Page 4 of His to Keep

Dad: Honey, you act like you won’t be in town regardless to shop.

Mom: Are you saying I have a shopping problem?

Dean: Text Tully if you need something. I’m out.

Lane: I’m not touching this next conversation.

Ryland: Where’s Trey? Wasn’t he doing something at the Ellison Farm? Ask him.

JW: I’ll give you one guess about Trey’s whereabouts. Sorry, Ma, got plans with Maeve in the city.

Jesus, it’s like a three-ring circus with my family. Dad is right, though. Mom will be in town, wearing out the credit card he pretends to be annoyed about. Meanwhile, it’s him who pays the bill every month and tells her to enjoy life while she can. They’re both in their mid-sixties, a hell of a lot healthier than most, and aren’t going anywhere for a long-ass time. The little comments they make are mostly jokes. Too bad none of us kids like hearing it and we make it known what we think about their conversations every time it’s brought up.

Me: I’ve got a meeting today for the bison. Send me the list, and I’ll pick up what you need. I should be done around noon.

I ignore JW’s little jab about Sienna. I’ll deal with him another day. Payback's a bitch, and I know where to make him hurt: the next time Maeve makes his beloved cinnamon rolls

Mom: At least someone loves me. I’ll send it outside of this group.

Ryland: I’ll update you all about Case this evening. The nurse called us back.

The group finally goes silent. I toss my phone back onto the passenger seat and start my trek to my meeting. Sienna is long gone. Any chance of seeing her again today is thrown out the window. My family doing their thing ruined any chance of me figuring out what has her in town so much. Plus, she’s making a pit stop at Tallulah’s, and who knows where she’ll go from there? I turn the radio up and the air conditioning down in order to get this show on the road.

FOUR

SIENNA

“Hi, do you happen to have a leash I can borrow to bring in an abandoned dog I called Doctor Johnson about?” I ask Maureen. She’s stayed on after Tallulah took over the vet practice. Amos kept me filled in on all the small-town gossip, and even if he didn’t, news travels fast, even when you live in the bigger city.

Since it happened, I’ve refused to think about the interaction I had with Trey. He gets me so fired up, and for good reason. The man knows how to work my body. Still, I either want to jump his bones or strangle him. I’m not sure which feeling is stronger at the moment, probably the later seeing as how I’ve yet to calm myself down. I have the wet panties to prove it, damn him. As for my pebbled nipples, yeah, they decided to keep waving their flag begging for attention from Trey. Again, not thinking about him or his handsome face is going splendidly swell, as you can see.

“Hello! Of course. There are a few to choose from on the hook by the front door. I’ll let Doctor Johnson know you’re here.” It’s so hard to keep professional Tully straight from friendship Tully when I’ve known her as a friend for as long as I have.

“Thank you.” I head back through the intimate lobby, nodding at other people or saying a quick hello. I’m not sure how the dog in my truck will react to being stuck inside while I’m gone. Sure, the truck is running and there’s air conditioning, but he could be destructive, and while the vehicle I’ve been using is not worth more than a couple thousands of dollars, I quickly grab the closest leash and hustle out the door, making sure it closes behind me. Tallulah’s waiting room seems to be decently full, and I’d hate for someone’s pet to get lose and dart out onto the highway. I’m walking as fast as my legs allow me, head on a swivel as I make my way through the parking lot.

“Oh, you sweet precious boy.” I’m halfway in love with him already. His nose is pressed against the window that's covered in kisses and slobber. There’s no way I’m going to be able to not bring him home. Which means I’ve got to hope that he’s not microchipped, or he is, and his owners no longer want him. That makes me sound cruel, except he’s clearly been gone quite a while. His ribs are showing, he’s caked in dirt, and I can only imagine what comes off of him with a bath.

I open the driver’s door, take the keys out of the ignition, and move to the backseat. A few minutes later, he’s got a slip rope around his neck and jumps out of the truck, letting out a small yelp. “Are you okay, buddy?” I ask the dog, who can’t respond. I’m sure if he did, it’d go something along the lines of 'Does it look like I’m okay, lady?' And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish Trey were here right about now. He could carry him easier than I can. “Alright, looks like I’m carrying you. There’s no way you’re going to walk into Tully’s now.”

I bend down, arms going beneath his stomach, and lift him up using my legs. This pup sure is giving me quite an exercise today. It’ll be worth it in the long run. We’re standing up, my arms burning while holding him, and I’m moving as quickly as I can to get back inside.

“I really need to get back to walking three miles a day. Clearly, riding horses isn’t enough in the exercise department,” I huff out as I walk back up the ramp to Tully’s office.

Lucky for me, a patient is walking out and holds the door open. “Thank you, Mr. Reyes.”

“You’re welcome, Sienna. Glad to see you home. We’ll have to catch up later. Looks like you’ve got your hands full.” He and his wife would check in on me from time to time when Amos had to make the long haul to the auction out of town when I was a teenager.

“I’d love that.” He tips his head in acknowledgement, and I step back inside. Today must be my lucky day. Tallulah is out in the room, a rolling stretcher-like cart in her hands, and she’s moving toward me.

“Thank goodness. When Trey put him in the truck, he didn’t make a peep. He jumps out just now, and bam. A whine comes from him.” I don’t even say hello to Tully, going right into what happened.

“We’ll get him figured out. Come on back.” It’s safe to assume I figured other patients waiting for what I’m sure is their appointment times and would grumble. No one says a word, though, and I do as I’m told, laying the dog on the cart thing and following Tully and her assistant toward the back. The whole time, I’ve got my hand on the poor guy’s head, gently scratching his matted fur. We’re led into a room with a table and X-ray machine, and the assistant pulls out a tablet and waits for Tallulah to proceed.

“You want me to give you the details?” I ask. There isn’t much, but I can tell them what I do know.

“Sure. Sasha, will you grab the scanner for me?” Tallulah is already whipping her stethoscope out of her pocket and doing an assessment before I can even start.

“I found him while driving into town, ten minutes from the farm on the main highway. Trey helped me because, of course, as soon as he appeared, the dog ran off, then somehow, Trey being Trey, has him eating out of the palm of his hand. Not really. I didn’t have any food, but he loaded him in the truck, and now we’re here. There’s no collar, he looks like he hasn’t eaten a good meal in weeks, and I’m hoping you can fix whatever he has wrong with him.” Through my tirade, Tallulah nods, listening while working, and now I’m left with bated breath.

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