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Grace followed him inside, stepping into a bright corridor. Cool air soothed her skin, and her footsteps echoed against the tiled floor. Caleb guided her into the nearest consulting room, where the familiar sight of an examination table gleaming with a recent wipe of disinfectant greeted her. In the corner, a computer work station hummed, waiting to be put to use.
Her heart raced. There was no reason to think Caleb’s friend would know her. How many veterinary surgeons were there in the United States? She tried to rationalize with herself the question like a mantra in her mind. Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? The odds of running into someone she knew were infinitesimal.
But her unease lingered.
She closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow. She should find calm here. A veterinary surgery was her happy place, where she felt most at home. This should be familiar and comforting. The scent of wet fur and disinfectant stung her nostrils and somewhere a cat howled its frustration, a familiar sound from her days spent in clinics just like this one. She’d tried so hard not to miss her former life as a veterinarian, but being back in this environment reminded her of how much she loved her work, of the fulfillment she’d found in her chosen profession.
The one Richard had forced her to give up.
When they’d first met, he’d been indifferent, but that had changed. Irrational jealousy had reared its head, and he’d given her his first ultimatum. Stop practicing or I’ll remove your patients for you.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Caleb touched the back of her neck with a small press, disrupting the negative spiral of her thoughts. “I’m here. And Brad is a good friend.”
Her heart stuttered at his proximity. Caleb’s towering frame eclipsed everything else, making her feel small.
She nodded, chewing on her upper lip. Caleb was the first person she had trusted, really trusted since…since forever, but despite the brief joy at remembering her own practice, the confines of the building, even though bright, made her palms clammy and her borrowed shirt stick to her back.
“Caleb.” The door squeaked and an older man pushed into the room wearing blue scrubs snug across his broad shoulders. He scanned the room. “No, Dolly?”
“Brad. Hey. No. I left her at home this morning, but she’s fine.”
The two men shook hands.
“So…” Brad scrubbed at the silver-peppered stubble on his chin, lifting one eyebrow in question. “You said you had an emergency?”
“Yes. This is Grace.”
“Grace.” Brad extended one large hand and engulfed Grace’s good hand in a firm handshake. “Hi. I’m Brad Marks.” His eyes twinkled despite the rough timbre of his voice, putting her at ease.
“We need to check its not broken,” Caleb explained.
“Yes.” Grace swallowed. “I fell on it awkwardly.”
“And hospital is out of the question?” Brad perched glasses on the bridge of his nose. “May I?” He gestured for her to give him her hand.
Grace did as he requested. “No hospitals.”
His fingers were gentle. “May I ask why?” Brad ran careful fingers up her forearm, but no further. Thank God. The look on Ryder’s face at the sight of her bruises was still imprinted on her mind.
“My ex is looking for me. It’s over, but he won’t give up. He’s been chasing me for weeks.” Emotion welled in her throat, making it hard to breathe. “He’s a powerful man, and he knows I’m in the area. I can’t risk going to the hospital. He’ll find me there.”
“I see.” Brad glanced at Caleb. “Sounds like you should report this to the police?—”
“No police,” Grace blurted.
Both men stared at her.
“No police,” she repeated, her gaze falling to the floor, her voice drawing softer. “Please.”
Brad patted her arm. “No police it is, then. Let’s get you checked out, shall we?”
“Just place your arm here.” Brad adjusted the X-ray screen against her arm.
His glasses slipped, and he pushed them back to the top of his nose. “This will only take a second.”
He stepped out of the room and the X-ray buzzed. Minutes later they were in his office waiting for the images to upload.
There was a photograph on the desk of Brad and a younger woman. They were wrapped around each other, somewhere on a beach, a glorious cinematic sunset behind them. Brad held the woman against his chest, his forearm across her breastbone…
