Page 38 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

I can’t send another text, right? That’s going to look desperate. I mean what is the rule for, ‘We kissed for the first time (amazing) and you pinned me up against a wall (which as I mentioned was well received), but then your brother showed up (terrible timing, again) and ruined the moment and now you’re not responding to me’?

Text again? Wait a few days? There needs to be some sort of handbook. I shove my phone into my pocket and head back to take care of the next animal.

My day continues on this way for hours. Surgery, check my phone, nothing. Surgery, check my phone, nothing.

After the last surgery of the day, I check my phone one last time and there’s a message. Finally. But it’s not from Emma. It’s from Peter. This day just keeps getting better and better.

He wants me to come over tomorrow night, says Linda is making my favorite, enchiladas. This can’t be good. He wants to feed me right before he takes me out back to kick my butt for kissing his sister. No thanks.

But there’s no way I can no. Someone really needs to create a manual for these situations.

“Sounds great,” I text back. Lies, all lies.

Peter and I text back and forth a few times. I ask what I can bring. He says just yourself. Ugh.

Feels like I should at least bring a bottle of wine in case I need to defend myself in some way. Not that I’ve ever lay a hand on Peter. He’s always been there for me.

He’s the only one from Cedar Creek besides my family who knows about what happened with my ex-fiancée. I’m not sure I could have made it through that breakup without him.

Celia was my whole world. I never thought I’d be engaged so young, but our relationship was a crazy ride from the day we first crossed paths.

As a veterinary student, I had my share of memorable experiences, but nothing has ever compared to the day I met Celia. Little did we know we’d be laughing about it for years to come.

Ours was not a typical first encounter. We were both sophomores in vet school and assigned as partners to work on a rather… spirited patient. We were in our exotic animal rotation, studying different exotic animals that people sometimes keep as pets.

Our school exposed students to a variety of species to provide a well-rounded education. That day, each pair was supposed to give a physical examination to a different animal. Celia and I were excited to see what we got. All the animals were in crates or cages, and each was hidden under a blanket. We were told that would help keep them calm before the exams. That hypothesis was proven wrong when it came to our patient.

We slowly removed the blanket to reveal the most adorable looking ferret. He had a long, slender body and chocolate brown fur. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, looking up at us in wonder. He was sitting very still, which we took as a sign of a laid back nature. He had a collar we were supposed to hook a leash to, but he seemed so harmless we skipped that step and just opened his crate.

Big mistake. Huge.

The ferret sprung from the cage with the speed and agility of a tiny ninja, landing directly onto Celia’s unsuspecting head. With a yelp of surprise, she stumbled backward, shaking her head to dislodge the little fella from his new perch.

But he was not to be denied. He clung to her long red hair like he was a tiny ferret cowboy trying to win a bull riding event. He wanted that Texas belt buckle prize and he was not falling off his bull for nothing.

As you can imagine, the entire class stared in awe as Celia bucked and spun but the ferret hit the golden eight second mark and just kept on riding. The more she struggled to free herself of him, the more his tiny claws dug in, holding on for dear life.

Hoots and yeehaws from the class were not making Celia’s predicament any better. Funny, but not helpful. So as her trusted partner, I decided to step in to rescue her.

I saw a dish of raw meat beside our cage and decided it was the only option at this point. I grabbed a piece, along with the ferret’s leash.

Celia looked at me suspiciously, “Sterling, what are you doing?”

“Um, so, I’m going to try and distract the ferret with the meat and then clip his collar.”

She slowly nodded her head. I took measured steps toward her, holding the meat out for the ferret. I extended my arm as close as I could, but he just didn’t trust me enough to take it out of my hand.

“Celia, I’m going to put the meat on your head. I think it’s the only way,” I told her. The whole class groaned loudly. Again, not helpful.

Celia gritted her teeth as she answered, “Sterling, don’t you dare put raw meat in my hair.”

I had to stifle a grin at what this day had come to. Celia was adorable and taking this amazingly well but clearly the raw meat put her over the edge. But I couldn't stop now.

I lifted my hand to drop the meat on her head, while she continued, “Sterling, no, don’t do it. I will never forgive you.”

It was for her own good. I had to save her from the world champion ferret cowboy. It was now or never. I dropped the meat. Celia winced. The class groaned... again.

The ferret? He took the bait. Clearly the bull riding helped him work up an appetite. He grabbed the meat and started nibbling. I moved to the side slowly, then snapped the leash on his collar in one quick movement.

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