Where was Harlow?Nick looked at his watch and paced back and forth in front of Casablanca’s. He checked his phone to see if she’d left a message. Nope. Nothing. At this rate they weren’t going to make the movie. There was a big retrospective of Spike Lee’s films and tonight’s offering,She’s Gotta Have It, was one of his all-time favorites. The movie was set to start in five minutes.
He hoped nothing was wrong. Harlow wasn’t the type to blow off meeting up with him. Just when he was beginning to get really concerned, Harlow drove up and parked in a spot right in front of the theater. He walked over to meet her, calling out to her when she was a few feet away.
“Hey, if we don’t hurry we’re going to miss the opening scene. I already bought the tickets, so we just need to score some snacks. I don’t know about you but popcorn with lots of butter is my go-to.”
As soon as Harlow reached his side, he knew immediately something wasn’t right. Her beautiful features were drawn tight with stress and an emotion he couldn’t identify.
“What’s wrong? You look like someone just stole your last Reese’s.”
Harlow didn’t laugh at his Reese’s joke, which was another sign that she wasn’t in the best of moods.
“Nick, I don’t think I can sit through a movie tonight,” Harlow admitted. “I’m so sorry to bail on you.” Nick reached out and tipped her chin up. He could see fear and anxiety swirling around in her brown eyes. All he wanted to do right now was make her feel better.
“It’s okay. We can see a movie anytime. Tell me what’s going on, Harlow.”
“I-I can’t believe it,” she said, shaking her head.
Harlow’s lips were trembling. Her beautiful brown skin appeared slightly ashen. Nick immediately knew something was deeply affecting her. Whatever was going on seemed serious enough to rattle her to the core. She seemed lost. Harlow opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She was clearly frightened, which gutted him. His immediate reaction was to hold her and offer comfort.
Nick reached out and pulled her into his arms. His first thought was that something had happened to her mother or Malcolm. “What is it?” Nick asked. He needed to know what had shaken her up so badly.
“Something terrible has happened.” She let out a ragged sigh that made her body shake. “People are gossiping about my veterinary care. I’m not sure what’s going on, but Whitney told me rumors are going around that I was negligent in my treatment of a client’s animal.”
“Who’s saying this stuff?” he growled. His main objective was to protect her and nip this ridiculous mess in the bud. Nick knew gossip flew on the wind in Mistletoe, but this was despicable.
“People think I neglected Elvis. Thanks to Gillian, half the town doesn’t want me to treat their pets. I had only four appointments today,” she said, her voice cracking. “Most of them were swapped out or canceled.”
“I’m so sorry,” Nick said, placing his palm on her cheek. “I know this must be awful.”
“That doesn’t even begin to describe it,” she said angrily. “I’m barely holding on at the moment.”
He sensed she was holding back a tsunami of emotion swirling around inside her. Her jaw was clenched, and she was blinking back tears. She appeared extremely shaky. “Truthfully, all I want to do right now is pack up all my belongings and head back to Seattle, where things like this don’t happen.”
***
Nick’s expression changed after her outburst. He was now frowning at her, which made her feel even more teary eyed. Why didn’t he understand how she felt? She was experiencing an all too familiar sense of déjà vu. She had seen this scenario play out with her father. Although she’d been only a child, Harlow had vivid memories of the town scandal and its aftermath. Getting out of Dodge seemed like a decent option for her.
“Harlow, you can’t be serious. You’re not a quitter. You came to Maine so your student loan debt would be paid off. That will all be made null and void if you leave.”
She bristled as soon as the wordquittercame out of his mouth. Never in her entire life had she been associated with that word. It hadn’t been in her vocabulary. In fact, she’d always been a go-getter, someone who had worked extra hard to succeed in life. She had pushed past her childhood traumas to achieve excellence. It hurt to know he didn’t see all of that in her.
She took slow breaths before speaking. Blowing up at Nick wouldn’t be fair. None of this was his fault. “It wouldn’t be quitting, Nick. Sometimes it’s smart to cut your losses,” she muttered.
He scoffed. “You have clients here in Mistletoe who count on you. And friends who adore you.” He stroked his jaw. “Not to mention a handsome single father who literally saved your life. He’s pretty invested in your staying put.”
Hearing Nick say her presence here in Mistletoe was important to him caused little flutters low in her abdomen. Knowing she was wanted and needed by Nick meant everything to her. But it still didn’t erase all of the angst she was experiencing. Try as she might, these particular feelings wouldn’t allow themselves to be stuffed down into a deep black hole.
“What’s the point in staying if my reputation is going to get trashed?” she asked, throwing her hands up in the air. “I’m a good vet, Nick. I’ve never had so much as a whisper about my level of care or professionalism. Not once. And now, in a matter of weeks, my reputation has been tarnished.”
“It’s a little bit dented at the moment, but not broken. I’m curious to hear what Whitney’s take was on all of this?”
“She basically said that it will all blow over and that she trusts me.”
“Whitney’s the real deal. She’s not just blowing smoke. We’ll get to the bottom of all this. I promise.”
Although his words should have calmed her down, they had the opposite effect on her. Why wasn’t he more upset on her behalf? Rumors like this were career suicide.
“I’m not sure you realize how devastating this is for me. I’ve worked for years to become a vet. I sacrificed. I studied. I scrimped to pay tuition. I’m in debt up to my ears, which is why I’m here in the first place. I have no idea how to stem the tide of this.”
