Page 12 of Hold Me Instead (Elmwood Falls #1)

Charlie

It was too much to process. Her emotions were running the paces.

Also, Amber was right. All the feels were rushing back, and she felt her inner teenage crush rear its bumbling head.

For a moment, her mind went rogue. Zachary, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her to him, unable to wait any longer to kiss her senseless.

It had been years since that fantasy last surfaced.

How was that cocky half-grin as hot as his full-on smile? And the stubble on his jawline? She’d been indifferent to facial hair before but had a feeling he could grow a beard down to his clavicle and she’d offer to oil it for him.

Shit . Thoughts of oiling him up would not help.

She gulped. “I didn’t think you’d be working with us beyond this week.” As though repeating the sentiment would help.

He shrugged broad shoulders, the waffle cotton of a long-sleeve navy thermal flirting with his lean muscles. “Makes sense to, don’t you think? I can take Dad’s spot until he’s no longer out of commission.”

“You’ll stay that long ?”

“Jesus, you don’t have to sound so repulsed by the idea,” he muttered.

If only repulsed was what I was feeling .

“How many weeks out are you booked solid?”

She squinted at him. Considered lying, except he’d learn the truth soon enough. “Two months.”

“Then I’ll make sure you’re set at least until then.” He brushed his hand over his head, and she registered the tousled strands as they flipped against his forehead.

“Uh-huh,” Charlie replied numbly. “Oh!”

Dr. Logan Fletcher’s appearance in their office startled them both. Maple merely raised her head a few inches and studied their new visitor.

“Whoa! Full house we have here.” With an easy smile, Logan reached out his hand toward Zachary. “Logan Fletcher.”

Zachary shook it, voice firm. “Zachary Lee.”

Logan’s blue eyes brightened. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

She watched Zachary’s face harden at Logan’s obvious comfort.

“Nice to finally meet you. I always enjoy working with this team.” Logan gestured toward Charlie with a wide smile that had made him the cover of the local emergency veterinary hospital pamphlet.

His focus fell to Maple, who perked at his approach.

“Hello there, aren’t you a lovely lady?” Logan said as she gave him a sniff and lick of approval.

Maple rested her frosted face between her two front paws, and he turned a genuine softness back to Zachary.

He was like a shiny penny, his blond hair and chiseled jawline—and strong veterinary skills, of course—fresh and around for only a while.

“Really glad to hear Daniel’s doing alright.

Charlie mentioned you’ll be stepping in for him. I’m sure he’s relieved.”

“Yes. Charlie and I have everything under control,” Zachary said.

Charlie shivered. He said her name with such intent. She’d replay it in her mind if she wasn’t so irritated by him upending everything. His decision to work with them, no end date in sight. An early arrival, despite her insistence. Frustration about the cookout she had completely under control.

She wanted to yell at whomever told him navy was his color while running her hands over the soft weave of his shirt, reveling in the contours of his chest.

If she wasn’t careful, he would bulldoze his way through the practice.

She’d given herself a pep talk that morning, determined to focus on work and handle Zachary’s presence for the week.

A few days of him helping out wouldn’t equate to enough time for him to rock the process.

But longer? There was no way he’d be able to help himself.

Such confident comments from him in his one-sided standoff with Logan reminded her to stick to her plan.

“Logan, Zachary will be shadowing a bit today.”

That brought Zachary’s attention back to her, his eyebrows slowly rising. She swore she saw a smirk tug at his lips. “Shadowing,” he murmured.

She waved at the boxes. “And handling some paperwork.” She steeled an assertive look at Zachary. “The kitchenette has a little table that should work just fine.”

“No, no, you work in here,” Logan said. He stepped between them to clear the few things he had at Daniel’s desk. “I don’t need much space, you know that, Charlie. I’m only here through tomorrow. He should have access to the office.”

All the while, she couldn’t tear her gaze from Zachary’s, awareness brightening his saddened eyes. That had definitely been a smirk in hiding because now it appeared in full splendor, punctuated by laugh lines that cited his amusement at her frustration .

She clenched her fingers. Logan was only being accommodating—the man never made waves—but paired with Zachary rolling in like the boss’s son, it rankled.

She managed a smile. “Thank you. I have to get into surgery.” She moved toward the door and called over her shoulder, “See you at lunch, Lee.”

***

“Oh, dear God.” Charlie stood in the doorway, the tired gray carpet covered in piles.

Zachary sat at Daniel’s solid oak desk, chin propped on his hand, flipping through paperwork. At the sound of her voice, he glanced up, then looked at his watch. “That went fast.”

“So did this explosion,” Charlie said as she stepped around the stacks, balancing her lunch high as though that’d help her avoid making a mess.

“Careful!”

She glared but made it to her desk without incident. “Please tell me this will be gone by the end of the day.”

“I can’t promise anything,” Zachary said, returning to the pile in front of him.

Charlie scoffed. “We can’t work like this.”

“Why didn’t Dad delegate anything to Maura?”

Charlie sighed. “He passed on a couple things to her, but he doesn’t include me in any of it either. We tried to convince him numerous times. ”

Zachary muttered to himself, then said, “How do you stand being in here?”

“Guess they became part of the room for me too.”

He glanced at her desk. “Never mind. Makes sense now.”

“Hey!” Charlie looked at her desk, slightly offended.

Sure, there were piles, but they were organized piles, one on each side of the desk.

She knew where everything was, and the keyboard and mouse pad were visible, unlike Zachary’s.

She glanced at the rest of the office. “I’m not liking this at all. ”

He spun his chair around to face her. “Have you two really never talked about it? Discussed a better system—wait, I mean discussed a system because this sure isn’t one.” He hesitated. “He trusts you, he’d hear you out.”

Charlie paused, her hummus and celery halfway to her mouth. He’d barely forced out those words. “I’ve brought it up, yes. He acted like he had things under control, though. Switched conversations…”

“How can you run a business like that?”

She almost nodded in agreement to what she thought was hypothetical, then realized he was actually asking her . “Wait, what? I’m not involved in anything beyond paperwork pertaining to the patients I treat.”

Zachary crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “Doesn’t bode well for the future. There’s no proactive spirit in that. How could he feel comfortable leaving the practice to you?”

The hummus slid off her celery, landing on her desk with a tiny blup . This was the first time the two of them had discussed the practice transferring to her .

She waved the now naked vegetable at him as she swiveled her chair his way, a few feet of frustration hovering between them. “How dare you suggest that I wouldn’t take care of this place?”

He shook his head. “Dad’s planning on retiring in what, a couple years? Why isn’t some of this on your plate now?”

Charlie had mentioned this exact concern to Daniel.

She knew full well she had plenty to learn.

Treating pets? Her dream career. Working with the community?

She had a good rapport with people. But the business side of things?

The finances? Looking at spreadsheets and dealing with money was the most unexciting task she could think of, but that didn’t mean she had a problem learning it.

She was well aware owning her own practice was a large undertaking and had forced her way through a business degree for that explicit purpose.

“That isn’t for you to decide,” she said through gritted teeth.

At some point, the two of them had leaned forward in their rolling chairs, knees inches apart in the tight space. Zachary’s hands gripped the armrests, while Charlie still waved that piece of celery in the air, her other hand squeezing her thigh.

“Heyyy, Dr. Harris, Dr. Lee.” Their lead tech, Jasmine, stood in their doorway. “I’m just gonna close the door, give you some privacy.” With a sheepish grin, she shut the door.

Charlie and Zachary locked eyes. He leaned back, and she crunched loudly on celery, quickly shoveling in another piece covered in enough hummus to make up for what was already in her mouth.

She watched from the corner of her eyes as he rubbed his forehead.

This wasn’t the Zachary she remembered, the one who came home from college for the summer to find an eager sixteen-year-old working for his father, who was just as eager to talk with her about all things animal related.

She’d picked his brain, and he’d happily taught her some new things he’d learned in school.

She could admit she’d looked up to him, and he’d shown pride at filling that role.

He’d also listened to her stories about working at the animal shelter with a genuine sincerity.

She’d gained a friend who cared as much as she did.

This Zachary seemed…lost.

“Look. I’m…” Zachary sighed. “I shouldn’t have gone there. I know this isn’t your doing.” He gestured to the mess around them.

It was a start. “I mean, this is actually your doing,” she said, pointing to the stacks covering the floor.