Blind Love (Cowboys & Angels 5)

“I’m heading out. Talk to y’all later.”

I gave him a knowing look. “Trevor. Really?”

He slapped me on the arm. “Hey, just because you’ve got Harley back doesn’t mean the rest of us have to stop playing.”

“What about Scarlett?” I asked.

His eyes turned dark. “What about her?”

I shook my head. “Okay, if all you want is to hook up with random girls. Go for it.”

“A random, hot-as-fuck girl. Later, big bro.”

He quickly headed over to the girl’s car and climbed in.

I shook my head. Stupid bastard.

“He’s going to regret it,” Steed stated, standing next to me.

“Yeah, he is.”

With a frustrated sigh, I turned to Steed. “Do you need to head back to the ranch? I really need some advice and could use the ear.”

“Sure, want to meet at your office?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“I’ll see you over there,” Steed said, slapping my back and walking toward his truck.

After saying goodbye to Cord, Mitchell, and Wade, I made my way over to the office. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Harley’s name.

Harley: I can’t stop thinking about you too. Sorry, we had an emergency surgery come in. I’ll call in a bit!

I typed out my response.

Me: No rush. About to talk to Steed at the office. Love you, Harley.

Harley: Love you back!

The front door was locked, so Karen must have been out to lunch. Unlocking the door, I stepped into the lobby and was hit by a horrible smell.

“What the hell is that?” Steed asked from behind me. “Is that…dog shit?”

My fists balled up and I made my way back to my office.

“Why is she shitting in her crate? I thought they didn’t do that.” I threw the door to my office open. The sight before me had me rocking on my legs, fighting to stay standing.

Steed let out a hearty laugh. “I’m no dog expert here, Tripp. But I think in order for them to be crate trained…they actually have to be in the crate.”

My office was completely torn apart. Papers were everywhere. Clumps of white were all over the place. What was that from? The smell of dog shit was overpowering and had me pinching my nose.

Sitting on my desk, with one of my Berluti dress shoes in her mouth, was Hemi. Her little tail wagged with a purpose. With each swish she pushed papers aside. She dropped the shoe and let out that little howling bark of hers.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten before speaking. “Steed, call Harley and tell her if she wants to ever see this dog alive again…she better come get her. Now.”

“What a crazy morning.” Dropping in my desk chair, I let out a breath.

Julie, my vet tech, sat in one of the chairs opposite me. “I don’t think we’ve ever been that busy, Harley.”

I gave her a tight smile. Even though my vet clinic was thriving, I was about to lose it. Tripp had been going back and forth with Gerald for a week with offers to buy the land that the clinic sat on, only to have him decline time and time again.

“Any luck with Doc’s brother?”

“No,” I said. “Doc keeps calling me, saying how sorry he is. He swears he paid his brother back for the land, but he can’t find any paperwork stating it, and the deed was never transferred to his name.”

“It was so long ago, maybe he thought he paid it.”

Shrugging, I nodded. “Yeah. Probably.”

“Tripp’s been trying to figure out how the sale of the clinic went through with the land not even being in Doc’s name. We think it was just pushed through and not checked.”

“What are you going to do? Ask Doc for the money back for the clinic and let him and his brother duke it out?”

“No. I couldn’t do that to him. Tripp and I will think of something.” I tried to keep my voice positive, but I knew she could hear the doubt in there.

“Speaking of Tripp, y’all have been the talk of the town.”

My eyes widened. “We have?”

“Yeah, of course. The whole second chance romance thing. The hot attorney who is running for mayor and the equally hot new vet. It’s like a love story waiting to be written.”

I chewed on my lip, trying not to giggle. “Well, I can honestly say I haven’t been this happy in years.”

Julie scrunched up her nose. “See! It is a love story. Did you hear about Mallory, though?”

My heart dropped and I moved around in my chair. Tripp had told me she seemed all right with the break up, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d acted at the spring fling. I had a feeling she was still hung up on Tripp.

“No. Is she okay?”

Julie looked at me like I had just asked the stupidest question ever. “Oh my gawd… You don’t know, do you?”