“That’s good to know.” She sat down on one of the wooden benches and picked up a magazine.
After flipping through several pages, she found an article about therapy dogs being used in shelters. The pages kept her attention, and she smiled thinking of Hope, Carl, and Luna’s dog, who was a registered therapy dog. Hope never failed to bring smiles to the residents, especially the children, who couldn’t resist Hope’s goofy smile and nature.
Twenty minutes passed before a dark brunette lady wearing a lab coat walked out. “Hello, I’m Dr. Lia, the vet on staff tonight.”
Alexis stood and shook her hand. “How’s the dog?”
“She’s in pain, but my instinct says she’ll be just fine. The pain meds are already working and calming her.” Dr Lia smiled. “Her name is Truffles. She was microchipped, and her owner’s been contacted. Apparently, his gate was left open by a contractor today and Truffles got out. He’s been frantically looking for her all night.”
Her heart clenched. She could imagine the sadness and fear. “That’s good news.”
“Yes. He’s on his way now, and he’s authorized us to proceed with treatment. We’ll do an X-ray and go from there. The other positive news is that there doesn’t seem to be internal injuries. They could still show up, but I think we’re in good shape there.”
“That’s wonderful. Is it okay if I wait for the owner to get here?”
“Absolutely. I’m sure he’d like to thank you.”
“Thanks.”
Dr. Lia returned to the exam area, and not a minute later, the front door burst open. Alexis’s jaw dropped. It couldn’t be, but it was. What were the chances? He didn’t see her, and she turned her head so she wouldn’t be recognized. Maybe she could sneak out.
Just because they’d had a moment earlier didn’t mean they were friends.
He went straight to the receptionist. “Hi, I’m Trey Kaplan, Truffle’s owner. They called me that she’s here.”
There went any doubt it was a coincidence Trey was at the twenty-four veterinary clinic at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday night.
“Yes, sir. The doctor is with her now.”
“Can I see her?” The desperation in his voice seeped into Alexis’s heart.
For all their history, she never wanted to see him hurt. That’s not who she was, and as much as she hated it, she had a soft spot for him. She knew there was more to him than he let people think, but she wondered if he realized that for himself.
“Dr. Lia just started X-rays, but I’m sure she’ll let you once she’s finished.”
“Thank you.” He gripped his keys in his hand, looking more disheveled than Alexis had ever seen him. He’d removed his suit jacket, the top button of his shirt was undone, and his tie loosened. His sleeves were haphazardly rolled up, and there were traces of mud on his slacks and shoes.
“The lady who brought her in is sitting over there, if you’d like to speak to her.” Kyra pointed toward her.
Alexis reluctantly looked their way. At this point, trying to avoid him would only make the situation worse.
Trey turned around. His mouth gaped. “Alexis?”
“It’s me, unless I have a twin I don’t know about.”Insert groan and forehead smack.How lame could she be?
“Then you wouldn’t have answered me.” A wry smile broke through his worry. “You found Truffles?”
She nodded. “I was on my way home and saw her. I couldn’t leave her be.”
“Thank you.” He breathed deeply. “I know it sounds dumb, but I love that dog. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.”
“I never took you as an animal person.”
He shrugged. “Dad never let me have one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I adopted Truffles three years ago.”
“She’s a gorgeous dog.”
“With a personality to match.”
