Page 49 of Redeeming Harmony

Emma rolled her eyes, but the slight smile on her face told him she wasn’t annoyed.

“Anyway, I still enjoy working out, and my boss does too, which means he had a personal gym built right behind the office. Employees are welcome to use it, so I usually hit the gym every morning before starting my workday. I also do a lot of hiking with Connor at the Falls.”

He took another sip of soda and then said, “What about you?”

“I don’t go to the gym,” Emma said. “My exercise preference is hiking at the Falls and helping Rayna chase down stray cats and dogs.”

At his puzzled look, she laughed and said, “Rayna is my best friend. She’s a plumber here in town, but she also runs an animal rescue called Little Whiskers. If I hadn’t had this meeting tonight, I’d be with her right now in Fairfield County, trapping a feral cat.”

“Sounds like fun,” Lucas said.

“Not so much when it’s freezing out, and you’re up to your hips in the snow trying to convince a cat to come down out of a tree,” Emma said.

“I’ve been thinking of getting a cat,” Lucas said. “I’ll check out Rayna’s rescue when I do.”

“Cool,” Emma said. Her phone buzzed, and she flipped it over to read the screen. “Shit, I need to go. The alarm is going off at the store.”

Lucas frowned when she waved at Martha for the bill. “Shouldn’t you wait for the police?”

“No, it won’t be anything serious. The alarm is malfunctioning. This is the fourth time it’s gone off for no reason this week. I have to call the alarm company and shut it off manually otherwise they’ll send the police.”

“But how do you know it isn’t someone breaking into the store?” Lucas said.

“It isn’t,” Emma said.

“You don’t know that for sure. I’ll come with you.”

“It’s fine, really. It’s just a malfunction,” Emma said. “I’m literally going to walk down the street to the store, shut off the alarm, and call the security company. It’ll take five minutes, at the most.”

“I’d still like to go with you,” Lucas said. “I’d feel terrible if it wasn’t just a malfunction.”

“Why? You don’t even know me,” Emma said.

“We’re starting to be friends,” he said, “and friends help each other with shit like this.”

She laughed and pulled out her wallet as Martha headed toward them with their bill and the debit machine. “Okay, fine. You can come with me, new friend.”

He smiled happily at her. “Perfect.”

* * *

Harper smoothedher hand over Izzie’s head. The dog rested comfortably on a thick blanket in the double wide cage, and Harper scratched behind Izzie’s ears as she watched the four puppies nurse. The breech baby was a bit of a runt, and once Nathan had manipulated her into the proper position, Izzie had pushed her out with little difficulty. Despite how long she’d been in the birth canal, she was doing as well as her siblings and nursing just as enthusiastically.

“You did so well, sweet girl,” Harper said. She touched each of the babies' soft fur, stroking along their spines before giving Izzie a final pat. She stood and swung the cage door shut, latching it securely. “Good job feeding your babies, Izzie. You’re such a good mama.”

She washed her hands and stuck her head into Nathan’s office. He was typing notes on his computer, and she knocked lightly on the open door.

He smiled at her. “Thanks for your help with Izzie. Nice job placing the catheter.”

“I owe it all to Hal and my dad. I teched for them off and on over the years during summers and school breaks during high school, and then worked full time at the clinic until I left for New York. They taught me everything I know,” she said with a soft smile.

“They taught you well,” he said.

“Do you want me to remove the catheter?” she asked.

“No, she’ll need fluids for a while longer. I’ll take it out and move Izzie and the babies to one of the runs before I leave for the night.”

She studied him for a few seconds. He might have been impressed by her tech skills, but she thought it said a lot about him that after watching her prep Izzie’s leg for the catheter, he’d trusted her to place the IV while he held Izzie still, rather than insisting he do it himself.

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