Page 10

Mac considered that. “I think he misses the truck more than he misses me.”

Jodie snorted. “No way.”

“He does. Whenever I FaceTime home, my folks put the phone on the floor for him and I show him the truck. His tail starts wagging a mile a minute. Then when I get back on, he sort of shrugs and goes back to sleep.”

“He does not!” She filled the truck with her warm laughter.

“Well.” Mac tried not to smile. “Maybe not every time.”

“I knew it.”

“Sometimes he licks the screen when he sees the truck. Then he goes back to sleep when I come back on.”

Jodie laughed harder, tipping her head back against the seat.

Mac grinned at the road.

This.

This was what he’d wanted. Jodie beside him in his truck, laughing at his stories and asking him questions like she had nowhere else she’d rather be. He’d imagined her sitting right where she was now more times than he cared to admit. He’d also imagined taking her somewhere before. Dinner, maybe. A long drive up into the mountains. Somewhere that didn’t involve him standing on the opposite side of her reception desk trying to think of something witty to say while he waited for her to print his itinerary.

He’d imagined a million scenarios with Jodie—some that flooded him with heat as he lay in bed at night…or took his morning shower…or just about anytime he caught sight of her pretty face or her perfect derriere.

He just hadn’t pictured her with one hiking boot off and her ankle swollen to twice its normal size.

Jodie wiped at the corner of her eye. “Okay. I need to see this dog.”

“See? Everybody says that. Nobody says they need to see me.” He pretended to pout for a moment.

“Well, I was overjoyed to see you today.” Her grin widened as she turned toward the window. “Just like every day.” But she’d said it so softly, Mac wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.

Probably not. Just my eager, overactive imagination.

And even if she did, she’d say that to anyone.

But was she blushing just now?

Mac decided that if the clinic hadn’t been coming up on the right, he would’ve happily kept driving for another hour.

“Here we are.” Mac exited off the highway and turned into the clinic’s parking lot. It didn’t look too full, so he hoped they could see her right away. He parked in the closest space he could find to the door and shut off the engine. “Don’t move. I’ll come around and get you.”

“My purse is in the top of my backpack, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Mac got out and went to the back of the truck. He opened the truck box and retrieved her purse from her backpack. Then he went around and opened Jodie’s door.

He started to lift her carefully out of the seat when she told him, “You don’t need to carry me. I can hop.”

“Nope.”

“At least let me try standing.”

“Nope.”

“Mac.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Jodie.” He smiled wider.

She narrowed them harder.