Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) (9 page)

She was inexperienced but normally calm and confident, and her wide eyes and complete lack of respect for protocol told Gavin there was no time to waste. He made sure the Pomeranian was secure in her owner’s arms and shot an apologetic look to the family as he left the exam room. “Susan will get you guys all set, and please call us if you need anything.”

He followed Kaley into another exam room where his more experienced tech was bent over a tiny black ball of fur and a woman was hunched over in her chair, crying with her head in her hands. He’d comfort the distraught owner in a moment, once he had a chance to assess the situation and was sure the little kitten was out of danger.

“What do we have here?” He kept his tone even and projected a calm confidence, careful to do what he could to keep the panic in the room to a minimum. His vet tech wouldn’t be able to do her job if she thought he wasn’t in control or if the owner became hysterical and distracting.

“This little baby got run over, but she scooped him up and rushed over here as soon as it happened. Unfortunately, the cat doesn’t belong to her, so we don’t know anything else.” The tech pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and nodded toward the blond woman in the corner. “I told her she might be more comfortable letting us handle this while she waits in the lobby, but she insisted on staying with the kitty. She’s alive, and her heartbeat sounds strong, ma’am. Dr. Cooper will take a look now.”

Methodically and gently, he palpated the kitten’s little body, assessing for pain, abnormalities, and external injuries. “It’s possible that her leg might be broken, but her lungs and heart sound strong. Let’s get some X-rays and see what we’re dealing with. It’s good that you brought her right in.”

The woman stopped crying and looked up, her tear-streaked face awash with relief. Shock immediately replaced relief, and her eyes widened. “Gavin?” She fell back against the gray vinyl of the chair’s back, letting her head drop. She stared at the ceiling and blew a long breath out through puffed cheeks. “You’re the vet here?”

“I am, and don’t worry, we’ll take care of this.” The tears stopped him from making a snide remark about how she’d been too concerned with taking over his house to even ask what he did for a living. He took a step to the side so Macy could see the kitten. “See? There’s a small scratch here, but I don’t see any more external damage.” He’d probably run her blood work, too, after they knew if anything was broken or whether she needed surgery.

“Chrissa, will you take our little patient to the back for her X-rays, please?” His tech took the little black bundle of fur out, leaving him alone with Macy.

He’d loved animals from the moment he held his first puppy, Wrangler. He’d worn his parents’ resistance down until they agreed to adopt the little guy from the shelter. Gavin was in kindergarten and Grayson was just a toddler, so their mother had complained that she had enough babies to take care of. He’d promised everything that little boys promise: He’d feed the dog, walk him, and bathe him. But unlike a lot of kids, his promises weren’t empty. He and Wrangler had been inseparable, had grown up together. The dog was an escape artist, though, and one day Gavin came home from school to find out that he’d managed to run out when his mother, juggling shopping bags and his baby brother, Gage, came in. Poor Wrangler died when a delivery truck hit him before he could get across the street. Gavin had never lost anything he loved before, and he cried a river for that dog. No matter how many times he’d comforted grieving families in this very room, it never got easier. He’d soothed sobbing children, adults rich and poor, everyone from college professors to waitresses whose hearts were breaking for their sick or injured pets, and nobody was immune to the heartbreak.

So he couldn’t find it in his heart to be anything but gentle with Macy. Her fear for the little kitten’s safety was likely compounded by her guilt over having hit the poor thing with her car, and only a bully would pile on top of the situation.

“Hey, I really do think she’s going to be okay. Want to come back with me?” He wouldn’t know for sure until he saw the X-rays, but for her sake and the kitten’s, that was the only outcome to focus on.

She swiftly wiped the tears from each cheek and took a shuddering breath. “Okay, sure.”

Macy followed past the currently empty kennels and shelves of wrapped sterile supplies to the gleaming stainless-steel table in the back where the tiny kitten lay. Chrissa was petting her fuzzy head, and gave Macy a sympathetic smile. She was truly shaken, and it couldn’t be easy for her to face him after the accident.

Gavin clipped the X-rays to the front of the light box, and before Macy could panic or worry about what she’d done, he plunged into the news. “It’s definitely broken, but it’s just the one leg, as you can see here.” He paused as he pointed out the clean break on the little leg. They would need to examine her for further damage, any internal bleeding or injuries they’d missed, but telling Macy that would only make her feel worse. “We will take care of her right here in the office, and it should heal nicely. We’ll check her out to see if anything else is wrong, but she looks pretty good, considering what she’s been through. I don’t recognize her from the neighborhood. Do you know where she came from?”

“I wasn’t at the house when it happened. I was pulling out of the drugstore parking lot and felt it when my wheel hit her. I know it’s stupid, but I think I heard a crunch.”

He had to laugh. Many times, he found that bringing levity to a serious situation helped clients remain calm and see things rationally. “I’m sure that’s just your imagination.”

“Or my guilty conscience.” She smiled weakly.

“Cats are notoriously undiscerning when it comes to napping spots. You might want to start checking behind your tires every time you get in the car, but this really was an accident. And plenty of people would’ve kept on driving.” He touched her arm, meaning to comfort her like he would any worried pet patient parent, but the warmth of her surprisingly soft skin stopped him. Her eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, when he abruptly pulled his hand away. “You did the right thing. You got her here as soon as you could, right?” She nodded. “There’s really nothing else you could’ve done.”

His voice caught on the last word, and he cleared his throat, eager for her to leave so he could get back to work. At his clinic, he was in charge and confident. More than once, she had challenged that, throwing him off guard in ways he wasn’t at all comfortable with. When it came to Macy Young, he knew where they stood and he wanted it to stay that way. She was the one who stood in between him and the things that were important to him. If he was going to figure out a way to get his house back from her, he couldn’t let her buttery soft skin and depthless sapphire eyes distract him.

“I’ll get her patched up and we can put the word out to see about finding her owner. You can pay at the front, or we can provide a very reasonable payment plan.”

Macy nodded, looking upset still, but the initial guilt and worry had subsided. Without another word, she edged away. Perhaps she felt the spark he’d been so desperate to tamp down? Did she expect him to acknowledge it? Or was she just surprised he brought up the bill?

“Okay. Thanks for taking care of her.”

“I’m kidding, of course. I’m not going to bill you for this. I’m glad you brought her in.” He led her to the door and let her pass while he stayed behind. “I’ll let you know how she’s doing.”

Though he meant to turn around immediately and get back to work, watching her walk away proved to be irresistible. Too bad she was the common factor in his life’s biggest disappointments, because her butt looked amazing in jeans.

• • •

After the trauma of hitting the kitten, seeing Gavin, and unloading the rest of her stuff in the house that she owned but he continued to occupy, Macy needed a break. A quick survey of the pantry and refrigerator told her that not only was Gavin apparently the world’s cleanest bachelor, but he was also prepared to feed a small army at any time. She could’ve made herself a sandwich but didn’t want to risk him coming home unexpectedly and finding her eating his groceries. A quick trip downtown to Betty Lou’s would do quite nicely.

“Hey, sweetie, what’ll it be?” Betty Lou passed Macy a tall glass of iced tea without her having to ask as she slid onto a stool at the counter. She couldn’t remember feeling so at home in Sweet Ridge even when she was a full-time resident.

“How about the skinny chicken salad? I’ve got to dial back on the calories, or I won’t fit into any of my clothes.” Macy sipped her tea and grinned. “The camera adds ten pounds, you know.”

“You’re beautiful at any size, darlin’.” Betty Lou ripped the top page off her order pad and hooked it into the carousel behind her. “It’ll be out in a jiffy.”

A line cook behind the window rang a bell and pushed a plate overflowing with eggs, hash browns, and bacon to Betty Lou’s waiting hands. Breakfast was served all day at the diner, but Macy couldn’t constantly indulge in the delicious comfort food. People could be so nasty about her on the Internet—imagine the ugly things that would be written about her if she returned to her show sporting an extra ten pounds.

Macy tried to forget about Betty Lou’s tall stacks of pancakes and heaping piles of perfectly crisp hash browns and watched the cooks working in the kitchen. Her home kitchen back in Nashville was fit for a gourmet chef, with a giant stainless-steel refrigerator, six-burner stove, and state-of-the-art double oven, but she’d done little more than heat up leftover takeout in it. Maybe if she was home more often, or had a reason, she’d learn to cook something.

“I heard you were in town. Didn’t believe it until I saw you with my own eyes.” The deep voice beside her slapped her out of her haze, interrupting a long sip of Betty Lou’s delicious iced tea.

“Mr. Procter! It’s so nice to see you.” Macy gave her former choir director a tight hug. What were the odds the man who had ignited her passion for music would appear at a moment when she needed the good memories? He took the stool next to her and picked up a menu.

“Not that we aren’t glad to have you in town, but what are you doing here? We haven’t seen you in years, except on TV.” He nodded to Betty Lou’s offer of coffee. “Not as good as having you here, but I guess it’s the next best thing.”

“Jack Cooper left me his house.” Betty Lou set her plate in front of her, and Macy thanked her. “Seemed like the perfect excuse to get away from Nashville for a while.”

“We’ll take you however we can get you.” He looked over the menu and ordered a big breakfast platter. “I hate to take advantage, especially since we haven’t even split a donut yet, but I have to ask in case I don’t run into you again.” Mr. Procter cut his maple pecan donut in half and gave a piece to her. If he was about to ask for a favor, he certainly knew how to lay the proper groundwork for her to say yes. “I run a music program for at-risk kids, and it would mean the world to me if you could come by and talk with them before you go back to Nashville.”

“This donut is delicious, but I don’t think that’s such a great idea. I’m not exactly role model material anymore.” She took a bite, the maple flavor a little too sweet against the bitter thought.

“Macy, the kids around here look up to you, especially the ones who might otherwise think there’s no way they’ll ever get to leave Sweet Ridge. Believe me, it would make a difference to them.”

“I’m flattered, but I’m not sure how closely you’ve followed my career. I pretty much bottomed out after Tori died. Unless you want to use me as an example of what not to do, I don’t think I should talk to them.” She poked at the perfect scoop of chicken salad with her fork.

“Macy, I know that you lost your way after Tori’s accident. I won’t lie; it was really hard to watch you go off the rails like that. But you’re still a great role model. We expected better from you, and eventually you lived up to that. You’ve been able to take what was essentially a ruined career and turn your life back around. It just took you a while.” Mr. Procter paused to take a bite of perfectly cooked bacon. “Everyone around here loves your show, we all still love your music, and nobody ever thinks about the troubles you had.”

Macy traced a line in the condensation on her glass, finding it hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. Most of the people in her life worked for or with her, providing information or services, not true friendship or companionship. It seemed that nobody really knew her anymore, and she had created that situation consciously, careful not to get close to anyone again. Her only real friends were her three fellow celebrity judges on the show, and except for her ex-boyfriend Dave Miller, they barely spoke outside of work. If they didn’t work on the show together, she wasn’t sure she and Dave would even still be talking, much less have transformed their failed relationship into a friendship. The warm embrace of Sweet Ridge was slightly suffocating and increasingly intoxicating. Frightening, but enticing.

“How can I say no?”

“Thank you so much. Really. We meet this afternoon at three in the choir hall if you’re free.”

“Sure. I’ll be there.”

“Be where?” A caramel baritone interrupted their conversation. To her dismay, a sweet shiver skipped down her spine.

“Hi, Gavin.” He’d been so gentle and kind to her at his clinic earlier, she wasn’t sure if they were friends now or if she should throw her guard back up. “How’s the little patient?”

Did she sound breezy enough? Should she try to sound more worried? Did he smell that good this morning? When he wasn’t being an insufferable jerk, Gavin Cooper was quite handsome. Macy noticed the appreciative looks of the diner’s female patrons, and age didn’t seem to be a qualifier. He was the perfect combination of good looks, brains, and compassion that women of all ages couldn’t seem to resist. Like a decadent dessert, he was rich and so smooth that it almost didn’t matter if he was bad for you. And he was bad for her, wasn’t he? So she would do well to resist. They weren’t friends anymore, he didn’t like her, and their situation hadn’t changed just because he was finally being nice to her.