Linny's Sweet Dream List by Susan Schild Read Free Book Online Page B

mission.
    A few moments later, a tall man stepped in, chart in hand. Wearing a white lab coat over a crisp, blue Oxford-cloth shirt, chinos, and white running shoes, he looked familiar.
    He stuck out his hand. “I’m Jack Avery.”
    She shook it. “I’m Linny Taylor, and this is Roy.”
    The vet cocked his head and gave her a wicked grin. “Hello, again. Too sexy for your skin, right?”
    Good grief. He was the man she’d beaned at the dumpster. She put her fingers to her mouth, and felt a hot wave of humiliation. “How is your head?”
    His astonishing green eyes twinkled. “Fine and dandy.”
    She leaned forward in her chair and her words came out in a rush. “That wasn’t my real shirt, it was a gag gift. And those weren’t my bottles. I found them and . . .” She trailed off. There was just too much to explain. “You must have thought I was awful.”
    Jack looked at her gravely, and gave her a half smile. “I thought you were probably a nice lady with a lot on her mind.” He nodded as if to confirm what he’d said. “You must be Kate Andrews’s sister. Ruthie said you’d be coming in today.”
    â€œThat’s right.” She was so relieved he didn’t think she was a nut, and knew that she was related to normal people. Indigo’s Life of Gratitude and Joy affirmation for today was Release the burden of worrying what other people think of you, but that habit would be hard to shake. She glanced at his green eyes. She cared what this man thought of her more than she would like to admit.
    â€œKate and Jerry are fine people.” The vet slipped on a pair of half glasses and lifted the puppy to the metal table. “Let’s take a look at this young man.” His big hands moved gently as he examined Roy. He glanced at her. “So you found this fellow?”
    â€œI did.”
    Roy gnawed at Jack’s fingers as he lifted the puppy’s lips to look at his teeth. “Looks to be about six to eight weeks old. Mostly Lab”—he pointed to black spots on Roy’s tongue and his curled-up tail—“with other fine breeds in the mix. He’s a handsome boy.”
    â€œThank you.” Linny felt foolishly proud of the compliment.
    When the vet wasn’t speaking in a calming tone to the puppy, he whistled under his breath.
    Linny vaguely recognized the tune, but the title wouldn’t come to her.
    Roy chewed at the vet’s stethoscope, and almost wriggled right off the table. She rose and steadied the puppy’s rear end. Her hand accidentally brushed the vet’s and she felt a jolt of crazy electricity. She inhaled sharply. Good grief. What was that about?
    â€œJerry’s going to build an addition for us in the fall,” Jack said.
    â€œGood,” she murmured, hearing the us. Of course, he’d be married. She saw no ring on his left hand, but his hands were probably in and out of icky animal things all day.
    Craning her neck slightly, she tried to look at the back of his neck. Mary Catherine swore that if a married man’s neck was hairy, the marriage was in trouble. If you added a crazy eyebrow or two, and ear hair, the marriage was in the death throes.
    The vet caught her glance and raised a brow, but continued his examination. He felt Roy’s roly-poly belly. “He’s probably full of intestinal parasites. Let me check the stool sample you brought us.” The vet stepped out of the room.
    She scratched Roy’s ears, and examined the room for clues about the man. The examining room was built for business—just a chair, an examining table, and a counter. But tacked on a bulletin board above the counter were several photos of a young boy, along with a handmade Father’s Day card and a crookedly block lettered banner that read # 1 DAD!! Linny held Roy over her shoulder like a baby and rubbed his back as she peered at them. In one that