“And Shambles will heal before the Live Nativity. I just never saw such efficiency.”
“Well, Dr. Choi was blown away with your credentials, Wade. Third in your class? And you told me you won the American College of Veterinary Surgeonsfellowshipin surgical oncology.Dude.”
He chuckled. “They were diggin’ in the bottom of the barrel.”
“Stop it.” She looked up, laughing and releasing her brake. “After graduating from Auburn’s vet school and the oncology residence there, I can’t imagine little old Great Basin is very impressive.”
“Well, I’m impressed with this school, this state.” He made a sweeping gesture toward the towering mountain range at the edge of the valley. “I sure didn’t expect to feel this way.”
“What did you expect? What made you come to Utah?”
“Truth? It was a favor to my mom.”
“How so?”
“When my uncle finished his year of giving away mega-millions, I spent Thanksgiving with him at my parents’ house,” he explained. “He confessed that he’d met someone and they’d taken a shine to each other without her having any idea he’d won the lottery.”
Elise smiled, knowing MJ’s story with Matt through Nicole. “It’s very romantic.”
“Well, my mom, who is his younger sister, just wasn’t so surehowromantic. No one knew anything about MJ. As far as timing, I’d just finished my residency and needed to clear my head before I start the whole process of deciding where I want to work. It made sense to do that out here and also make sure Uncle Graham, er, Matt, wasn’t, you know…”
“Getting taken by a hustler like MJ,” she finished when he didn’t have a diplomatic way of saying that.
He laughed at the obvious sarcasm. “Pretty much. I’ve never been to Utah. I’ve been to California, flown over the Rockies, and went to a Veterinary Cancer Society regional conference in Billings, Montana, once. I thought I knew…the West.” He slid a look at the mountains again, then back to her. “I had no idea that everything out here is insanely appealing. Now my uncle’s looking at houses and I’m thinking…”
She swallowed, her whole body frozen.
“I could see joining him out here.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
He shrugged. “Not really. Open skies. Actual seasons. And not a lot of veterinary oncology, though I did find a few practices in Salt Lake City. There’s a need.”
There was a need, all right. In her heart.
“That’s…wild.” It was the best she could do. Because if he stayed…she’d fall in love, dream of a life with him, and get wrecked when it didn’t work out.
“Wild, but possible,” he said. “What do you think of that?”
She drew back. “Me? I…I…yeah. Utah’s amazing. The mountains and all the outdoor stuff, great people, very vibrant and growing, and…we have cute sheep.”
He chuckled. “And vet students.”
“Come for the sheep, stay for the students,” she cracked, but when he didn’t laugh, she glanced up and caught him looking hard at her, no smile on his face. “That was a joke,” she explained when he didn’t say anything. “I don’t expect you to stay…for me.”
“Well, that’s the thing about expectations. Sometimes they’re not high enough.”
She gave in to a slow smile that matched his. “Challenge accepted. Next you’ll be suggesting we go skiing.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Elise,” he said, giving her shoulder a pat. “Now, how about we take Shambles out of her pen for some air, check on the other animals in your Nativity, and then have lunch together. I’m here for the day. Unless you’re busy.”
“I’m all yours,” she said, biting back a laugh because, honestly, she’d never meant anything as much as those words.
MJ loved the quiet magic of the Ever After Bridal Salon in Park City, where she joined her sister, daughter, niece, and a few friends for Nicole’s final wedding dress fitting. The gently lit rooms smelled faintly of pressed satin and perfume, where hopes and dreams lived on satin hangers. She tried her best to embrace the glow, even though her body felt about ten minutes behind her brain and her heart felt…well, a little off-beat.
The salon was a fairy tale of blush pink with gold accents, plush carpets and low-slung velvet sofas set around a small raised platform. Snow drifted lazily outside the tall windows, making everything feel hushed and intimate.
Taking a deep breath, MJ tried to center herself and focus on the moment of her niece’s final fitting. The room was filled with the people she loved most—Cindy, of course, excited in her role as mother of the bride after having been the bride just a few weeks earlier.
