Vet's Desire by Angela Verdenius Read Free Book Online Page B

little.
    Reassuringly,
Tim smiled at her. “Kittens can’t pee on their own. Their mothers
stimulate them by licking, so I’m mimicking it with wet gauze. A
wet cloth will do the same thing. Going by the amount of pee, it’s
been awhile since this little scrap was last attended.”
    “Will it
live?”
    “I think it
stands a chance. I’ll get some milk into it and get it warm and
we’ll see.”
    “So it’s not a
guarantee.”
    “No, it’s not.”
Seriously, he regarded her. “But I’ll do my best, I promise
you.”
    She nodded.
    “I’m going to
get a bottle ready with special formula, and we’ll see what it
does. Okay?”
    She nodded
again.
    Tim went out
the back and made the formula, ensuring it was warm, and poured it
into a small bottle with a little kitten teat. Carrying a clean
towel, he returned to the consult room and saw that the kitten was
cuddled up to Cindy’s cheek. As he watched, she turned her head and
nuzzled the kitten’s cheek, and it meowed.
    As soon as
Cindy saw him, she handed the kitten into his waiting hands.
Placing it down on the towel, he bent over the tiny animal and
carefully opened its mouth to put the teat inside.
    The kitten
tried to turn away, but he persevered, managing to squeeze a drop
of milk from the teat into its mouth. Still it tried to turn away
from the strange taste of the teat.
    “Is it going to
work?” Cindy was bent over the other side of the bench, her head
close to his as she watched anxiously.
    The scent of
cashmere powder drifted to his senses. He couldn’t help but notice
that her other hand remained firmly over the dead kitten.
    She cared so
much and he glanced up to find himself close to her face, the blue
of her eyes almost startling in their clarity. Her long lashes were
still damp. How he wanted to see her smile again.
    “We’ll get
there,” he assured her.
    The kitten
tugged on the bottle, drawing his attention down, and he saw that
it had latched onto the teat and was sucking.
    “Success.” He
grinned, feeling the familiar sensation of satisfaction when
something was going right with a patient.
    “It’s sucking?”
Hope filled her voice.
    “Yep.”
    “So it’s going
to live?” Reaching out a finger, she gently touched the little
head.
    “It’s not out
of the woods yet.” He didn’t want to build false hope. “But it’s
got a chance. I’ll take it home and see how it goes tonight.”
    “You’ll take it
home?”
    Tim glanced up
at her. “We’re not open at night, Cindy. Trust me, every vet and
nurse here has taken animals and other things home that need
attention.”
    “But what about
the animals here?”
    “Either the vet
or the nurse on call comes in and attends to them, depending on
what is needed.”
    She was silent
for a few seconds, watching the kitten drink, before she said
softly, “I’m sorry I got you out on your night off.”
    “It’s not a
problem.” The kitten pulled its head back and he let the teat slip
free. “I’m glad you called me.”
    “You are?”
Again there was surprise in her voice.
    “Yes.” Picking
the kitten up, he cradled it in his hands and looked at her. Really
looked at her. Her mascara was a little runny around her eyes where
she’d wiped tears away and her nose a little red from crying. She
looked so soft and concerned and uncertain that it made his heart
warm.
    It had been a
long time since anyone had made his heart warm.
    “Yes,” he said
again. “I really am glad you called me.” And he really meant
it.
    She smiled a
little, a soft curve of her plump lips, and he felt something
inside his chest shift.
    Dropping her
gaze, she reached out and ran her fingertip along the kitten’s tiny
head. “This kitten…”
    “Yes?” He
looked down, watching how carefully she touched it.
    “If it’s
okay…if it makes the night…” Her voice grew a little wobbly again
and she cleared her throat. “If it’s okay, I want it.”
    “You do?” This
time it was his turn to be