Puppy Love. Kelly Moran

She had a kid. Not that he didn't like kids. He did. Maybe even wanted a couple of his own someday. But it wasn't just one person involved when dating someone like Avery. It was two.

      And they weren't dating. Not even a little. He hadn't asked her out and, aside from that first day when her gaze had shown interest, she'd seemed immune to him.

      That hadn't happened in…ever. He found it oddly refreshing.

      With Flynn and Gabby gone, Cade glanced around. “Where's She-rah?” The cat was usually perched on top of the printer, plotting world domination.

      “Avery put her on time-out. She's in the back room.” Rosa's grin grew to oh shit size, and he figured his aunt had read all his previous thoughts. Like a Vulcan mind meld. Which was never a good thing.

      Wait. A time-out? He looked at Avery. “You put a cat on time-out?” He didn't know whether that was cute or genius.

      Avery never stopped typing, which was beginning to infuriate him. “Yes, she was scaring Thor.”

      Cade looked down, just noticing Thor's head in Avery's lap from the other side of her chair. The Great Dane looked at him as if to say, Neener, neener. “Dust bunnies scare that dog.”

      “Well, the cat needs manners. Plus, Thor and I are working on his courage. Aren't we, boy?”

      Thor barked. And not in fear. Yes, my liege.

      Unsure what to make of Avery, he scratched his jaw. She'd done more in one week on the job than Aunt Rosa had in twenty years. She was prettier to look at, too. Aunt Rosa caught him staring at Avery again, so he shook his head.

      “Do I have any more patients this afternoon?”

      “Drake has one more surgery and you have two patients—a terrier who chewed its way through a crate, thus cutting his gums, and strangely…” She trailed off and brought up her schedule. “A cat that's feeling ‘off.’”

      Cade groaned. He was so not in the mood for—

      Rosa set her book down. “It's Jeffery Harrison's cat.”

      Well, that made no sense. Jeffrey had gone to high school with Cade, did not want to date Cade, and he didn't have a cat. Why make an appointment at all?

      Rosa's brows lifted. “It's not just the pretty females worming their way in for appointments anymore. Avery's getting popular.” She tilted her head, her expression saying, whatcha gonna do about it, boy?

      So men were making fake visits to his clinic just to see his new office manager? Hell, did Jeffrey buy a damn cat just to ask her out? This wasn't a dating service. Had people never heard of a cell phone? When his temples started to throb, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

      Type, type. “Maybe Jeffrey is batting for the other team now. Or the cat really is feeling off?”

      Rosa laughed, high-fiving Avery, who never looked up from her computer.

      Screw this. Cade turned on his heels and went into his office.

      * * * *

      Avery looked over the front desk at her mom and Rosa—who were scrolling through Pinterest pictures on Rosa's phone—when they hemmed a third time. They'd been trying to goad her into looking, too, but Avery was on to them. They weren't even trying to be suave.

      They were matchmaking, so she ignored them. Mostly. She did not need to be set up on a date. Especially not with her new boss. Any of them, for that matter. Avery had sworn off men, and besides, hello awkward? And Cade had more women hanging on his arm than the desert had sand granules. If she did date, it wouldn't be a man who loved women that much.

      What had Cade called these ladies? The Battleaxes? Suiting. Seemed his mother and aunts were trying to recruit Avery's mother into their muah-ha-ha fold. The memory of one picture of Cade from last summer in board shorts and nothing else had her clenching her thighs together.

      “Look at those biceps. Oh, he's cuddling a kitten. Avery, have you seen this?”

      Avery closed her eyes and covered her ears. Lead me not into temptation…

      Who was she kidding? She hadn't been in church since her wedding nine years before.

      Finally, Cade's last patient of the day came out of an exam room. She blew out a breath.

      Jeffrey seemed like a nice enough guy, if not a little obvious in stripping her naked with his eyes. He set the cat crate on the floor by his feet as Cade walked up front, followed by Brent.

      Ready to cut Jeffrey off at the pass—literally, he'd made several passes at her—she pasted on a smile and stood. “That was so nice of you to bring your mother's cat in for her.”

      Cade snorted and handed her a list of services. Depression?

      Avery gave Jeffrey the total and he squared the bill. “You have a great weekend. Thanks for coming in.”

      Jeffrey shoved a baseball cap over his receding brown hair. “About that. What are you up to tonight? Maybe we could get some dinner?”

      “Oh, that's so nice of you, but—”

      “She's got plans.”

      No one moved for a fraction of a second. She was pretty sure the earth stopped rotating. They all slowly turned to face Cade. Yeah, that proverbial pin drop? They'd all heard it.

      Cade froze, his eyes wide as if shocked he'd said anything, pen poised over the open chart in his hand.

      Brent took in Cade's distressed face and straightened. “Um, yes. We're all headed to Shooters tonight. Avery's…spoken for?” He looked at her as if to confirm.

      “I am?” Not that she was going to take Jeffrey up on the offer. She had no interest in dating, but still. Couldn't she just nicely turn him down? Why lie?

      Brent fixed her with a go with it glare and then grinned at Jeffrey. “Sorry, big guy.”

      Rosa and her mom's head whipped back and forth between the patient, Cade, and Brent. Their avid interest in Pinterest was gone and replaced by the live floor show.

      Cade muttered a quiet curse.

      Jeffrey's confused gaze scanned the room. “Okay. Maybe I'll meet up with you later.” He picked up the crate and left. Fast.

      All eyes slid back to Cade. He opened and closed his mouth several times before tossing the chart aside, running a hand through his thick blond hair, and glancing heavenward. “Right.”

      Flynn and Gabby walked in the door at the same time Drake chose that moment to come up front from the back.

      Drake's gaze swept over each of them in a millimeter of a second. “Are we having a moment of silence?”

      Rosa's eyes narrowed. “Actually, we're trying to figure out why Cade just blocked Avery from accepting a date.”

      “I did not—”

      “Ooh, a date?” Gabby stepped forward and set her bag down before adjusting her long, blond ponytail. “With who?”

      “Jeffrey Harrison.” Brent waved his hand dismissively. “Dodged a bullet with that one, doll. I'd thank Cade.”

      “I did not—”

      “What time should I be over to watch Hailey?” Mom interrupted, earning a nod of approval from Rosa. “I'm glad you have plans to go out. You need to have a little fun.”

      Avery shook her head. “When did fake plans become real plans?”

      Flynn's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

      “Does seven o'clock work for everyone?” Brent cocked a hip.

      “I'm in,” Gabby said. She picked up her bag and headed for the hall. “Shooters?”

      Avery rubbed her forehead. “I didn't