A Valentine For The Veterinarian

If Alex had been a little less tired, maybe he would have picked up on Cassie’s confusion earlier. As it was, the look on her face when she’d found the hundred-plus-pound dog in her house had been priceless. He gave her credit, though; she’d stood her ground without flinching. She’d correctly read Rex’s body language and known he wasn’t a threat, despite his size. Heck, even some of his fellow officers were skittish around Rex.

Tough and beautiful. A dangerous combination. He’d once described his ex, a fellow cop, the same way. Then she’d dropped him for an assistant DA and he’d shifted his assessment from tough to cold-hearted. But Cassie, although she’d been less than friendly when he’d first met her, didn’t seem to have the calculating nature that had doomed his relationship with his ex. Cassie tried to hide them, but her emotions were right there on the surface, reflected on her face like the rays of the sun off the ocean.

She had her eyes closed as she felt her way over the kitten’s body from head to tail. Watching her slender but capable fingers skim the soft fur had him wondering what her touch would feel like. Her husband, if she did turn out to be married, was one lucky bastard.

Who probably wouldn’t be happy to find a stranger staring at his wife this way.

Not that she’d even noticed. She’d all but forgotten Alex. Her brows knit in concentration. All her focus was on her small, purring patient.

Better take it down a notch. Focus on the issue at hand. “Is he going to be okay?”

Cassie made a noncommittal noise, then slid the earpieces of a stethoscope into place. A few tense minutes later, her face relaxed into an easy smile. “Lungs sound good, no evidence of any kind of infection, and his heart sounds great. At least, what I can hear over the purring.” She nuzzled her face against the now ecstatic creature. “He seems none the worse for wear, just hungry and cold. It’s lucky you found him when you did—the forecast is calling for another cold front to roll in by the end of the day.”

He suppressed a shudder, despite the warmth of Cassie’s cozy kitchen. An image of the kitten, all alone in the cold, flashed through his head, and he made a mental note to pick up one of Rex’s favorite chew bones at the store later. The big dog deserved a reward, for sure.

As if reading his mind, Cassie opened a whitewashed cupboard and pulled out a box of dog biscuits.

“Can the hero here have a treat?”

“Of course. He’s off duty, and he’s definitely earned it.”

“What about you?” She tipped her chin toward the kettle on the stove. “I’ve got hot water for tea, or I can make a pot of coffee. If you have time, I mean.”

“Tea would be fine, thank you.” He normally stuck to coffee, but there was no point in her making a whole pot just for him. Maybe the coffeepot was strictly for her husband, although it didn’t look as if it had been used yet this morning. Her mug, purple with pink paw prints on it, sat alone on the empty counter, smelling of peppermint and flowers.

Come to think of it, there’d only been one car in the driveway. Her husband could have left for work already, but there was nothing in the kitchen to indicate a male presence. Surreptitiously, he scanned the room. No dirty breakfast dishes, no mugs other than hers. Even more telling, the decor ran to pastels and flowers. The evidence was circumstantial, but certainly enough to introduce reasonable doubt as to the existence of a Mr. Marshall.

Accepting the tea, he told himself it didn’t matter one way or the other. She’d made her opinion of him, and his profession, perfectly clear when they first met. But as he sat across from her in the cozy kitchen, his dog at their feet and a kitten in her lap, a new, friendlier relationship seemed possible. Which didn’t explain why he cared if she shared her home, or her bed, with another man.

He’d obviously been up too long. That was all. Sleep deprivation could mess with your mind. Everyone knew that. After a few hours’ sleep, he’d remember all the reasons he wasn’t looking for a relationship, especially with the firecracker of a redhead sitting across from him. For now, he’d drink his tea and enjoy a few minutes of company before going home to his empty apartment.

When he’d first taken the job in Paradise, he’d suggested he and his mother share a place, but she’d just chuckled and said he would need his own space for “entertaining.” Right. He’d had only one other person in his apartment since he moved to Paradise, and that was the cable guy. Between the new job and the extra training sessions he’d signed up for with Rex, he hadn’t had the time or energy for dating. Which was fine by him.

Although right now, enjoying the morning light with a beautiful woman, he wondered if he wasn’t missing out after all.

Unwilling to explore that thought, he finished his tea and stood, the chair scraping against the terrazzo floor.

Startled by the noise, the kitten leaped onto the table, nearly overturning the china cups.

“Sorry about that. I’ll get this guy out of your hair and be on my way.” He scooped up the kitten with one hand. “Thanks for checking him out—I didn’t know where else to take him.”

Cassie stood to escort him out. “What will you do with him now?”

Good question. One he hadn’t thought through yet. He’d been worried about the little guy making it. “I’ll have to keep him for a few days, I guess, while I ask around, try to find him a home.” Frustrated, he rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “Guess I’d better stop and pick up some food for him first.” He nearly groaned with frustration. His tired body was crying out for a bed, but he couldn’t let the little guy starve.

“The stores won’t even be open for another hour.” Cassie’s eyes went from man to kitten. “I can take him to the office with me, get him fed, wormed and cleaned up, and then you can pick him up before you start your shift tonight. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re my guardian angel. Thank you.”

She blushed, the pink accentuating her soft coloring. “I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for him.” Her firm tone was a contrast to the camaraderie they’d shared in the kitchen. The friendly interlude was over, it seemed.

“Either way, I appreciate it just the same. What time do you need me to come get him?”

“The clinic closes at six, so any time before then is fine.”

He could get a solid stretch of sleep and still have time to get food and the cat before his shift started. Thank heaven for small favors. And the angels who delivered them.

Cassie had spent way too much time thinking about Alex today. Really, any time thinking about Paradise Isle’s newest lawman was too much. But between Emma’s incessant questions over breakfast and the knowing looks and suggestive remarks from her staff, she’d found her attention forced to him more times than she could count. Not that it took much forcing. The sight of the rough-around-the-edges deputy cuddling an orphaned kitten had triggered something inside her, reminding her she was still a woman, not just a mother and veterinarian.

She eyed the gray bundle of fur that had triggered today’s chain of events. “You’re a troublemaker, you know that?”

The kitten in question was currently exploring her office after being evicted from the patient care area by Jillian. “He hates the cage and his crying is getting the other patients upset,” she had said when she’d deposited him on her desk an hour ago.

Absently, Cassie balled up a piece of paper and tossed it in front of the cat. Thrilled, the tiny predator pounced on it, rolling head over heels in his enthusiasm.

Once upon a time, she’d been that carefree, that eager to chase adventure. But she’d been knocked down too hard to be willing to risk tumbling end over end again. She almost envied the kitten its bravery. He’d nearly frozen to death last night and yet he still seemed fearless. Meanwhile, she was afraid of her own shadow most days.

Having her ex leave her had made it hard to trust people, but the aftermath of the car accident she and her father had been in certainly hadn’t helped. Naively, she’d assumed that the drunken deputy who hit her would face jail time, that he would pay for his actions. Instead, he’d gotten what seemed like a slap on the wrist. She’d tried to push for more, pointing out Jack’s obvious alcoholism, but the department had closed ranks around him. According to them, he’d made a simple mistake and she was just stirring up trouble. A few people had even suggested the accident might have been her fault, despite all evidence to the contrary. Logically, she knew they were wrong, but that didn’t make the nightmares or the guilt any better.

“Hey, Cassie?” Mollie, her friend and the clinic receptionist, spoke over the intercom. “Emma’s here.”

Cassie glanced at her watch. How was it already five o’ clock? “Send her back and let her know her little friend is still here.” Her daughter had fallen in love with the kitten when she saw it this morning. She’d be thrilled it hadn’t been picked up yet.

“Mommy!” Her daughter flew into the tiny office, tossing her backpack down to give Cassie a big hug. “Mollie said he’s still here! Where is he?”

Cassie laughed and pointed to the wastebasket in the corner of the room. “Look behind the trash can. I think he’d hiding back there.”

Emma, always excited by a new visitor to the clinic, scrambled out of Cassie’s lap to check it out. “Found him!” she whooped, clutching the kitty to her chest.

“Careful. Don’t squeeze him too hard.”

“I know that, Mom. I’m not a baby.” The indignation on her little face was better suited to a teenager than a preschooler, but she did have a point. Emma had grown up with foster animals and convalescing pets around the house and knew how to handle them.

“Well, this one is a bit of a troublemaker, so just be careful.” Even as she gave the warning, the little guy was trying to climb out of Emma’s arms and to scale the mini-blinds over the window. Delighted at his antics, Emma gently untangled him.

“You sure do get into trouble,” she scolded the kitten. “That should be your name—Trouble.”

Cassie laughed. “I think you’re right. That’s the perfect name. I’ll have Mollie put that on his chart.”

“Will the policeman mind that we named the kitten without him?”

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” Time for a change in subject. “So did you have a good day at school?” Emma had started half days at the preschool affiliated with their church only a few months ago.

“Oh, yeah! John Baker brought a snake into school today for show-and-tell.”

“A real snake?” She shivered. There was a reason she hadn’t specialized in exotic medicine, and that reason was snakes. Professionally she knew they were legitimate pets, but personally she found them cringe-worthy.

Her daughter nodded with glee. “Uh-huh, a baby one. He had stripes and was really pretty. Can we have a snake, too? I’d take really good care of it.”

“Absolutely not. No snakes.”

“But you said we could get a pet ages ago and we still don’t have one.” She stuck her lip out in a perfect pout.

“We will when the time is right.”

“When will that be?”

When? When her father was able to work again? When the nightmares went away?

“Soon.”

Emma shot her a disbelieving look and went back to snuggling the kitten.

Great, just one more way she’d let her daughter down.

Alex had overslept, then cut himself in his hurry to shave and shower. Now he was standing in the pet food section of Paradise’s only grocery store, still bleeding, and confused as heck. Was growth food the same as kitten food? Or should he get the special indoor formula? Or sensitive? What did that even mean, sensitive? And then there were all the hairball options. By the looks of it, half of America’s cats were fighting some kind of hair trauma he had no desire to understand.

Dabbing again at the cut on his jaw, he decided on the bag marked Growth, mainly because it had a picture of a kitten on the front. That had to be a good sign.

Taking the smallest bag, he added it to his basket, which already contained a box of protein bars, new razor blades and the chew bone he’d promised Rex this morning. Thankfully, the checkout line was short, and he was in the car and tearing into one of the protein bars in a matter of minutes. He washed down the makeshift meal with some bottled water and nosed the vehicle south on Lighthouse Avenue. A few quick blocks later and he was pulling into the small parking lot.

Rex woofed hopefully.

“All right, you can come in.” He got out and then let Rex out, snapping on his leash. The dog trotted at his side, nose working the breeze. The K-9 was probably picking up a full buffet of smells from all of the pets that had been through there recently.

Once inside, Rex honed in on the treat container in the reception area, sitting prettily directly in front of it.

“Hi, handsome!” The pretty brunette behind the counter, Mollie, according to her name tag, smiled at the panting dog, then turned to Alex. “You must be the man that rescued the kitten this morning, right?”

“Guilty as charged. Although really Rex was the one who found him. He deserves all the credit.”

“I’m not sure credit is the word.” She made a wry face. “Maybe blame would be more accurate. That little guy has been driving everyone nuts all day. They had to move him into Cassie’s office because he was getting the other patients all worked up with his yowling.”

Alex winced. “Sorry. I probably should have taken him with me, but I wasn’t exactly prepared for a surprise kitten at six this morning.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s not your fault he’s so rambunctious. And Dr. Marshall’s daughter is in love with him. She’s back there playing with him now.”

“Emma’s here? Surely her mother doesn’t bring her to work every day?”

The receptionist tipped her head, studying him. “I didn’t realize you’d met Emma already. Her grandparents dropped her off a little bit ago. They watch her in the afternoons.”

He nodded. “Emma and I met at the Share the Love meeting the other day—she asked if I was going to take anyone to jail. She’s quite the character.”

Mollie laughed. “That she is. Not a shy bone in her body, that’s for sure. Have a seat. I’ll let them know you’re here.”

Alex chose the seat farthest from the door, across from an older man snuggling a Persian cat. Rex ignored the cat, preferring to keep an eye on the treat jar.

Only a few minutes later, he was called into an examination room. He was surprised to recognize one of the owners of the Sandpiper, Jillian, waiting for him, dressed in scrubs.

“Deputy Santiago, good to see you again.” She offered a wide smile, then crouched down to pet Rex. “And nice to meet you, Rex. I hear you’re quite the hero.”

“He’s going to get a swollen head from all the compliments the women in this place give him. And call me Alex.”

“Okay, Alex. Well, Dr. Marshall should be with you in just a minute. She was checking on the kitten’s lab results, but he seems plenty healthy.”

“Yeah, I heard he’s been a handful. Sorry about that.”

“Please. If we can’t handle a two-pound kitten for a few hours, we’re in trouble.”

“Well, thank you anyway. I have to admit, I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you ran the Sandpiper?”

“Oh, no, I’m one of the owners, but my husband’s the one who really runs it. Nic grew up in the hotel business, so he handles all the day-to-day stuff. I’ve been working here in the clinic since I was in high school. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

He nodded in understanding. He could respect that; it was how he felt about being a cop.

The door opposite the one they came in from opened and Cassie entered, her daughter behind her. In Emma’s arms was the kitten.

“He looks better,” Alex commented. “Jillian said he’s doing okay now.”

“He’s doing more than okay,” Cassie told him. “He’s got a belly full of food and has been given more attention today than he’s probably ever had in his life.”

As if to prove her statement, the kitten began purring, his throaty rumbling surprisingly loud given his small size.

“That’s good, because he’s going to be on his own tonight. I did stop and get him some food. And I can make him a bed up, with towels or something.”

“Good. What kind of litter did you get?”

Uh-oh. “Um, well...”

Cassie watched his face, then burst into laughter. Her shoulders shook as she spoke. “You’ve never had a cat before, have you, Deputy?”

Her laughter was almost worth the embarrassment. Almost. He had a college degree and had solved numerous criminal cases, yet he couldn’t figure out how to take care of a simple cat? She must think he was an idiot.

Still chuckling, she put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry I laughed. I should have given you a list this morning or at least told you what to get.”

Her hand on his arm was warm, the casual touch sending a jolt of heat through his body. Pulling away, he cleared his suddenly dry throat. “You did more than enough. This was my fault.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I don’t suppose you sell that stuff here? I’ve got to be on patrol in a bit, and, well—”

“Why don’t we take Trouble home with us, Mommy?”

Alex looked from the bright-eyed girl to her mother. “I don’t think—”

“Please, Mommy? You said we would get a pet. And this one needs a home. And he loves me so much, I know he’d miss me. And,” she said, pointing at Alex triumphantly, “he doesn’t know how to take care of a cat. He doesn’t even have a litter box.”

Put in his place by a child. So much for making a good impression. He’d be offended, except she was right. He had no idea what to do with a cat. He’d grown up with dogs, but cats were a new experience. Still, he didn’t want to put Cassie out more than he already had.

“I’m sure I can figure something out for tonight, and I’ll pick up a book at the library tomorrow. It can’t be that hard, right?”

Cassie nodded slowly, but her eyes were on her daughter. Remembering her earlier conversation with Emma, she gave Alex a half-hearted smile. “I’m sure you could figure it out, but Emma’s right. I did promise her a pet.” And since she couldn’t give her a dad, she might as well give her a cat. Because that made sense. Not.

“Really, Mommy? Really-really?”

“Really-really. But you’ll have to take care of him yourself. He’ll need to be fed and his litter box scooped. It won’t just be about playtime and snuggles.” Her lecture was lost on the girl, who was already whispering into the kitten’s ear. No doubt they were planning all sorts of adventures.

“You didn’t have to do this. I would have managed.”

Alex looked uncomfortable with the change in plans. The poor guy probably wasn’t used to being overruled by a four-year-old.

“I’m sure you could have handled it, but Emma’s right. I did promise her a pet. I’ve been saying it for a while now, and since we aren’t fostering any pets right now, it’s a good time to do it. And a kitten’s better than a snake.”

“A snake?” He arched an eyebrow.

“It’s a long story.” A thought struck her. “You didn’t want to keep him yourself, did you? I really should have asked before basically catnapping him from you.”

He grinned at her pun, one side of his mouth tipping up higher than the other. The crooked smile made him look boyish and devious all at once. A potent combination that had her pulse tripping faster. “No, I wasn’t planning to keep him. Between the new job and Rex, I’m not looking to take on any more responsibilities.”

Her libido cooled as quickly as if he’d dumped a bucket of ice water on her. Avoiding responsibility was a definite turnoff. “Right, well, it’s good you know your limitations. Too many people don’t take that into account until after the damage is done.”

“I just want to do right by the little guy. If you and Emma are willing to give him a good home, well, I can’t imagine a better place for him.” He paused. “Do you need to run this by your husband before bringing a new pet home? I don’t want to cause any problems.”

She fumbled with the stethoscope around her neck. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“It’s just Mommy and me at home,” Emma piped up. “We’re a team.”

Cassie was used to looks of pity when people found out she was a single mom, but Alex’s eyes showed only admiration.

Turning back to Emma, he crouched down so he could look her in the eye. “Well, then. Do I have your word that you’re going to take good care of him? Feed him and clean up after him and whatever else your mama says?”

Her eyes wide, she nodded solemnly. Then, without warning, she ambushed him with a hug, nearly knocking him, the kitten and herself to the floor. “Thank you for finding Trouble, and for giving him to me! He’s the best present ever!”

No one could resist Emma when she turned on the cute, not even a hardened lawman like Alex. He hugged the girl right back. Then, once she released him, he stood and called Rex to his side. “Rex here is the one who found your kitty.”

Awed by the massive dog, she asked quietly, “Does he like little girls?”

“Of course he does. Little girls are his favorite kind of people.”

That was all the encouragement Emma needed. She wrapped her arms around the giant dog’s neck, burying her face in the thick fur. Cassie started forward, visions of police dogs and bite suits flashing through her mind.

Alex stopped her with a touch. “They’re fine.”

He was right. Rex had his tongue lolling out of his mouth, panting in the way of happy dogs everywhere.

“I’m sorry. I normally wouldn’t worry, but I haven’t had much experience with police dogs. I wouldn’t want—”

“No need to explain, I get it. Honestly, I wouldn’t suggest she try that with most K-9s, but Rex really likes kids. I’ve even done some demonstrations at the school. He was chosen for our department partly because he’s so social. He’s the first dog here, and if he gets a bad reputation, that would be the end of the Palmetto County K-9 unit.”

As she watched the dog, her instincts agreed with Alex’s words. Rex did seem as comfortable with Emma as any family pet.

“You take Rex to schools?” Emma had lifted her head to speak, but kept her arms around the dog.

“Sometimes.” He winked, then stage-whispered, “I think he likes to show off.”

Oh, my. The combination of the wink and the dimples, not to mention the low gravel of his voice, had Cassie clutching the edge of the exam table. This man was so potent he needed a warning label.

“Could you bring him to my school for show-and-tell? That would be even cooler than John Baker’s silly snake.”

“Well—”

“Emma, Deputy Santiago is a busy man. He and Rex have a very important job to do.”

“That’s right, we do.”

Emma’s face fell.

“But show-and-tell sounds pretty important, too. And Rex sure would love to see you again.”

Sexy, confident, good with dogs and kids. If she hadn’t had a hang-up about the Palmetto Sheriff’s department, she would have said he was perfect.

Why couldn’t he have been a doctor or a lawyer, or even a mechanic? No, he had to be part of the good old boy network that passed for law enforcement in this area. Yeah, she was cynical. But for good reason, darn it.

Pasting a smile on her face, she remembered this wasn’t about her. It was about her daughter. “Thank you, Deputy Santiago. I know the kids will love having you come. I’ll have her teacher contact you about the details, if that’s okay.”