"Doc's out on a call at the Hendersons' farm. Their prize cow's having trouble birthing," I said, the words coming out clear and easy like they sometimes did when animals were involved. "Should be back in an hour or so."
The puppy let out another pitiful cry, and something in me just took over. I forgot all about Deputy Dan being there, forgot about how his eyes made my stomach feel like it was doing somersaults, forgot about Mama's warnings. All I saw was a hurting animal that needed help.
I set the mop against the wall and crossed the room in three big steps. "Here, let me see him."
Deputy Dan looked relieved as he carefully transferred the puppy into my much larger hands. The little thing was warm and so light it hardly seemed to weigh anything at all. Its heart was racing like a frightened rabbit's.
"Hey there, little fella," I said in the soft, low voice I used with scared animals. "It's alright now. Nobody's gonna hurt you anymore."
I cradled the puppy against my chest, one hand gently supporting its body while I used my thumb to stroke between its ears. It was still trembling, but the high-pitched whines startedto quiet some. I carried it over to the examination table where Doc Miller kept the good light.
"Can you turn on that lamp there?" I asked, not looking up from the puppy. I heard rather than saw Deputy Dan move to do what I'd asked.
When the light came on, I carefully examined each of the puppy's paws, being real gentle with my big fingers. The pup still whimpered but didn't try to bite or scratch, like it somehow knew I was trying to help.
"There it is," I said, spotting the problem right away in the front right paw. "Got himself a thorn, and a mighty big one too. Must've been from those blackberry bushes growing wild near the park."
The puppy had stopped shaking so much. I kept talking to it in that special voice, the one that seemed to calm animals right down. "We're gonna fix you up, little one. Gonna get that nasty thorn out and you'll be good as new."
I reached for the tweezers Doc kept in a jar on the counter, aware now that Deputy Dan was standing real close, watching what I was doing. The puppy squirmed a little when I touched the injured paw.
"Can you hold him steady for me?" I asked.
Deputy Dan moved in closer, his arm brushing against mine as he gently held the puppy's body still. He was so close I could smell his pine soap, the kind they sell at the general store. Not the fake pine smell like those car fresheners, but something deeper and cleaner that reminded me of walking in the woods after it rained.
I focused hard on the thorn, trying to ignore how my skin tingled where his arm touched mine. With one smooth motion, I pulled the thorn free. The puppy yelped once, then immediately started licking at the spot where the thorn had been.
"There we go," I said, holding up the thorn for Deputy Dan to see. "No wonder he was hurting. Look at the size of that thing."
The puppy's whole demeanor changed now that the pain was gone. It wiggled in Deputy Dan's hands, trying to lick his face in gratitude. The transformation made me smile without even thinking about it.
"You sure have a way with animals," Deputy Dan said, his voice all warm and impressed-sounding. He was looking straight at me, not at the puppy anymore. "I've never seen anything like it. That dog went from terrified to happy in about two minutes flat."
His eyes were fixed on mine, and they were the color of Hershey's Kisses, rich and sweet. Something in my chest expanded like rising bread dough. All my words got tangled up in my throat at once, and I couldn't say nothing back. My face felt hotter than Mama's apple pie fresh from the oven. I wanted to say thank you or maybe explain that animals just made sense to me in a way people usually didn't, but my mouth wouldn't work right.
Deputy Dan was still looking at me with something like wonder on his face. "Seriously, Harlow, you've got a gift."
That's when it hit me, all rushing back at once. Mama's voice in my head, clear as a bell: "Those kinds of feelings aren't appropriate for someone special like you." The warmth in my chest turned cold and tight. I wasn't supposed to be feeling this way about Deputy Dan. I wasn't supposed to notice how nice he smelled or how his eyes got all soft when he smiled or how his voice made my name sound different than when other folks said it.
I backed up so fast I didn't see the mop bucket behind me. My heel caught the edge and the whole thing tipped over, sending soapy water rushing across the clean floor I'd just beenmopping. The splash was loud in the quiet clinic, making the puppy bark in surprise.
"Sorry," I mumbled, my face burning even hotter now with embarrassment. "I gotta... I need to..."
Without finishing my sentence, I hurried to the supply closet, pretending I was going for the mop bucket. Really, I just needed to get away from Deputy Dan and the confused look on his face. I needed to get my breathing back to normal and my thoughts back in order.
I heard him calling after me, "Harlow? You okay? Don't worry about the water..."
But I stayed in that closet, counting breaths like Knox taught me, until I heard the bell over the door jingle again, telling me Deputy Dan had left with the puppy.
* * * *
I stayed crouched behind Mrs. Peterson's tomatoes for a good five minutes before I decided I needed to move. My legs were starting to cramp, and I couldn't see where Deputy Dan had gone after he'd left the honey stand. That was more dangerous than knowing exactly where he was. At least if I could see him, I could make sure to be somewhere else.
I straightened up slow, pretending to be real interested in the firmness of a nearby zucchini when Mrs. Peterson gave me another one of her looks.
"You buying that vegetable or just squeezing the life out of it?" she asked, but her eyes were kind.
"Sorry," I mumbled, setting the zucchini back carefully and fishing a couple dollar bills from my pocket. "I'll take three tomatoes, please."
