Chapter 3
After the best sleep she’d had in weeks, Coco headed to work. About a block away, she noticed the clinic’s lights were all on. That rarely happened until they got ready to open for clients. She hurried there and parked. What was going on?
“Coco! Good morning!” Isabella greeted her.
“You’re so awake,” Coco said as the other woman practically vibrated. Isabella depended on a lot of coffee to focus.
“One of our patients got hit by a car last night. Sofia and I came in a bit after three to stabilize him. He has a broken leg. She’s going to fix it before the appointments come in. Want to help in the operating room?”
“Oh, definitely!” Energy flooded Coco. Getting to watch Sofia operate would be a treat. “Have I met the dog?”
“I don’t think so. Fluffy is in cage twelve over there. Go say hello. We’ll get him sedated and ready to go in a few minutes,” Isabella told her.
Cage twelve was on the bottom row and was one of the larger containment areas in the vet clinic. Coco squatted down to look in the cage. The dog lifted his head slightly and dropped it back to the floor.
“Hi, Fluffy. I’m Coco. I’m sorry you’re here.”
The dog’s eyes followed her as she lifted a hand to unlatch the door. Coco could see his bashed leg extending awkwardly behind him. Her heart ached for him. “Oh, sweetie. You really got hit, didn’t you? Dr. Sofia will fix you up in a flash.”
Fluffy exhaled strongly, and the tension melted away from his shoulders. It was like he understood Coco’s reassurance. She rubbed his head.
“I’m adding sedation so we can move him without pain,” Isabella told her as she shifted the IV tubing.
In a few minutes, Fluffy slept as they moved him onto a board to carry him into the OR. Coco loved how they operated like a team who’d worked together for years. Soon they had him set on the table. She and Isabella prepped for the surgery and returned to Fluffy’s side.
Thrilled to observe the surgery, Coco made mental notes of how the tech administered the anesthesia.
She wanted to learn as much as she could.
After watching what felt like a hundred videos on the procedure, she was tickled to discover that she knew what was happening and why.
It cemented her desire to add this certification to her training.
Pushing the surgical cap off her hair, Coco walked out the back door and around the side of the clinic to take a seat on the steps.
The surgery had not gone as they had hoped, and Sofia had removed Fluffy’s leg when the extent of the damage became clear.
He would be fine with three legs, but Coco wished he had avoided the accident in the first place.
“Are you okay?” a deep voice asked.
She jerked her head up to make eye contact with the handsome man she’d met on that first day. “Buster’s dad, right?” Instantly, her heart beat faster. Coco had a fleeting thought cross her mind—from surprise or in reaction to his magnetic good looks. Mentally, she shook her head at her silliness.
“Yes, I’m Roman. You’re Coco,” he said with a confident smile. He seemed pleased to see her.
How had he remembered her name? Roman must be a people person who mastered names easily. Even so, why would he bother remembering her name?
“I am Coco.” When he stood there looking at her, she got nervous. What did he want? “The laddies… I mean, ladies are at the desk. They’ll be able to help you.”
Fuck! Screwing up her words in front of this man was the final straw to break her back on this tough morning. Coco blinked furiously to keep from crying, her fingers twisting in her lap. If only she could maintain her composure until he moved on.
“Coco. Are you okay?” Roman sat down on a lower step, putting them on the same eye level. He reached out and wrapped a powerful hand around hers. He squeezed gently. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Fluffy lost his leg,” burst from her lips. She shook from the struggle to keep the tears inside her. “Oh!”
Coco froze when he scooped her up in his arms and placed her on his lap. His arms swept around her, holding her tight. Pressed to his chest, she could feel his slow and steady heart rate. He stroked his hand up and down her back.
Instead of making her panic, his touch soothed and reassured her jangled nerves. She loved being wrapped in warmth and caring. Coco relaxed her tense muscles, trying to memorize how incredible being held by Roman felt.
“Little one, I’m so sorry. That is sad. Is Fluffy your dog?”
“No. I only met him this morning,” Coco said, stiffening. She pushed herself away from the shelter of resting against his body. He had to think she was a weirdo, getting upset over a pet that wasn’t hers.
Instead, he validated her emotional response. “Your job is tough for someone with a tender heart like yours. Do you assist in surgery?”
“Yes. Well, at least this time. I’m working on my certification,” Coco admitted. Afraid she’d given a client the wrong impression, she rushed on to say, “I was just watching and learning this time. Dr. Rossi is a wonderful surgeon. She tried to save Fluffy’s leg, but it wasn’t possible.”
“Do you think Fluffy will be okay?” Roman asked.
Coco’s shoulders drifted back down into place. Roman hadn’t focused on finding something wrong that the team had done. He had zeroed in on the dog.
“He’ll be great. He’ll wake up with less pain without that leg.
Healing with rods and screws in a casted limb would have meant a longer recovery for him with a lot more risks again.
Now, of course, he’ll have to learn to navigate on three legs, but he’s young.
After an adjustment time, the amputation won’t slow him down much. ”
“That sounds very positive.”
“It does,” Coco said softly, before adding, “I wish he hadn’t gotten hit.”
“I bet everyone wishes that too.”
They sat there in companionable silence for a couple of minutes. Held close to his steady heart rate, Coco loved the calm reassurance that radiated from Roman. She could feel the dark cloud over her head breaking up and drifting away.
When he shifted on the hard concrete, she immediately shifted to get off his lap. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to….” Her voice trailed off as his arms tightened, holding her in place.
“I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. I’m enjoying comforting you. Are you finding my touch unpleasant?” he asked, watching her face.
“No,” she whispered. “Normally, I don’t sit on someone’s lap.”
“I’m good with that. You’ll find I’m very possessive.”
“I’m going to fine… find that out?” she corrected herself.
“You will. You haven’t checked your phone, have you?” He chuckled, jostling her a bit.
“No. I don’t carry my phone around—definitely not into surgery.”
Roman leaned to the left and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Holding the device in front of him, he unlocked the screen and showed her the message that flashed on the screen. It was a picture of her and the red words, Match Found!
“The PLAYTIME app?” she gasped.
“Yes. I recognized you immediately. Even in the stress and sadness of our meeting, something inside of me told me to pay attention to you.”
“Really?” she squeaked.
“Yes, Little girl. Your compassion and obvious love for animals impressed me. Now, I’m glad Buster got to meet you.”
“I’m glad I got to meet him too.”
She glanced at her watch and stiffened. “Oh, no! I’ve got to get back to work!” Coco scrambled off his lap and hesitated. “What do we do now?”
“I pick you up for dinner and we'll talk. What time are you off?”
“Six. Maybe a bit after. I like to make sure all the overnight cases are settled.”
“I’ll be in the parking lot at six. Take your time, Coco. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”
She stared at him for a minute before her watch buzzed, the reminder that her break was over. “Okay,” she said and flew to the back door. Unable to resist, she turned back to see him standing by the stairs watching her.
“Soon, Little girl,” he called.
Coco waved and darted inside with her heart pounding inside her chest. He was a Daddy. No, she corrected herself. He was her Daddy.
“Are you okay?” Isabella asked, staring at her.
“The PLAYTIME app just matched me. He showed up to tell me,” Coco said breathlessly.
“No way! Congratulations!” Isabella rushed forward to wrap her arms around Coco. The two women bounced around in a happy circle.
“Whoa! What are we celebrating?” Sofia’s voice interrupted their fun.
“Her PLAYTIME match!” Isabella shared.
“Really? That’s incredible!” Sofia joined the celebration, hugging the two women. “Who is it?”
“Roman. I don’t know his last name. Buster’s dad,” Coco said.
Isabella whistled. “Roman Amato? That man is fine.”
Coco nodded and squelched the flare of jealousy that sparked inside her when Isabella complimented him.
“Who’s fine?” a deep voice asked.
The women turned together to see Noah Sandoval standing in the doorway. Isabella and Sofia rushed to greet him with hugs. “You are, Daddy,” Sofia assured him.
“Thank you, Little girl. I flagged your profile when it came in, Coco. I came to make sure Coco got the notification from PLAYTIME.”
“He was just here, Daddy,” Isabella told him. “It’s Roman Amato.”
“I saw that. He’s a good man, Coco,” Noah told her with a smile. “I hope you’ll be as happy as we are.”