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One thing was for sure, they needed to come to some sort of understanding about how to exist in each other’s orbits because she was back in Homer’s Bluff and not going anywhere. The other option was she walk back into that reception, grab Brynn, and kiss her with all the feeling she had bursting inside her. If only option two was that simple.

Chapter Sixteen

Brynn had wedding hangover. Not from being overserved, because she’d carefully monitored her small intake, but from the overflowing love and happiness vibes and promises of a life spent together. She’d celebrated those things with Tyler with everything she had in her. Two days later, as she covered Tyler’s patients while she honeymooned with Sage in Cancún, the happy, cheerful well had dried up.

“He’s sadly overweight,” she told Mrs. Donaldson about her beloved Labrador, Hugo. “And it’s adding a lot of strain to his joints, which is part of what’s causing him to move slowly. He aches.”

“Well, he likes his food. What can I say?”

Brynn pulled a weight management sample kit from beneath the counter. “Let’s give this new food a try, as well as treat those joints. If it goes well after a week, Joan at the front desk can get you a full supply of the food. Let’s see if we can take off four pounds, maybe five over the next six months.”

“No, no, no.” Mrs. Donaldson recoiled. “Hugo likes bacon and chicken with the skin on.”

“I do, too, but it’s not the best everyday diet, and we want Hugo to live a long and comfortable life.”

Mrs. Donaldson glared, and it made Brynn want to glare right back, and that wasn’t like her. But this lady was not listening to reason about her sweet dog, and people were in love in Cancún, and the past was creeping in like a really aggressive tide, and Aster Lavender looked devastatingly good in a green dress. “Could we just give it a try? For Hugo?”

Mrs. Donaldson sighed dramatically and accepted the sample pack.

“Thank you,” Brynn said, through the line that had become her mouth. “I think we’ll start to see his movement improve.”

“Who do we have next?” Brynn asked, Eve accepting the chart.

“Dill Lavender in exam two. Possible corneal ulcer.”

Brynn paused in the hallway but only momentarily. She scooped up the file with the intake information and headed straight to exam two. “What do we have here?” she asked immediately upon entering.

Dill, just as she always remembered, began to vertically leap from his spot on the ground as if on a spring. She scooped him up and stared into his eyes. “What did you do to yourself?”

Aster stood. She wore jeans, a navy tee, and a tan military jacket. “He likes to race around the new backyard like a maniac, but the bush might have gotten the best of him. He’s been squinting and rubbing his left eye a lot. I think he caught a twig.”

“You ran into a twig?” She turned to Aster. “I’m going to use what’s called a fluorescein eye stain to get a better look at that eye, okay? And then we’ll turn on a special light that will allow me to see if anything glows.”

Moments later, once she’d administered the drop that would show her any injuries or abrasions, she flipped off the overhead lights and flipped on the ophthalmic light. “Yep, and there it is, right there on the left. Want to see?”

Aster came around the table in the darkened room and stood next to Brynn, who pointed out how the abrasion glowed yellow. “See that?”

Aster nodded and her hair brushed Brynn’s arm. She turned, struck by Aster’s partially illuminated profile. They were close enough that Brynn caught the smell of cotton and a hint of cucumber. That hadn’t changed.

“What can we do for him?” The concerned look on Aster’s face affected her. Her chest warmed at the vulnerability. Such a contrast to Mrs. Donaldson’s self-serving hardness.

“I’ll send you home with a topical antibiotic. And you stay out of the bushes, or I’m going to tell your other mom what you’ve been up to.”

“You think they remember each other?” Aster asked as Brynn flipped the lights back on.

“I bet so. These guys don’t forget much.” She scratched Dill behind his ears and watched as he wiggled his little black and white butt.

“It’s kind of unfortunate that they’re both here in town and haven’t seen each other,” Aster said with such a businesslike demeanor that Brynn didn’t know what to make of it.

“Yeah, maybe they’ll run into each other someday.”

“We get to the dog park most days around dinnertime. Pickles is welcome to come and play with this guy.”

Dill looked over his shoulder at Aster and then back to Brynn, squinting through his scraped eye with hope.

“I should take her more often.” Were they making plans without making plans? What was happening, and was this wise?

“It helps him burn off a lot of energy. Plus, he’s incredibly social.” She laughed. “I struggle to relate, but it’s what makes him happy. Who am I to judge?”