Page 2 of Interference

“That’s fine,” he said quickly, his eyes and voice full of both hope and fear. “Please. Anything is better than leaving her outside. She’ll freeze to death out there.”

As they went back and forth about a few possible logistics, one question kept banging around in my mind:

What about you?

Because, yeah, it was supposed to get stupid cold tonight, and it wasn’t going to let up for the next few days. A group text had even gone out advising everyone to leave early for practice tomorrow and to drive carefully, since it had rained recently and the roads would likely be icy.

Dr. Green and her techs exchanged looks while the man watched them, bone-deep fear written all over his face.

His dog nudged his hand with her nose. Then she whined a little and did it again. He petted her absently, but when she pawed insistently at his leg, he looked down at her. She gave another whine and leaned hard against him.

The man exhaled and moved to one of the chairs against the wall, limping as he went. As soon as he sat down, she put her front paws in his lap and her head under his chin. She seemed to be leaning so hard against him, she’d probably have knocked him over had he been crouching or standing. Eyes closed, he wrapped an arm around her and petted her neck with the other.

His hand was shaking.

The clinic staff had fallen silent, but he didn’t seem to notice. For long moments, there was no sound in the room except the dog’s tags jingling whenever she or the man moved. The way he was breathing—hard and ragged, but not hyperventilating, as if he were struggling to stay in control—reminded me of an old teammate with anxiety when he was fighting off a panic attack.

The dog kept nudging the man. Pawing at him. Licking his face. Leaning into him. And he just kept on petting her and clearly trying to bring himself down.

The clinic staff and I exchanged worried glances, but no one said anything.

After a few minutes, his breathing started to even out. The dog pressed her head under his chin again.

“I’m okay, baby,” he murmured to her, and kissed the side of her head. She licked his chin, which got a near soundless laugh out of him. “I’m okay,” he said again.

Right then, something tugged at my leg, and I looked down to see that Bear had wandered off. He was now busily trying to climb into an artificial plant, unaware that he’d tangled both me and Moose in his leash in the process.

My face burned as I stepped out of the loop and reeled my cat back in. I was usually extra vigilant about where my cats were and what they were doing when they were on leashes, especially in the vet’s waiting room, but I’d been distracted by this man and his dog. Fortunately, aside from the Doberman, there were no other animals in the waiting area, and the only thing Bear had disturbed was a magazine rack and the potted plant.

I hoisted him up into my arms. He was heavy as hell, but at least if I was holding him, he wouldn’t get into as much trouble.

While Bear tried valiantly to reach for a display of pamphlets on the counter, I returned my attention to the man and his dog. In the moment or two I’d been distracted, he’d gotten up and was moving back to the counter where Dr. Green was frowning over something Daryl was saying.

At the high counter, the man looked down at his dog, and his voice came out slightly unsteady. “Lily, watch my six.”

She immediately moved between his legs, facing behind him, and sat down.

He rested his forearms on the counter and watched the people who were, I hoped, helping him.

Finally, Dr. Green turned. “I can probably put her in an exam room tonight. I’d…” She sighed. “I would be happy to let you stay with her, except for liability reasons, we can’t have—”

“That’s fine,” he said quickly. “As long as she’s safe tonight, I’ll… I can figure something out for myself.”

The hope and relief on his face were almost more heartbreaking than the fear, and my mouth moved before my brain caught up:

“I have a spare room.”

All heads turned toward me. Well, the dog was fixated on the door behind her owner, Moose was licking his paw, and God only knew what Bear was looking at. But all the humans in the room were definitely focused on me now.

I hadn’t thought before I’d spoken, but now that I’d said the words, I stood by them. “I’ve got a spare room,” I repeated. “And you wouldn’t have to leave her here alone.”

Chapter 2

Wyatt

The clinic was completely silent as the man’s offer hung in the air.

I stared at him, not sure I’d heard him correctly. Was he… Was he offering to let me and Lily stay with him? In his house?

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