some in Serenity Falls.”
“No, you don’t,” Nancy said. “They’re tired of your negative attitude in Serenity Falls as well.”
At first Leena thought the growl was coming from Edie’s bulldog, but then she realized it came from Edie instead. Without saying another word, the woman turned and stormed out, dragging her poor dog behind her.
The minute Edie was gone, the entire waiting room burst into applause.
“Don’t you worry about her threats, Cole,” one of the women said. “I’ll bring all three of my cats here to you.”
“I don’t even have pets, but I’m sure tempted to go out and get one or two just to support you,” another said.
“If you don’t have any pets, why are you in a vet’s waiting room?” Cole asked.
“Because I wanted to thank Leena here for empowering us all with this picture.”
“Really?” Cole studied Leena for her reaction. “She wasn’t very happy about it when I told her I liked it.”
“You weren’t?” Nancy turned to face Leena. “Why not?”
“I, uh . . . I really have to get back to work. The phone’s ringing.” Leena quickly backtracked to the protection of the U-shaped reception counter. “Rock Creek Animal Clinic.”
“This is Sheriff Nathan Thornton. I just got a report of a verbal assault at the animal clinic. Am I going to have to come over there?” he demanded.
She put him on hold. “For you on line one,” Leena told Cole.
Chapter Seven
Cole took the call in his office.
“Hey, old buddy, old friend.” Nathan was obviously trying hard not to laugh over the phone line. “How’s it going over there at the animal clinic?”
“Just peachy.”
“You’re sounding a little stressed. Having trouble with the new employee?”
“No.”
“That’s not what Edie says. I bumped into her on her way out of your clinic.”
“Look, she insulted Leena. I asked Edie to apologize and she refused. End of story.”
“She claims you verbally insulted her.”
“Not true. That would be my Aunt Nancy who did that. And insults aren’t illegal.”
“So no one threatened Edie?”
“No. Although she threatened me.”
“Want to file a countercomplaint against her?”
“Hell, no! And stop laughing. This isn’t funny.”
“Sure it is.”
“You wouldn’t think so if you were in my shoes,” Cole grumbled.
“But I’m not in your shoes.”
“What kind of friend are you?”
“The kind that laughs at you when you’re down.”
“Gee, thanks. I’ve got patients to see.” Cole hung up. It didn’t seem like he’d had a moment’s peace since Leena had come to town. Not that he’d had much peace before that. At least Leena seemed to have gotten his appointments in order.
A few moments later, Cole walked into exam room one to find Algee Washington waiting for him. The big black guy had the build of a defensive lineman but the heart of a marshmallow. Algee had opened a branch of his comic-book store Cosmic Comics in Rock Creek last year and was a close friend of Skye’s. Over recent months, he’d become friends with Nathan and Cole as well.
“Dang, doc.” A diamond stud flashed in Algee’s ear as he shook his head. “You got a gang of women waiting out there. Maybe a herd even.”
“They’re not waiting for me.”
“No?”
“No. They’re waiting to talk to Leena.”
“Your new receptionist? The one that punched you?”
“Who told you about that?”
“I never reveal my sources,” Algee said.
“That happened a long time ago. When we were kids.”
“You realize that Julia punched Luke once,” Algee said.
Cole didn’t get the connection. “So?”
“I’m just saying that men in these parts have a record of falling for women who KO them.”
“Leena didn’t knock me out. She just knocked me down. And it was a sucker punch.”
“Yeah, that’s what Luke claimed too.”
“Luke and I are not alike.”
“Because he’s a bad boy and you’re a doc?”
“No, because he likes the Steelers and I’m an
“No, you don’t,” Nancy said. “They’re tired of your negative attitude in Serenity Falls as well.”
At first Leena thought the growl was coming from Edie’s bulldog, but then she realized it came from Edie instead. Without saying another word, the woman turned and stormed out, dragging her poor dog behind her.
The minute Edie was gone, the entire waiting room burst into applause.
“Don’t you worry about her threats, Cole,” one of the women said. “I’ll bring all three of my cats here to you.”
“I don’t even have pets, but I’m sure tempted to go out and get one or two just to support you,” another said.
“If you don’t have any pets, why are you in a vet’s waiting room?” Cole asked.
“Because I wanted to thank Leena here for empowering us all with this picture.”
“Really?” Cole studied Leena for her reaction. “She wasn’t very happy about it when I told her I liked it.”
“You weren’t?” Nancy turned to face Leena. “Why not?”
“I, uh . . . I really have to get back to work. The phone’s ringing.” Leena quickly backtracked to the protection of the U-shaped reception counter. “Rock Creek Animal Clinic.”
“This is Sheriff Nathan Thornton. I just got a report of a verbal assault at the animal clinic. Am I going to have to come over there?” he demanded.
She put him on hold. “For you on line one,” Leena told Cole.
Chapter Seven
Cole took the call in his office.
“Hey, old buddy, old friend.” Nathan was obviously trying hard not to laugh over the phone line. “How’s it going over there at the animal clinic?”
“Just peachy.”
“You’re sounding a little stressed. Having trouble with the new employee?”
“No.”
“That’s not what Edie says. I bumped into her on her way out of your clinic.”
“Look, she insulted Leena. I asked Edie to apologize and she refused. End of story.”
“She claims you verbally insulted her.”
“Not true. That would be my Aunt Nancy who did that. And insults aren’t illegal.”
“So no one threatened Edie?”
“No. Although she threatened me.”
“Want to file a countercomplaint against her?”
“Hell, no! And stop laughing. This isn’t funny.”
“Sure it is.”
“You wouldn’t think so if you were in my shoes,” Cole grumbled.
“But I’m not in your shoes.”
“What kind of friend are you?”
“The kind that laughs at you when you’re down.”
“Gee, thanks. I’ve got patients to see.” Cole hung up. It didn’t seem like he’d had a moment’s peace since Leena had come to town. Not that he’d had much peace before that. At least Leena seemed to have gotten his appointments in order.
A few moments later, Cole walked into exam room one to find Algee Washington waiting for him. The big black guy had the build of a defensive lineman but the heart of a marshmallow. Algee had opened a branch of his comic-book store Cosmic Comics in Rock Creek last year and was a close friend of Skye’s. Over recent months, he’d become friends with Nathan and Cole as well.
“Dang, doc.” A diamond stud flashed in Algee’s ear as he shook his head. “You got a gang of women waiting out there. Maybe a herd even.”
“They’re not waiting for me.”
“No?”
“No. They’re waiting to talk to Leena.”
“Your new receptionist? The one that punched you?”
“Who told you about that?”
“I never reveal my sources,” Algee said.
“That happened a long time ago. When we were kids.”
“You realize that Julia punched Luke once,” Algee said.
Cole didn’t get the connection. “So?”
“I’m just saying that men in these parts have a record of falling for women who KO them.”
“Leena didn’t knock me out. She just knocked me down. And it was a sucker punch.”
“Yeah, that’s what Luke claimed too.”
“Luke and I are not alike.”
“Because he’s a bad boy and you’re a doc?”
“No, because he likes the Steelers and I’m an
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