“Hang on, buddy,” Camila says, glancing down at the damp little face peeking out from her jacket. “I’ll get you help.”
She grabs her phone, fires off a quick message to Ella to cancel, then pulls up directions to the nearest veterinary clinic. The engine revs, wipers thrash, and Camila pulls back onto the road.
CHAPTER TWO
VALERIA
“You are all done, my friend,” Valeria says, giving Luna—the cutest St. Bernard she’s ever seen—one last pat before standing. She reaches into the treat jar near the exam table and slips Luna a reward for being such a good girl, especially for tolerating the blood draw without so much as a whine.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Stacy—Luna’s mom—says, shaking her head. “She’s never this well-behaved with other vets.”
Valeria smiles and rubs Luna’s ears. “Well, that’s because she knows I’ve got the good stuff.” She wiggles a dried fish skin treat just out of Luna’s reach. “Don’t you?”
Luna’s jowls slacken, and a string of drool hangs over.
Valeria laughs softly before surrendering the treat.
She walks to the computer and pulls up Luna’s chart, her eyes scanning the screen carefully to make sure everything they came in for has been addressed. When she finishes typing her notes, she turns back to Stacy, ready to walk her through Luna’s overall health.
“Luna’s looking good. Her weight isn’t a concern yet,but if you look at this graph”—Valeria turns the monitor, and Stacy leans in—“you can see it’s been steadily increasing. I’d recommend switching her to a weight-management kibble to keep things stable. I’d also start her on a joint-support supplement. She’s still young, and her hips look and feel great right now, but with her breed, it’s best to stay ahead of it.” Valeria turns to smile at Luna. “Other than that, she’s a big, healthy girl. Do you have any other questions or concerns?”
Stacy shakes her head. “That’s all, thank you.”
“Perfect,” Valeria says. “I’ll call you once her heartworm test comes back, but aside from that, she shouldn’t need anything else until next year, when a few of her vaccines are due.”
“Perfect,” Stacy says, then looks down at Luna. “Can you say ‘Thank you, Dr. Val’? Luna?”
Luna’s tail slams against the floor hard enough to make the wall tremble, her entire body wiggling with uncontained joy.
“You’re welcome.” Valeria gives Luna one last scratch behind the ears before sliding the door open and sending them on their way. She watches Luna’s tail swish happily as they walk out the door and down the hallway until the door clicks shut behind them.
Valeria exhales and rolls her shoulders, letting the quiet settle over her. It’s been a long day. She’s been running on empty for hours, shuttled from one appointment to the next without a break, every chart somehow twice as long as it should have been.
But Luna—thankfully—was her easiest and last appointment of the day.
Completely spent, Valeria heads to the back office to grab her bag. The hum of the mini-fridge fills the space,layered with the faint soundtrack of the clinic: low chatter of other vets and techs, dogs barking, others growling through their exams.
After the day she’s had—two charcoal inductions, a computer system crash, and one intensely stubborn blocked cat—she’s more than ready to go home, kick off her shoes, and sink into the couch with Brooke beside her. Maybe order takeout and watch a movie. The thought alone loosens the tension in her shoulders.
She turns to leave, already reaching for her phone. As she walks down the hall, she unlocks the screen and quickly texts Brooke.
Valeria 5:26 p.m.:
I’m officially off. I’m heading home now if you want to meet there. I can’t wait to see you.
The moment Valeria steps into the reception area, she’s greeted by Brooke’s bright smile and a stunning bouquet of birds-of-paradise cradled in her arms—Valeria’s favorite.
For a heartbeat, Valeria just stares. A rush of warmth blooms in her chest, sharp and sparkling, unraveling the tight knots of the day. Just the sight of her favorite person is enough to dissolve the tension.
“Hi,” Brooke says, her smile glowing, and the dimple near her eye makes an appearance.
Valeria’s entire body loosens at the sight of her smile.
“Hi!” Valeria laughs, rising onto her toes to kiss her. “What—what are you doing here?”
“You texted earlier and said you were exhausted.” Brooke steps closer to Valeria, until her senses blur beneath the delicious mix of Brooke’s cologne and hervanilla body wash. “So I thought I’d come find you ... drive you home myself.”
A slow smile
