“Dhillon? Dhillon?” She scrunched her face in concern. “You okay?”
Dhillon shook his head as if he was shaking off the Confundus charm. “Yeah. Yes.” He moved toward Scout, and she nearly leaped into his arms. “Hey, there,” he laughed, as Scout wiggled free of Riya and climbed into his arms, trying to lick his face.
“She needs shots,” Riya said, giggling. “Or so I was told.”
Dhillon held Scout under one arm like a football. “She does.” He pulled up her chart on the computer. “Just the one.” He made eye contact with Riya, and his heart raced as she held his gaze. “Hold her. I’ll go get it.”
Normally, he would ask Shelly or Hetal to get it, but he needed to be away from Riya for a moment. For so many reasons, it didn’t matter how he felt about her. The least of which was the fact that nothing would ever happen between them. They’d had their chance, and the fire had burned it away. He found what he needed and returned to the room to find Hetal talking to Riya.
Riya was typing on her phone. “I’m sending you the link to sign up. Take a look, see what’s involved. Firefighting is hard. There’s a test to get into the academy, then another one for placement.”
Dhillon’s anger returned instantly. “You aren’t seriously encouraging her to do this, are you?”
Riya’s head snapped up. “I’m supporting her.”
“Supporting her to risk her life!” Dhillon barked. He approached Scout, who was content in Riya’s lap. “Hold her still,” he grumbled.
“I’m supporting her right to do what she wants,” Riya shot back.
“I’m sitting right here,” Hetal piped up.
“The next patient is here,” Dhillon snapped at his sister. Now he was her boss, not a father figure. “Go prep.”
Hetal stomped from the exam room.
“You can’t do this,” Dhillon said furiously.
“I have to. She wants to do this, so she should have a mentor.” Riya stood, still holding Scout.
“Hold her,” he said, getting closer and administering the shot.
Dhillon had been wrong. Riya was every bit, if not more, beautiful when she was trying to prove something. But that changed nothing. It didn’t change the fact that there had been an electrical fire in both their homes that night they’d come home from the dance. It didn’t change the fact that life for them had been irreparably changed by that fire. Dhillon’s father would never come back. Neither would Riya’s brother.
There was no point in wondering what might have been. That was all in the past.
“She shouldn’t be doing that. You should be discouraging her.”
“Damn, Dhillon. I never took you to be theYou have to be a vetkind of guy.” She was shaking her head at him, disappointment oozing from her.
He narrowed his eyes at her and forced himself to not shout. “I don’t care if she’s a vet or not. She can be whatever she wants.”
“Except a firefighter.” She smirked at him.
“Damn straight.”
Riya simply glared at him. He met her hard gaze without flinching.
Shelly poked her head in. “Uh, hey, Doc. Buddy’s ready in Exam 2.”
“Be right there,” Dhillon grunted, his eyes never leaving Riya’s.
“Okay.” Shelly flicked her eyes between the two of them before leaving. “Sure.”
“You can bill the station,” Riya said as she turned to leave.
“Fine.”
nine
