Chapter 45: Cole

THE MINUTE Cole stepped into the clinic the day went sideways.

A patient from the day before popped their stitches. The cops arrived with a distressed woman whose dog had been in a fight with a coyote and won. All of this had to be handled between the regularly scheduled patients and while enduring the wide-eyed stares of his co-workers and pet parents. Everyone knew Allie-Kate was back.

Just before lunch Cole couldn't take it anymore and stepped out into the lot behind the clinic to catch his breath.

Dr. Green and Mrs. Billy were loading up over on the livestock end of the building. Cole rarely had reason to go out to the other side of the practice. It was Dr. Green's domain, and he'd made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the domestic pets now that Cole was there.

"Cole." Dr. Green leaned on the pickup and waved him over.

Crap.

What else could go wrong today?

He glanced at his phone and Scarlett's texts. Right now he couldn't reply to her. He didn't know what to say.