Page 58 of Family Jewels

“You do?”

He laughed. “At the risk of sounding like an episode ofLaw and Order: SVU, when two beautiful women blow into your office like a hurricane, bringing a wayward baby pig to boot, you tend to ask questions.”

“So you asked about us.”

“I didn’t have to ask many people to find out.”

I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. But I didn’t have time to think about it because my head started to tingle and I was plunged into a vision. I was in an exam room with a woman who looked like she was close to fifty, but a toned and tucked kind of fifty. She was wearing a red dress with a plunging neckline and had a cat nestled beneath her generous breasts.

“Dr. Romano, I know I dropped in without an appointment,” she said. “But my Tiffany needs your expert help,” she said, tugging down the neckline of her button-up dress to better showcase her cleavage.

“I . . . uh . . .” I said in Dr. Romano’s voice, then took a step backward. “What’s wrong with Tiffany?”

The woman set her cat down on the exam table. “She’s lonely. Sooo lonely.” Then she quickly unfastened several buttons to reveal a black bra covered in tiny crystals. “Can you help me?”

“Mary!” I called out in panic.

The door burst open, and Mary was inside the exam room in an instant, grabbing the woman’s arm and dragging her out of the room.

“My cat!” the woman shouted.

Mary gave her a look of disgust. “I have it on good authority that you adopted that cat from the shelter this morning. I’ll find that poor creature anactualhome.”

The vision faded, and I found myself staring into Dr. Romano’s face. “A woman’s gonna show you her crystal-covered bra.”

“What?”

How was I going to explainthat? “I have to go.” I spun around and reached for the doorknob.

“Wait. You can’t go yet. I need to get Muffy’s medication.”

Oh crap. Of course he did.

Thankfully, the door opened and Mary’s stern face appeared in the frame. “Dr. Romano, your next appointment is waiting.”

“All right,” he said. “Becky’s in the back, getting Muffy’s anti-inflammatory. Can you make sure Rose gets the medication and a crate before she leaves?” When she hesitated, he added, “Her dog has a real injury, so please make sure she’s treated well.”

The woman scowled, but her boss’s assurance seemed to relax her. “I’d say your next appointment is fifty-fifty.”

Dr. Romano sighed. “Little did I know Henryetta, Arkansas, would turn out to be so dangerous.”

He hadnoidea.

Chapter 12

By the timeI got back to the office, I had worked myself up nearly to the point of a panic attack.

Bruce Wayne was sitting at his desk—a rare occurrence these days—talking on the phone while he studied a yellow invoice in his hand. But Neely Kate’s face lit up as soon as we walked through the door.

“Well?” she asked in excitement. “How’d it go?”

Bruce Wayne hung up his phone and swiveled his chair to face me, taking in the crate I was carrying in my free hand while I cradled Muffy with the other. “What’s that for?”

I knew Neely Kate was eager to hear about the romantic part of my visit, but I wasn’t eager to talk about it. Better to focus on Bruce Wayne’s question. “Muffy got hurt, so I took her to see the vet. Dr. Romano said Muffy doesn’t have any broken bones, so that’s good. But she has deep tissue damage, so she needs to rest and move as little as possible.”

“You’re not gonna actually put her in that cage, are you?” he asked, sounding slightly outraged.

“Only when we leave her alone somewhere. She’s not moving around much, so I’m hoping she’ll just lie on her dog bed.” I set the crate down, and Neely Kate scooted the small dog bed out from under my desk. Moments later, Muffy was curled up on it.

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