Page 22 of A Little Naughty

“Do you have a physical store? I would love to buy some of your famous pickles, and maybe we could do a profile for theGazette. I’m their newest reporter, you know.”

“I do not.” I’m almost worried I’ve offended her until she adds, “But you can come by the house, and I’ll put a little something together for you.”

“That sounds perfect! I’ll text you…” Her eyes narrow, and I quickly redirect. “I’ll give you a call when I get back to the office.”

“Um, hello—I didn’t hear you come in.” A smooth male voice comes from behind me, and I turn to see a guy with sandy brown hair and friendly brown eyes behind the desk. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a receptionist right now. Can I help you?”

He seems very nice. A little too nice, if you ask me.

“It’s okay! I dropped in kamikaze-style like one of those makeover specials.” Stepping forward, I shake his hand while he frowns bewildered.

“Someone sent you to give me a makeover?” He slides the hand I’ve just released down the front of his pale blue scrubs, inspecting his outfit.

“Oh, no!” I shake my head. “I work for the EurekaGazette. Piper Jackson, the publisher, sent me over to do a little business profile on you. I should’ve called first.”

“You need a receptionist?” Julia’s eyes light, and I glance at her.

Looks like somebody has her eye on the hottie new vet in town. Arching an eyebrow, I make another note on my phone.

“If this is a bad time, I can come back.” I hold my phone to my chest, moving my index finger between the two of them. “Perhaps you’d like to do an interview of your own?”

“Julia has to drive me home now.” Terra steps forward, dropping a cannonball on my little matchmaking attempt. “We need to pay our bill, and she can come back later for an interview.”

“Of course.” Henry nods, pulling out a long spiral-bound book. “Let me just get you a receipt.”

“You’re doing it all on paper?” My eyes widen. “By hand?”

“Well… I have this system, but I don’t know how it works.” Dr. Henry frowns at a nice desktop computer sitting dark and quiet on the empty desk. “It’s better if I write it all down and figure it out later.”

We wait as he writes, and my eyes land on a tray of what looks like tiny biscuits. “These are so cute. Are they free?”

“Ah, yeah. They’re for dogs.” He returns to the receipt book. “They prevent tartar buildup, freshen breath...”

I take two and drop them into my bag, then I nudge Julia with my elbow.

She finally gets the hint. “Let me give you my phone number, and maybe I can come by tomorrow?”

He mutters something that sounds like assent as he tears off the top layer of the receipt for Terra. She hands him a paper check, and my eyes widen. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of those.

At last, Henry’s eyes land on Julia’s, and I need to step back so I don’t get hit by the sparks. “Sorry, did you need an appointment?”

“No, I’m Julia Belle.” She holds out her hand with a little laugh. “Your new receptionist.”

I fight a grin, giving her a little thumbs-up below the desk where Dr. Dreamy can’t see. Julia is not missing her shot, and I wholeheartedly approve.

The door opens behind us, and an older man walks in with a hound dog on a leash. “I’ve got an appointment for Bowser.”

He’s loud and gruff, and I almost laugh.

“I’ll be right with you.” Henry holds up a finger, giving me a worried look.

“It’s okay! I can come back in a few days—once you’ve had a chance to get your new receptionist up and running.”

I give Julia a wink.

“Everybody said it would take a while to get busy.” He steps around the desk and motions for the man to follow him. “Right this way, sir. And you are?”

He bends forward to greet the dog, and Julia and I exchange an approving nod. Dr. Nice Backside seems like a great catch from the few minutes I’ve been here. He’s hot, polite, and just clueless enough.

---