Brought Together by a Pup by Sue MacKay

Author:Sue MacKay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-01-05T18:54:41+00:00

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‘Willow, Mrs Burnside’s daughter, Avril, is here.’ Kathy appeared in the doorway. ‘Do you want to take Axel out to her?’

Not really. She’d rather hide and pretend she never knew a loving pup named Axel. But she wasn’t a coward. ‘Be there in a minute.’ She couldn’t leave the operating room until Carter had finished suturing the incision he’d made to remove a bone fragment on the Alsatian’s hip.

Carter paused with one suture to go. ‘Want me to do it?’

Yes. ‘No, thanks. It wouldn’t be fair on Axel not to give him a goodbye hug, would it?’

‘You’re going to miss him.’

‘Unfortunately, yes.’ More than she’d have believed. The young fella had sneaked in under her radar and most mornings when she’d got up to take him for a walk before they came into the clinic she’d had a sense of fulfilling one of her dreams. The time looking after him had turned her soft about having a pet. Time to be strong.

Carter made another neat suture, cut the thread. ‘But you can’t say you’re sorry you took him in.’

‘True.’ She stared at the dog he was finishing up on. ‘I’ve really enjoyed taking him out and about, having him sit on the deck nearby when I’m relaxing at the end of the day.’

‘One of the things you’ll do when you settle in one place, then, is get a dog.’

‘Possibly.’ Unlikely if the ache already starting in her heart was anything to go by. She put the bowl in the sink to wash and drew a breath. She’d better go and hand Axel over.

Carter carefully lifted his patient and took him through to place in a cage Willow had prepared earlier.

She followed and picked up a lead before heading over to Axel, who immediately stood up, his tail wagging furiously. ‘Sorry, fella. We’re not going for a walk. But better news. You’re going home and your mum will join you in a couple of days. How’s that?’

She rubbed his familiar head and swallowed hard. Damn it but she’d gone soft over this pup in such a short time. She turned her head away and sniffed as quietly as possible. It wasn’t a good look if anyone else noticed, especially Carter. He’d think she was softening. She wasn’t. She couldn’t afford to. It was too risky.

First a dog, then what? A man? Carter? Because he was slipping in under her defences. Not even slowly. He’d caught her attention from the moment he opened the clinic’s door the night she brought Axel here. Carter and Axel kind of went hand in paw when it came to her and her feelings. She was pretending Carter meant nothing more than amazing kisses and crazy hot sex, when really it was his kindness, understanding and a whole heap of more good things that were dragging her out of her deep place and waking her up. Which meant it was time to stand tall, strong, and alone.

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