LITMIR.BIZ

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held over the tops of their coffee cups, and something seemed to spark the air, to catch and hold. They both took a sip of their coffee, as if to prolong the moment or let it settle, she wasn’t sure. But it was something. Something to do. But she didn’t look away from him. She felt like she couldn’t. Like there was a magnet holding her gaze to his, and she couldn’t fight it. Didn’t want to.

      The door to the clinic opened, and they both looked over quickly. A rush of breath left Kaylee’s body, a strange dizziness washing over her as the tension broke.

      It was Beatrix Leighton. Her sister-in-law Sabrina Parker ran the tasting room for Grassroots Winery in the neighboring town of Copper Ridge, and Bea lived on the winery property, which was owned by her other sister-in-law, Lindy. Both Sabrina and Lindy were polished and immaculate. Beatrix was...not.

      She had a tangle of carrot-colored curls that always seemed to move independently of the rest of her, her cheeks often pink from the sun, her nose peeling because she had spent too much time outdoors. Kaylee had the vague idea that Beatrix was in her early twenties, but her slightly feral nature made it difficult to say.

      In Beatrix’s arms was a box. And in that box was what looked to be a mass of blankets.

      “Can I help you?” Laura the receptionist asked Beatrix, who looked from her to Kaylee and then to Bennett.

      “I found him this morning on the side of the road,” she said, her eyes looking incredibly round and dewy.

      “Found what?” Kaylee asked.

      “Him,” Beatrix said, setting the box on the counter and revealing the contents.

      A tiny baby raccoon nestled down beneath the pale blue blanket, his little claws wrapped tightly around the woolen fabric like it was his safety.

      “His mother was dead,” Beatrix said. “And another baby. Hit by a car. But he was all right. I thought I saw movement, so I pulled the car over and got out. I think he might be injured, so I thought I should bring him to you.”

      Beatrix had dropped by the clinic often over the past few years for just this very thing. She was a chronic rescuer of wild animals. And Kaylee could never bring herself to charge for the service of helping the younger woman rescue them. Anyway, usually Beatrix ended up doing most of the work, as long as Kaylee could provide an antibiotic or set a broken limb.

      She shot Laura a glance. “Your schedule is clear right now.”

      Kaylee looked at the mournful little creature, and then back at Beatrix. “Let’s get a look at him.”

      Bennett was watching the entire thing with a kind of bemused expression on his face. Bennett was a veterinarian who cared deeply about saving animals. But Bennett was also a rancher from a long line of ranching stock, and when it came to offering medical aid to varmints, his opinion on the subject was more neutral than that it was a necessity.

      Kaylee had spent a lot of her life feeling helpless. Useless. She hadn’t had resources to control or help anyone or anything when she’d been growing up. And now that she could? She could no more turn down the raccoon than she could Beatrix.

      “Let’s take him into an exam room,” she said, picking up the box and leading the way back to one of the enclosed patient rooms.

      Beatrix followed, and Bennett followed slowly behind her.

      Now his presence was just starting to irritate her. That weird moment from earlier was making a mess of her insides, combined with the fact that she had it in her head now that Bennett wanted to...hook up. With some woman. Any woman but her, clearly. That always seemed to be the case.

       What’s the alternative? He hooks up with you and then what? He’s going to marry you? What will happen to your friendship?

      All those typical questions came tumbling down on her head. The questions that she always asked herself when she got into a Bennett loop.

      But she didn’t just have a wayward heart and an overly excitable body. She had a brain.

      And her brain knew a few things about Bennett Dodge. The first being that if he wanted her at all, he would have made a move. He was decisive. Honest. Not the type to sit and stew about hidden feelings.

      The second being that she didn’t really know how to have a long-term relationship. Her attempts so far had been unsuccessful.

      A recipe for disaster.

      And anyway, they had made the decision years ago to go into business together, which further complicated...everything.

      Bennett was deeply ingrained in her life. Her friend, her business partner and a staple in the community.

      They were tangled around each other. And untangling even one portion of it had the potential to unravel her entire life.

      A good thing to remember whenever she got a little bit too wistful about him.

      She had made her choices a long time ago.

      What she needed was a man to tangle all up in her personal life.

      What she needed was to call Michael because he had left that door open, and she needed to walk through it.

      Kaylee got some gloves and carefully ensconced the tiny raccoon in a blanket before lifting it up and examining it. He was in fact a he, as Beatrix had stated upon first entry. Kaylee looked up from the raccoon and at Bennett, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, his muscles shifting interestingly, displayed nicely by the tight black T-shirt he was wearing. His typical uniform, and one that was really getting to her today.

      “If you have commentary on my treatment of a baby raccoon, Bennett, I will thank you to take it in the other room,” she said pointedly.

      Beatrix turned to look at him. “You don’t think we should treat the baby raccoon?” Her tone was almost comically accusatory.

      Bennett looked somewhat thunderstruck by that. It was the complete lack of guile in Beatrix’s question, the absolute shock that he might not think a raccoon was worthy of saving.

      He looked between Beatrix and Kaylee.

      “Treat the baby raccoon if you need to,” he said, putting his hands up.

      “The baby raccoon needs to be treated,” Beatrix pointed out.

      “Yeah, Bennett,” Kaylee said. “The baby raccoon needs it.”

      Bennett suppressed what looked to be an eye roll, but continued to stand there and watch as Kaylee conducted an examination on the tiny creature.

      “He looks like he’s in decent health,” Kaylee said. “All things considered. Though, I’m sure he’s a little bit shocky. Was he behaving like he was injured when you took him home?”

      Beatrix shook her head. “I haven’t taken him home yet. I just pulled him off the road. I keep a blanket and a box in my truck just in case.”

      Of course she did.

      “Well, I think he can probably go to your house. If you’re up to round-the-clock feedings. I would assume that you could treat a small raccoon like a runt puppy. A little bit of evaporated milk and an eyedropper might help him pull through.”

      “That’s reassuring,” Beatrix said.

      “Do you want me to give him some vaccinations?”

      “Can you?”

      “I don’t see why not,” Kaylee said, working her way through her supply. “I’ll just make sure he gets his rabies shot, and then I’ll send you on your way. Hopefully he makes it through.”

      “Well, if he does, then I’ll have a rabies-free raccoon as a pet,” Beatrix pointed out. “Lindy may not appreciate a raccoon living at the winery.”

      Kaylee suppressed a smile. “That is between you and your sister-in-law. I’m just going to treat the raccoon.”

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