Page 80 of Between Us

I’mhappyBenji’s going home. I really am. He’s made so much progress in the last few weeks. Over the last ten days, he’s really started to come back to his mischievous self and has every employee wrapped around his little, wagging tail.

It just feels so overwhelming actually seeing him make the recovery of any veterinarian’s dreams.

And over my dead body would I ever admit this to my dad, but I am going to miss having Benji here with us all the time.

In the last month I’ve spent more nights than that first one, with Adrian, sitting in his kennel at the end of a shift. Sometimes it’s just me and Benji, finding comfort in each other and the silence. Other times, Adrian shows up and we’d sit together, talking about random things—anything from our favorite colors to how he and Jatin have become new friends since the haunted house.

Not to put the fate of my relationship in a dog, but it kind of feels like Benji the Beagle’s a big part of what’s brought Adrian and I together.

Iknowby my dad’s standards—and maybe just the medical field in general—I’ve gotten too attached to Benji. Much like my attachment toChispahas grown throughout her recovery.

The doors push open and Benji comes walking out. He’s still a little slower than usual and has a cone on, but his excitement to be on his way home is apparent.

Polly bursts out a sob as Benji gets to her, laying at her feet ready for pets. Her reaction makes the tears I’ve held at bay fall over. It’s just a few before I can get a handle on myself. But like he’s invisibly tied to me somehow, Adrian’s head turns in my direction.

As soon as it does, his face falls in affection and concern. He stands over there, holding the leash for Polly, though his gaze continues to move back to me.

It makes my heart ache—all of it. Benji the Beagle leaving, the way Adrian’s looking at me, even the tears in that pain in my ass’s eyes.

Finally, when my dad seems to be done talking to Polly, the two of them stand and walk to the front desk, Adrian trailing behind them. I’m doing my best to stay distracted by sending out confirmation emails and appointment reminders. Except as he moves to my side of the desk and leans his butt against the edge, I realize it’s a fruitless goal.

Turning my head up to him, a soft smile already forming on my face, a worse distraction catches my attention.

When my eyes snag on the scowl that Polly’s throwing in my direction, I can’t look away. Squinting at her, I huff, “What?”

“That’s no way to talk to a client, dear,” she scolds.

Adrian hides his snort with a fake cough but I’m too annoyed to tell him not to encourage her. Instead, like a petulant child, I snark back, “Well, it’s not okay to lookat people likethat, Polly.”

With a quirk of her eyebrow, she asks, “You aren’t going to add ‘pain in your ass’ to the end of that?” My mouth pops open in surprise, and even my dad and Adrian look stunned by her question.

“Excuse me?” I squeak out.

“You think I didn’t know about that?” For the first time in maybe ever, there’s clear amusement dropping from Polly’s tone.

“What are you going to do?” I retort, sarcasm thick. “Leave another one-star review?”

“Apparently, the Google only lets you leave one review for a place.” She lifts her nose in the air and that’s the last straw for Adrian. He covers his mouth, his laugh slipping through his fingers anyway.

“I’m going to leaveyoua one-star review, Polly.”

She flinches back, looking like someone just tried to steal the glasses off her face. “You can’treviewpeople.”

“You can do just about anything onthe Googlethese days—try me.”

Squinting at me, she turns her head toward my dad and tells him, “You’ve raised ahorriblechild.”

“I tell them that about Grady all the time,” I cut in with a dramatic eye roll.

To my dad again, she adds, “Fire her.”

The demand is undermined by the fact that her beagle has slipped out of her reach and tries to jump onto the desk between Adrian and me. When his cone knocks him back down, he lays on the ground, his tail wagging as he looks up at us with his signature puppy eyes.

Giving Polly a mocking smile, I lean down and pet Benji the Beagle’s back.

“I’m not going to fire my daughter, Polly,” my dad finally advocates for me but he’s grinning in entertainment too.

Just to piss her off more, I stick my tongue out at her. With that, she huffs and goes to grab Benji’s leash off the floor. Like the kind-hearted traitor that he is, Adrian gets to it before she can throw her back out or something.

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