Defying Our Forever (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #3) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,2
off at the moment—I’m here. So, don’t bother to go there.”
“Listen, can I speak to the doctor?”
Her face turns a few shades of red and her eyes are on fire. “If you say that I look like a teenager, I swear I’m going to punch you.”
“So, you’re the doctor,” I say instead of asking if she’s a technician. Clearly, I ruffled the wrong feathers.
“Correct,” she grunts.
“Why can’t you treat him here?”
She huffs. “Because we’re not a dispensary for animals. I’m quoting the owner. If I do it, I’ll get fired, which is something I can’t afford because I need to finish this internship. It’s my last step to becoming a surgeon. If I break the protocol again, I’m done, and it’ll be two years of my life wasted.”
Well, it’s obvious that I have to cover the expenses of this poor boy if we want to save him. I pull out my wallet and get out my credit card. “Here, put this on file and charge me for whatever he needs.”
She narrows her gaze. “Are you sure he isn’t yours?”
“Should I swear on a Bible?”
She finally smiles and shakes her head.
“I’m heading to the x-ray room,” she explains. “Should I come out if he needs surgery?”
“No, just go ahead and do it. I’ll cover all the expenses.”
“I’m trusting that you won’t run away,” her face softens, and I feel like she just gave me something special. “Bobbi, the receptionist, should be back from her break soon. If you see Dan, the technician, send him back to the x-ray room. Can you explain to Bobbi that you brought your dog?”
“Not my dog,” I repeat.
Her eyes transform into some kind of pout that literally melts my insides and says, “But he has to be. As I said, I should send you on your way to a shelter.”
I want to discuss this situation with her. If I sign something where I say he’s my dog, I’m not only going to be responsible for his bills but for him too. However, she’s gone to the next room before I can say anything. As I make my way back to the reception area, a guy a few inches shorter than me stops me.
“Only medical personnel are allowed back here,” he growls.
“I was just checking on my dog. There was only one person in here,” I explain, hoping I don’t get the doctor in trouble. “By the way, if you’re Dan, she said you should meet her in the x-ray room.”
“Oh, man,” he mumbles. “The doc is going to be disappointed that I wasn’t here to help. I bet she didn’t get your information. She hates paperwork. Bobbi is back. Give her all your info. Tell her I couldn’t log into the computer when you came.”
It’s obvious that this place is falling apart. I should’ve gone somewhere else. Then again, any other place might’ve sent me to a shelter or just let the dog die. It’s to no surprise that I spend thirty minutes filling out the forms. It’s not because I’m a terrible dog owner, as Bobbi points out, but because I had to make up lies about a dog whose name is now Buster and was probably born eight months ago.
“You don’t know the breed of your dog?” She gives me a judgmental glance that makes me tremble.
“It’s a mix,” I respond.
“He’s a German Shepherd, Lab mix,” the redhead comes out of the examining room, pulls down the mask from her face, and smiles at me. The room brightens just as her eyes shine with genuine happiness. “The little guy is going to be fine. We stitched him up. There were no broken bones or internal bleeding. He’s a lucky guy. I still would like to keep him overnight if you don’t mind. You can pick him up tomorrow.”
“You want me to pick him up?” I lean backward because as I said, I don’t have time for a dog. Most importantly, he’s not mine.
However, if you’d like to go for dinner and to the room I booked at the Ritz Carlton, I’m game.
Tonight is the only night I have to blow off some steam. If I don’t, I’m going to be having a hell of a time during the week. Maybe the dog dragged me here to find some variety. I wouldn’t mind spending the night with her.
“Yes, tomorrow morning would be fine,” she responds. “If you want to take him home tonight, I can give you his care instructions.”