Puppy Love. Kelly Moran

look at the woman. “Come over here and stand by the table while I get supplies please.”

      Dark, cocoa eyes widened at his harsh tone. She turned to the girl. “Can you sit in the chair, sweetie? I'm going to be right over here.”

      The girl didn't answer, instead fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. After a moment, she settled into a corner chair. She was probably in shock, too.

      When the woman sidled up to the exam table, Cade moved away, grabbing a saline IV bag and heating it in the microwave. Pulling out a warming blanket, he plugged it in and slid it under the puppy, then wrapped it around his back. Snatching an otoscope from his pocket, he leaned over to look in the dog's ears.

      “How long was he outside?”

      She shifted on her feet, and the scent of something fruity wafted in the space between them. Berries of some kind. “I don't know. We—”

      “You don't know,” he repeated dully and checked the puppy's mouth. Gums were pale, but the teeth were fine.

      He inserted a thermometer for a rectal temp and eyed the woman. Though he didn't know everyone in Redwood Ridge, she certainly wasn't familiar. She had a pretty, chubby face, and wavy brown hair that trailed to her shoulders under a knit hat. They were close in age, perhaps late twenties if he had to guess. She was biting her red lips to the point of swelling.

      Good. She should feel guilty. Leaving a new pet outside, unattended, was reprehensible. Plus, the puppy showed signs of neglect. By the look of his leg, he had probably been caught in a bear trap. Since they'd come in with Justine, he could only assume she was an idiot tourist renting one of the cabins who didn't know how dangerous the mountain—or what wildlife that came down the mountain—could be.

      “Is he up to date on shots? Any other conditions?”

      “I'm not sure. It's not—”

      “Is there anything you do know?” he barked.

      She closed her mouth and turned her head to check on her daughter, who was now staring at the ceiling.

      Guilt for his tone rose in his gut but, dammit, neglecting a dog was lower than pond scum. He'd seen it so many damn times. People got a pet because it was adorable or they were lonely and had no idea how much responsibility went into having one. Then they'd go abandoned or to a shelter, forgotten.

      He was sick of tourists, too. One of the clinic pets was a result of an idiot tourist who didn't bother to return to pick up their one-year-old Great Dane after he'd broken a leg.

      People really sucked.

      As the youngest of the three O'Grady men, Cade was the affable one. He was generally good with pet owners and could laugh himself out of a bad mood. Today, not so much. He'd had to euthanize old man Kiser's hound dog, the first client he ever had as a vet, lost a two-year-old retriever to a bowel obstruction, and found a box of dead kittens by the back door. Well, all dead but one.

      So today? Today blew. He had no patience left in reserve, especially not for a woman who probably just broke her daughter's heart by putting their pet at risk.

      Removing the thermometer, he noted the temp was low, but not nearly as down as he'd figured. He shoved the buds of his stethoscope in his ears and listened to his heart, lungs and abdomen. Nothing worrisome. BP was good, too. The little guy lifted his head and whimpered when he tried to better examine the leg.

      “I know, little guy. It hurts, huh? I'll getcha something for that in a moment.”

      The wound had clotted, and though it didn't look infected, the puppy would need surgery to amputate the rest of the leg at the hip joint. First, he had to make sure the animal stayed stable to get an IV into him for fluids and antibiotics.

      Straightening, Cade crossed his arms and faced the woman. “He's in decent condition for now, which is shocking. Vitals are a little low, but good. If he's doing this well in a couple hours, we'll do surgery to remove the rest of the leg. He'll need to stay a few nights for monitoring.”

      Cade paused, waiting for her to say something. When she just stared at him with a cross between worry and confusion, he shook his head. “This is going to be expensive, ma'am.”

      Not that he cared. If she walked out and left the dog, he'd still do what he could to save him. He'd eat the cost. Once the puppy was well again, Cade would try to adopt him out or they'd keep him for a clinic pet. Either way, he wasn't euthanizing an animal just because the leg was shot. Not unless there was no other choice.

      She rubbed her forehead. “Can he live with three legs? Get around, I mean? I don't know much about—”

      He ground his teeth. “People manage just fine with one or both legs amputated, don't they? He's young. He'll adjust. Yes or no, ma'am?”

      Startled, her gaze whipped to his. She'd be a stunner with her huge eyes, pouty mouth, and button nose if he hadn't disliked her on the spot. “I… I'm not sure I know what you're asking.”

      He briefly closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “There's a healing period involved. Money to pay for his care. Are you going to be up for that? Because if not, just leave. Either he's your dog or he's not.”

      “He's…” Her brown gaze drifted to the exam table. Surprise flitted in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled.

      Narrowing his eyes, he turned.

      The little girl stroked the puppy's head, her face pressed to the fur on his neck. She didn't say anything, nor did she appear upset, but the puppy sure liked what she was doing. His tail limply thumped the table and his trusting eyes were watching her. They seemed to have a bond already in place, which would make it even crappier if the woman walked out and never came back.

      Turning to face her, he raised his brows in question, but she paid him no mind. She watched the girl and the puppy with a tentative smile and shock clearly evident. Why the shock? Kids loved animals. This was their dog, after all. It stood to reason the girl would be upset the little guy got hurt.

      Even though she seemed to be having some kind of moment, it was getting late. He needed to get going on an IV. “Ma'am?”

      She flinched and looked between him and the table. After a second, she collected herself and wiped her eyes. “Yes. He's our dog. Do whatever you need to do to help him.” Her gaze softened once more as she stepped closer to the table and tapped the girl on the shoulder. “Time to go, sweetie. The doctor here is going to help…him. We'll come check on him tomorrow, okay?”

      How odd she didn't try to comfort the child. Put her arm around her or offer a hug. Something. The girl had blood down the front of her and had been, no doubt, traumatized by seeing her pet injured. Yet the woman stood there as if she didn't have a heart beating or a compassionate bone in her body.

      This was why he preferred animals to people. “What's the dog's name?”

      “Oh. Um…”

      He sighed. “Let me guess. You don't know.”

      A sliver of irritation flicked in her eyes before it was masked and she looked to her daughter once more. “His name is…” She tilted her head, chocolate eyes glazing over. “Seraph. His name is Seraph.”

      “Seraph?” It was rare someone surprised him anymore. He would've guessed Lucky or Champ or some other cliché.

      “It's another name for angel—”

      “I know.” Still, she just got bonus points. “Head home. I'll get your info from Justine in the morning. You can come visit during clinic hours.”

      She nodded and kneeled next to her daughter. “Come on, sweetie. We'll come see him tomorrow.”

      After they'd gone, Cade inserted an IV filled with warm saline to bring the dog's temperature up a little and started antibiotics. He drew some blood and ran a CBC to check platelets, then did vitals again. The little guy took it in stride. Pleased the puppy was doing well, he yanked a chair up to the exam