Page 31

M att sat hunched over his desk in the clinic office.

He should have been reviewing patient files, but he was listening to the sound of his veterinary practice operating around him.

From the examination rooms down the hall, he could hear Lynda’s voice giving instructions to Sarah, the steady hum of equipment, and the occasional bark or meow from patients.

It was both comforting and maddening to be so close yet unable to help.

“You’re supposed to be at home resting,” Stephanie said from the doorway, carrying a steaming mug of tea. She’d been furious when Patrick had dropped Matt off that morning, despite his protests that he was perfectly fine to be at the clinic.

“I am resting,” Matt replied, though they both knew he’d been straining to hear every conversation from the examination rooms. “I’m just keeping an eye on things from a distance. Lynda shouldn’t have to handle everything alone.”

Stephanie set the mug on his desk and frowned.

“Dad, you have second-degree burns on your arms and smoke damage to your lungs. Dr. Hilary said you need at least another week of complete rest before you can even think about returning to work. That means staying at home, not sitting in your office pretending to do paperwork.”

Matt sighed. Zac Hilary was his friend, and as a friend, he’d expected him to be a little more lenient when it came to letting him return to work.

“Dr. Hilary doesn’t understand that spring is our busiest season,” Matt countered, then immediately broke into a coughing fit that proved Stephanie’s point more effectively than any argument could have.

When the spasm passed, Stephanie handed him the tea with raised eyebrows. “Chamomile with honey. Lynda said it would help with the throat irritation.”

Matt accepted the mug. “How is Lynda managing?” he asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice. She’d offered to work in his clinic until he was back on his feet, but he was worried she was doing too much.

“Better than you are,” Stephanie said pointedly.

“Sarah says Lynda’s handled six appointments this morning, including a complicated surgery on a dog who ate a tennis ball.

She’s also fielded about twenty phone calls from people wanting to help with the shelter rebuild and coordinated with Carol about the temporary animal housing arrangements. ”

Matt closed his eyes, feeling useless. “I should be helping with all of that.”

“You should be healing,” Stephanie corrected. “Dad, you saved seventeen lives four nights ago. You’re allowed to take a few days to recover from being a hero.”

“I’m not a hero,” Matt said quietly. “I just did what anyone would have done.”

Stephanie sat in the chair across from his desk, her expression growing serious. “Dad, we need to talk. Really talk. You’ve been putting on this brave face since the fire, but I can see you’re struggling with something.”

Matt met his daughter’s eyes and felt his carefully maintained composure begin to crack. Stephanie had always been able to see through him, even as a child. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Just tired.”

“No, you’re not.” Stephanie’s voice was gentle but firm. “You’re scared. I can see it every time you hear an animal make a noise or someone mention the rebuilding plans. What’s really bothering you?”

For a long moment, Matt said nothing, sipping his tea and trying to organize thoughts that felt scattered and raw. Finally, he set the mug down and rubbed his face with his hands. They still smelled faintly of smoke despite being washed many times.

“I keep thinking I’ve ruined everything,” he admitted quietly. “Not just the shelter, but... everything else too.”

Stephanie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Lynda came here to spend time with her friends,” Matt said, the words coming slowly.

“And then she met me. She sold her business, bought a house, and made plans for a rehabilitation center in Sapphire Bay. Then, in one night, everything was gone. What if she realizes this was all a mistake? What if she decides Sapphire Bay is too chaotic, too unpredictable, too... much?”

Stephanie stared at him for a moment, then shook her head with a mixture of exasperation and affection. “Dad, are you serious?”

“I’m completely serious,” Matt said defensively. “She could be working in a calm, peaceful practice in Denver. Regular hours, no midnight emergencies, no buildings burning down around her. Why would she choose this chaos instead?”

Stephanie stood up and walked to the office window that overlooked the clinic parking lot. “Dad, come here. I want to show you something.”

“Stephanie, I’m supposed to be resting?—”

“You’re already not resting by being here instead of at home,” she pointed out. “Just come look.”

Matt reluctantly got up from behind his desk and immediately felt lightheaded. Stephanie steadied him as they moved to the window. When they were there, she dropped her gaze to the parking lot below.

“What do you see?” she asked.

Matt looked down and saw Lynda’s car. Beside it were several other vehicles he recognized—Carol’s truck, Kathleen’s SUV, and what looked like Mayor Wilson’s sedan.

“I see vehicles,” he said, confused.

“You see commitment,” Stephanie corrected.

“Dad, Lynda hasn’t left. She hasn’t packed up and run back to Denver.

Instead, she’s taken over your practice, organized the animal rescue efforts, and from what I’ve heard, she’s been sleeping on your couch to be closer to the animals that need round-the-clock care. ”

Matt felt something tight in his chest begin to loosen. “She’s been sleeping at the clinic?”

“Sarah told me she found Lynda here at five o’clock yesterday morning, hand-feeding one of the kittens that wasn’t eating.” Stephanie guided him back to his chair, making sure he sat down before continuing. “Does that sound like someone who’s looking for an excuse to leave?”

“But the fire changed everything,” Matt protested weakly. “Our plans, the rehabilitation center, the expansion?—”

“No,” Stephanie interrupted, settling into the chair across from him again.

“The fire changed the timeline. It didn’t change the dream, and it certainly didn’t change how Lynda feels about you.

” She leaned forward in her chair, her expression earnest. “Dad, I’ve watched you and Lynda together.

I’ve seen how she looks at you, how you look at her.

That’s not the kind of connection that disappears because of one crisis. ”

Matt was quiet for a long moment, processing his daughter’s words. “I just don’t want her to feel trapped here because of obligations or guilt about the animals.”

“Then ask her,” Stephanie said. “But Dad, I think you’re projecting your fears onto her. You’re scared because you’ve finally found someone who makes you happy again, and you’re terrified of losing that happiness.”

Matt sighed. “You should have been a psychologist.”

Stephanie smiled. “I learned everything about relationships from watching you and Mom. You two weathered plenty of storms together. There were financial struggles when you were starting the practice, Mom’s health issues, and her cancer diagnosis.

You never gave up on each other, even when things looked impossible. ”

“That was different,” Matt said softly. “We were married. We’d made vows.”

“Love doesn’t need a marriage certificate to be real,” Stephanie replied. “And from what I’ve seen, you and Lynda are already committed to each other in all the ways that matter. She’s not going anywhere, Dad. She bought a house here, remember? She’s planning to stay.”

Matt felt tears prick his eyes. “I love her, Stephanie. More than I thought I could love anyone again.”

“I know,” Stephanie said gently. “And she loves you, too. Anyone can see that. The question is, are you going to let fear rule your life, or are you going to trust in what you’ve built together?”

A soft knock at the office door interrupted them. Lynda appeared in the doorway, still wearing scrubs and with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looked tired but radiant, like someone who’d found her purpose.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but I wanted to check on Matt before my next appointment. Brenda said you’ve been here for two hours. Aren’t you supposed to be at home resting?”

Matt met her eyes and saw nothing but warmth, concern, and the kind of deep affection that couldn’t be faked or forced. Stephanie was right—this wasn’t the face of someone looking for an escape route.

“I’m much better,” he said, meaning it for the first time since the fire.

Lynda smiled, and the last of Matt’s fears began to dissolve.

“That’s great because we have a rehabilitation center to plan, and I’ll need my partner back on his feet soon.

” She walked toward him and kissed him gently on the lips.

“Just don’t overdo anything. You can be incredibly stubborn sometimes. ”

“Don’t worry,” Stephanie told Lynda. “Dad and I have just been discussing his workload.”

Lynda grinned. “It sounds like you’ve got everything under control. In case you’re interested, Mrs. Peterson brought in some chocolate-covered donuts from Kathleen’s café. They’d make a delicious snack.”

Stephanie looked at her dad’s hopeful expression. “Okay, but only one. I’ll get it for you.”

“Take your time,” Matt told her. “I’d like to read a few reports before I leave.”

Stephanie checked her watch and sighed. “I’ll give you fifteen minutes, and then I’m taking you home.”

Matt was thankful she’d given him any extra time at the clinic. “It’s a deal.”

Lynda grinned. “And I have to see a pregnant cat who’s started eating socks. Enjoy the donuts.”

After Lynda and Stephanie left his office, Matt sat quietly for several minutes, processing everything that had happened. He thought about what Lynda had said—she’d called him her partner, not only in work but in everything that mattered. Those words had meant more to him than she realized.

With a heartfelt sigh, he picked up a report and knew they’d be okay. But as he sat there, his gaze fell to his left hand, to the gold band that had circled his ring finger for nearly thirty years. The ring that had become as much a part of him as breathing.

Leaving the folder on his desk, Matt slowly twisted the wedding band. It came off easily—perhaps too easily. He’d lost a little weight over the years, and his hands had grown thinner. He held the ring in his palm, studying the worn gold that had once been bright and new.

“I need to talk to you, Maria,” he said quietly to the empty office, his voice barely above a whisper. “I think it’s time.”

He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he could almost feel her presence in the room—that gentle strength that had sustained him through so many years.

“You told me I shouldn’t spend my life alone,” he continued, his thumb running over the smooth surface of the ring. “You made me promise that I’d find happiness again. I fought you on that conversation, remember? I couldn’t imagine loving anyone the way I loved you.”

Matt opened his eyes and looked down at the ring again. “But you were right. You always were. This isn’t the same as what we had—it’s different. But it’s real, and it’s good.”

He could almost hear Maria’s voice in his mind, that gentle teasing tone she’d use when she was trying to make him see reason. She’d probably tell him he was being stubborn, that he’d already waited too long.

“Lynda makes me want to try again,” he admitted. “She makes me remember what it feels like to look forward to tomorrow instead of just getting through today. I know you’d want that for me.”

Matt opened his desk drawer and carefully placed the wedding ring inside, next to a small photo of Maria that he kept there. His finger felt strange without the familiar weight but also somehow lighter.

“I’m not forgetting you,” he said softly, touching the photo. “I could never forget you. But I think it’s time to make room for someone new. Time to stop holding onto the past so tightly that I can’t reach for the future.”

For the first time in fifteen years, Matt was ready to move forward. Not away from Maria’s memory, but toward something new, something that honored what he’d lost and what he might find.

He closed the drawer gently and picked up his tea, feeling a sense of peace settle over him. Sometime in the future, he’d tell Lynda how he felt and take the next step into whatever was waiting for them.