Silence sat between them for a few moments. She wasn’t wriggling out of this one. Her twin knew her too well.
“So what should I do…about Nick?” Harlow felt awkward asking Malcolm for romantic advice, but she was stuck. She drew the line at asking Stella how to make things right with her brother-in-law. It was a bit humiliating imagining that Nick might have told Stella about their encounter. She didn’t want her only friend in Mistletoe to think she was obnoxious.
“The question is…what do you want to do?” Malcolm asked.
The call ended with Harlow mulling over the question with no answer in sight. And now, she was minutes away from coming face-to-face with Nick. Should she act über professional and pretend as if the other day hadn’t happened? Quickly apologize and extend an olive branch? Perhaps she would fly by the seat of her pants and live in the moment.
Harlow walked into the exam room with a grin plastered on her face. Nick, with his tall stature and broad shoulders, seemed to dominate the small space. His mini-me, Miles, was at his side. Zeus was pacing around the room, showcasing his pent-up energy.
“Good morning, guys,” she said, trying to sound chirpy.
“Morning, Doc Harlow,” Miles said, making her feel sluggish in comparison. He was all smiles and full of little-boy energy. His sweatshirt said it all—GOOD VIBES ONLY. Could he be any more adorable?
“Harlow,” Nick said with a nod, giving off a slight chill as they locked gazes.
Yikes!He clearly hadn’t gotten over her comments. Suddenly, it was colder in the room than Christmas in the North Pole.
She leaned down and patted Zeus on the head. “Hey, Zeus. You’re looking good.” The German shepherd radiated the same raw enthusiasm she often saw in young dogs. He was panting heavily and eagerly wagging his tail.
“He’s got lots of vim and vigor,” Harlow said, using one of her grandmother’s expressions. She felt ancient using that description, but it was accurate. As far as she was concerned, Zeus was absolutely charming.
“Too much if you ask me,” Nick muttered.
“Just enough if you ask me,” Miles chimed in. “He’s perfect.”
Harlow’s lips twitched with amusement. Miles really was Zeus’s hype man and protector. Nick seemed unimpressed, which made her wonder why he’d gotten a dog in the first place.
“So let me just get his weight and then I’ll get him caught up on any shots he might need. If he was in the search and rescue program he may be up to date, but I’ll need to check his file. In the meantime, you can tell me if you have any concerns or questions. Is this your first family dog?” Harlow asked.
“Yep,” Miles said, smiling. “My uncle Luke got him for us. Zeus was supposed to work in search and rescue like my dad and Uncle Luke, but he got the boot.” Miles shrugged. “I guess he had too much personality.”
Harlow looked over at Nick, who shrugged. “Luke said he wasn’t suited for it.” He twisted his mouth. “I’m beginning to wonder if that wasn’t code for something.” Nick made a face. Harlow was getting the impression that Nick wasn’t Zeus’s number-one fan.
Harlow busied herself weighing Zeus and beginning the examination. She listened to the pup’s lungs and checked his heart, both of which sounded perfect. “You’re a healthy boy,” Harlow murmured in her most soothing veterinarian’s voice. “He has a gorgeous coat. I don’t see any hair loss or patches. Do you brush him, Miles?”
“Yes, every day. And I also feed him dinner and take him out to do his business,” he said proudly. “Dad helps out and my babysitter, Van, does too.”
“You’re doing a great job, Miles,” Harlow said, wanting to encourage him. As much as he clearly loved Zeus, it was nice to see he was taking responsibility for the pup. “Dogs depend on their human families so much. Water. Food. Walks. Playtime. And more than anything, love.”
“He gets plenty of all of those things. And hugs,” Miles said, looking up at his dad.
“I think you might have a future veterinarian on your hands,” she said to Nick, trying to engage him in conversation.
“I think his current aspirations are veering toward soccer,” Nick acknowledged, placing his palm on top of Miles’s head.
“Maybe I can be a soccer player who is a vet on the side,” Miles suggested. Harlow and Nick both laughed, which eased the tension hanging in the air.
“What are you doing?” Miles asked, coming closer to get a better view of her movements.
“Well, I’m examining his eyes to make sure they’re healthy. From what I can see there are no problems. No discharge or redness. They’re nice and bright with no cloudiness or tearing. All the better to see you with.”
Miles tugged at Nick’s sleeve. “Dad, we need to tell her about the lump.”
Harlow swung her gaze away from Zeus. “He has a lump?” Miles nodded. “Can you show me?” Miles reached down and pointed to the dog’s foot, where Zeus had a medium-sized tumor.
She placed her fingers on Zeus’s foot and began to palpate the mass. To the human eye, it appeared angry and red. A definite area of concern.
“If it’s okay with you, Nick, I’d like to do a fine needle aspiration so we can find out what’s going on with this lump.” Harlow didn’t want to use the wordtumorin front of Miles, in case it might scare him.
