Page 66 of Saddles and Snowstorms
I unlocked the clinic door, letting them both inside. Brooks stayedbeside me. Blake on the other hand, waltzed on in and started looking over the place.
“Nice little office you got here,” he said, nodding his head. “Not much room to grow though.”
“Most of the work I do here is large animal,” I replied, not moving from the door. “What brings you out here, Blake?”
The vet stopped, cocking his head to the side. His smile was failing. “Can’t we be friends, Rowan?” he asked. “I already apologized to you about everything that happened.”
“You mean after you fired me?” I shot back. “After you chose to believe Tyler, the one that had been doing the bare minimum for you for months? You were going to make me a partner and then you let some idiot change your mind with a bunch of hearsay and no evidence in less than twenty-four hours.”
“I know,” Blake nodded, letting out a long sigh. “You’re absolutely right.”
“Then I had to go and prove myself innocent just to stop y’all from smearing my name all around town!”
“I didn’t do that,” he replied, firmly this time. “That was Tyler. Not me.” I opened my mouth to retort, but he held up a hand. “I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be. But I didn’t come here to make life more difficult for you.”
I let out a long sigh, letting down my guard slightly. Blake wasn’t a bad guy, I knew that. He’d given me a job right out of vet school, he never treated me poorly except when Tyler was whispering in his ear. Besides the last couple of weeks at his vet clinic, I’d been really happy there. I wanted to hate him, but the truth was, he’d been good for me for the majority of our time together.
“So why are you here then?” I asked at last. “It’s not a short drive to come all the way up here.”
Blake’s practiced smile returned as he leaned against the counter. “I came to offer you your job back, Rowan. More than that, actually.”
I blinked, stunned into silence. Brooks shifted beside me, his boots scuffing against the linoleum floor nervously.
“The partnership,” Blake continued. “It’s still on the table. Tyler’s gone, thanks to you. And it turns out you weren’t the only one he tried to sabotage. I should have listened to you, and I’m sorry I didn’t. Hetried to bring me down after you but now that his license is revoked, there’s not much he can do to anyone anymore.” He paused, shaking his head. “Anyway, I want you to come back to Austin.”
My heart hammered in my chest. Six months ago, this would have been everything I wanted to hear. The vindication, the job offer, the partnership that would have set me up for life in a thriving practice. But now...
“I don’t understand,” I said. “You drove all the way from Austin just to offer me my old job back?”
“Not just the job. The partnership. Full stake in the business, Rowan. We’re expanding—opening two more locations in the greater Austin area. I need someone I can trust running one of them.”
I felt Brooks go completely still beside me.
“That’s...a generous offer,” I managed.
Blake’s eyes lit up. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially for someone as young as you. But you deserve it. You’re one of the best vets I’ve ever known and trustworthy to boot. I’d be honored to have you running one of my clinics.”
I glanced at Brooks, whose jaw had tightened under his scruff. His eyes were fixed on some distant point on the wall, deliberately avoiding mine.
“When would you need my answer?” I asked, turning back to Blake.
“Well, I was hoping to bring you back with me today,” Blake said with a chuckle that died when he saw my expression. “But I understand you’ve got a practice here. I can give you a week, maybe two, to sort things out.”
My mind raced. Two weeks to decide whether to abandon everything I’d built in Sagebrush—the clinic, my growing reputation, the connections I’d made. The people I’d met.
“And what about Sagebrush?” I asked. “They’d be without a vet again.”
Blake shrugged. “Small towns adapt. They did before you came along.”
I felt Brooks bristle beside me, his shoulders squaring.
“These folks need a vet,” Brooks said, his voice low but firm. It was the first time he’d spoken since we’d entered the clinic, and both Blake and I turned to look at him.
Blake’s smile tightened. “And I’m sure they’ll find one. Or Rowan can hire one for you. He’ll be making a small fortune with me, so that shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Blake’s words hung in the air like a bad smell. The way he talked about the town—my town—made something twist in my gut. I looked at Brooks, whose face had darkened, his eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his hat.
“I need some time to think about it,” I said finally.
