Page 11 of Hold Me Instead (Elmwood Falls #1)

Maple rested her head on his knee until he ended his call.

He scooped up her forty pounds, and she curled at his side on the bed.

Sighing, he ran his fingers through her soft, golden-red coat.

He’d adopted her when she was about seven years old, not long after losing the dog he’d had since he was ten.

Maple reminded him of his late pup, from their similar flowing fur down to the strip of black on their backs.

He hadn’t expected the instant connection with Maple, though.

She’d been his bright spot the last few years, through the more tumultuous stages of his failing marriage and then divorce.

Deep down, he wondered if Maple had been the final nail in the coffin of their marriage.

Anna had thrown a fit when he’d brought home a dog considered a senior when she was hoping for a “cute puppy” to help boost her already successful online following.

For home decor and personal care products.

Maple was his golden ticket. He’d definitely picked the right female companion.

Charlie would understand his draw to Maple.

She’d always had a passion for rescues, had volunteered through high school.

He guessed she’d only grown more passionate—and not just because of how she handled him yesterday.

That defiant look in her eyes. Her determination to put him in his place.

Those funny cat ears. The painted whiskers.

Maple sighed, content beside him, and he settled closer.

At some point, he should clear the air with Charlie. He’d thrown her for a loop, offering to work with them. And he hadn’t been himself at the hospital.

Hell, he hadn’t been himself for years.

** *

Showing up early at his dad’s practice was an escape.

His mother wanted him at the hospital, and Sandra had suggested he entertain the kids after school.

While he loved those little energy-suckers, being around animals was what he needed.

So instead, he’d showered and headed to work.

For now, his family suspected he had personal business to take care of.

It didn’t feel necessary to tell them he was filling in for his dad. Not yet, at least.

Maple joined him for support and to win over everyone, especially when he knew how unsettling his presence might be for some. Unaware of her responsibility, Maple was unabashedly happy to receive the kisses Maura rained all over her head as they stood with her behind the check-in counter.

“My, you’re even more beautiful than your pictures! Such a stunner.” Maura held out a dog treat to the old pup, who chomped it eagerly. When Maple sat panting, a huge smile on her face, Maura laughed and handed her another.

“That was her plan all along, you know,” Zachary said, shaking his head with a smile.

“This old girl deserves it,” Maura said.

“Yeah, don’t I know,” he said softly.

“Your dad still brings the dogs in from time to time.” Maura gave Maple a final fluff of the ears and sat in her chair, only to have Maple scoot closer and rest her chin in her lap. “Oh my, such a love bug.”

Seeing family—and those considered as much—love on Maple, slowly stitched up little pieces of his heart. Really, who could resist her sweet face?

“Maura, can you call the Pipers and coordinate a time for tomorrow to squeeze in Snow? Even if it’s over lunch.” Charlie flew in from the hall, avoiding looking at Zachary. She must’ve heard his voice because there wasn’t an ounce of surprise at him being there early.

Maura’s expression softened as she looked at Charlie, still petting Maple’s head. “You’ve already shortened your lunch tomorrow.”

“Shoot, that’s right.” Charlie chewed her bottom lip, her eyes scanning the walls in thought. “End of day, then.”

“Dr. Harris,” Maura said, her stern voice quiet.

Charlie’s hair was pulled back in a low knot. Her scrub top of the day was a vibrant pink that matched her sneakers, the words You Gotta Be Kitten Me! printed across the front. Something inside him was pleased to see her cheery work attire continued beyond the holiday.

Why that was important, he had no clue.

“They’ve been through so much, I want to get Snow back on track,” Charlie insisted.

Zachary watched a look of understanding pass between the two until Maura nodded in agreement, despite Charlie bending over backward for clients.

It was a move he knew well from watching his father.

But at this point, they couldn’t afford to run themselves ragged.

How could he leave here knowing Charlie was overextending herself?

Maura turned to help a client, and Charlie slowly faced him. Light makeup, mostly whatever made her eyes extra vivid behind her glasses. Those eyes looked tired, and he sensed an instant camaraderie, a feeling that frankly had no right being there.

“Zachary,” she said.

“Harris.”

She gave him her best watch it look, which disappeared when Maple trotted over to sniff her hand .

“Oh my, are you Maple?” Charlie cooed, crouching to greet his dog. “Aren’t you sweet?” Maple licked her cheek, a gesture that heated Zachary in a way that only confused him.

His voice finally clicked into gear. “How’d you know?”

“Grandma Jeanie loves to show photos of her,” Charlie said, petting Maple’s crimped ear.

Right . He swallowed hard, watching Charlie whisper to Maple. “Thought I’d bring her by today while I got started.”

Without giving him a glance—he couldn’t blame her, his dog was the best—she replied, “Thought we were meeting at lunchtime.”

“Considering the state of our office, figured it couldn’t hurt to organize a bit.”

“ Our office —”

“Okay, Dad’s side. His mess of a desk.”

Charlie gave Maple a kiss on the head and stood. Zachary’s eyes stayed locked on the spot where her lips had landed as Maple sauntered to him and sat. His fingers gently touched the top of her head, and all he could focus on was that Charlie’s lips had been there last.

Yes , that is where her lips were . That’s what happens when you kiss . Your lips touch a spot on someone — in this case , my dog . These are facts .

Why those details about Charlie stood out to him, though, when Maura had done the same thing moments before, was beyond him.

Watching Maura, he’d been hit with a warmth through his chest only family could generate.

Watching Charlie, that warmth burned into a sizzling heat that shot through his body and made his palms sweat.

His eyes refocused on Charlie, who’d been talking this whole time.

He cleared his throat. “What? ”

Patiently, she repeated, “Dr. Fletcher is here today, so you’ll have to work around him if he’s in the office.”

“Ah, right. Dr. Fletcher.”

“Did you meet him yesterday?”

“No.”

“Okay. He’s great. He’s stepped in before, during vacations, that sort of thing.”

“I’ve heard.”

Charlie raised her eyebrow, but when he didn’t expound, she turned toward the hallway.

Zachary signaled Maple to follow, and he hustled after Charlie as though he’d lose her in the small building. He glimpsed her swaying hips before she disappeared into the office, and the narrow hallway felt empty, despite a tech who gaped at him as he passed.

A poster board taped to the wall stopped him, Maple following suit. It held a layout of the vet hospital and its parking lot, tags pinned in various spots with labels like Dog Treats, Bandana Tent, and Grill Tent.

Zachary’s eyes widened. “Grill Tent,” he muttered. He glanced next to the poster board at a sheet titled EFVH 40th Cookout Sign-Up. “Harris. Don’t tell me the cookout’s still on.”

Charlie popped out of the office, and Maple’s tail wagged. “Of course it is. Why?”

Zachary pointed to the form. “That’s two Sundays from now.”

“Yeah.”

“Dad just had a heart attack.”

Charlie furrowed her brow. “I know.”

Zachary flipped his hand at the sheet. “We don’t have time for this.”

“We? ”

“This can’t be high priority right now.”

“It’s the fortieth one.”

“So?”

Charlie returned to the office, voice taut as she said, “We’ve got it handled.”

Zachary followed. Maple scoped out the room, sniffed a dog bed next to the desk, and promptly curled into it.

Charlie watched, her smile slight. “She got comfy quickly.”

“She sleeps anywhere. Charlie.” Her eyes shot to his. “Who cares what number cookout this is?”

“Zachary, forty years . That’s a huge deal for your dad.”

“Yeah, well, he won’t be here for it, so what does it matter? Things happen. We’ve got enough on our plate, people can deal.”

Charlie stepped closer. “This isn’t just for the community. We do this for the practice.”

He rolled his eyes. “The effort to put it on can’t be worth the one or two extra clients we get, or the little money we earn from food.”

“Remind me how long it’s been since you’ve attended one of these.”

He hesitated, taking the opportunity to remove his coat. “Some…years.”

“Uh-huh. Did you know we bring in local vendors geared toward various pet services?”

“Again, supporting the community.” Zachary crossed his arms, warding off her approach.

She took another step, coming toe-to-toe in the stifling room. “Yes, they get exposure. And they donate goods for a raffle, where all the proceeds go toward our Dale Fund. ”

“Dale Fund?” Zachary straightened at the mention of his childhood dog.

“Yeah. The program we started to help cover medical costs for pets in dire need. Strays or clients who need financial assistance.”

He relented. “Okay, well, that’s a nice addition to the event.”

Her eyes brightened, determination fueled. “There are even a few game tents, also sponsored by people in the community, who lend their time to help us bring in more funds.”

He grunted.

“And did you know that the rescue we feature typically ends up with applications for almost all the pets they bring?”

His shoulders dropped slightly. “I can get behind that.”

Charlie crossed her arms, the phrase on her shirt perfectly framed. “Which tends to bring us more than ‘two extra clients.’”

“Look, I get it, it’s clearly more than what Dad started it as. It’s impressive, actually,” he grumbled. “Maybe we can just postpone it. People will understand.”

Charlie straightened her glasses, lavender wafting up to Zachary’s nostrils. “We’re moving forward as planned. It’s under control, everyone knows the drill. And it helps set us apart from all the corporate-owned clinics.”

Again, he wasn’t needed. Zachary tamped down the swirling emotions at the realization that the practice had grown, and he hadn’t been part of those changes. But the woman in front of him certainly was, with her wide hazel eyes and frizzing hair that looked soft to the touch.

Zachary leaned forward, her small intake of breath catching him off guard as he narrowed the distance. It was her hair, that sweet, earthy lavender scent, inviting him closer. “This fund…” His voice sounded rough, his lowered tone accidentally…intimate.

Charlie nodded, her eyes bouncing between his, scanning his face.

“Named after Dale the Dog?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Zachary’s eyes traitorously looked at her soft lips, the pale pink slightly parted.

Charlie swallowed. “Seemed only right, honoring the beloved Lee dog.”

His eyes bounced back to hers as he straightened. “Did you name it that?”

She stared at him in silence for a beat. Finally, she nodded.

Why it mattered, he wasn’t sure. His fingers twitched. He tamped down a sudden urge to reach out and touch her. To maybe hug her. But he and Charlie didn’t have that type of arrangement. Or friendship. Acquaintance .

She turned toward her desk and flipped through a file absentmindedly.

“Well. Let me know what you need from me.”

Charlie whipped around. “For the cookout?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll still be here?” Her mouth opened and closed. “Uh. Are you taking a leave of absence from work in Chicago?”

“I’m taking some time to help out my family.”

“Right but—”

“Don’t worry about it, Harris. Not your problem.”

“If it means you working here, then it is. I thought you were only coming in this week. ”

“I never said that.”

“That’s what…” She blinked rapidly, bit her lip as she shook her head slowly. When she spoke again, her mind likely racing, her voice was quiet. “Why’d I think that?”

“Maybe you were hoping for that.”

The whimper she let out made him squirm, her despair palpable. She swallowed. “How long will you be in town, Zachary?”

The nerves that radiated from her balanced him. “Long as we need.”