Summer with the Country Village Vet by Zara Stoneley

Author:Zara Stoneley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008237967
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2017-03-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Charlie reluctantly flicked the surgery lights on, and opened the blinds, just as the door swung open and admitted a waft of perfume.

He hadn’t felt he had any choice but to agree to check Twinkle over the day after the accident. In fact, it had seemed the only way to escape Serena’s house. Rushing back over to the Taverner’s Arms to celebrate his freedom with Lucy had been a mistake on his part though. By the time he’d got there she’d been giggling away in a corner, flanked by Sally and the Harwood brothers, which had made him feel grumpier than he had in a long time. And he wasn’t sure why. He wanted to keep himself to himself didn’t he? It had been his choice. Whereas she’d slotted in as comfortably as though she’d always been there. The pretty, ever-smiling school teacher without a care in the world.

And he was an idiot who’d already done an excellent job of cocking his life up. But he’d wanted to talk to her. And then off she’d trotted with the school headmaster in hot pursuit and he’d been left with a warm beer and an uncontrollable urge to run after them.

So he had. And then he’d somehow ended up doing the one thing he hadn’t expected at all. He’d asked her out.

He closed his eyes. He shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t fair on either of them.

And then, just to prove what a mess his life really was, Josie had appeared.

He should stick to work. He could cope with that. He was good at it.

He gave the table an unnecessary wipe down and threw the consulting room door open.

‘Miss Stevens.’

She was leaning on the reception counter. ‘Oh, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Serena?’ From the tote bag Twinkle gave a warning growl.

‘Come through. If you’ll just pop her on the table for me.’ No way was he going to infringe on the animal’s territory and put his hands in the bag.

‘Come on my lickle Twinky-winky baby.’ The dog carried on its grumbling as she lifted it out, little white teeth bared, its tiny nose wrinkled with annoyance. ‘Aww, is your leggy peg still sore, babe?’

Charlie tried not to grimace.

‘Now, you’re not going to hurt her, are you?’ She frowned at Charlie, switching from baby tones to gravelly seductress.

Not hurt her? He wasn’t going to touch her if he could avoid it. Now was an ideal opportunity to persuade Serena that life in a tote bag wasn’t an ideal existence. ‘Well she’s bearing weight on it. If you could pop her on the floor and walk her across the room for me.’

Twinkle positively skipped as she sensed her ordeal was over and made a beeline for the door, she was slightly more reluctant when she was asked to walk back the other way.

‘That looks fine.’

‘You aren’t going to examine her properly? Eric—’

‘I don’t want to stress her more than absolutely necessary. Eric explained to me how sensitive she is.

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