The vet looked at her and smiled. “That won’t be necessary.”
“What should I do?” Jamie’s voice wavered as she paced the room, retracing the frantic path Poppy had taken minutes earlier. Her hands fisted at their sides, useless. Helpless. She wanted to help but didn’t know how.
“Staying calm is the best thing for her,” Nolan replied.
Jamie sat beside Ruth on the couch, watching as Nolan tended to her. He’d make a good dad, of that she was sure. And judging by the way her assistant’s eyes softened, Ruth had noticed too.
Ruth’s phone rang twice like someone was buzzing at the entrance.
“Who’s that?” Jamie asked, not expecting an audience.
“Probably Clayton.” Ruth picked up the phone, pressed a button, and said, “Come on up.”
“Why is Clayton here?” Jamie’s breath hitched, her pulse kicking up a notch. She hadn’t seen him since that night at the recording studio—since he’d told her about his ex-wife with raw honesty.
“He’s the grandpa,” Ruth said, chomping on her gum. “It was only right to invite him.”
Jamie glanced at her outfit and frowned at her hoodie and sweatpants. She’d worn the same thing for three days straight, every morning meaning to change after her shower but somehow never quite getting there. The hoodie’s sleeves were stretched from where she kept tugging at them, the cuffs fraying at the edges. A faint, familiar scent—her detergent mixed with something softer, maybe the ghost of her vanilla lotion—clung to the fabric. The fleece inside was worn thin in places but it was comfortable, like a security blanket.
Ruth got up and let Clayton inside.
Jamie heard the steady rhythm of his cowboy boots on the hardwood floor before she saw him. When he finally stepped into view she had to remind herself to breathe.
He wore a suede jacket over a black button-down and dark jeans, sharp and well-fitted. But it was his boots that caught her attention.Holy shit!They were polished, new, and nothing like the tattered pair he used to wear.
Something about that change made her pulse skip. Clayton Langley, trading in his old boots? It shouldn’t have meant anything. And yet it did.
“Howdy, folks!” He nodded. “Today’s the big day, huh?” He passed Jamie a stack of books from under his arm. “Shoes on or off?”
“On is fine.” She took the books and flipped through them,HiSET Test Prep,HiSET Study Guide,and HiSET Exam Prep.“What are these?”
“They’re books, darlin’.”
Ruth hovered above the books, reading them upside down. “James! Are you going back to school?”
“I’m not going back to school. I’m taking my high school equivalency test.”
“That’s amazing!”
“I’m going to be the oldest person taking the test, Ruth.”
“You’re going to do great.” Clayton seemed pretty sure of himself, but she had her doubts.
“Did you get new boots?” Jamie asked in disbelief.
He glanced at the floor. “Sure did.” He wiggled his foot. “And now I know why I’ve been dragging my heels. Feels like these boots are trying to choke the life out of my toes. They hurt like a son of a gun.”
Jamie shrugged. “Better than a son of a bitch.”
Ruth and Nolan laughed, and Clayton too. “I think my jokes are rubbing off on you.”
The thought made her regret ever saying a word.
“So what do we do now?” Jamie asked the vet.
“Sit here and wait,” Nolan answered.
An hour passed with no sign of puppies, and the tension in the room was thick. Clayton reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a deck of cards, and set it on the coffee table. Without a word he grabbed two chairs from the dining table, placing them across from the couch before taking a seat. His brother followed, sitting beside him.
