“He didn’t think I’d show up,” Sadie admitted, shrugging her shoulders as if indifferent. But she was far from it. She’d been awake hours after Conner walked her home, tossing and turning. Both reeling from that kiss and searching her memories for the single event that caused Marc to lose all faith in her.
At 3:42 a.m., the same time Melly woke the house with an ear-splitting scream, Sadie finally remembered.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Marylou said honestly. “And the website facelift looks great. Too bad we can’t keep you around when Judy comes back. I bet the three of us would be a powerhouse team.”
Sadie’s heart actually melted at the compliment, and happy tears threatened to leak from the corners of her eyes. She’d been working so hard to prove herself this past year, convinced it would never be enough, that Marylou’s compliment was as good as a Boomer hug. Well,almost.Nothing was quite as good as those. “I’m happy to fill in when one of you needs a vacation,” Sadie offered.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sadie didn’t make it to the door to the back before it burst open.
“What are you doing here?” Marc narrowed his cold, icy gaze at her.
“Following through with my commitment.” Her words were stern. They had to be to get through to Marc. He wasn’t the kind of guy who went soft at a sign of weakness. “I promised to stay through Friday. Unless Marylou wants tomorrow morning off. Then I’ll cover through Saturday.”
“Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”
“Knock it off with the grumpy attitude. You kick her out today, you might as well take a seat up here yourself, doc,” Marylou scolded like a mother.
“Fine,” Marc relented. Though it was likely only to appease Marylou, Sadie took the win. She owed Marc an apology, but she didn’t want to do it out front with witnesses.
“Did you see the website?” Marylou asked Marc. “Sadie did a great job!”
Marc folded his arms over his chest. “I thought you were just updating the staff page.”
“If you don’t like what I did, you can put it all back.”
“No, you won’t,” Marylou said. “Patients can actually find the information they’re looking for now. Half a dozen said so only yesterday. Do you know how many phone calls she’s already saved me?”
Marc responded with a grumble before he disappeared in the back, allowing Sadie to finally relax. She’d expected a confrontation when she showed up this morning, but she was glad it was over. “Let me drop this stuff off in the break room. I’ll be right back.”
She left the coffees for the vet techs, hearing their praises from across the room as they prepped for the busy day ahead, and delivered the Tupperware container of sticky rolls to Conner’s office, resisting the urge to shut the door and steal another toe-curling kiss. But the vet techs would no doubt find that suspicious, even if she and Conner hadn’t specifically talked about keeping things neutral at work. Which they had last night as he walked her home, holding her hand the whole way.
“You’re trying to fatten me up for this auction,” Conner teased, that megawatt smile awakening every single butterfly in her tummy. Of which there were apparently millions. Her lips buzzed with the memory of the magical kiss that’d left them both breathless. Never in her life had a kiss made her feel that way.
That’s how she knew this was different.
“Maybe I just don’t want too much competition,” she teased.
“Still on for”—he lowered his voice to a whisper—“tonight?”
She nodded, unable to keep a giddy smile from stretching her cheeks. “Okay, I have to talk to Marc. Again.” With a deep breath, she forced herself into action before her nervous thoughts could talk her out of it.
The old Sadie would’ve run at the first sign of an uncomfortable confrontation where she was as fault. Put up a bratty front to hide her embarrassment until she was alone and could wallow in self-pity.
Those days were officially over.
For good.
Sadie knocked on Marc’s door and waited for his gruff, “Come in.”
“I brought you a coffee refill.” She held up the bag of generic, store-brand dark roast grounds.
Marc started to say something, but stopped. He was out of coffee, and he knew it. A snide remark might cost him. Sadie took advantage of this rare moment of his silence to slip inside his office and close the door behind her. She set the bag on his desk and looked him square in the eyes, forcing herself to push through the uneasy, squirmy feelings doing their best to activate her flight instincts.
“I’m sorry.”
The slightest hint of surprise flashed across his face, but his mask was up just as quickly. “For what?”
