Page 28 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

First, the cat from the car accident, then a dog with a seizure, and last night a horse with twisted gut syndrome. I don’t normally do large animals, but the owners were desperate, so I went to help.

All the animals survived, so the late nights were well worth it.

I’ve ordered Emma her favorite drink, “Mocha Magic.” She got it every time we came here during high school. I could never get her to try anything else, even though there are so many other great choices.

It’s part of the reason I love this place. The drink names are so clever. There’s “Java Jive,” “Caffeine Craze,” and “Cuppa Comfort,” just to name a few. You will never see plain coffee anywhere on the menu.

I opted for “Expresso Euphoria” today and it’s doing its job keeping me awake.

As the front door chimes, my gaze shifts to Emma gliding in, radiating her usual stunning aura. Her blonde hair cascades down past her shoulders today, swinging side to side with her every movement as she looks around the shop.

“Emma, over here!” I call to her. Her smile lights up the room when she sees me.

Easy boy.

When she gets to the table, I hold out her drink. “Mocha Magic,” we say at the same time, then laugh together. She makes everything so easy.

After she savors her drink for a few minutes, she pulls out the flyers from her bag.

The vision she crafted after we met in the clinic a few days ago is now tangible, taking the form of brightly colored prints. Thanks to her artistic ability, they are sure to catch the eye of anyone who sees them.

"These are perfect. I can’t believe you secured a band so quickly. You must have used some of that famous Emma charm," I tell her after I’ve looked it over.

"Maybe a little," she says with a cheeky smile.

“Well, it looks great. You really outdid yourself.”

"You had a hand in it too.” She compliments.

“Maybe, but you did most of the work.”

Emma lets out a sigh. "Okay, you're right. I'm amazing."

I laugh and shake my head. "Yes, you are.”

"Are you ready to get your steps in for the day? Now we get to hand them out to everyone. You know, the fun part."

"The fun part, right," she says with a groan. "It's been a while since I've done much physical activity. My legs are sore just thinking about it."

"Hey, we're doing this for the animals," I remind her in a teasing tone.

"You're so funny," she says, nudging me with her elbow.

"It's true. I'm hilarious. Now, come on, you can do it. I know you can."

Emma groans again, but I can see the humor in her eyes. "Fine."

We stop by the clinic to grab Buddy. His leg has really improved and Emma and I agree that he’ll love a little adventure on the town. Plus, his sweet little face should be effective in convincing people to help.

We park at the far end of town and step out into the scorching sunlight with Buddy in tow, armed with our stacks of flyers. "Ready to hit the town, Dr. Grumpy?" Emma teases, a playful glint in her eyes.

I chuckle, realizing that the nickname has become a part of our dynamic. "Always ready, Ms. Sunshine. Let's do this."

Our first stop is the Cedar Creek Public Library. Inside, the librarian greets us with a warm smile. Emma takes the lead, explaining our plans and the purpose of the fundraiser.

"This is a great idea," she says with a nod. "We can use the community hall for the raffle if you’d like. You'll have no problem getting the whole town involved."

"We already decided to have the raffle at the town square," I say, a littler gruffer than I mean to.

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