“What if we can’t get him in?” she asked when he pulled into a clinic near the edge of the city not even ninety minutes later. “I want to make certain he gets off to the right start. The bite mark—there are signs of infection.”
“I’ll go check. You aren’t to leave the van.” As if she would ever leave her new little buddy. “Lock the door. The gun’s in the glove box. I’m assuming your uncle taught you how to use one?”
“Annie and me, both.”
“Then you stay here and wait. With Oliver.” Allen kissed her forehead quickly, naturally. It felt right, so he did it. He wanted to do more.
He would. When the timing was exactly right. Like after the puppy was tucked in at night and he had Nurse Izzie next to him in that bed again.
They were in luck. The clinic was relatively empty.
He hurried back to the van. Izzie was waiting, dressed in a blond wig and a simple sundress. The mirrored glasses were back on her face.
She had the puppy snoozing in her arms, wrapped in a towel, a look of utter relaxation on his face, like the baby he was.
Perfect. Never had a woman looked more perfect to him.
Izzie had fallen completely in love. She knew she had. Oliver was the sweetest thing she had ever seen.
Neither she nor Annie had had pets as children. The cat was the first she’d ever had, and they made things up as they went along.
The puppy was different. Far needier, for one thing. After they fed him, he curled up in her lap and slept.
Izzie kept stroking him, feeling oddly comforted by the warmth of his little body, as they carried him inside the pet center.
The clinic itself was directly at the rear of the pet store. While they waited for their turn with the vet, they busied themselves buying whatever they thought Oliver would need.
They may have gotten a bit carried away.
He’d opened his eyes and was alternating growling at Allen and kissing Izzie’s cheeks. Her laugh echoed around the small store.
When she looked up, Allen was staring at her with an odd expression on his face. “What?”
“I like watching you with him. You’re…sweet.”
“Hardly.” No one ever told her that. Annie was the sweet one, after all. Not her.
“Yes, you are.” He leaned down and kissed her, so swiftly she couldn’t react.
He backed away when Oliver growled and yipped. Wanting his share of the attention.
Allen pulled them both close, and Izzie let him.
She hadn’t felt this happy in months.
Perfect.
Maybe all they had together was the time they had right now in this moment. She didn’t think she’d regret it for even a second.