“Yes. I’m still very on board with that.” I’ve never wavered.
“Things have changed though. You’re getting married.”
“To Brigette. I’m assuming she could stay on staff as well?” He’s never had a problem with us before. Hell, the staff here had a cake to celebrate our engagement the day we announced it to them, so I’m not sure where he’s coming from.
“Brigette is from France,” he says as though I’m not aware.
“Yes, sir.”
He opens his mouth as though to say something, then closes it before he says, “Are you sure she’s not going to want to go back someday? What if she becomes homesick or wants a practice in a bigger city? You know being a veterinarian in a small town is very different than in a big city?”
“As far as I know, she wants to stay in Lake Starlight. She wants to make her life here.”
He raises his eyebrows as though he’s not so sure.
“Dr. Murphy, I assure you, if we go through with the plan of me taking over Four Paws, it’s in good hands with me.”
He straightens some papers on his desk. “That article Lori was just showing me says…”
“Says what? What could it possibly say?” My voice is louder than I’d like. Dr. Murphy doesn’t respond when someone is argumentative, but this is pissing me off.
“It says what everyone in this town believes.”
“Which is?” I clench my jaw.
He glances up from his papers. “That you’re torn between two women. That Juno Bailey will always be your first love and Brigette is a replacement.”
I shake my head.
“From my experience, with love triangles, sooner or later the one most affected flees just to get away from the situation. I’m not sure if Brigette reads that stupid gossip blog or not and I’d normally disregard it, but I’ve seen you with Juno. I’ve had a front row seat to your friendship all these years.”
“Yeah, friendship,” I say.
He raises his gray eyebrows once again. “From the picture on Buzz Wheel, I’d say you might need to reevaluate that again. Now.” He holds up his hand. “I’m not saying that the deal is off the table. All I’m asking is that you think this through again. If you were marrying Juno, I’d have no concerns. Everyone knows she’s not like her sisters Phoenix and Sedona. She’s a lifer. But with Brigette, I’m not so sure she’ll want to stick around. Especially if she has to put up with the constant rumors about your feelings for Juno.”
“Dr.—”
“I don’t want an answer right now. Discuss it with your fiancée. All I’m saying is I don’t want to hand down the business to someone who will sell it off to someone else who will then sell to yet another person. I’d close it before I allowed it to be passed around.”
I blink in surprise, never having heard him talk like that before. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to prove this to you?” I crack my neck back and forth, my gaze straying to the window.
Harley’s out there in the park with the kids and Rome’s coming from Terra and Mare, walking over to join them. Phoebe runs to her dad, and he swings her around, her smile so wide I can see it from here. He wraps one arm around Harley, presses a kiss to her lips, then rubs her belly even though she’s not showing yet. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t pinch watching them.
“I’m a Lake Starlight lifer. I promise you,” I say.
“Make sure Brigette is on the same page as you. And if you love her, I suggest closing that door to Juno, because speaking as a man who’s been married for over fifty years, there can only be one number one woman in your life.”
I nod. “So once I marry Brigette, we’ll talk about me taking over Four Paws?”
“Yes, I’ll have a conversation with her that should put me at ease if what you say is correct and she sees Lake Starlight as her new home. Then you and I will talk. After the wedding, of course. You have enough stress right now getting ready for the big day.”
“Thanks, sir.” I glance at my watch. “I’ve got to get to my first appointment of the day.”
I’m at the door when he calls my name.
“Yes?” I turn and face him.
“Listen to your heart. That’s the advice I was given a long time ago, and I promise you, your heart doesn’t lie. It never leads you where you shouldn’t go.”
If he only knew that my heart has led me straight into heartache since I was thirteen.
“Thank you.” I nod in appreciation and open the door just as Hillary is escorting my first client, Mrs. Lopez, and her cat, Alesander, to room two.
Knowing I have a few minutes, I pull out my phone to look at the text Lori sent me. Lake Starlight Buzz Wheel’s glowing header hits me front and center.
Three to Tango?
Rumor has it that Juno’s date had an allergic reaction and somehow Colton Stone and his fiancée were the ones who drove them to the hospital. A source overheard Brigette asking Juno Bailey about her relationship with Colton. How close are they? Apparently, Juno claimed once again that they’re just friends—not news to any of us. But the juiciest piece of information is that she said there have been times that the lines blurred between them. She assured the very jittery bride that if something were going to happen, it would have already, which apparently calmed Brigette down. We’re also hearing that Juno will be attending dance lessons with the happy couple. Whose partner will she be?
This picture was taken when Juno’s date finally emerged from the
