I hesitated. “Yes.”
“Well, can I meet him? I’d love to take a picture.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen. Especially without Kristin here.”
He questioned me for about five more minutes before starting to look around my clinic again. He even went as far as peering into a few of the exam rooms despite me asking him not to.
Just when I was about to tell the guy we should wrap this up, the front door of the clinic opened. I recognized Noel’s and Roxy’s feet stampeding across the linoleum and smiled.
Alex!
I stepped around the counter intending to go to him, just as the two dogs rounded the corner, playfully nipping and bumping into each other. Then as if something had physically hurt her, Roxy yelped. In an instant, her entire demeanor changed. The playfulness from a moment ago vanished like a puff of smoke and her tiny brown eyes grew to saucers. She let out a low whine before running around me to hide under the desk.
Before I could make sense of her reaction, Alex’s rubber boots squeaked against the floor. If I thought Roxy’s reaction to Davidson was weird, it had nothing on Alex’s. He’d looked as if he’d seen a ghost, face going as pale as the snow outside and body rigid.
He wasn’t the only one.
Davidson stiffened. “Alex!”
With just that one word, I knew with absolute certainty who the stranger was. Anger like I’d never known exploded in me.
“Grant?” I yelled, forcing the man to whip his head around. “You said your name was Davidson!”
He turned back to Alex, who hadn’t moved an inch. “It’s my last name,” Grant explained, taking a step closer to Alex. “Do you have any idea how… worried I was after your little disappearing act? I’ve looked everywhere for you! Even had the cops out looking for a while.”
The tick in Alex’s jaw was back. “We both know that’s not true. Not after what you did to me.”
Grant scoffed. “WhatIdid? Please. We tussled. Every man gets into a brawl every now and then.”
My heart was pounding so loud I could scarcely hear their conversation. Taking a step forward, I raised a hand, ready to pull Grant off Alex if needed.
“You need to go,” I said. “Now.”
Grant ignored me. “Is this where you’ve been staying?”
“Where I am now doesn’t concern you,” Alex spoke through gritted teeth.
“Yes, it does,” Grant said in a menacing voice. “You need to come home, Alex.”
Alex’s hand clenched. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a job now and a good place to stay.”
“You? A job? Right. What are you doing?” Grant sneered.
“Landscaping,” Alex said, sounding far prouder than I would have expected, given the circumstances.
Grant’s frustration was quickly turning to anger. “You gave up everything we had so you can pull some weeds?”
“Don’t you dare talk to him like that,” I spat. “You have absolutelynoidea what he’s capable of!”
Grant rolled his eyes. “Like you do?”
“Yes, actually, I do.”
He scoffed. “Oh, I see what’s going on here. You two are fucking, aren’t you? Well, better not get too attached. He’ll probably get bored and leave you too.”
Before Alex had a chance to reply, there was a loud crack as my fist collided with Grant’s jaw. I hadn’t even realized I’d lifted my fist until suddenly Grant was stumbling back from the force of the impact, knocking a cup of pens off the counter.
“Alex didn’t leave because he got bored with you, asshole! He left because you treated him like shit!”
