“I’ve seen how you’ve worked on your reading, even when it was hard. I think you can do anything.”
“That’s what my mom says, but I thought it was because she had to.” He shrugged. “She loves me.”
The words were spoken with perfect certainty. Montana thought of Simon and wished his childhood had been filled with that kind of affection and support.
“I think knowing you can do anything is a little more about you than her.”
Daniel rose and walked around the table. He hugged her, squeezing hard. “Thank you.” He straightened. “I’m going to college so I can earn that million dollars.”
“I’m glad.”
He left the room.
She bent over and stroked Buddy. “You did it, big guy. You were exactly what Daniel needed. Everyone is pretty happy. Daniel’s mother sent a letter to the school principal and everything. The program is going to be expanded.”
His doggie eyebrows drew together, as if he were worried about keeping up with it all.
She laughed and kissed the top of his head. “Relax. You can handle it and I’ll be right there with you.”
KALINDA’S SURGERY took over ten hours. The work was detailed, every tiny adjustment, every cut, every stitch would determine how she looked for the rest of her life. Simon felt the weight of responsibility—wanting to get everything right.
Perfect was a bitch, but as he pulled off his gloves, he knew he’d gotten damn close.
After checking in with Fay and her husband, telling them that everything had gone well and that their daughter would be in recovery for a couple of hours, he headed back to his office.
His body ached. Standing for that long always took a toll, as did being hunched over and doing such meticulous work. He grabbed a cup of coffee from one of the nurses’ stations and took the stairs up two flights. He should eat something, he thought. Before he started on his rounds. Keep his energy up.
He entered his office and was greeted by a soft yip.
He flipped on the light and saw Cece stepping out of her crate and stretching.
“You’re a surprise,” he told the happy dog. “Did Montana bring you by so you could be with Kalinda later today?”
The dog’s fluffy tail wagged. She danced around him, obviously thrilled they were together at last.
He set down his coffee, then picked her up. She gave him happy kisses, then settled into his arms with a contented sigh. He checked that she had food and water, then walked over to his desk and sat down.
“Want to play?” he asked, opening his bottom desk drawer and pulling out a couple of toys he’d bought for her.
There was a tiny cat with a squeaker in the middle and a Ping-Pong-size tennis ball. Cece quivered with excitement, then scrambled to get out of his arms. She raced to the end of his small office and barked expectantly, as if urging him to get on with it.
He threw the cat toy. She caught it in midair, then held it, squeaking happily. The high-pitched noise made him grin.
“You’re pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you? Have you seen a real cat? I’m not sure you’d win the fight.”
Cece dashed toward him and leapt into his lap. It was something she’d done a dozen times before, maybe more. But this time the partially open bottom desk drawer was in the way.
Simon saw what was going to happen a microsecond before it did. He reached for her but couldn’t get there fast enough. Her back left leg clipped the drawer, the impact loud enough for him to hear.
She dropped the toy and cried out, then fell to the ground, yipping loudly. He shoved the drawer back in place and dropped to his knees, beside the writhing dog.
“It’s okay,” he said, feeling stupid. He didn’t know what was wrong, so he couldn’t commit to an outcome. Still, the words were instinctive, and he murmured them over and over again.
He reached out and gently stroked her. She quieted, her dark gaze locking on his, as if begging him to make it stop hurting.
He touched her leg and she yelped again. He swore. Was it broken?
“Okay, okay. I’m going to get you help,” he told Cece, even as he fought against a nearly overwhelming fear. Fear for her, and with it, guilt that he was responsible for this sweet, loving little dog getting hurt.
He reached over his head to the desk and fumbled until his fingers closed around his cell phone. He pulled it to him and hit the number for Montana’s cell.
“Hello?”
“It’s Simon. Cece hit her leg on a desk drawer while she was jumping into my lap. She’s in pain. I think it might be broken. Tell me what to do.”
Montana didn’t hesitate. “Take her to the vet. His name is Cameron McKenzie. He just took over for Mavis Rivera, who retired. Which you don’t need to know. Sorry. Okay, here’s the address. It’s going to be just as fast to walk.”
She gave him quick directions on how to get there from the hospital.
“I’ll call and tell them you’re coming.”
“Thanks.”