you’ll be swept away.
She couldn’t afford to feel any sympathy toward Scott. He was too manly and sexy for her good. Jerry hadn’t been. Maybe, that’s why she’d married him. He’d been safe, not sexy, and he’d made her feel as if he needed her, too—as if she’d been enough for him at that time.
But there should have been more. For a very long time, she’d been without the considerate support Scott had offered her and Reagan. With Jerry, she’d always worried about pleasing him, helping him, walking on eggshells so she and Reagan didn’t disturb him when he needed his quite time and space. When had Jerry given her the same sort of caring?
She realized the hollowness of her relationship with Jerry. It was a profound revelation.
“Good morning,” Dr. Mandy Sullivan said, entering the exam room. Married to the retired, famous bull rider, Judd Romeo, Mandy had kept her maiden name professionally. “It’s good to see you again, Kate.” The veterinarian wore a white lab coat and khaki slacks. Her dark hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, and she had a rosy glow about her.
A quick glance explained Mandy’s look of contented happiness. Dr. Sullivan was very pregnant.
Kate placed Spike on the metal exam table, holding him so he wouldn’t jump off. “It’s good to see you again. I see congratulations are in order.”
Mandy blushed. “Yes, but I’m not sure I like pregnancy. It’s too limiting. I feel so awkward. Judd tells me I’m as clumsy as a bull in a china shop.”
“Men! They should try being pregnant.”
“I totally agree.” Mandy smiled and turned to the small, orange patient. “So, this is what brings you in today.”
“Yes, Sarah Gray at Supreme Stables gave the kitten to my daughter yesterday at horse camp. We want to make sure he’s healthy.”
Mandy shook her head as if to indicate she’d seen this situation many times. “That’s Sarah for you, always rescuing some little creature. Let me call my technician.”
A young girl in blue scrubs entered the room and took over at the table for Kate, who moved out of the way.
“Your kitten is a boy,” Mandy confirmed.
“I thought so, but wasn’t sure.”
“I’ll give him a good checkup,” Mandy explained as she worked. “And I’ll test him for feline leukemia and FIV before vaccinating him.”
“We’ve never had a cat, so we don’t know anything about caring for them.”
“They are pretty self-sufficient,” Mandy said. “All you need is good food, a little water, a litter box, a few toys. You’ll need to bring him back in three weeks for more shots and in four to six months to neuter him.”
“I suppose that’s better for him,” Kate observed.
“And you too. You don’t want the complications of a male cat in your house.”
“Male anything,” Kate said under her breath.
Mandy heard her and grinned but didn’t comment. She finished giving the vaccinations. “We sell the items you need in our shop out front. I recommend flea control for a few months, but if you keep him indoors, which I suggest, you won’t need it all the time.”
“Sounds good.”
“Here you go.” Mandy returned the kitten to Kate. “You have a healthy animal.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“My pleasure. I enjoy helping Sarah with her ‘pet’ projects.” They walked to the waiting room together. “You know Sarah works for my brother-in-law, and my daughter, Georgia, helps with her horse camp.”
“Oh, I saw your daughter at camp. She’s a beautiful girl.”
“She is,” Mandy acknowledged, “especially after what she went through several years ago finding her birth mom. But that’s a story for another day.” She set Spike’s new chart down on the receptionist’s desk. “The point is, we may have some used boots and jodhpurs that your daughter can wear, if you’d like to have them.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. Reagan is new to riding, and I’m afraid I don’t know much about it.”
“Great.
She couldn’t afford to feel any sympathy toward Scott. He was too manly and sexy for her good. Jerry hadn’t been. Maybe, that’s why she’d married him. He’d been safe, not sexy, and he’d made her feel as if he needed her, too—as if she’d been enough for him at that time.
But there should have been more. For a very long time, she’d been without the considerate support Scott had offered her and Reagan. With Jerry, she’d always worried about pleasing him, helping him, walking on eggshells so she and Reagan didn’t disturb him when he needed his quite time and space. When had Jerry given her the same sort of caring?
She realized the hollowness of her relationship with Jerry. It was a profound revelation.
“Good morning,” Dr. Mandy Sullivan said, entering the exam room. Married to the retired, famous bull rider, Judd Romeo, Mandy had kept her maiden name professionally. “It’s good to see you again, Kate.” The veterinarian wore a white lab coat and khaki slacks. Her dark hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, and she had a rosy glow about her.
A quick glance explained Mandy’s look of contented happiness. Dr. Sullivan was very pregnant.
Kate placed Spike on the metal exam table, holding him so he wouldn’t jump off. “It’s good to see you again. I see congratulations are in order.”
Mandy blushed. “Yes, but I’m not sure I like pregnancy. It’s too limiting. I feel so awkward. Judd tells me I’m as clumsy as a bull in a china shop.”
“Men! They should try being pregnant.”
“I totally agree.” Mandy smiled and turned to the small, orange patient. “So, this is what brings you in today.”
“Yes, Sarah Gray at Supreme Stables gave the kitten to my daughter yesterday at horse camp. We want to make sure he’s healthy.”
Mandy shook her head as if to indicate she’d seen this situation many times. “That’s Sarah for you, always rescuing some little creature. Let me call my technician.”
A young girl in blue scrubs entered the room and took over at the table for Kate, who moved out of the way.
“Your kitten is a boy,” Mandy confirmed.
“I thought so, but wasn’t sure.”
“I’ll give him a good checkup,” Mandy explained as she worked. “And I’ll test him for feline leukemia and FIV before vaccinating him.”
“We’ve never had a cat, so we don’t know anything about caring for them.”
“They are pretty self-sufficient,” Mandy said. “All you need is good food, a little water, a litter box, a few toys. You’ll need to bring him back in three weeks for more shots and in four to six months to neuter him.”
“I suppose that’s better for him,” Kate observed.
“And you too. You don’t want the complications of a male cat in your house.”
“Male anything,” Kate said under her breath.
Mandy heard her and grinned but didn’t comment. She finished giving the vaccinations. “We sell the items you need in our shop out front. I recommend flea control for a few months, but if you keep him indoors, which I suggest, you won’t need it all the time.”
“Sounds good.”
“Here you go.” Mandy returned the kitten to Kate. “You have a healthy animal.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“My pleasure. I enjoy helping Sarah with her ‘pet’ projects.” They walked to the waiting room together. “You know Sarah works for my brother-in-law, and my daughter, Georgia, helps with her horse camp.”
“Oh, I saw your daughter at camp. She’s a beautiful girl.”
“She is,” Mandy acknowledged, “especially after what she went through several years ago finding her birth mom. But that’s a story for another day.” She set Spike’s new chart down on the receptionist’s desk. “The point is, we may have some used boots and jodhpurs that your daughter can wear, if you’d like to have them.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. Reagan is new to riding, and I’m afraid I don’t know much about it.”
“Great.
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