Page 12 of Lee

“When I brought my mom’s cat in the other day, I just really liked the feel of this place. No one made me feel stupid for bringing her in for such a silly reason. The vet was very reassuring and kind. I appreciated that, even if it was a bit of an embarrassing moment.”

A smile grew on Cheryl’s face. “Lee would never make someone feel dumb for caring about an animal. He is great at dealing with our patients. It is important that everyone working here treats all our patients and their owners with that same care and understanding. These pets are important to their owners, and because they can’t communicate how they’re feeling, their owners often come here greatly distressed.”

Rori had never really thought about that until seeing her mom with Queenie. She was pretty sure that her mom loved her cat more than she did Rori. Her mom would probably lose her mind if Queenie was actually sick.

They talked a bit more about the clinic and what the responsibilities would be for the job before Cheryl said, “I’ll be contacting your references, and then I’ll let you know our decision about the job. If it works for us to hire you, when do you think you’ll be able to start?”

“I’m flying back to Denver on Thursday, and then I’ll have to pack up my stuff. I don’t have much since the apartment I’m renting is furnished. I could probably be back by the middle of next week.”

Cheryl’s brows lifted. “Will you have a place to stay here?”

Rori nodded, figuring that even if she didn’t have an apartment right away, she could afford to rent a room at a cheap motel for a short time. She’d already looked up what was available, and there were a couple of possibilities.

As the interview ended, Rori got to her feet when Cheryl did, then walked with her back to the reception area. The vet who’d helped her with Queenie was leaning against the elevated edge of the receptionist desk, talking to the woman who’d also been there during Rori’s previous visit.

Both of them glanced at her and Cheryl as they approached. The younger woman’s face lit up with a friendly smile, while the vet’s expression was a bit more reserved. More curious.

Rori felt a rush of unexpected shyness as she briefly met his gaze.

“Rori, this is Lee Halverson, our primary small animal vet, and this is Alys. She’s the vet tech. My dad is also a vet here. He deals mainly with large animals, so he’s out of the office a lot.”

“How’s Queenie doing?” Alys asked after they’d greeted each other.

Heat filled Rori’s cheeks at the memory of their first meeting. Not only had she come in about something silly, she’d come in looking a hot mess. Not a great impression, that’s for sure.

“Still not purring, but my mom is coming back tomorrow, so we’ll see if she’ll purr once her favorite person is back.”

“Or maybe she’ll decide that she’s mad at your mom and won’t purr for her, either.”

Rori couldn’t think of a worse prospect. If her mom came back and Queenie wasn’t purring? Oh boy… She’d definitely blame Rori for that.

“I never realized that cats were so temperamental,” Rori said.

“It really depends on the breed,” Lee said, the deep timber of his voice soothing. “It looks like perhaps Queenie got a heavy dose of the Siamese temperament over the Ragdoll.”

“Ragdoll?” Rori asked.

“According to her file, Queenie is a Siamese-Ragdoll mix. She’s got the long fur and facial features of the Ragdoll, but her coloring and temperament seems more in line with the Siamese breed.”

Trust her mom to pick a breed mix that was both pretty and petty.

The door of the clinic opened, and they all turned to watch as a man walked in with a large dog on a leash. Lee greeted him by name, and as the two men chatted, Rori focused on Cheryl.

“I’d better go,” she said. “Thank you again for considering me for the job here.”

Cheryl smiled. “I’m hoping that this works out for both of us.”

After saying goodbye, Rori left the clinic and headed for the car. On the drive home, she mulled over what all she’d need to do if she got the job.

But soon, her thoughts drifted to the tall, dark, and handsome vet.

Lee.

There was something about the man that appealed to her. He was handsome, yes, but it was more than that. The man had treated Rori respectfully, and he’d handled Queenie with gentleness. He came across as being very nice.

Over the years, she’d harbored a lot of crushes, and Rori definitely had a type. She didn’t go for the overly muscled guys. She much preferred them like Lee. Solidly built, strong but not ripped.

Lee was tall with a sturdy build that spoke to her of a strength that could be depended on. Not that she knew for sure that he was that sort of man. Her imagination often gave men attributes that they didn’t necessarily have.

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