equipment, but that stuff is replaceable. I’ve actually already replaced most of it.
The barn is coming along great. Santiago paid extra for the construction crew to work overtime. The only downside is the banging of hammers, the piercing screech of circular saws, and the rumbles of heavy machinery waking me up every morning.
And I’ve made little headway in my “two people working together” theory. I’m finally understanding why Blake looks as if she wants to rip her hair out when she’s sitting at Santiago’s dining room table going through case files.
The bell above the clinic door jingles. A tired sigh escapes me before I even look up. When I do, my shoulders loosen.
“Knock, knock.” Blake walks right up to me and plops a large brown takeout bag on the desk.
Santiago enters right behind her.
My smile is automatic. I couldn’t stop even if I tried. “Aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes?” I tilt my head to the side. “Where’s Bear?”
“With the other ranch hands. I figured he needed time to run around.” Blake shrugs. “Santiago and I thought you might like some lunch.”
Reclining in the computer chair, I interlock my fingers behind my head. “Butterfly, if you two keep bringing me lunch, I’m going to become completely useless.”
Santiago drops his head to an angle. “Food is fuel. You need it to keep up with your busy schedule.”
I let out a deep exhale. “Unfortunately, my busy schedule doesn’t allow for midday meals.”
“Bullshit,” Blake barks, marching past the desk toward the back. She searches every room until she finds Abbott and asks him to take my next appointment.
I know he’s capable, but I typically take a hands-on approach to veterinary medicine.
Abbott eagerly agrees. Though I’m not sure if it’s to impress Blake or because he wants to do more appointments on his own.
Satisfied she’s done her job, Blake herds Santiago and me into the kitchen for a nice Main Street Diner meal. We sit at the small round table, and Blake hands out the to-go boxes. I practically swallow my food whole, having skipped breakfast.
Reaching over, I tuck a lock of hair behind Blake’s ear. “Thank you, Butterfly.”
She gives me an easy smile in return. “You’re welcome.”
“What about me?” Santiago waves to himself. “I drove.”
Blake shoots Santiago a mild scolding look. “Only because you three refuse to let me go anywhere alone.”
“Buddy system,” Santiago reminds Blake.
Blake throws her hands up, dropping them into her lap. “I’m the only one who has to have a buddy. You all loosened the reins for each other, but not me.”
“And there’s a good reason for that,” I defend.
“You all decided you don’t mind being hypocrites?” Blake surmises cheekily.
“No,” I answer patiently. “You’re too important.”
“But you all are no less important to me,” she returns.
“Escúchame, mi Cielo.” Listen to me, my sky. Santiago holds her hand in both of his. “Walker whole-stubborn-heartedly agrees with us, so it’s three against one. You’re not going to win this battle.”
Blake narrows her gaze. “We’ll see.”
Santiago’s right. She’s not going to win this one. Blake can probably get us to do a lot of things, but this isn’t one of them. Even after everything settles, we’re still going to worry about her.
Glancing at my watch, I make note of the time.
“I have an appointment that’s going to be here any minute,” I announce.
Blake whirls to face me, brows raised in outrage. “Are you kicking us out?”
I’m not sure whether I should laugh or kiss her.
Patting her knee, I shake my head. “I would never. I’m just letting you know that I won’t be in here for a bit.”
Rising to my feet, I start to gather the trash, but Blake snatches it out of my hands. “I got this. You go do your sexy vet thing.”
She says it so casually, like she doesn’t realize that she just destroyed every coherent thought in my head.
Lifting a brow, I smirk. “You think it’s sexy?”
Instead of answering, Blake shoos me away. “Get out of here.”
“Alright, alright,” I return, holding my hands up as I leave the kitchen.
I meander to the second exam room to prep for Fluffy, Harold Whitcombe’s sheep.
The appointment itself is routine. The elderly ewe with an abscessed hood and Harold, who apologized every ten seconds as though the infection were somehow his fault.
Normally, work demands every iota of my attention.
Today, however, every few minutes, my mind wanders to the woman down the hall.
Blake has a habit of making herself at home. If I know her at all, she’s already cozied up in my desk chair in my office, raiding my snack drawer.
The thought makes me smile.
The appointment lasts longer than expected. Sheep don’t appreciate having their infected hooves cleaned, and Fluffy proved particularly tenacious in expressing that opinion.
By the time I finish bandaging the leg and sending Harold home with antibiotics and instructions, nearly an hour had passed.
Abbott volunteers to handle the paperwork for which I thank him repeatedly, then I head toward my office.
An odd silence greets me. “Blake? Santi?” I call out.
“Here.” Blake’s voice is a little shaky.
“Sorry that took so long,” I apologize as I enter the room. “That poor sheep had—”
Blake stands perfectly still behind my desk.
A hidden closet door hangs open.
Shipping tubes and packages are scattered on the floor.
An unstretched canvas rests in her hands.
The sensation of a trapdoor opening in my stomach brings on a wave of nausea as my skin turns clammy.
“Levi, what is this?” Blake holds up the tube and gestures to the others inside the closet.
Oh shit.