Page 1 of Healing You
1
I t was one of those stunning New Hampshire summer mornings. You know the kind—the air was fresh and cool, but the sun was warm. Sky so blue you could damn near dive into the center of it and go for a swim. Maple Grove was swarming with tourists, and lovebirds walking hand in hand around the cozy little town.
Steve Tripp groaned as he passed by the third couple kissing over bagels and eggs that morning. It wasn't even nine a.m. yet. Sitting outside at a local cafe, a couple twined their hands together and the woman batted her eyes as the man fed her a bite of his eggs. Grunting, Steve shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he strolled past them.
You wouldn't think their small New England town had much in the way of tourism, but you'd be wrong. From the months of May through September, tourism in and around the Lakes Region boomed. And from November until March, ski season took over. As for the months in between? Well, the Artist in Residency Center managed to keep tourism flowing. And since Maple Grove was notoriously dog friendly, and Steve Tripp owned the only veterinary clinic in town, his business likewise was almost too busy to keep up with.
Steve rolled the kinks out of his neck as he crossed the street to Latte Da, the new cafe and bakery in town. He'd been up before the sun this morning, taking care of a horse's cracked hoof over at the Wilson farm. And after the third before-dawn call this month, he was severely regretting offering his services to Mr. Wilson. He'd meant to extend the invitation on an emergency-only basis, but maybe he hadn't been clear enough on that. The fact that he hadn't specialized in large animal treatment didn't matter to Mr. Wilson or anyone in Maple Grove. To them, his diploma was just a piece of paper. He was community—family. And in this town, a person who took their business out of Maple Grove was worse than any Benedict Arnold.
A cheerful bell chimed at the top of the door as Steve skulked in, desperately needing a caffeine fix. Lex looked up from behind the counter and over the sea of heads standing in line, sent him a grin. He held a finger and jerked his head, signaling for Steve to come around.
“Good morning, Doctor.” Lex's British accent rang through the café as he raked a hand through his russet brown hair, the same shade as an Irish Setter that had come in for shots the day before. The pastry chef had moved to town last year. Until recently, he had run a bakery out of his own kitchen, catering his pies and desserts to local restaurants before finally opening this café a few months ago, in April.
“Business is good, huh?” Steve looked around the crowded café.
Lex shrugged and delivered a lopsided grin to the crowd. “Surprisingly, yeah. But ask me again when Old Man Winter comes for a visit.” Steve had always pictured people from England as being born with a silver spoon in their mouth and a stick up their ass; but Lex had neither. And Steve had grown to like the guy a lot in his first year there in Maple Grove.
“You'll be fine, man. Orientation at University of New Hampshire will be here before we know it, and most of the students who live off campus find themselves here in Maple Grove. And once the first snow of the year hits, we'll get all those ski bunnies in town.”
Lex nodded and grabbed the filter from the espresso maker, banging out the muddy coffee grounds. “Your usual?”
Steve eyed the line he was so blatantly cutting in front of, but Lex swatted away his concern. “The man who saved my cat from the pound of baking chocolate she swallowed will always cut to the front. Your usual iced coffee and bagel?”
Steve felt a smile curve on his lips. “You got it. Aw, hell. Add some cream cheese to that bagel, too. And an iced latte for Amanda. I'm feeling generous today.” His veterinary assistant worked damn hard for him at the clinic and he liked to give her as many incentives to stay working for him as possible.
“You know…” Lex leaned forward, resting an elbow atop of the glass bakery case. “I just finished a new chocolate pistachio spread—it's like Nutella, but better. I could do half your bagel with the cream cheese and the other with the chocolate?”
Steve groaned dramatically. “Twist my arm. But if Ronnie kicks my ass at the gym tonight, I'm blaming you.”
Lex lifted both hands in surrender, backing away. “Don't you dare sic your sister on me.” His eyes flashed, and though it was subtle, he wet his lips.
What the hell was going on? Was there some sort of love potion in the Maple Grove water reserve? Granted, the attraction between Lex and Steve’s little sister Ronnie was nothing new. He'd known for a few months that the pastry chef liked her. And while normally Steve was a bit overprotective of both his younger sisters, he liked Lex. He was a good man. If only Ronnie could get her head out of her ass long enough to see that.
Lex rushed off to complete the order while his two employees—a couple of students from the high school—tended to the tourists in line.
Steve leaned against the wall, facing the counter, and absently scanned the summer tourist crowd. It was Maple Grove’s busiest year yet, that was for sure. With the economy bouncing back, more and more people were swarming to the small town for their summer getaways. In line ordering was a woman—girl? Steve inspected closer, narrowing his eyes. Woman. Definitely out of college. Or at least, he hoped she was out of college. No way he'd be caught dead checking out someone young enough to have just graduated with his other sister, Callie, the baby of the Tripp family.
The brunette had curly hair that was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. A mole sat to the right of her brown eyes and when she smiled one dimple creased the upper part of her cheek.
Steve chuckled to himself. Oh, yeah, baby? Two can play at that game. He grinned back and flashed her the Tripp signature dimples, one on either side of his mouth. She dropped her eyes, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.
Steve sighed. Damn, how long had it been since he'd been with a woman? He did some quick math in his head... St. Patrick's Day. And since it was now July, that was... shit. Five months. Otherwise known as too damn long.
He caught his reflection in the window beside him, and the scar slicing down his face stared back at him. Angry. Creased. Red.
He ducked from his own stupid reflection as his phone buzzed from within his back pocket. Tension melted from his shoulders as Steve relaxed, happy to have the distraction. A text from Amanda: A walk-in appointment just arrived. How long should I tell her?
Yep. The job that never ends. Nor did he want it to. In a way, Steve always felt more connected to animal kind than humans... not that he'd ever admit that out loud to anyone. He'd sound like a lunatic. But it was the damn truth. He typed a quick response to his receptionist and veterinarian in training. While he normally only had her a couple of days a week during the school year, her class load at UNH Maple Grove during the summers were significantly lighter. He got more help, and she got extra hands on training during this time. Five minutes away. Just getting coffee, he texted back.
He tucked the phone back into his pocket, looking up just in time to see Lex handing a couple of to-go cups and a paper bag over the top of the bakery case. His friend's grin widened as he flicked a glance over to the brunette in line. “It seems you have an admirer. She took care of your bill.”
Steve arched a brow in her direction, catching another one of her high-voltage smiles. “Thank you,” he mouthed from across the room.
When he lifted the bag, he saw a phone number and the name Sophy scribbled onto it with a black Sharpie.
Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all. Steve tossed one more wink toward the brunette and shouldered the bakery door open with a nod goodbye to Lex. Crossing the street, he rushed over to his veterinary practice.
Pushing through the front door of his clinic, he smiled at Amanda and set her iced latte down on the front desk. He eyed the handful of mail she had left in his tray for him and debated leaving it until after lunch. “Morning, Amanda. How are ya?”
