Page 35 of No Bones About It

Garrett leaped the fence in a single bound and was on his knees in the dirt beside the dog before Kimi reached the fence. When he lifted his head to look at her, utter devastation filled his gaze. “He’s been clawed. Looks like a bear got him.”

Not good. Bears were rarely a problem in the area, but having food out for her animals meant they sometimes wandered in looking for a free meal. Usually, they were pretty easy to wait out or scoot away.

She imagined Snoops hadn’t taken well to a bear invading his paddock and had lashed out. Poor Olaf had likely been caught in the middle if he’d tried to defend or help the donkey.

A quick look showed no bear in sight and Snoops was calming down. With no immediate danger, she turned her attention to Olaf and Garrett. His hands trembled as he rubbed the dog’s head.

The claw had slashed Olaf’s side and belly. There was a lot of blood, and she needed to get him into her surgery so she could see the extent of the damage. “I’m going to take him into the barn. I’ll give him some relief from the pain, then I can have a look at that wound.”

She started to scoop up the dog, who had to be sixty pounds, but Garrett shook his head sharply. Without a word, but with eyes filled with pain, he gently lifted the dog and cradled him to his chest.

They hurried to the surgery, where Kimi immediately scrubbed up.Garrett set Olaf down and she told him to scrub up as well. She might need the extra set of hands. If he wasn’t steady, she’d call in Lia. The town doctor was always available for animal emergencies as well. She’d been a surgeon in another life. Even though an injury had changed her career path, her knowledge was a huge asset, and she shared that expertise freely.

“Hey there, Olaf. You’re a very brave boy. Thanks for defending that cranky old donkey out there. We’re going to get you fixed up. First thing I’m going to do is put in an IV. It’ll sting for a second, but it’s the best way to get medicine into you. I’ll be right here with you.”

Garrett appeared in her vision, face drawn and as white as the sheet beneath the dog. He’d pulled on gloves as well, and he stroked the dog’s head as Kimi continued to talk through the procedure. It was something she always did for the animals under her care, but she also wanted Garrett to know exactly what was happening.

Once she’d administered the anesthetic and the dog was resting comfortably, she blew out a breath and focused on the injury. As she cleaned it, she sighed with relief. “The claw cut through the skin but didn’t tear any vital organs. I’m going to clean everything I can see. We don’t want him getting infected. It’s not as bad as it looks. I can fix you up, Olaf. You’re going to be okay.”

She quickly showed Garrett how to monitor the equipment. Her heart rate steadied as she settled into the familiar routine of saving an animal.

Her first prognosis proved to be correct, and there wasn’t any severe damage she couldn’t fix. She used her portable X-ray machine and checked out Olaf’s legs and chest area where dogs forced to fight were liable to get the most injuries. It was a relief when she found the leg she’d set had healed and there were no other broken bones.

It took a while to get the injuries cleaned, and the belly sewn up. She’d talked through most of the process, but Garrett hadn’t said a single word. He’d monitored the equipment, handed her tools when she needed them, and touched Olaf.

Kimi cleaned up the dog and herself, then had Garrett do the same. “He’s going to sleep for a while yet. I’m going to put a onesie on him so he can’t get at his stitches. If he won’t leave them alone, I’ll have to use acone, but I’d rather not. He’s been on his own and feeding himself for a while. Wearing a cone might be too frustrating for him.”

And she was babbling because Garrett still hadn’t spoken.

Before she grabbed the onesie, she rounded the table and wrapped her arms around Garrett. He flinched at the contact and held himself stiff as a board.

She didn’t let go, simply ran her hands up and down his back in comfort. “I know that was incredibly difficult for you. Thank you for helping. He’s going to be okay. He’s going to make it.”

Slowly, Garrett’s body softened, and his arms lifted to hug her back. He buried his face in her hair and breathed slowly. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she made no move to wipe them away. She wouldn’t break the contact with Garrett.

Eventually, he moved to squeeze her more tightly. “Thank you.”

She squeezed back. “You’re welcome. And thank you to you as well. Solo surgery is never a good idea, and you didn’t flinch.”

“Army training at its best.”

She managed a small laugh at that. “Or just another thing you’re really good at.”

He huffed out a laugh that didn’t sound like it held much humor.

They stood entwined for a few minutes, and she felt his muscles and his breathing ease. Finally, he kissed her temple. “I have one question.”

“Okay.”

“What the hell is a onesie?”

CHAPTER 13

A Bone To Pick

Something inside Garrett had shifted. Seeing Olaf bleeding on the ground had brought him right back to that horrific day when he’d lost Shaggy. It had taken a second for Garrett to see past her shattered corpse in his memory to see Olaf in reality.

His heart had shuddered to the point of cracking, and only Kimi’s calming presence had kept him together. Otherwise, he might have been a sobbing ball in the corner of the paddock.

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