Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” I managed to choke out. “Yeah, I could do lunch. I’ll meet you at the clinic.”
By the time I walked into the clinic at 11:59, I’d ridden a roller coaster up and down ten times, alternately hoping this lunch was a sign of un-casual-ness and convinced this was a prelude to a breakup… or whatever you called it when you weren’t actually together.
When I opened the door, the bell above it jingled. Lane had been in the middle of talking—“Pete, can you update Jinx’s file to say—” but he came to a halt as he caught sight of me and smiled sweetly.
The roller coaster went up again, sending a warmth through my chest I didn’t know what to do with.
“Howdy, neighbor,” I managed.
It looked like Lane was trying to restrain his grin, maybe to be professional or something, but he couldn’t quite do it. “Hey.”
“Dear God,” Petey groaned. “This is like the anal glands all over again. You’re late, Jay,” he informed me. “It’s nearly noon. Snack time’s come and gone.”
I blinked at him. “Everything okay, Petey?”
He sighed. “Actually? No. No, it’s not. I’ve been on thirty-two dates in the past two months, and none of them have gone anywhere for… well, reasons… and now I’m out of options.” His cheeks blushed. “And meanwhile, I’ve had to watch a couple of guys who are a hundred percent head over heels for each other wring their hands and dance around each other, utterly oblivious.”
“Ooof.” I shook my head. “That’s rough. Some people, huh?”
Petey inhaled a sharp breath through his nose. “Yeah, Jay. Some people.” He shook his head. “And it’s Pete now. Or Peter. Petey makes me sound like a freckled nine-year-old.”
I looked Petey—er, Pete—over, taking in his short stature, messy hair, and the line of tiny brown spots over the bridge of his nose. I opened my mouth to say something… but when I saw the look in his eyes, I realized immediately that it would be better unsaid.
“Right,” I said instead. “Pete. Got it.”
Pete lifted one eyebrow in Lane’s direction. “So what’s the occasion for lunch today? Pre-gaming the Entwinin’? Gonna talk about, you know… wreaths? Love declarations? Stuff like that?”
Lane’s face went red, and he stared at the wall. “N-no—”
“Jay…” Pete cocked his head at me. “You have lots of experience in the Entwinin’ game. You’re practically the Thicket’s Entwinin’ expert. Anything you’re particularly looking forward to tomorrow?”
“I, uh… Well, I…” I glanced at my feet.
Before I could come up with an answer, the bell over the door jangled again. I was too busy trying to get my hot cheeks to cool off to see who’d arrived, but when Pete did, he inhaled sharply.
“Oh my God. My dry spell may be over,” he whispered under his breath. Then he summoned a blinding smile and said more loudly, “Good afternoon! May I help you?”
“Lane!” the newcomer said, his voice smooth, confident… and entirely too loud for the clinic’s front room.
Lane turned his head as if he’d heard a ghost. “Chad?”
I stepped aside as the newcomer strode toward the desk. He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a suit sharp enough to cut glass. His hair was perfect, his watch glittered under the fluorescent lights, and his smile was polished and practiced. Smarmy, I thought immediately… which was an unkind thought, yes, but that didn’t make it untrue.
It became even more true when the man pulled Lane into a quick embrace, complete with a kiss on his cheek like something out of a movie.
Pete’s jaw dropped. “Who is this?” he whispered to me, but I hadn’t the first clue.
Lane extracted himself from the hug. “Pete. Jay. This is… this is Chad. My ex-boyfriend.”
This? This was Lane’s ex? I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that, but the thought occurred to me that if I found the man’s car in a ditch, I wouldn’t offer him a tow.
Not for free, anyway.
Pete immediately stepped out from behind the desk, inserting himself between Chad and Lane. “Hey. Peter Winchell: vet tech, supply wizard, currently single. Lovely to meet you, Chad.”
Chad’s eyes flicked over Pete with polite interest. “Likewise, I’m sure.”
“Chad…” Behind Pete, Lane shook his head. “What are you doing here?” I liked to think he didn’t sound overjoyed to see the man.
“I was in the area meeting with an old colleague, and I thought I’d stop by and take you to lunch. We have a lot of catching up to do. I heard you’d ended up practicing in a small town but hadn’t quite believed it.” His gaze swept around the front room and then out onto the street, where a couple of people were canoodling under a wisteria bower. “It’s… something, isn’t it?”
Though his smile didn’t slip even a fraction, I could tell he didn’t think that “something” was anything good.