Rusty’s owner laughed, wiping a tear from her face.
“It’s okay, Miss Thomas. He’s going to jump from high places and try to get into things. His legs are a little longer than they should be for his body; it’s a genetic quirk. So, when he runs, his back legs sometimes get there before the rest of him. It happens to many cats. He’s just going to gallop a little more hilariously for you than your other cats do.”
“As long as I’m not a bad mom. I mean, he’s my baby.”
“I understand how you feel,” I said, being candid with her.
After talking with Dakota about not having a pet and spending the week helping other people’s animals, I knew it was time to be on the lookout for my next foster or adoption. It had been a while since I’d had a pet of my own. It was time. I thought of a cat and a dog, maybe ones that were already bonded so that I didn’t have to deal with constant fighting or territorial issues. I didn’t always go for puppies or kittens. I generally went for the older animals that people didn’t want. They needed homes, too, and I wanted to be that person for them. As long as they didn’t mind hanging out at the vet office, they were the perfect animals for me.
Yeah, it was time. Maybe having an animal would be good for me. Because coming home to an empty house every night wasn’t my favorite thing in the world.
“Okay, I’m going to enter a few more things in the chart for Rusty, and then we’ll be all set. It was a great checkup.”
“Oh, good. My baby boy got a gold star!” She leaned down, and Rusty butted his head into her chin before reaching up to practically hug her.
I met my aide’s gaze, and she just smiled, warmth filling her eyes. The family in front of us were perfect for each other, and I was glad that Miss Thomas had Rusty. And I was really glad that Rusty had Miss Thomas.
I finished the paperwork, said my goodbyes, and then headed to my office, rubbing the back of my neck after I washed my hands. I hadn’t slept well the night before. Nightmares again. They weren’t as bad as usual, though, so I counted that as a win. But I still needed to get some sleep. I’d had another fight two nights before. Thankfully, my knuckles weren’t bruised, but my ribs hurt.
I had gone to see my doctor that morning, grateful that I hadn’t broken or bruised anything. I knew the man wasn’t happy with me fighting, but he understood that it was just boxing and nothing else.
As long as I didn’t hurt my hands, those that helped to heal the animals I loved, I would be fine. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.
“Miss Thomas do okay?” Jeremy asked as he made his way in.
“Yes,” I said. “Rusty’s doing great.”
Jeremy nodded. “He gets into so much, but that’s Bengals for you.”
“I know. If you see him next before I do, just keep an eye on his hips. I made a note in his chart, but with the way he gets into things, those will likely be what he hurts.”
“My thoughts were along those same lines. Thanks for the heads-up.” Jeremy met my gaze.
“Everything okay?” I asked, a little worried.
My partner sighed. “Things are good here. Just a long day, I guess.”
I studied his face and couldn’t tell if I had missed something. “Tell me about it. I’m heading out soon. Family dinner.”
“No problem. You stayed late as it is. Thanks.”
“Hey, it’s our practice. I kind of like our job.”
Jeremy studied my face and then nodded. “Good. I was worried for a minute that you didn’t.”
I frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
Jeremy stood up from his desk and put his hands in his pockets. “When you got hurt, I was afraid you were going to quit. That you were going to decide not to do this anymore. I know we didn’t talk about it, but you’re my friend, Macon. Not just my business partner. I might be an asshole most days, but I love you. I just wanted to get that out.”
I was so still for a moment that I didn’t know what to say. “Thanks. I guess.” I let out a sigh. “Really. I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are. Now, go see your family. Tell them hi for me. I have one more appointment today, and then I’m heading home, too.”
I gave him a nod and headed out to the front. He had a family at home. I had one, too. They just didn’t live with me. I had my brothers and my sister and their families.
The fact that an image of Dakota and Joshua in my house filled my brain worried me. Dakota and I were not dating. We were never going to date. She clearly didn’t want me.
I needed to get over whatever the hell I was thinking.
I made my way into the front waiting room and nearly tripped over my feet as Nate stood there, a frown on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Considering how many times members of our family had been hurt recently, and with Arden in and out of hospitals, it wasn’t an out-of-the-blue or unreasonable question.
He shook his head. “Everything’s good, at least as I know it. I just came in to ask you a question. And see if you would drive me to the family thing.”
I frowned, grateful that we were alone. “Did you get a car service to drive you to my place of business before heading to Prior’s? Why didn’t you just have them take you there directly?”
“First, it was cheaper to come to you. Second, I wanted to talk about getting a puppy.”
I knew Nate didn’t often drive because of his headaches, and the fact that my brother was currently rubbing his temple made me
