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Fisher nodded, still inspecting the sketch. “Did you draw these?”
The kid nodded, thick black hair flopping onto his forehead.
“These are really great.” Something about the kid was familiar. “Having fun?”
The boy’s smile was small, almost nervous, as his clear blue gaze met Fisher’s. “Yeah, I guess.”
He helped the boy pick everything up before offering the boy his hand. “Fisher Boone.”
The boy’s eyes went round. “You’re Doc Fisher?” The boy looked him up and down.
“Hey, Uncle Fisher,” Eli showed up. “Hey, Shawn.”
“Hey, yourself.” Fisher grinned at his nephew, then glanced back at the boy. “And who are you?”
“He’s Shawn, Kylee’s brother,” Eli offered up.
Shawn nodded in the direction of the bar. “The crazy dog-lady bartender. That’s my sister.”
Kylee had a little brother? It was obvious now. They both had black hair and blue eyes—and they both seemed nervous, wound too tight. What they were nervous about, he had no idea. Knowing she had a younger brother here with her was a surprise. Were they on their own? Shawn couldn’t be that much older than Eli. He had the gangly height and loose limbs of a boy on the cusp of manhood. Where were their parents?
“Nice to meet you,” Fisher said, glancing at Kylee. She worked with quick efficiency, at ease behind the bar. She was a puzzle, a beautiful puzzle. Meeting Shawn tonight reminded him there was a lot he didn’t know about her—a lot he wanted to know. “You’ve got a pretty cool sister,” he added.
Shawn nodded.
“Your face looks like it hurts, Uncle Fisher,” Eli said, shaking his head.
“You should see the other guy,” Fisher teased.
“Kylee said you knocked him out with one punch.” Shawn seemed impressed.
Fisher’s gaze returned to Kylee. So she’d told her brother. And while he didn’t want Shawn to think fighting was a good thing, he couldn’t deny it pleased him to know she had mentioned him to Shawn. She looked up then, her gaze searching the dance hall until she found Shawn. Fisher could see her relief from where he stood. Once more he pondered what would make her so anxious, almost like she was running from something. Or someone.
Her blue gaze met his. He lifted an eyebrow, pointing at Shawn with a grin. She smiled and it almost brought him to his knees. It was a real smile, given freely and withholding nothing. She loved her little brother with everything she had. And damn if he wouldn’t give everything to have her smiling over him like that.
“Fisher?” Eli waved a hand in front his face. “Fisher?”
He forced his attention from the beauty behind the bar. “What’s up?”
“What was the fight over?” Eli asked.
Fisher shook his head. “George Carson was upset and I was the one he decided to take it out on.”
“His mistake.” Shawn was looking at him with the same intensity Kylee had. “Sounds like a hothead.”
Fisher nodded, wondering how many hotheads were in Kylee and Shawn’s past.
“Come on.” Eli pushed Shawn’s shoulder. “You can draw later.”
Shawn shoved his sketchbook into the worn canvas bag slung over his shoulder. “Okay.”
“Y’all have fun.” Fisher smiled. “But stay out of trouble.”
“Yes, sir,” Eli said. Shawn nodded, giving his sister a quick wave. Fisher glanced back at Kylee, catching sight of her sweet smile again. When she smiled like that, he couldn’t do a thing but stare at her.
Renata joined him. “Looks like Archer’s out of luck,” she murmured.
Fisher frowned at his sister. “Aw, come on, Renata—”
“You might as well stop now. I know you, baby brother. You’re done for.” She was born three minutes before he was and loved to use her “seniority” when able. She patted his arm. “And if you keep looking at her like that, everyone’s going to know it. You’ve never had much of a poker face.”
Chapter Three (#ulink_2d6e9157-f95c-51ca-a52f-80e219d13b2e)
Fisher dropped to his knees in the parking lot of the vet school, keeping well away from the edge of the beat-up Jeep. A growl greeted him. His gaze met that of the very angry, very disoriented bobcat crouched smack-dab in the middle under the Jeep. Dammit.
“He’s in the middle,” Fisher announced, seeing two pairs of vet students’ feet—too far back to do much good. He knew these kids were scared, and he didn’t blame them. But if this was going to be their job they needed to learn how to handle difficult situations with hostile animals. Technically, it was a pretty sweet training opportunity. This was one of the reasons he loved his job—he liked a little danger now and then. As long as everything turned out right in the end. Just now, they needed to help this animal. The bobcat was breathing hard, clearly in distress.
“I need the catch pole,” Fisher called out, but the students’ feet didn’t move.
The cat looked around nervously.
“Now,” he spoke again, trying to keep things calm. If they didn’t get the animal lassoed, it would end up running onto the highway. He didn’t want to see that happen.
The vet students’ feet moved, both of them.
“One of you needs to stay there,” he spoke again while mentally cursing the situation. Where was Archer? He could use some experienced backup on this one—just in case.
The cat’s ears perked up as it looked at him.
Fisher smiled. “Don’t suppose you’d let me take you inside? So we can get you fixed up?”
The cat lay down, still panting.
“Here, Dr. Boone.” The vet student handed down the catch pole.
“Nope, get on your knees and see what we’re doing.” Fisher didn’t take his eyes off the cat. Bobcats were fast.
“But—”
“What’s your name?” Fisher asked.
“Michelle,” she said.
“Well, Michelle, I can see it. And it needs help.” He paused. “That’s your job, right?”
A few seconds later Michelle was on her knees beside him. “It’s gorgeous.”
“It is. But remember it’s also a pissed off wild animal with a nasty set of claws and teeth. I wouldn’t get all warm and fuzzy over it.” Fisher knew all too well the havoc a bobcat could wreak on a farm. A few years back, he’d spent the better part of an afternoon cleaning up what remained of the family chicken coop after a bobcat’s visit. It hadn’t been pretty. “You need to get the pole in front of it. Keep it flat, slide it in—”
He kept his voice low and even, for the cat and Michelle. When it came time to catch the cat, he took the pole. He was quick, flipping the loop over the cat’s head and snugging the loop before the animal could react. When it realized it was caught, the bobcat dug in, the growl deafening.
“Tranquilizer?” Fisher asked.
“Jake has it.” Fisher could hear the awe and fear in Michelle’s voice as the bobcat thrashed around.
Fisher sighed. “Maybe now would be a good time for him to use it?” This was ridiculous. “Before it makes its injuries worse?”
“Jake,” Michelle called out. “Now. Sedate him.”
Jake flopped down on his stomach on the other side of the vehicle. Fisher pulled the noose just tight enough to keep the animal still so Jake could get a solid shot from the tranq gun, praying the kid knew how to aim. A minute later the bobcat was unconscious, completely limp.
“I’ll get a gurney,” Michelle offered, hurrying in to the hospital.
“Sorry, man,” Jake murmured, joining Fisher. “Guess I sort of panicked.”
“In a situation like this, you’ve got to focus and stay calm.” Fisher needed Jake to understand how serious things were. “You’ve got a highway, pedestrians, a tranq gun—a lot of variables in an uncontrolled environment. You have to act quickly—carefully.”
Jake’s shoulder drooped.
“Good shot, though,” Fisher added.
Jake nodded.
The two of them pulled the forty-plus-pound animal from under the Jeep and onto the sidewalk, out of harm’s way. Fisher rubbed the cat’s head, checking its pupils before running his hands along its muscular side. The cat’s right back leg hung at an awkward angle.
“Fracture. Possibly oblique, maybe transverse. We’ll know soon,” he murmured.
“Pretty lucky, considering.” Jake knelt beside him.
Fisher nodded. “So was the woman who was driving.”
Why the woman decided to put the bobcat into the Jeep with her after she’d hit it, he’d never know. Sure, she did a good thing by bringing it to the hospital. But she’d also endangered herself by handling a wild animal. She’d loaded it into her Jeep while it was too stunned to react. But when it did come round, the bobcat wasn’t too thrilled about being trapped. The woman was going to need stitches the length of her forearm as well as on her thigh and the side of her hand. The bobcat was probably looking at some pins and a plate in his leg.
Michelle arrived, pushing the metal gurney in front of her. “Sorry. Couldn’t find one big enough.”
Fisher stood, scooping the bobcat up and placing it on the gurney. “No problem. Long as we get him into a cage before he wakes up again.” He ran his hands over the bobcat, careful of the broken leg. “Did you page Dr. Archer?”
Michelle paused. “No.”
“I will.” Jake finished making notes on his tablet and started to go, but Fisher stopped him.
“How about you two get the cat secured first.” He shot a meaningful look at Jake. Something about fourth-year vet students. They got all competitive. “Then call Dr. Archer to present the case—together.”
Jake looked irritated, but he nodded and helped Michelle push the gurney inside.
He followed behind the two, making a few notes on his tablet. When he entered the hospital he was hit with a chorus of barking. It was vaccination day. The community clinic in the teaching hospital offered a low-cost vaccination clinic once a month. Cats in the morning and dogs in the afternoon. He glanced at his watch. It was almost four. From the looks of the lobby, they were behind.
“Hey, Dr. Fisher,” Shawn’s voice caught him off guard. “Kylee said Chance wanted to see us so we brought him a toy.” The boy held up a large rawhide twist.
He smiled at Shawn. “Good to see you, Shawn. Chance’s gonna be one happy dog.” His eyes swept the room until he found Kylee. She stood off to the side, arms crossed, posture rigid. Like him, she was inspecting the room—but she wasn’t looking for him. He didn’t know what she was looking for, but it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable being there. He and Shawn joined her. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she murmured, hardly acknowledging him.
“What?” he teased, cupping his ear.
She looked at him, her eyes so blue they took his breath away. “I said hi.”
“What?” he repeated, loudly. “Wait.” He waved them through the doors that separated the lobby from the exam rooms and specialty wings. “Hi.”
She arched a brow. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“I have my moments. You have to admit, it’s a little quieter back here.” He smiled. “Let me take you back to see Chance.”
She nodded, a small smile on her face. In the few days since he’d seen her, he’d thought a lot about her smile. “Is it always this crowded?”
He shook his head. “Last Monday of the month we have discounted vaccinations. Tends to be our busiest day of the month.”
“Oh.” Her expression softened further. “That’s really nice.”
“We try to do that around here,” he returned. “Be nice. Take care of animals. And their people.”
“What was that thing on the cart?” Shawn asked, pointing at the gurney and its comatose occupant.
“It’s a bobcat,” Kylee answered. Her huge blue gaze fixed on him, “Right?”
“Yep.” Fisher nodded, inspecting her. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes. But then, working all night would do that to a person. How she managed her job and kept up with Shawn was a mystery. Looking at her, he’d bet she could use a break. It was close enough to quitting time—maybe he could take them for an ice cream.
She’d say no, he knew that. She was too guarded. But he’d already learned she had two soft spots. Her brother and animals. He respected her desire to protect those who were weak. Hell, that was one of the reasons he was in the line of work he was in. Maybe she wouldn’t be so quick to turn him down if he showed them around the hospital. “Just got here. Wanna see?” he asked Shawn.
Shawn glanced back and forth between his sister and Fisher. It was only after Kylee nodded that Shawn followed Fisher into the exam room where the bobcat lay.
“Jake, what can you tell us about the patient?” Fisher asked.
“Lynx rufus,” Jake said, listening to the animal’s heart with his stethoscope. “His vitals are steady. Bleeding is controlled. Actually pretty minor. Waiting on X-rays.”
Fisher nodded. Sounded like everything was on track. He turned to Shawn. “He’s out cold, if you want to pet him.”
Shawn stared at the bobcat. “Really?”
Fisher nodded. “Sure thing.” He looked at Kylee then, figuring he might need to ask her first. But she was just as transfixed by the animal. Something about the look on her face made his chest feel heavy—and warm. “You, too, Kylee.” He smiled at the uncertain expression on her face. “Not every day you get to pet one of these. Normally they have too many teeth and claws.”
Shawn moved forward slowly, his hands wavering before sinking deep in the cat’s fur. “He’s so soft.” He looked at his sister. “Kylee.” The boy’s exasperated tone brought a smile to Fisher’s lips. How often had he goaded Renata into doing something?
Kylee placed Chance’s rawhide chew on the counter and moved to Shawn’s side. Her fingers barely touched the cat’s fur before she drew back. Her hand returned, stroking the bobcat’s head with more confidence. “Poor thing,” she murmured. The smile that appeared on her face was mesmerizing. She was mesmerizing—too mesmerizing.
Fisher understood the awe on Shawn’s face. There was something magical about animals, they inspired delight and wonder—something it was easy to forget when you worked with them day in and day out.
“What happened to it?” Kylee asked. “How did it get hurt? His leg...is it broken?”
