Fill Her Up (Daly Way Series, Book Three) by Brynn Paulin Page B

months ago. It was when her mother had asked her to come home and help Fletcher with the veterinary business.
    “Don’t be melodramatic,” Charity chided Fletcher. “Verity is a grown woman who’s used to being on her own. And you know very well how these boys feel about her. We squared things with our daughter years ago. It’s their turn now.”
    “They’re probably the reason she left. I don’t feel comfortable having her here with the pair of them.”
    Hello Pot? This is Kettle… Verity thought. “Dad, I’m twenty-seven. Leaving before was about me, not them. I told you that the last time you were in Michigan.”
    “You’re coming with us now,” Dorian insisted.
    This time, Patrick and Sim bristled. They pushed her behind them, closing ranks at the shoulders and facing down her parents.
    “No,” her men growled. Suddenly, she felt like a giant chew toy being pulled between four large dogs.
    She pushed between her two guys. “Dads…I’ll be home on Monday. We can discuss my job.”
    “There’s no job,” Fletcher muttered.
    What? She shot a look at her mom. Her mother had promised to discuss it with him, to clear the path. They were all worried about Fletcher’s health and the strain on him dealing with large animals. Verity shook her head, momentarily stunned. She’d thought she was coming home, but it appeared she’d only be stopping here on her path to another job.
    Since she’d specialized in medicine for large animals, moving to a rural location was in the cards for her because of her specialty. If it wouldn’t be here, then some other small place. Since there weren’t a lot of people in her field, her prospects were good most anywhere in the country.
    She gave a single nod, cast a brief glance to her mom who appeared completely disgusted with her husbands. Verity leveled a stare at her fathers. She wasn’t budging on this. “I’ll be to your house on Monday,” she repeated. “I promised Patrick and Sim that I’d stay with them until then. We have a lot to discuss.”
    “Interesting way to put it,” Dorian replied. He pulled her into a hug, and she sighed lightly at the comfortable, safe warmth of his embrace. Oh to just be the state cop’s little girl once more. Life had been so much less complicated.
    “Daddy, I’m twenty-seven,” she reminded, though it was as much to herself as to him. “Mom was married to you two for three years by my age.”
    “That was different,” he said.
    She stepped back, making a face, and crossed her arms over her chest. “And how’s that?”
    Dorian laughed ruefully. “She wasn’t my daughter.”
    “I’m sure Grandpa Thompson wasn’t too keen on you guys, either. Please let me do this. I owe it to Patrick and Sim after running out on them.” She shrugged, knowing she was reaching and suspecting they knew too, but she just wanted her parents out of the house. She had little time left before Monday then she had to think of job hunting.
    Her mom prodded the dads toward the front door while they grumbled. Fletcher broke away and came back to Verity. She gave him a tight hug. “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Grouchy. I’ll make waffles when I get home, ‘kay?”
    With a grumble, he let her go. “Watch it, munchkin. I can still paddle your rear.”
    In moments, they were gone and she was alone once more with Patrick and Sim. Uneasiness twirled around in her middle like a child’s bouncing toy. She could enjoy her weekend with them, but her parents, even her mom, felt none-too-happy. Familiar guilt settled over her. The same guilt that had prodded her back here.
    Her parents needed her, especially Fletcher though he was too damn stubborn to admit it. She couldn’t help but think she’d let them down.
    “You okay?” Sim asked.
    She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she was still upstairs curled in the chair and listening to the birds tweet their greeting to the rising sun. “I’m okay. I don’t know why I expected it to be roses and