With that, she decided to call Kevin. He was immediately sympathetic, promising to be there within minutes.
“How’re you holding up?” Kevin asked.
Gabby leaned into him. His arm felt good around her. “Anxious, I guess.”
He pulled her closer, and she could smell him, fresh and clean, as if he’d showered right before coming over. His hair, unkempt and windblown, made him look like a college student.
“I’m glad your neighbor was there,” he said. “Travis, right?”
“Yeah.” She looked over. “Do you know him?”
“Not really,” he said. “We do the insurance for the clinic, but that’s one of the accounts my dad still handles.”
“I thought this was a small town and you knew everyone.”
“It is. But I grew up in Morehead City, and as a kid, I didn’t hang out with anyone from Beaufort. Besides, I think he’s a few years older than me. He was probably off to college by the time I started high school.”
She nodded. In the silence, her thoughts circled back to Travis, his serious expression as he worked on Molly, the quiet assurance in his voice as he explained what was wrong. In the silence, she felt a vague current of guilt, and she leaned in to nuzzle Kevin’s neck. Kevin stroked her shoulder, his touch comforting in its familiarity. “I’m glad you came over,” she whispered. “I really needed you here tonight.”
He kissed her hair. “Where else would I be?”
“I know, but you had that meeting, and you’re leaving early tomorrow.”
“No big deal. It’s just a convention. It’ll take me ten minutes to pack, tops. I just wish I could have gotten here sooner.”
“You probably would have been grossed out.”
“Probably. But I still feel bad.”
“Don’t. There’s no reason to.”
He stroked her hair. “Do you want me to postpone my trip? I’m sure my dad would understand if I stay around here tomorrow.”
“No, that’s okay. I’ve got to work anyway.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” she said. “But thanks for asking. That means a lot to me.”
Six
After finding his son crashed on the cot and a dog in the recovery room, Max Parker listened as Travis explained what had happened. Max filled two cups with coffee and brought them both to the table.
“Not bad for your first time,” Max said. With his white hair and bushy white eyebrows, he was the picture of a well-liked small-town veterinarian.
“Have you ever treated a dog for it?”
“Never,” Max admitted. “Treated a horse once, though. You know how rare it is. Molly seems to be doing fine now. She sat up and wagged her tail when I came in this morning. How late were you up with her?”
Travis sipped the coffee with gratitude. “Most of the night. I wanted to make sure it didn’t recur.”
“It usually doesn’t,” he said. “It’s a good thing you were there. Have you called the owner yet?”
“No. But I will.” He wiped his face. “Man, I’m exhausted.”
“Why don’t you go get some sleep? I can handle things here, and I’ll keep an eye on Molly.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not,” Max said with a grin. “Don’t you remember? You’re not supposed to be here. It’s Friday.”
A few minutes later, after checking in on Molly, Travis pulled into his driveway and got out of the car. He stretched his arms overhead, then headed over to Gabby’s place. As he crossed her driveway, he saw the newspaper poking out of the box and, after a brief hesitation, pulled it out. On her porch a moment later, he was just about to knock when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps and the door swung open. Gabby straightened, surprised to see him.
“Oh, hey…,” she said, letting go of the door. “I was just thinking that I should call you.”
Though barefoot, she was dressed in slacks and an off-white blouse, her hair fastened loosely by an ivory clip. He noted again how attractive she was, but today it struck him that her appeal lay more in an unfeigned openness than conventional good looks.
She just seemed so… real. “Since I was on my way home, I thought I’d let you know in person. Molly’s doing fine.”
“You’re sure?”
He nodded. “I did an X-ray, and I didn’t see any indication of internal bleeding. Once she got some fluids in, she seemed to get her strength back. She could probably come home later today, but I’d like to keep her one more night, just to be safe. Actually, my dad will watch her for a while. I was up most of the night, so I’m going to bed, but I’ll check on her myself later.”
“Can I see her?”
“Sure,” he said. “You can see her anytime. Just remember that she might still be a little doped up, though, since I had to administer some sedatives so she’d be calm for the X-ray and to help with the pain.” He paused. “The puppies are doing well, too, by the way. They’re cute as bugs.”
She smiled, liking the gentle twang of his accent, surprised that she hadn’t noticed it before. “I just want to thank you again,” she said. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
He waved it off. “I was glad to help.” He held out the newspaper. “Which reminds me, I grabbed this for you, too.”
“Thanks,” she said, taking it.
For an awkward beat, they faced each other silently.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” she offered. “I just brewed a pot.”
She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when he shook his head.
“No thanks. I’d rather not be awake when I’m trying to sleep.”
She laughed. “Funny.”
“I try,” he said, and for an instant she pictured him leaning against a bar and offering the same response to an attractive woman, which left her with the vague feeling that he was flirting with her.
“But listen,” he went on, “I know you’re probably getting ready for work and I’m bushed, so I’m going home to crash for a while.” He turned to step off the porch.
Despite herself, Gabby crossed the threshold and called to him as he reached the yard. “Before you go, could you tell me what time you think you’ll be at the clinic? To check on Molly, I mean?”
“I’m not sure. I guess it depends on how long I sleep.”
“Oh… okay,” she said, feeling foolish and wishing she hadn’t asked.
“But how about this,” he went on. “You tell me what time you take lunch, and I’ll meet you at the clinic.”
“I didn’t mean-”
“What time?”
She swallowed. “A quarter to one?”
“I’ll be there,” he promised. He took a couple of steps backward. “And by the way, you look fantastic in that outfit,” he added.
What on earth just happened?
That pretty much summed up Gabby’s mental state for the rest of the morning. It didn’t matter whether she was doing a well-baby check (twice), diagnosing ear infections (four times), giving a vaccination (once), or recommending an X-ray (once); she felt herself operating on autopilot, only half-present, while another part was still back on the porch, wondering if Travis had actually been flirting with her and whether maybe, just maybe, she’d sort of liked it.
She wished for the umpteenth time that she had a friend in town to talk to about all this. There was nothing like having a close girlfriend to confide in, and though there were nurses in the office, her status as a physician assistant seemed to set her apart. Frequently, she’d hear the nurses talking and laughing, but they tended to get quiet as soon as she approached. Which left her feeling as isolated as she had been when she’d first moved to town.
After finishing with her last patient (the child needed a referral to an ear, nose, and throat specialist for a possible tonsillectomy), Gabby stuffed her stethoscope into the pocket of her lab coat and retreated to her office. It wasn’t much; she had the sneaking suspicion that before her arrival it had been used as a storeroom. There was no window, and the desk took up most of the room, but as long as she kept the clutter under control, it was still nice to have a place to call her own. There was a small, nearly empty filing cabinet in the corner, and she retrieved her purse from the bottom drawer. Checking her watch, she saw that she had a few minutes until she had to leave. She pulled up her chair and ran a hand through her undisciplined curls.