Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EVERLY
For my first day of house calls, I most definitely should’ve brought more than one change of clothes, considering the number of times I’d been peed on.
Normally, having an extra outfit at the clinic was more than plenty, but I’d forgotten I was seeing two different litters of puppies today. And though being on the bottom of a puppy pile first thing on a Monday morning was great for my spirits, having said puppies use me as a urinal was not.
It wasn’t even noon, and I was already exhausted.
This was turning out to be a hell of a lot harder than I’d been anticipating.
I was expecting smooth appointments since all the animals would be relaxed because of the environment.
And though they were definitely more comfortable in their own homes, that also meant they roamed everywhere and didn’t stay where they needed to for an exam.
I didn’t mind chasing them around or rolling on the floor to get them interested enough in me so I could do what I needed to, but that just added on to each appointment time.
And those appointments just kept butting up against each other, which amped up my anxiety, which the animals definitely picked up on.
April and I also hadn’t scheduled enough transit time between each appointment, which was causing a complete clusterfuck since I was already running behind.
And, okay, that was probably due in large part to the fact that I was driving—and I used that term loosely—Beck’s truck.
Which also happened to be a stick. Which I also happened to have pretty much zero experience driving.
Okay, I had none. No experience driving a stick shift—except for one very unfortunate instance in high school—but I’d figured it out because my car’s engine had been damaged in the fire, and I didn’t have another choice.
With the number of looks I’d gotten as I attempted—poorly, mind you—to change gears while driving down Main Street, I wouldn’t be surprised if Beck had received a dozen calls about it by now.
Jerking to a stop at the small, pale-blue house for my next appointment, I cringed at the sharp grinding coming from the transmission and prayed I hadn’t destroyed his vehicle. If my living with Beck hadn’t challenged our relationship enough, this certainly would.
I grabbed my bag—a poor substitute for a clinic full of equipment, but I made do—and climbed out, hustling up the front lawn even though I was already fifteen minutes late.
This was a routine well-check appointment for Esther’s cat, who was usually so relaxed even at the clinic she was damn near comatose.
Hopefully that meant this would be a quick in and out, and I’d be able to make up some time and get back on track with my schedule.
I stepped up to the front door and rang the bell, gripping the handle of my bag in both hands while I waited for Esther.
After several moments when there was no movement that I could hear coming from the other side of the door, I tried knocking, a bit louder than I normally would in case she was at the back of the house.
When there was no answer, I walked around the side door and tried that instead, just in case.
Still nothing.
I pulled out my phone and checked the time. Another five minutes had already gone by. I now had only ten to complete the appointment, and even then, I’d only just be back on time.
There was no fence, so I walked farther back, poking my head into the yard to see if maybe Esther was taking a quick break. Nope. Since there was a window on the door to the garage, I peeked inside. Empty.
Well, that was just fantastic.
With a sigh, I leaned back against the door and called April. It rang once before going to voice mail.
If you’re calling for me personally, hang up and send a text like a normal person. If you’re a patient and are calling for Dr. Bowman, please note that my lunch is from noon to one, and I do not answer calls during that time, even while I’m working from home.
“Dammit,” I said under my breath and ended the call.
It was now twenty minutes into her hour-long lunch break—something I’d kill for right about now.
Or even just five minutes to scarf down some food.
The meal Beck had made and packed for me was languishing away on his kitchen counter because I’d forgotten it in my rush to leave.
And I was using a new purse since my last one was destroyed, which meant I didn’t have any long-lost stash of snacks stuck in a pocket somewhere.
My phone rang, a picture of Beck and me at Movies in the Park lighting up the screen.
I was leaning back against his chest while I cheesed for the camera, and he was looking down at me, the barest hint of a smile on his lips.
It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it. I swiped to answer as I headed back to Beck’s truck, frustrated and hungry and still smelling faintly of pee, and now I was missing a patient. “Hello?”
There was a pause, then, “What’s wrong?”
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes for no good reason. “How do you know something’s wrong?”
“Sunshine.”
With a heavy sigh, I opened the door to his truck and climbed in. “It’s just…today’s not going how I thought it would. Everything’s screwed up and taking longer than usual, and now Esther stood me up for my appointment after we squeezed her in today because she said it was imperative.”
“And you’re hungry.”
I breathed out a laugh. “You found my beautiful lunch on the counter?”
“Yep. Come by, and I’ll make you something.”
“God, I wish. I don’t have time, though.”
“Where are you?”
“In front of Esther’s house, being stood up like a chump.”
“You’re at her house? Why are you there?”
“Um…because we had an appointment?”
“But it’s Monday.”
“I mean, I get that Mondays are awful, but that doesn’t give her an excuse for standing me up.”
“No, I mean, she runs bingo at the senior center on Mondays. Brings Jingles there, too.”
“What? Why the hell would she schedule an appointment for when she wasn’t even going to be home?”
“I’m guessing she figured you’d know where to find her.”
Well, I probably should have since I’d lived here for two years.
And if this was as routine as Beck said, that was over one hundred instances that I’d never noticed.
God, I still felt like a newbie around here.
Hell, Luna seemed to be acclimated more than I was, and she’d only been here a couple months.
“Okay,” I said, though my voice wasn’t very strong. I cleared my throat and tried again. “I’ll head there. Thanks.”
“Hey, are you—”
“I’ve gotta run, but I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
Beck paused, then finally said, “Yeah, okay. But call me if you need anything. And eat something.”
“I will.” I hung up, gripping the steering wheel and blowing out a heavy sigh—no time for food or pity parties, so I forced down my frustration and ignored my rumbling stomach. Then I started the truck, shoved it into gear, and headed in the direction of the senior center.
I didn’t make it half a block before my phone rang again, and I couldn’t glance over to check caller ID, so I answered without checking, assuming it’d be Beck again.
“I’m fine. I promise.”
“Not how I thought you’d answer the phone,” Ash said. “But it’s good to know you’re not still mad at me.”
I blew out a heavy sigh. With how my day had been going, I definitely should’ve expected this. “I am still mad at you.”
“Why? I went to Jamaica like you told me to.”
“You ran to Jamaica, and you did it after tattling to Mom and Dad about what an awful human being Beck is and leaving me to deal with the fallout. The same Beck, by the way, who’s given me a place to stay after my house burned down.”
“Oh, I bet he’s giving you a place to stay, all right.”
“Sebastian.”
The line went quiet, then he said, “Um…holy shit. Okay, so you’re actually mad at me, then. Look, I’m sorry, okay? I just—Jesus, what the hell is that noise?”
“I’m driving a stick,” I grumbled.
“Like…you’re dressed up as a witch and it’s your pretend broom? Because I know you don’t mean a car. Don’t you remember what happened when you were a junior and you—”
“Yes. I remember. Look, now’s not a great time, okay?”
“Yeah, I’m getting that. What’s going on?”
There was no way in hell I was going to tell him everything that was swirling through my mind because he’d only fan the flames.
Instead, I said, “It’s just been a long week.”
“It’s Monday.”
“The most Mondayest of Mondays ever.”
He was quiet for a minute, then said, “Hey, remember the house you love? The little yellow one on Maple Street with the porch swing and the cherry tree out front?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, it just went up for sale.”
“Okay…” I said, drawing out the word. I didn’t have time to talk about this.
“What do you mean ‘okay’? I thought you’d be losing your shit about it.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Uh, maybe because you’ve been lusting after it for years? You have a secret board on Pinterest filled with decorating ideas for it, for fuck’s sake.”
“What’s your point?”
Ash blew out a heavy sigh. “Look, you and I both know Starlight Cove isn’t right for you. Just come home, Evie. Mom and Dad are salivating for it—Mom’s already planning the first week of meals she’s making when you come back. And I miss you.”
“Well, that’s too bad because I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” he said, nothing but affection in his tone. “You love me. And you miss me, whether you want to admit it or not.”
The truth was, I did miss the little asshole. And after the day I’d had, home sounded damn good right now.
Beck
It was after seven by the time I walked into the apartment, Chuck greeting me at the door. She wove in and out of my legs, her tail wagging fast enough I was surprised she didn’t achieve lift-off. I squatted down to give her some love and accepted the puppy kisses, while my focus was elsewhere.
Everly sat in my chair with Gossip Girl playing on the TV, and a bowl of Starbursts sat on the side table next to a glass of wine. Before I even got a good look at her, I knew what I was dealing with.