He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Thank you,” he answered. “That means a lot coming from you.”
“You’re welcome.” She glanced down at her folded hands, then back at him. “I’m not surprised at what you’ve accomplished,” she added. “And it’s nice to see that you not only lived up to those ridiculously high expectations you set for yourself, but also surpassed them.”
“You’re the one who thought my expectations were high,” he said. “I don’t think they were high enough.”
“Are you kidding me?” Her hands shot in the air before falling back into her lap. “You are one of the most highly regarded veterinary surgeons in your field. What more can you want?”
Bryson made a show of looking around the office. “Do you see a Leo K. Bustad Veterinarian of the Year Award anywhere?”
Evie rolled her eyes. “You really are ridiculous.”
“Not ridiculous. Just a high achiever,” Bryson said with a grin. “It’s a carryover from my days on the basketball team. Coach used to tell us after every win that winning wasn’t enough. We should strive for annihilation.” He cocked his head to the side. “Now that I think about it, some of the shit Coach said to motivate us was messed up.”
“Uh, yeah. I’d say so.” Evie laughed again.
It was like another dopamine shot, straight to his fucking brain. He craved that laugh the way he craved air.
As much as he tried to stave it off, it was impossible not to get drawn in by her, or the ease in which they’d fallen back into the banter they once shared. She had always been so damn easy to talk to. And to look at. And to kiss.
She stared at him from the other side of the desk, a subtle hint of amusement still lifting the corner of her mouth and shimmering in her eyes. The four feet separating them was both too much space and not enough. He had to fight the sudden, overwhelming urge to rise from his chair, lean over the desk, and close the distance separating them.
And you thought your flirting made her uncomfortable?
Just because she looked at him with something other than derision—just because she and Cameron were no longer together—didn’t mean she would welcome any kind of advances from him. They were different people from who they had been eight years ago, when they were still a couple of veterinary students who couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
If he was lucky, he would get the chance to know the person Evie had become over the past decade.
She was the first to break eye contact. She sat up straight and tucked a lock of her curly, natural hair behind her ear.
“Back to the reason I came to see you,” Evie said.
“Uh, yeah. Of course,” Bryson replied, clearing his throat again.
“I’ve been thinking about what Doc told us the other day regarding the rescue. I—we—can’t allow The Sanctuary to go down without a fight.”
“We?”
“Yes, we,” Evie said. “I mean, if you’re up for it.”
“What exactly are you thinking we should do?”
“Well, that’s what we need to figure out. Something inmy gut is telling me that Doc isn’t giving us the full story, but I’m not sure that matters. Nothing will change the fact that The Sanctuary is worth saving.”
“I agree,” Bryson said.
She let out a relieved breath, her smile returning. “Good,” she said. “I didn’t think I would have to twist your arm, but I was prepared to do so if necessary.”
Bryson clamped down on the quip he nearly made about her getting physical with him, because what the fuck? He couldnotsay shit like that to her.
It was the lighthearted back-and-forth; it made it feel like old times.
It is not old times, he reminded himself. He would repeat those words until they took hold.
“I was hoping that we could maybe brainstorm some ideas on how to save the rescue,” Evie was saying. “I’ve already jotted down potential fundraisers. Did you know The Sanctuary still has that old WordPress blog as its official website?”
“The one you set up during your downtime that summer?”
She nodded. “It is so inadequate. There’s nothing about how to adopt an animal, or a place for people to donate. It’s one of a number of things that needs to be addressed.” She held up her hands. “I’m not saying a new website will automatically save the rescue, but we have to start somewhere. That is, if you plan to join me.”
