“Why didn’tyou? I mean, are you even taking a salary?”
“I don’t need a salary,” she said. “Joe’s pension takes care of my bills.”
“So you’re an unpaid volunteer at this point,” Bryson stated.
“I work here because Iwantto work here.” She wrapped her arms around her chest. “It keeps me out of that quiet house.”
Her softly spoken words doused what was left of his fight. What good was it to complain to Odessa? She and Doc were both doing the best they could. If he wanted to point a finger at someone, he should look in the damn mirror.
Odessa patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back home, Bryson. This place needs you. I’m not sure if it will be enough, but it does my heart good to see you and Evie trying to save it. The same goes for Doc. He has more hope in his eyes than I’ve seen in a long time.”
Bryson swallowed and nodded. “I’m not sure if we can save it either,” he said. “But we’re going to do what we can.”
He felt like the biggest lump of shit as he watched Odessa exit the room.
What did it say about him that he’d used The Sanctuary’s mentorship program to bolster his credentials, then left without a backward glance? Doc shouldn’t have had to reach out. Bryson knew damn well he should have been here well before things got to this point.
Unfortunately, it all felt a bit “too little too late.”
Though, not if Evie had anything to say about it.
He still thought she was just on the other side of delusional for thinking they could save this place, but the determination he’d sensed in her told him that she would do it with or without his help. Maybe he was just as delusional to think he could work alongside Evie and not lose his mind.
“You’re definitely delusional,” Bryson muttered as he used gauze to dab at the healthy tissue he’d unearthed.
He’d had the hardest time going to sleep last night after their evening in Audubon Park. He’d felt like a fool climbing into that water to go after her dog, but he would do it againwithout hesitation if it meant he would see that smile brightening Evie’s face or hear her lyrical laugh.
There was a knock on the open door to the surgical room.
“Hey!”
A shot of adrenaline rushed into his veins at the sound of Evie’s voice. It was a reaction that he’d come to anticipate. The key was to hide his body’s reaction so that he didn’t scare her off.
“Hey, what’s up?” Bryson asked. At least his voice didn’t give him away.
“Just dropping by to see if you need help with the debridement. Those can be a little tricky.”
He caught the grin tipping up the corner of her mouth.
“I think I’ve got it,” Bryson said.
“You sure? When you spend your time performing high-risk surgeries, the simple things become complicated. I wouldn’t want you to miss a step.”
Bryson tried to hide his smile; the mirth in her voice made it impossible.
“Have you finished cleaning that Pomeranian’s teeth?” he asked, not bothering to hide his own amusement.
“What was left of them,” Evie said. She came into the room and perched against the prep table. “I ended up having to extract four. She hasn’t woken from the anesthesia yet.”
Folding her arms over her chest, Evie blew out a tired breath and said, “If I wasn’t already preparing to do whatever I could to save this place, I would be after today. The guilt over not helping out sooner is going to eat at me for a long time to come.”
“Join the club,” Bryson said.
“At least you have the excuse of not being in the state. Maple Street Animal Clinic is less than five miles away. Even if I’d taken the time to swing by once a week, I would have noticed The Sanctuary was in trouble.”
“What good does the guilt trip do for you or The Sanctuary?” Bryson asked. “You’re committed to helping fix it. Focus on that.” He nipped the last bit of dead tissue from the wound and bonded it with gauze and tape. “This should heal in a few weeks,” he said.
Evie rubbed her hands over her crossed arms, despite it being a comfortable temperature in the surgical room. “Being here in this room brings back a lot of memories.”
