Page 13 of Twin Babies for the Pucking Billionaires

She shakes her head. “You just reminded me of something my dad and I were talking about today…”

“Mind telling me what it is?”

“I’ll tell you at dinner.”

“That’s a deal then, Millie.”

As we walk toward the pet store, I notice how much shorter Millie is than me. She’s barely five foot five. How can one person be adorable and sexy at the same time?

“Think you’ll get in trouble with your boss for treating the dog for free?” she asks, glancing up at me.

I shake my head. “Nah, the owner’s pretty fond of me.”

“Oh, that’s good,” she says, sounding relieved.

I decide not to tell her that the clinic is actually mine. I’ll tell her after dinner.

“Grab a cart,” I say as we enter the pet store. “We’re gonna need a lot of stuff.”

She nods and gets a cart, placing the puppy inside. “What all does he need?”

“He looks to be about four months old, so he’s going to need food, a leash, and toys to keep him from chewing up your shoes,” I explain as we start walking through the aisles.

I point out the basics first. “We’ll need a bed, some bowls, a collar, and maybe some grooming supplies.”

She nods, grabbing each item as I list it off. “This is all so new to me.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” I assure her.

“How did you get into being a veterinarian?” she asks, her eyes curious.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for animals,” I say, grabbing a bag of puppy food. “Ever since I was a kid.”

“Same here,” she says, smiling. “But I never had any pets growing up.”

“Why’s that?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“My dad was always working,” she explains. “And then my ex was kind of allergic to fur.”

“That’s unfortunate,” I say, noticing a flicker of sadness in her eyes.

“Yeah,” she says softly. Then she schools her features, pushing the sadness away. “So, what’s the deal with taking puppies for walks?”

“Well,” I start, grabbing a leash from the rack. “You need to start slow, especially if they’re not used to it. Short walks around the block, gradually increasing the distance as they get more comfortable.”

She nods, taking mental notes. “Got it.”

We continue shopping, filling the cart with everything the puppy might need. I explain each item as we go, enjoying the way her eyes light up with each new piece of information.

“And you’ll need to get him checked regularly,” I add, placing a grooming brush in the cart. “Puppies grow fast, and you want to make sure he stays healthy.”

“Got it,” she says again, her voice determined.

As we move through the store, I can’t help but notice how easy it is to talk to her. The conversation flows naturally and I find myself looking forward to spending more time with her.

“What about training?” she asks as we pass the aisle with training pads and clickers.

“It’s important,” I say, grabbing a pack of training pads. “Consistency is key. Positive reinforcement works best—lots of praise and treats when he does something right.”

---