“Thank you,” I said. “You’re always one step ahead.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?” she asked.
I pulled back and gave her a smile, tucking her long dark hair behind her ear. “No, it’s okay. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She kissed my cheek. “Take care of yourself, Vaughn.”
6
After Pete came to retrieve Beethoven’s remains, I locked up the clinic and headed home. I hadn’t seen Alex at all since he’d helped me wheel Beethoven into the clinic and assumed he’d just gone up to the loft. When I rounded the corner to the back of my house, though, he was coming from the other side, holding Roxy in his arms.
His eyes brightened when he saw me. “Hey. Good timing. I was just getting back from a walk with this girl.”
I paused in my tracks, sure I’d heard him wrong. “You took her for a walk… in your arms?”
He shrugged. “Figured why not? We both needed the air.”
A grin spread over my face. “Can’t say I know many men who would carry their dog everywhere.”Especially sexy men like you.
“After all she’s helped me with, it’s the least I could do for her,” he said simply, his attention on the dog.
I desperately wanted to unpack what he’d meant by that, but his words weren’t really meant for me. “How is she doing?” I asked.
“She seems okay. A little groggy still.”
“Did you give her another pill?”
“Yeah, a couple of hours ago.”
I nodded. “Good.”
Alex sure was a sight for my sore eyes, and I took a moment to appreciate every inch of his six-foot frame. He’d put on a snug-fitting shirt since leaving the clinic, and his honey-blond hair looked like it had been mussed in the breeze. As he got closer, I noticed a faint woodsy scent coming off him, which only completed the sexy, rugged image. I wondered if he smelled that way because he’d been working outside all day or if he was one of those lucky guys who always seemed to smell amazing. Either way, I liked it way more than I should have.
“I’m sorry about the other dog,” he said softly after a minute.
My stomach tied up in knots all over again, and that temporary bubble of peace disappeared. “Yeah, thanks. It sucks. Beethoven was one of my first patients here.”
“Beethoven?” he said, grinning.
I tried to smile too but it fell short of reaching my eyes. “Yeah. Just like the movies.”
When Alex let out a jovial laugh, it did wonders for my broken heart. “Now that’s funny. I used to love watching those as a kid.”
“You’d be surprised how many people name their pets after someone. Human or otherwise.”
He tilted his head as if remembering something. “Actually, I’m pretty sure I had a friend in high school with a dog named Bruce.”
“Like Bruce Banner?”
“Yup.”
“Let me guess. A pitbull? Or mastiff?”
Alex shook his head, biting back a smile. “Not even close. Chihuahua.”
I burst out laughing. “Okay, I can see that. Chihuahuas can be vicious.”
“He was too. I swear, that dog was evil.” He bent to kiss Roxy’s head. “Nothing like this angel.”
