Читать книгу Risk Factors - Calisa Rhose - Страница 6

Chapter 2

“’S’cuse me.”

Vivian glanced around at the sound of the small voice, pushing thoughts of her father’s call out of her mind. The frog alert remained silent beside the open door. Rising to examine the reception area, Viv started at the sight of a tiny girl on the other side of the desk, then smiled. “Oh. Hello.”

“Are you the doctor?”

“I am.”

“We need help.” The child ducked down out of sight and a cage rattled.

“I see.” Hoping to stop the little girl from releasing her pet in the lobby where it could escape, Viv rounded the desk, then froze.

“Skittles has a tummy bug.”

“I see.” Did she? Was she honestly staring at a skunk in the child’s arms? “Honey…I think…ah, Skittles, is it?”

The child’s blonde head bobbed.

“Right, I think all Skittles needs is to go outside to play.” Alone and very far from here.

“But she won’t eat. I gave her her favorite cereal, Strawberries-n-Oatmeal, but she won’t eat it.”

“Well…maybe she would rather find her own food today.” How in the world had this tiny girl managed to pick up, never mind carry around, a half-grown skunk without smelling like Eau de Stinkee?

“I don’t think so,” the mournful voice disagreed. “She always eats Strawberries-n-Oatmeal or Cheerios. Last night she didn’t eat. Ask Daddy, he’s talking to Grampa in the car.”

“Last night?” Obviously Skittles was a pet. How long had the little girl homed a skunk? The child spoke as though she expected Vivian to go outside and talk to the man in question, which she would not do. “I’d like very much to speak to your daddy.”

Viv turned to move behind the desk and stepped on her shoelace–the too-long one she meant to fix, but kept forgetting–and then she went down.

Strong hands unexpectedly caught and steadied her, preventing a nasty plummet to the floor, and only seconds after the frog should have alerted her to another presence.

“She’s de-scented.”

“De-scented?”

Warm caramel drizzled over her with the voice. Viv looked up. Sexy Eyes.

Those eyes probed hers for a long moment, effectively whisking her breath away, before they shifted down to the little girl. Right. Daddy. If he recognized Viv from the accident three days before, he didn’t let on. Maybe he didn’t identify her as the panicked buffoon who’d practically thrown the baby into his arms. A wave of relief soothed her racing pulse. A fresh start would be good. Especially since he was the owner of a patient.

He nodded his dark head once. “Yes, de-scented.”

If only he were. The woodsy aroma coming off him messed with Viv’s senses in a crazy way.

“Last night Janna noticed Skittles hadn’t eaten or drank while we were out all day. She’s listless, her abdomen is distended. She whimpers…squeaks. I don’t know how to describe the sound a skunk makes, but whatever you call it, that's what she does.”

Shaking herself back to reality, Viv stepped away and pointed to an exam room. Medical school didn’t exactly cover skunks, but they were members of the feline family, something she could use as a guide. “What–how often does Skittles eat? What does she eat besides cereal?”

“Cat food. It’s what Doc Dane said she’d eat, Doctor…”

“Vivian. Max is my uncle.” She gently probed the belly and nodded to herself. “So cereal isn’t a regular staple. Good, Mr.…” She’d never gotten his name, but he was right about Skittles’s belly swelling. Possible indigestion, possibly many things, but she liked to eliminate the simplest causes first.

“McKay, Connor. This is Janna, and not usually. If Skittles and Giggles have been good girls, Janna treats them to a tablespoonful as a special mix.”

McKay Connor. For some reason the name sounded familiar. Which was his last name, and first? The one he’d responded with when she’d prompted with mister, maybe. “Well, Mr. McKay and Janna, it’s very nice to meet you both. I think all that’s wrong with your…skunk is she has, as Janna diagnosed, a tummy bug.” Vivian knelt to the child’s level to speak. “Would it be all right if Skittles spends the night here? I can tell better what’s wrong if I can watch her myself.”

Janna gazed up at her father with adoration. Viv felt a pang of remorse for something she vaguely recalled from her own childhood, before she became the huge disappointment her father now saw her as. There had been a time when Vivian looked up to her father for advice and comfort. A time when he’d gazed down on her with love and pride. Not anymore. If he noticed her now, it was to scrutinize her actions, condemn her.

“Dr. Dane?”

Viv blinked and glanced around as heat suffused her neck when she realized her mind had wandered shamelessly in front of clients. “I’m sorry, I… Where’s Janna?”

“She went to the truck to get Skittles’ blanket. Where would you like me to put her?” With care, Connor McKay lifted the black animal gently to his chest.

Viv led him from the exam room to a row of small cages and opened a lower one that would allow Janna to see her pet easily. “This will be fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, if that’s all right.” They walked back into the reception area as Janna returned.

Once Janna was directed to her pet, Viv consulted the computer with an extended glance at Connor. “Do I have a file on Skittles?”

“Check under Jelly Bean.”

Questions arose, but Viv squashed them down and typed in the suggested name. Surprisingly, the file opened, and she grinned up at Connor. “Scary how everyone in town seems to know Uncle Max’s filing system so well.”

“Scary? Because you don’t?”

“Well, yes. He had an unusual way to keep track.” She refocused on the computer. “I’ll skip the general office charge since it absorbs into the overall cost when treatment is involved. You don’t need to pay until you pick Skittles up, though. I’ll have your total then.”

“Fine. Wouldn’t it be the same with a conventional filing system? I mean the ABC system only works if everyone uses it the same exact way. Max may have filed by patient names, or nicknames like Jelly Bean, where you might use actual owner names.”

Viv raised her gaze at his words. He was right, again. She smiled. “If only I’d been a filing clerk in a previous life. But here, I never know what I might find a patient under by his system. He seemed rather fond of nicknames rather than a pet’s actual name.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out your uncle’s compulsory system soon.”

“I hope so.” But her uncle was a bit eccentric. She needed to give Uncle Max a call. “If I kept files the way he did, I’d be more confused than the patients. Not to mention the owners’ confusion.” The huh? expression on Connor’s face dimmed her enthusiasm instantly. She talked too much, and now said owner displayed obvious confusion, as she’d predicted. She should have known her mouth would trip her up eventually. Didn’t it always? “Will you or Mrs. McKay be picking Skittles up? I prefer to keep confusion to a minimum when possible.” In business at least, since she seemed incapable of doing so in other aspects of her life.

Connor registered relief at the change of subject, only to frown hard. Her tongue stung from the pain her teeth inflicted on it.

“There is no Mrs. McKay, so I suppose it will be myself or my father, Levi.”

“Of course! Levi, Benny.” The older McKay had recently brought in his Golden Retriever for annual vaccinations. Viv laughed at the solved puzzle of familiarity. Unfortunately, Connor was watching her again as if she’d lost her noodles. Note to self: Viv stared hard at the computer monitor, silently blaming the machine for her communication failure, Mood swings are dangerous if handled improperly, or left in the wrong hands.

“Yeah. Thank you, Dr. Dane.” He started for the door, but paused.

His eyes darkened to a raw copper before he smiled. Her heart leapt in her chest, and then sank hard when Janna skipped up, and he bent to place a kiss on her curls. “Thanks again.”

“Bye, Doctor Dane. Thank you for helping Skittles. She said it really hurts.” Janna’s round brown eyes stared up at her.

Viv envied the innocence there. But another pang teetered on the edge of her conscience. The almost deafening inner tick-tock, tick-tock distracted her momentarily. She shook her head and forced a smile. “She did, huh?”

Janna nodded solemnly, and Viv wanted to hug the girl.

“Did Skittles happen to tell you where the pain is?” Wishful thinking, but something she would determine once the child and her father were gone.

“It’s her tummy.” Her little voice was matter-of-fact.

“Well, I’ll check her out.” She raised her gaze to Connor to catch him studying her closely, suspicion apparent. Did he think she wouldn’t know how to treat a skunk? “If there’s anything, I’ll call you. I assume the phone number in the file is current?”

“Yes. We’ll be out after two tomorrow afternoon.”

“All right.”

He led the child from her office without a backward look.

Viv went to the window to watch man and child until they rounded her building to the side parking lot. She was a fool. A clumsy one. She tossed a daggered glance at her shoes and knelt. With quick fingers she tucked the errant lace into her shoe…just in case, and then paced to the back room. She had a patient.

A skunk, but a patient, nonetheless.

* * * *

“I like her.”

“Who, sweetheart?” Connor glanced in the rearview at Janna on the way to her grandparents’ before school the following morning.

Her curls hung down, hiding her face. “Doctor Dane.”

Connor turned back to the road, recalling the early morning phone call from the woman in question. She’d called before seven, rather than waiting until later in the day. It surprised him when she’d confessed to calling before office hours to keep his daughter from worrying about her pet all day in school. She wanted Janna to know an X-ray determined Skittles had eaten something disagreeable with her delicate system, but was eating normally again. Antacids supposedly “fixed her right up,” according to the doctor.

Doctor Dane wanted to keep Skittles in observation the rest of the day to make sure there were no repercussions. Connor appreciated her gentle consideration for his daughter’s feelings, though surely, she was the same with all her patients, or their owners. In a small community folks talked to one another about things rather than the cool, impersonal interactions associated with the bigger towns and cities.

“I told you she was in town.” Janna’s tired voice brought him back to the conversation. He wished again for a later shift for her sake. The sun remained lazy so early in the morning, hugging the horizon as if it was loathe to rise higher any sooner than necessary. “Yes, you did.” Not exactly–she had told him Dr. Dane was in town, not a female version. Several times since, he’d wondered about the mystery woman who volunteered at that accident. That she was the new vet he hadn’t expected. Did she remember him too?

He parked in front of the garage and helped Janna out. She ran ahead to open the unlocked door, calling Heidi with her as she did. With his long shifts, he thought it safer for their dog to have someone with her constantly these days, though on days off they regularly took her home. The faithful Retriever was getting old. Time was coming when his daughter would have to experience the pain of loss. He’d been through his share in thirty years, enough to harden him against it. If that was possible.

Had the pain been worse when his mother and her new man left him at home as a seven-year-old, never to return, or when Robin walked out? He’d thought she loved him but she’d left him, a scared new father, with a three-month-old infant. Definitely, both instances had scarred him deeply. Both made him steadfast and determined to be the best father for Janna. Strengthened his resolve not to ever allow her to feel alone or abandoned. And both gave him the conviction to avoid pain of that magnitude again.

His job had taught Connor to build the shell around him against pain. How did a parent prepare a seven-year-old child to lose a best friend? Heidi had been a gift from his dad before he and Robin married, and naturally became a favorite for Janna as she grew. Now, at twelve, Heidi showed signs of aging. No longer spry, so slow to rise, her hearing was also practically gone and her eyesight had diminished drastically. Arthritis supplements helped her move about, but the sand in the hourglass emptied fast. Time traveled against the old gal.

Maybe one of the dogs from Heidi’s bloodline would have puppies next year. It would be nice to get a puppy for Heidi to teach the ropes to before she crossed the rainbow bridge. It would also give Janna a buffer when the time came, something to hold to and represent Heidi.

For now, Connor needed to get to work. He was leaving early today to get his annual physical, and he’d already asked his dad to pick up Skittles if he ran too late, though the thought of picking up his daughter’s skunk did give him a sense of misplaced anticipation. He refused to acknowledge it might be the idea of seeing Doctor Dane again that caused the sensation.

* * * *

“Good morning Skittles. How are you today?” Viv peeked into the kennel. “Well, you must be feeling better, by the looks of your empty dish.”

Somber brown eyes viewed her with suspicion from the rear corner of the wire cage where Skittles huddled. She knew just how the skunk felt. She had no desire to become friends with the animal either. The poor thing hadn’t been thrilled with the X-ray process, but Viv was relieved it hadn’t been a serious illness. A small intestinal blockage proved to be nothing more than something Skittles couldn’t digest on her own. Enema–the miracle cure–and a couple of Tums, had made the critter feel normal again. Or Viv supposed she was back to her old self, for a skunk.

After refilling the food dish and topping off the water bowl, she left the skunk to tend to business. Coffee.

“Hel-lo-oo?”

Must she always be doomed to be hiding in the bowels of her practice whenever a new customer rang the little bell on the front desk? A flip of the switch started coffee, then she hurried to the front office. A thin older woman she recognized from the post office stood at the counter frowning. Did all the people in this town frown when they took their pets to the vet?

“Good morning. Can I help you?” Viv spotted a green pet taxi on the floor near the woman’s feet, a small nose poking at the wire door.

“My Tabitha is pregnant and should’ve birthed last week. She started labor yesterday, but something’s wrong.”

“Wrong, how?”

“She pushes and nothing happens. I’d take her into Joplin, but she doesn’t like car rides much.” Meaning she’d rather go to another vet, but since Viv was the only one available for miles, she would do?

She forced a smile in hopes of winning the woman over for both their sakes. “All right. Why don’t we take her to the exam room?” She led the woman to one of the two small sterile rooms and put latex gloves on while the woman retrieved her cat from the carrier. “I’m Vivian Dane.”

“Elsbeth Crenshaw.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you officially, Mrs. Crenshaw, and Tabitha too, of course. It’s common for a cat to go over her due date.” Anxiety and excitement often made a person react stronger than necessary when it came to their beloved pet. Even after all the little four-legged ones she’d delivered, Viv still felt a sense of awe at new life, human or animal.

It was the one of the times she thanked her parents for leading her to this line of work. The rest of the time… Why did she work so hard to make them proud of her? What did it matter? Viv did what she did because she wanted to make animals more comfortable and happy, not to please her dad. No, definitely not for that reason. If that ever became the driving force, she’d sell out and join Uncle Max in Arizona.

She pushed those thoughts away and focused on her patient. “How old is she? Is this her first litter?”

“Tabby’s four, and no, it’s not her first litter. It’s her third. I sell her babies on the Inter Net,” she said the word as two, while glowering at Viv. Did the woman expect her to expound on the evils of unknown certainties for pets sold over the Internet?

Viv decided to not let her down, while still giving her the benefit of doubt. “I’m sure you research the new owners before letting the kittens go to an unknown future. I think that’s a wise approach when re-homing defenseless animals in a world filled with such cruel intentions.” A few times during school she’d seen unconscionable atrocities that almost made her change careers.

Her parents had pushed her to stay the course and become a source of safety for such mistreated animals. Actually, their disgust at her perceived cowardice convinced her to push on. Daily. Uncle Max’s support and love made perseverance the right decision.

Elsbeth glared as Viv set up the ultra-sound machine.

“Young lady, I don’t sell my babies to strangers. I’m sure that’s what people might do in the city you’re from. I have a regular customer base, a small store in Saint Louie. My sister, Matilda, owns it and finds loving homes for all my babies. I email pictures for the customers to pick from before I send the cats to Mattie.”

Viv smiled at the way she pronounced St. Louis. At least the adoptions weren’t as bad as some methods. Hopefully the sister of this sour woman took great care in adopting out the kittens. “Good, much better than uncertainty of strangers. Now, let’s see if we can determine what’s going on with Tabitha.” She smeared a glop of clear gel on the nose of the probe and asked Elsbeth to hold the cat firmly while she moved the camera over the tabby’s full belly. Being so late in term made it impossible to determine the number of kittens, but active movement indicated a good outcome.

The tiny camera relayed images onto the portable monitor and Viv frowned, focusing attention on the left side. Oh, dear. “I think I see Tabitha’s problem. It would take an X-ray to be sure at this stage of the pregnancy, but I think I see a dead kitten tangled in the umbilical cord, blocking the birth canal. X-rays can be harmful to all the babies, so I’d rather do a cesarean rather than risk ill health to the rest.”

“Oh, my. Will it hurt Tabby?”

No matter how gruff and sour the woman acted toward her, it was apparent Elsbeth cared deeply for the feline between them, and that warmed Viv’s heart. She smiled at the older woman, who seemed frail suddenly. “Not at all. It’s a simple surgery to save the healthy kittens and Tabitha. It won’t take longer than thirty minutes, if you want to wait out front.”

“Yes, I’ll wait. Will Tabby be okay to care for the kittens? I’m too old to hand feed a litter of babies and run the post office.”

“It will be fine. I’ll do a side cut so it shouldn’t interfere with nursing, and animals generally have a high tolerance for pain in these circumstances. Their natural instincts take over, and you most likely won’t even know if she feels any discomfort.”

This fact in animals always amazed Viv. Rarely did the four-legged counterparts abandon their children the way humans did. Even in pain, a mother animal would feed her babies to ensure survival of the species.

After seeing the woman to the lobby, Viv carried the cat to her surgical station. Poor thing was in too much pain to fight, and went under anesthesia easily. A small cut in the left edge of the abdomen wall allowed Viv to remove the dead kitten and five squirmy ones in various colors. It would be a few minutes before the cat awoke, so after laying the cat in a cage with her new family, Viv went to speak to Elsbeth Crenshaw.

* * * *

It was close to five o’clock and Viv wanted to go home. Winter hadn’t reached the Midwest yet, but from September through October the temperatures often dipped and dove sporadically, before diving for the long winter ahead. There’d been a slight chill in the air that morning and she hoped for a few more weeks of warmth before harsh weather moved in.

She looked forward to a hot soak in the bathtub, but Skittles was due for pick-up first. Connor had assured her he’d pick her up, or have his father get her before five. She glanced at her watch again. Four-fifty-six. She didn’t mind staying late if she needed to; it would be a shame to leave the nervous animal alone another night.

She opened the small closet to put the dust mop away.

“Hello.”

With a start, she spun and her hand caught the broom handle on her way around. Gasping, she grabbed uselessly, horrified as the cleaning tool flew sideways from the closet. In slow motion she saw it shoot out against Connor’s shoulder and fall with a sharp snap onto the tile floor.

“Oh! I’m so–so sorry! Are you hurt?” Instant heat rushed up her neck and she bent to reclaim the errant broom to shove into the closet. She slammed the door and leaned against it on a sharp breath.

“I’m fine. You worried your killer broom might attack again? You might consider putting a lock on the door,” he said with a crooked smile.

Puzzled, Viv looked around and realized with total humiliation how it appeared she’d trapped the broom inside the closet–when in actuality, she wanted to climb through the door beside the instrument and hide.

“Of course not. That would be silly. I didn’t expect you right now.”

“It’s two minutes of five. I told you I’d be here for Skittles. Is it too late?”

Right. The skunk. “No. I’m sure she’s more than ready to go home. Do you have the pet carrier to put her in?” She probably didn’t need to ask when Connor stood empty-handed before her.

He lowered his head and she knew he’d forgotten it, fought back a smile at his forgetfulness. “Sorry. I drove straight from work and didn’t think about it.”

“No worry. I have one you can borrow.” Which meant he’d have to see her again. She’d definitely need to see him again.

“Thank you. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

“Oh, there’s no rush. I keep a few on hand for emergencies.” She led him back to the cage where the skunk still huddled, and got a carrier while he opened the cage to retrieve his daughter’s pet. As he lifted the black fur ball out, Viv set a pink case next to him.

He hissed under his breath and almost let the animal loose. Viv opened the cage and held it upright for him to lower the skunk down inside and shut the door. Once he stood with the pet taxi, she detected a smear of red on one finger.

“She bit you?” Skunk bite, rabies, germs…

“It’s fine. When she’s scared she tends to nip a warning like a cat.” Connor’s lack of care concerned Viv, however.

“I should clean it with antiseptic before you go.”

“I’ll tend it when I get home.”

“But, it may have germs…get infected.”

“It’s not the first time, and her rabies vaccination is current. Thank you, but it’s not necessary.”

Viv stopped by a cabinet on the way to the front reception area to grab ointment and a Band-Aid.

* * * *

“I’d feel better if you let me take a look at this.”

When he set the carrier down to pull out his worn wallet, Viv caught his hand.

Connor jerked to pull his hand away, but she held on.

“Please.”

Her hand was warm and strong, even for her size. Something subtle and smooth eased under his skin and worked its way through his nervous system like a nano-virus. Invisible, but sensational, originating from their connected hands. His initial reaction to her earlier that week had not been a figment of his imagination. He’d wanted to get to know her then and that didn’t seem to have changed today. Regardless of the instinct that urged him to run away.

Connor stopped resisting and set the wallet on the raised counter to extend his left hand. Without a word he let her wipe the angry scratch with astringent and apply antibiotic ointment. “Is that animal medicine?”

“It’s the same thing we use on ourselves. Because this brand is from a vet supply, it has a different name and label. But it’s still the same antibiotic salve. Probably a bit cheaper, too.”

He hoped the calm note in her husky voice would settle his tense nerves, force his mind back to the job at hand and not the woman touching him so comfortably.

He risked speaking quietly–for fear she’d hear the sudden desire running rampant in his voice–but needed to keep her talking. “So it’s not just for animals. What other meds are shared?”

“Ah, well, baby aspirin is good for four-legged pain. Human or animal ophthalmic, eye, ointment can be used in pets’ ears, but ear drops or ointment of any kind shouldn’t be used in eyes. Although people can use medicated animal eye drops, but it’s not recommended.”

He’d hoped to relax with conversation, but it wasn’t working. With each strained word, as each second passed, the more he wanted to touch–to be touched. “Interesting.” But he wasn’t sure if he meant her medical tips or his reaction to her. That definitely interested him, and scared him at the same time.

Viv raised her gaze and caught him inspecting her with an intensity he couldn’t explain if she asked. Bubbles erupted in his chest, like someone had poured water in a package of Janna’s Pop-Rocks and shoved it under his skin. Since when had he become so attracted to this woman?

“Yes.”

Her eyes changed from clear crystal to a darker, smokier color as he watched, entranced. She was close enough for him to see sprinkles of green in the depths. Close enough to smell her female scent mixed with the sweet smell of gasoline wafting off himself.

Viv sniffed at his shoulder, at the murky odor mixed with smoke. Would she know it wasn’t the smoke of a weekend barbecue or a cigarette?

“Have you been in a fire?”

Connor pulled his hand away to inspect the Band-Aid. It was critical he get free of the soft touch, away from her subtle strawberry scent. Much nicer than his contrasting harsh odor. Using the excuse to retrieve his wallet from the counter, he stepped back. Could he play it off casually? “Why do you ask?”

He still smelled of fuel from the morning crash, and smoke from the last call. Even though he’d showered at the station, fuel didn’t wash off easily. A pickup had burst into flames and EC-130-2, his team, had flown the teen driver to the burn center in St. Louis. The last-minute flight had made him late for his physical, which caused him to be late picking up Skittles, as well. He hoped the kid would be all right, but as with most of their cases, he might never know how the end turned out. He’d specifically requested Henry keep him informed of the condition of the woman from the early wreck, however. They’d survived a near tragic end together in that little green car and he needed to know Pam would be okay.

“I…never mind. It’s probably nothing. I thought I smelled smoke.”

Did Vivian Dane avoid getting close to another person, as much as he did? She backed off too easily. “No, it’s all right. A vehicle caught fire and I transported the driver to the hospital.”

Her eyes grew huge in her pale face, reminding Connor again that she didn’t get enough sun. Her pink lips formed an ‘O’ shape and it took mammoth will not to kiss her stunned mouth. It was purely a physical response. Weeks since his last date and the least bit of attention from a woman… Connor swiped a hand over his face in resignation. That’s all it was, he was tired.

“How awful! Is–are they okay?”

That accident had been nothing on his personal job meter, yet it was the one Viv noticed odors from. Viv’s inquiries transported him back to the early morning scene. He’d never been so scared as he’d been in the midst of the steel trap and life threatening circumstances.

The sun barely pinking the sky, the fumes, fuel–and the woman.

Fuel soaked into his shirt, the odor sweet and strong as it permeated every sense and burned his skin. He wanted to vomit. Instead he nudged tighter against the rounded side of the leaking tank over the car, and slid his hand on hers until he found a radial pulse. Erratic. His, too.

He jabbed the butt of the light into his mouth to help him see inside the steel and fiberglass cave, inched farther and located the woman under the dash. How in God’s name had she fit in the cramped area? She twisted her head to the side and a flash of recognition assailed him. He clenched his jaws when the light slipped. Fear thundered through him until he imagined the tank had exploded. He slid out of the car heaving gulps of rank, contaminated air and blinking to regain equilibrium. Pain and guilt rose up, threatening to strangle him. Connor sucked a deep breath and choked on the inhaled fumes. Thankfully, reality crashed back in on the trail of a harsh coughing fit. Keep cool, man. You can do this.

He shook his head to clear all thoughts, all emotion of the woman he’d lost the year before and the accusations from the surviving young son.

Focus on the job at hand. Then get the hell out.

Why that case injected into his memory after a year made no sense, but the therapy sessions that followed had helped minimize those instances over time since, thankfully.

“He’s fine.” He hadn’t meant to speak tersely, but instances of what people called heroism wasn’t something to brag about. He didn’t do the job to be a hero. It served a need, gave something good back to humanity. Little compassion had been spent on him in his early years. Now he was blessed with adoptive parents who'd taught him about love every day, and he’d set out long ago to put kindness back into the world in exchange. Anything to counteract the abuse he’d suffered as a kid in St. Louis made him appreciate what he’d been through counted.

The stark curiosity in her eyes held him immobile. She seemed dazed. As dazed as him, gazing into her face, still harboring the unwelcome desire to kiss her.

He kicked the needling urges to the curb of his conscience and smiled. “He wasn’t injured too badly.”

“Good. That’s good.” She blinked and backed around to her computer, putting the marble-topped counter between them.

For her safety, or his? Judging by the glow in her face, probably both. He recognized the starry-eyed glaze. In his business it came with the uniform, or the helicopter. Until now there’d been no interest in what longings might lay behind the look. Dangerous. He didn’t want serious entanglements, but a gambling man might say Vivian Dane did. “Yes. How much do I owe you?”

“I only charged you overnight and X-ray fees.” Viv failed to meet his gaze as she spoke, handing out a pink receipt copy.

Was it him, or did Dr. Dane seem nervous? Yes, he was sure of it, though he didn’t know why the sudden change. “Thank you. I’ll return the pet carrier soon. Janna told me to be sure and thank you for her.”

“Please tell her it was my pleasure.”

Connor lifted the cage and stared inside at Skittles and chuckled. “Your pleasure to babysit a skunk?”

“I admit it surprised me when she pulled Skittles out of the crate. I’m basically accustomed to working with cats, dogs, birds…house birds, not the huge wild ones the Reserve brings in. I can do without those,” she said and smiled.

Her slightly crooked teeth were white against the sunrise pink of her lips, and again he wanted to taste her as the punch from her smile left him breathless. He didn’t remember her as appearing so vital and exuberant at the accident. Everyone had a bad day now and then.

Clearing his throat, he turned for the door to realize dark had set. With a glance at his watch, Connor was surprised he’d been there for the better part of half an hour. Janna was waiting at his parents’ on the other side of town. “I’m sorry I kept you so late, Dr. Dane. I’d better go.”

“Viv is fine. Bring Skittles back in a few days for a follow up.”

Connor stepped back and nodded. He didn’t know what to say as time passed and his senses returned to level ground. He escaped through the door with a last “thanks” over his shoulder, before the needles digging through his groin made contact with long dormant neurons.

Best to go get Janna home for dinner. Better to forget Vivian Dane altogether and focus his energies on the daughter he was devoted to protecting and raising.