“So far, things look promising. I’ll know more when I get the X-rays back,” I say, repeating basically what I’d just said.
“Thank you again. We had quite the morning around here.” The guy chuckles.
Josie comes out of the barn, dumping the bucket of soapy water on the ground.
The man pulls a large paper bag from his car. “I just picked up food from Sunset Tavern. You’re more than welcome to stay for lunch.”
“Dad,” Josie says through gritted teeth, and now I know who the Mr. Walker who called the clinic was. “I’m sure Dr. Harris needs to get back to the office.”
“It’s lunchtime,” Mr. Walker counters. “And I have enough food to feed an army.” He looks at me. “And I hear you knew my sister quite well.”
I’ve kept a strict code of not having any sort of relationships with clients, but I’m fucking starving and I don’t see any harm in sitting down with Kim’s brother. If I lost any of my brothers or, god forbid, my only sister, I’d want to talk to anyone who knew them as well.
“Yeah,” I say. “I did.”
Chapter Seventeen
JACOB
I can count the times I’ve been inside Kim’s house on one hand. Our interactions typically took place in the barn or at the clinic. There were a few times in the winter when we went inside to warm up while we discussed a plan of action, and a few others when Kim was going through chemo and she was visibly too weak to continue outside.
The house looks almost exactly the same now as it did all those other times. It’s small and cluttered but has a homey feel, reminding me a bit of the farmhouse I grew up in…though it’s a fraction of the size.
Mr. Walker leads me right into the kitchen and introduces me to his wife, who’s already pulling out lemonade, iced tea, Coke, and even a beer from the fridge to offer me to drink. Josie, who somewhat awkwardly announced that she was going to go upstairs and change as soon as we stepped foot in the house, joins us only minutes later. I hear her before I see her, looking up just in time to see her come into the kitchen.
I don’t mean to stare, but god damn. Her hair hangs in loose waves around her face, and it’s like time moves in fucking slow motion as she enters the room. She changed into a blue dress that swirls around her feet as she walks. It’s tight on her waist with a v-cut neckline and fabric that clings to her curves.
My mouth goes dry at the sight of her. She’s fucking beautiful—and she’s a client. A client who is in way over her head with this very farm.
“Riley?” she calls, stopping short. “Where’s Riley?”
“Relax,” Elijah huffs. “He’s on the screened-in porch.”
“I think I’ll take him for a walk,” Josie replies.
“Eat first,” her mother insists, patting the chair next to her…which is also next to me. Forcing a smile, she reluctantly takes a seat. Now that her hair is down, the sweet scent of her shampoo is stronger, and for some reason, I have the irritating urge to run my fingers through her hair.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“It seems my sister gave you quite a bit of business,” Mr. Walker chuckles.
“That she did,” I reply. “She was one of my first clients when I was fresh out of vet school.”
“She’s been here for thirty-something years,” Mr. Walker goes on. “You’re much too young to have been with her from the start.”
“Right. Dr. Carillio would have been the vet then.”
“She’s retired now, I’m sure,” Mrs. Walker says as she fills a plate with pasta for me. My stomach grumbles at the sight of it.
“Yes. I took over her practice and then opened my own in a new location.” I take my plate, trying to keep my attention on the food and the conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Walker, but the fact that Josie is so close to me is distracting. “I want to say I’m very sorry for your loss, sir.”
Mr. Walker casts his eyes down for a beat. “Thank you. My sister never would have let on just how hard she’d had it.” He reaches across the table and puts his hand on Josie’s. “I’m glad she wasn’t alone at the end, though I know how hard it was for you to be here.”
“I know,” Josie says softly, and then her phone rings. “Ugh, work,” she mumbles, silencing the call.
“Did you tell them you moved yet?” Elijah asks her.
“Not yet. I can work remotely so it won’t matter anyway.”
“I think you’re overestimating yourself, honey,” her mom says gently. “This is a big undertaking. I’m sure Dr. Harris would agree.”
“It is a big undertaking,” I echo Mrs. Walker’s words. “Especially when you’re not used to caring for animals that came from such poor conditions.”