Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“The one with Grant?”
“Nah, the other one owned by the club.” Andy sighed. “Do you know anything about the club?”
“What do you mean?”
Andy and Phil were new to town.
“You know, anything about them? I’ve seen them riding through town with their leather jackets, and of course coming here with the dogs. What do you know about them?”
Aria frowned. “There’s nothing to know, or at least I don’t think there is. They’ve been here my whole life.”
She wasn’t going to tell this woman that her parents hated them, and wanted them ridden out of town. She never had an issue with any members of the club. Everyone she had met seemed nice to her, or at least reasonable. A little rough around the edges, but then, wasn’t everyone? Grant was nice too.
“Any news from our little dog lover?” Andy asked.
“Grant? No, unless you got a call about Wanda?”
“No, silly. Him asking you out on a date.”
She rolled her eyes. “That is not going to happen.”
“I heard him and I saw him. That man wants you.”
No man ever wants her.
“Hopefully, there’s nothing wrong with the dogs,” Aria said, trying to change the subject.
“Yeah, they’re not the ones that were involved with the dogfighting, were they?”
Aria looked toward Andy. This was the first time she had seemed curious about the dogfighting.
“I don’t know the complete story but the rumor around town was that they stopped the dogfighting and helped with the overrun shelter.” To Aria, it had always sounded like the club were good guys.
“Huh.”
“What?” Aria asked.
“Nothing. Just learning more about the town and seeing as they’re turning into regular clients, I want to know more about them. I want to make sure the dogs are in good hands.”
“I don’t think you’ll have an issue with that. They’re good people.” Aria wasn’t sure if she was the right person to judge the club.
Phil chose that moment to come into the veterinary practice. He was humming as he walked up to Andy, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her on the cheek.
“Good morning, my love. Morning, Aria.”
“Morning.”
“You had a good morning?” Andy asked.
“Yes.”
“What was the verdict?”
Aria stood up and hesitated as the pain rushed down her thighs, but she was more than fine. She loved the pain. The burn. Yay for weight loss.
The humiliation was over, seeing as Jase had weighed and measured every single part of her last night. He didn’t tell her the number on the tape and she hadn’t asked. What she had done, though, was go and buy some scales and read her starting weight.
“There is no verdict. The dogs are all in good health. Some are happier than others, but from what I can see, they run a tight ship.” Phil took his wife’s coffee and had a giant sip. “Love, you always do this too sweet.”
“I’ll go and make you some coffee.”
“Aria was telling me that they were not the cause of the dogfighting ring.”
“I can see that. They care too much. People who use the dogs in such a callous way don’t care how they’re doing.”
Andy nodded. Phil smiled.
Aria made her way into the staff room and made him a cup of coffee, minus the additional sugar his wife enjoyed. The sound of the bell alerted her to a customer.
“Don’t worry about it, Andy has taken care of Miss Philips and her cat,” Phil said as he stepped into the staff room.
“Ah, that’s good.” She had already arranged the filing for the customers that Phil and Andy preferred. She didn’t know if this was how all veterinary practices were handled, but it was their way.
“Don’t mind my wife prying. She wants us to stay here, and she likes to know as much as she can about a place.”
“You’ve moved around a lot?” she asked.
“Yes. We both love animals. The dogfighting ring has her unnerved. It destroys a part of us, you know, when we lose a patient, so knowing one was set up here has her a little skittish.”
“I don’t think it was something everyone knew about. I know I certainly didn’t.”
“My wife cares so much.” Phil sighed. “And the dogs we have seen do have considerable scars.”
“I know the MC club shut it down.”
“I hope so.” Phil raised his mug. “Thanks for this.”
He stepped out of the staff room and she went back to her desk to see there were already people waiting. She always liked to keep a fresh bowl of treats for the human and for the dog, so they could be put at ease on each trip. She let the clients know, and then got back to her morning’s work.
The phone kept ringing, and she continued to answer calls, dealing with stock supplies. Andy and Phil always left a list of items to order. She had to work through each order for them to finish it off at the end of the day. There was always a lot of work to do, which she preferred. She hated being idle.