Chapter Four
Savannah was in a state of bliss for the next few days while she worked at the clinic. She no longer cared about the random visits from people in town, and, as she suspected, the volume started to die off by the end of the week. She had never been happier to have her mind occupied because she knew if she was left with a minute to spare, she was going to be thinking about that kiss with Beau.
She had been dreading the weekend but found herself strolling along the little downtown, hopping in and out of every shop she came to. The gentle breeze and store awnings kept the sun from scorching her skin.
“Hey,” a silky voice said from behind her as she stepped into the small ice cream parlor.
“Um. Hi.” Savannah didn’t want to be rude. She recognized the woman but couldn’t recall her name. She was pretty, though; Savannah knew that much. And for some reason, her thoughts automatically trailed to Beau. She wondered if he had dated many of the women in town. How awkward would that be?
“Sorry, I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Tate,” the woman said, extending her hand in greeting. As Savannah reached out to return the gesture, she noticed the grease under the woman’s fingernails – the same as Beau. “I work with Beau.”
“Oh! Yes, that’s right. I remember you from the shop. You’re best friends, right?”
“I swear we’re more like siblings at this point. He’s the absolute best. Anyway, I was just heading next door and wanted to stop and introduce myself.”
“What’s next door?” Savannah asked out loud, turning around to view out the window.
“The arcade. They just installed a ton of skeeball and that’s my favorite.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“You should come join me. Noah is busy on the track and he sent me away because I kept correcting him.”
Savannah really did like the idea of joining Tate. It was something that her parents never allowed her to indulge in. When was the last time she played skeeball or any arcade games?
“You know what? I’d love to join you. After, I get some ice cream. I’ve been walking around in the sun for the last three hours.”
“I’ll get one too. I highly suggest trying the mystery flavor. They make it daily and it’s never ever bad.”
“Sure. It’s my treat.”
Savannah and Tate grabbed their cups of ice cream and opted to sit outside, silently enjoying their treat. She knew that the woman had a ton of questions on her mind regarding Beau. It was no secret that gossip had spread like wildfire throughout the town that Beau had taken Savannah home and that the two were locking lips four hours after they had left the bar together. Savannah tried her best not to let the rumors get to her, but she still felt ashamed. Even in college, she had never participated in the walk of shame. She hadn’t even lost her virginity until she was about to graduate, for no reason other than keeping her nose in the books. There was no time for flings or one-night-stands.
After the ice cream, the two-headed next door and Savannah had never had so much fun playing games alongside little kids. Tate and Savannah found themselves in a mean game of air hockey against two ten-year-old boys who were happy to parade their win around the arcade at the end.
Savannah enjoyed her time with Tate, and the two made plans to meet again. She spent the rest of her weekend catching up on some reading. At her old job, she barely had a chance to open her e-reader, but in Carson, she wanted to make sure that she took the time to relax. The clinic staff knew that they could reach her in an emergency.
She may have been longing for Monday’s arrival. A certain animal was coming in to have her sutures removed and that pet had a certain owner that Savannah was dying to see.
Would the chemistry still be there? Or was it a one-time thing that happened beneath the veil of darkness?
She would soon be finding out.
“Hey, Conner,” Savannah said as she closed the door to the room that housed her third patient of the day. So far, the day had been smooth sailing, and she hoped it continued until she saw the last patient of the day. The one she had been longing to see. “Can you get a heartworm test set up for this patient? They need a refill of their meds.”
“Sure thing. Oh, and you have a package. I left it on your desk.”
“Thanks,” Savannah said as she walked back into the room and drew the patient’s blood for the test.
By the time Belle’s appointment was announced, Savannah had forgotten all about the package on her desk. It wasn’t until she had stepped inside to spritz on a bit of perfume because she didn’t want to smell like a slew of animals when she saw that man that played an active role in her dreams the night before and noticed the package. There was also a distinct rotten smell emanating from the container.
She was hesitant to open the box and stared at it from the doorway.
“Hey, Conner!” she shouted, hoping to grab his attention. He had gone up front to speak with the receptionist that took calls and answered the phone.
“Yes, doctor?”
“Who exactly dropped off the box?” she asked behind her hand, which covered her nose in the hopes of blocking the stench.
“Oh, man,” he said, bringing the collar of his shirt up to act as a mask across his nose. “I didn’t see who it was. They left it at the side door. I almost tripped on it coming inside. You don’t think. . .” his sentence trailed off.
Savannah knew where his thoughts were heading and she prayed that it wasn’t the case.