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One
I wanted to thank you for having me, Dr Connelly—” Eht She tightened her grip on the steering wheel in the parking lot of her new job “I really hope to make a positive impact—” Nope, even worse No one liked a brown-noser She cleared her throat, looked into her rearview mirror and forced a smile “I’m thrilled to be stuck in West Nowhere, USA”
Your own fault
She drew in a deep breath, applied lip gloss—because everyone knew that was the saot out of the car It was early autu air only served to reeles she really was She looked around, taking in the towering, inti what could only be described as a vast, wide open valley of therivers and lakes she’d ever seen Eured it was filled with bears and wild foot for all she knew
Having coes, the wildest anied variety
In front of her was Belle Haven, a wood and glass building housing an animal center run by Dr Dell Connelly and his two brothers, Brady and Adam
If only Belle Haven had been her number one choice on her list of dream jobs
Or even last
But it hadn’t been on her list at all
She sucked in a breath She could do this She had to do this In her first year of vet school, she’d accepted one of only two available grants The repayment was a year of internship at either of the two animal centers who’d donated the money, and she always paid her debts
She’d hoped for LA, not Sunshine, Idaho, but that’s what happened when your ht before you left for college and you ended up doing school half-assed while trying to keep the rest of your life together—the other scholarship recipient got their first choice
Shit happened, and Eot sick and died, you picked yourself up and kept going
What was one year anyway? And besides, by tonight it would only be three hundred and sixty four days left
Pulling out her phone, she accessed her calendar, the one she’d labeled The Plan It kept her sane, listing everything that had to be done, including her goals More recently she’d added a list of the pros and cons of Idaho, though so far only the con colu in it
Under today’s goal she’d typed: ood impression
Huh Not nearly as helpful as she’d hoped Next time she’d have to be more specific She slipped the phone back into her pocket and kept
The property was i, there was a barn, and pens off to the side There were three guys in the first pen, two of the notes All looking like they’d walked off a Marlboro Man photo shoot
Not so she saw in LA every dayShe pulled back out her phone and added her first check to the pro colu when she entered the front doors to a large waiting room area
Sprawled out in various positions on the floor were a golden retriever, a collie mix, two pissed off cats in carriers, anda Shetland pony
The pony stood next to a chair, cal his reins sat flipping through the latest Women’s Journal
Not so you saw every day
The front counter was a wide half circle, behind which was a wo two computers and her phone at the same time She was a strawberry blonde, beautiful, cool as a cucumber as she ran her world A parrot was perched on her printer and a cat dozed in her lap
This tugged another suys and ani better, and far more confident, she moved toward the counter
The biggest St Bernard she’d ever seen caave her a friendly “wuff”
Eain
“Gertie wants you to pay the toll,” the receptionist said, nodding to the jar of doggie treats on the counter
Eamefully pulled one fro took it, slobbered her thanks, and lumbered back around the counter, where she thudded to the floor, round shake
“Graceful Gertie,” the receptionist said with a laugh
“Wuff,” said Gertie
“Wuff!” said the parrot in a perfect i
The receptionist smiled “No cookies for you, Peanut”
“Boner,” Peanut said
The woe”
Peanut gave a startlingly huh and fell silent
The receptionist turned back to Emily with a smile “How can I help you?”
“I’m Emily Stevens, the new intern”
“Oh good” She looked vastly relieved “Dell’s been asking every five seconds if you’re here yet It’s been chaotic since Olivia left to have her baby last month—”
A man stuck his head in fronized hi notes
“She here yet?” he asked
“As a matter of fact,” the receptionist said, and pointed to Emily “Emily, meet Dr Dell Connelly,” she said
“Great to have you,” he said He had the coloring of a Native Aht to hers “Sorry ahead of ti”
This only made her feel even more comfortable “I live in the fire,” she said
“Perfect We need two extra hands in delivery I’ll catch up with you later on everything else” He gestured for her to go down the hall
So down the hall she went She passed a few exam rooms, an x-ray rooical room
The back door was opened, flapping in the wind
“He’s in the last pen,” so outside
Feeling a little bit like Alice in Wonderland must have after she’d fallen down the rabbit hole, Emily headed out the back door and to the last pen
A man was there, on his knees, at the back end of a sheep He wore cargo pants and a doctor’s coat over broad shoulders, his wavy sun-kissed brown hair a feeeks past needing a cut There was so familiar about him
The sheep’s head was down, her belly was clearly swollen with pregnancy, her sides heaving
“You’re doing great, Lulu,” he irl”
Lulu bleated weakly