Bear Vet by Zoe Chant

Chapter Five

Am I reading him wrong?Judy wondered.

For such a rock-steady family man, he was hard to get a grip on when it came to how he felt about her. Sometimes it felt like he want to rip her clothes off on the spot, and then he’d seem to shy away like a skittish horse.

Maybe he does like me, but he’s worried about getting involved with a woman when he has a daughter, she thought. That would make sense. He was obviously devoted to Raelynn.

And that was when Judy realized something she hadn’t quite processed before. Waylon wasn’t only Waylon. He was Waylon-and-Raelynn. If she got involved with him, she wouldn’t just be dating a man. She’d be stepping into a family.

If I married him, I’d have a daughter.

The thought of that hit her with such a surge of conflicting emotions that she felt knocked off her feet. First there came a rush of joy. She could have a daughter! And not just any daughter, but Raelynn, the tempestuous, enthusiastic, fearless, funny, horse-mad girl. How lucky could Judy get?

But before she could even take a moment to savor that idea, she was struck by an equally powerful wave of panic. She couldn’t be a mom. She’d never had a child. She had no idea how to parent. She was forty-five and she’d never even been married. How could she even think about shouldering her way into someone else’s family?

For all their fights over the hellhorse, Raelynn and Waylon obviously loved each other deeply and meant the world to each other. What if Judy stomped all over their relationship with her stable-muddy boots and ruined it?

“Judy?” Waylon said. “Are you all right?”

She gulped hard. “Yes!”

Don’t get ahead of yourself, she thought. You haven’t even been on a date with him, and you’re already worried about marriage! Ridiculous.

Or have I had a date? I had a meal at his house. And now he’s driving me to show me where he works. Is this a date?

He pulled into the parking lot of Vets For All Pets. He had a reserved spot, but the rest of the spaces were full.

“Busy. Let’s go round the back. Oh, and I should mention, there’s two other vets who work here.” Waylon lowered his voice. “Angel and his fiancée Everly have the magical pet. You’ll love them. My other partner is Bryan, and he’s a bit… That is, he can be a little… abrupt. But he’s a great guy, so don’t be put off.”

Judy shrugged. “I’m used to people who are better with animals than with people. Don’t worry, I don’t require everyone to be sparkling conversationalists.”

“It’s not…” Waylon looked like he was going to continue, then shrugged. “Yeah, Bryan is definitely better with animals than with people. Anyway, he’s pretty busy today so we probably won’t even see him. But it looks like Everly’s already here to collect Angel at the end of his shift, so you can meet them for sure.”

“Absolutely for sure,” said a female voice. “In fact, you can meet them right now!”

The speaker was getting out of the car Waylon had indicated. She was a stylish Black woman in a white summer dress, with a large designer purse slung over her shoulder. She held out her hand. “Everly Sawyer. Pleased to meet you.”

“Judy Greenberg. Same.”

They shook hands. Everly had a nice firm grip, and for all her friendliness, Judy suspected she was a force to be reckoned with.

Waylon cleared his throat. “Everly, Judy and I met today when we both had an encounter with a certain unusual horse. She had questions, so I brought her here to show her the unusual animal room. I was hoping she could meet your pet.”

Everly gave Judy a wicked grin. “Oh, absolutely. Let’s go somewhere a bit more private.”

As they walked around the side of the building to the back, Everly went on, “Just wait, Judy. You’ll love her.”

“She’s with the… unusual animals?” Judy asked.

Everly’s box braids swung around her face as she shook her head. “She’s in my purse.”

Judy was surprised, then chuckled. “I don’t know why I assumed they’d all be big. I guess because I’ve only seen a horse.”

“Oh, no. Some of them are very small.” Everly rubbed her arms, as if she’d gotten goosebumps. “The most dangerous one I’ve ever seen was the size of a cat.”

The area behind the hospital had a small stable and barn, which Waylon explained was for caring for farm animals that needed to be monitored overnight. “We also use it to house larger animals that come through the portal. Like the baby pegasus.”

He indicated a knocked-together tin shed. “And that’s for the hellhorse. Can’t risk having it burn down the stable. Hopefully we won’t have to keep it long.”

The back door of Vets For All Pets was flung open. A man shouted, “Everly!”

His white veterinarian’s coat flew behind him as he ran to her, swung her off her feet, and kissed her. The unabashed joy and love on both their faces made Judy look away. She felt as if she was intruding on a private moment between them.

Or maybe, she thought, I’m jealous.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Waylon was looking away too.

“Angel, Waylon’s friend Judy wants to meet Rock,” Everly said. “She and Waylon tangled with the hellhorse.”

Angel turned to them. He was a strikingly handsome Latino man with silky-looking black hair, younger than Waylon. “I assume you didn’t catch it.”

“No such luck,” Waylon said. “It burned down half the meadow out by the ranch for sale, then escaped into the woods. Raelynn was there, trying to tame it. Judy protected her and helped put out the fire.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Everly. “Thank you, Judy.”

“Yes, thank you,” echoed Angel. “Raelynn’s sort of our honorary niece. She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“She’s fine, and she’s grounded,” said Waylon. “If I’ve told her once, I’ve told her a hundred times…”

Everly broke in, holding her purse open. “Judy, meet Rock.”

A melodic trill sounded from within the dark depths of the purse. Angel held out his arm. “Rock? Come on out!”

A dragon the size of a cat clambered out of the purse and launched into the air. As it sailed across the distance between Everly and Angel, it looked like a huge butterfly. It landed on Angel’s forearm, perched as if it was a tame hawk, and trilled again.

Judy was enchanted. The little creature was a perfect miniature dragon with cloud-white wings and a sky-blue body. Its head was something like that of a sea horse, and its long, whiplike tail coiled around Angel’s arm.

“You can pet her,” said Everly.

Judy stroked the tiny dragon’s narrow head. It turned to sniff at her, completely unafraid. “She’s beautiful. What did you say her name was?”

“Rock,” said Everly. “Like a rock.”

It made sense. Her smooth hide shone like polished stone. “How did you get her?”

“She came through the portal, and I found her before the vets did,” Everly explained. “It was kind of love at first sight. I wouldn’t have given her up for the world, and she wouldn’t have left me. Apparently that happens sometimes with people and magical animals. They bond together, and nothing can tear them apart.”

“It happens with people and horses too,” said Judy. “I’ve seen it. Once a man came to my ranch because his fiancée wanted to see the horses. I had a young filly at the time—one of my mares had been pregnant when I got her—and that filly took a fancy to him. Went right up to him, begged for treats, then cornered him against the fence and wouldn’t let him go. He looked absolutely dazed. He’d never owned a horse in his life, but he had to have her—and she had to have him. That was six years ago and they’re still together.”

“Sometimes it’s like that.” Angel’s tone was distinctly pointed, and he was looking straight at Waylon. “When an animal and a person come together like that, it’s meant to be. Just like when a—”

Waylon interrupted. “Angel, Everly, I know you guys have to go. Maybe Judy and I can stop by the café some time, huh?”

That wicked grin of Everly’s reappeared. “Bring her any time. We’ll make sure it’s special.” She held her purse open and whistled. “Back inside, Rock.”

Rock flew back into the purse, and Angel and Everly headed back to the parking lot. Over her shoulder, Everly called, “See you tomorrow!”

“Wow,” Judy breathed. “A dragon!”

“A dragonette. She won’t get much bigger than that. Did you like them?” Waylon’s question sounded casual, but she could see in his eyes that it was anything but.

“I did,” Judy said honestly. “They both seemed incredibly nice. You’re lucky to have someone like Angel to work with.”

Once again, Waylon sounded casual and looked the opposite when he said, “Can I take you to Everly’s café for breakfast tomorrow?”

A date, Judy thought. A definite, for real, unmistakable date.

“Waylon, I would love to go out with you,” she said. “For breakfast or anything else. Though I bet Everly’s breakfast is extra good.”

“Oh, it is,” he assured her. “Now come see some unusual animals.”

Her heart felt warm and light as he opened the back door of the hospital for her. The air inside was cool and smelled like antiseptic, and she could hear meows, barks, squeaks, and chirps. Waylon led her down a corridor, then stopped in front of a locked door with a prominent sign:

Surgical Waste And Chemical Disposal: Warning! Biological Hazard!

DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT!

As he unlocked it, Judy started to back away. He beckoned her in. “That’s just to scare off nosey-parkers.”

“Oh!” She stepped in with a laugh. “How clever.”

The room was split between ordinary animal hospital cages, the wire-fronted ones used for dogs and cats, and terrariums and aviaries with complete environments, from desert to jungle and anything in between.

She was drawn to a terrarium whose glass walls were mostly frosted over. When she peered through one of the few clear areas, she saw snow falling inside the terrarium. It fluttered down in small but unmistakable flakes, blanketing the bottom with a thick layer of white. Small creatures with pearly fur tipped with silver played in the winter landscape, scurrying atop the snow as if they wore the world’s tiniest snowshoes.

“Frost mice,” came Waylon’s voice behind her. Lost in enchantment, she’d forgotten he was there.

“How is it snowing inside?”

“The mice do that,” he said. “It’s pretty to watch, but it’s kind of a pain in the ass. We have to scoop out snow twice a day, or it’ll fill the terrarium.”

“Where do they come from?”

He shrugged. “Some other world. Maybe a hot one, where they need to make their own snow to survive. You can catch a glimpse of the worlds sometimes, when they go back.”

“How can you get them to the right one?”

“The portal always sends them to the one they came from.” He snorted. “It’s cooperative that way, at least. Not so much on the timing of opening and closing. We have a hidden camera on it, so we can see when something comes through and when it opens again so we can put creatures back. But there’s no pattern when it comes to when.”

She looked at him closely. Despite his words, she could see a wonder that matched her own in his deep blue eyes. “It never gets routine, does it?”

“Never.” He took her hand. Her fingers instinctively curled around his. “Check out this little guy. He had a cut on his back when he came through, so we had no idea what was different about him until it healed.”

Judy looked at what appeared to be a completely ordinary hamster, snoozing in a nest of cedar shavings in a completely ordinary hamster cage. Other than the shaved area on his back and a pink scar where the cut had been, he didn’t look different from any hamster you could buy in a pet store. “I don’t get it.”

“Watch.” Waylon whistled at the hamster, then lifted the lid and offered him a peanut.

The hamster curled into a perfectly round ball, then rolled across the floor of the cage, only coming to a stop when he bumped into Waylon’s hand. He uncurled, took the peanut, stuffed it into one side of his cheek, curled back into a ball, and rolled back to his nest, where he went back to sleep.

Judy burst out laughing. “That’s hilarious. And amazing. How does he even do that? The floor of the cage is totally level, and he’s not using his paws at all.”

Waylon shrugged. “Beats me. But, you know, they are magical animals. So I’m going to guess magic.”

“Magic,” Judy breathed. “You’re so lucky.”

From behind her, a man demanded, “Who exactly is this person, and what is she doing in an off-limits area?”

Judy hadn’t heard the door open. She spun around, only to take a step back at the half-feral gleam in the speaker’s amber eyes. He wore a vet’s white coat and stethoscope, which should have made him look non-threatening. But his black hair bristled like an angry animal’s, and he looked like he was considering going for her throat.

Waylon stepped forward protectively, looming over the amber-eyed man. “She’s my guest and that’s what she’s doing here.”

“Guest.” The amber-eyed man kept right on staring at her as if he was trying to pin her to the wall with his gaze alone.

“My guest,” Waylon replied, his own voice taking on an ominous note.

Much as Judy appreciated Waylon’s protectiveness, she didn’t want to be the cause of a fight between co-workers. So she stepped out from behind him and met the amber-eyed man’s gaze with her own.

Imagine he’s a wild stallion, she told herself, though there was absolutely nothing horse-like about the man. If she was going to compare him to any animal, it would be a predator, a wolf or a bobcat or something like that. But she had no experience with large predators beyond chasing them off her property…

I’m intruding on his property, she realized. And I’m with his animals. No wonder he’s reacting like I’m a wolf who got into his stable!

Judy changed her approach. She lowered her gaze, opened her hands which had unconsciously closed into fists, and said in a soothing voice, “It’s all right. I’m not going to harm your animals or tell anyone about them. Waylon only brought me here because I already found out about them. I saw his daughter trying to tame the hellhorse.”

“That damned beast set a fire,” Waylon put in. “Judy ran out to protect Raelynn from it. She fought that fire with nothing but her hiking boots. She was so busy putting it out around Rae, she got surrounded herself! I arrived just in time with an extinguisher.”

As Waylon spoke, the protective anger went out of the other man’s eyes, replaced first by concern for Raelynn, then something that looked like respect. He offered her his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Bryan Lee. Thank you for protecting our cub—”

Out of the corner of her eye, Judy caught Waylon shaking his head frantically. “Bryan, Rae hates that nickname!”

Bryan’s eyebrows went up and he stared at Waylon as if that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. Then he turned back to Judy. “Thank you for protecting Raelynn. And you are…?”

“Judy Rosenberg. I have a horse rescue I’m trying to relocate, so I was looking at a ranch for sale. I happened to spot Raelynn and the hellhorse colt, and I forced Waylon to tell me what was going on. I wouldn’t take no for an answer, once I’d seen a horse set a fire.”

Bryan actually smiled at that. “No, I imagine you wouldn’t. That colt is pretty spectacular. Did Waylon show you all our animals?”

“Not quite,” Waylon said. “Just the frost mice and the roly-poly hamster.”

“Go on, then. I have to get back to work.” Bryan again turned to Judy, and the light in his amber eyes struck her like a blow. “Judy, it really is a pleasure to meet you. If you ever need anything—and I do mean anything—just ask and it’s yours. Anyone who protects a cu—who protects a child is a friend of mine.”

He went out, leaving her and Waylon alone in the room.

“Whew,” said Judy. “Your partner is pretty intense.”

“Yeah…” Waylon seemed to search for words, then shrugged. “Yeah, Bryan’s a bit different. He’s a good guy, though. And a great vet.”

“I bet he is. He was so protective of the little creatures in here.” She looked around, searching for occupied cages. “He said there were more of them?”

“Just one more. We usually only have a few at a time.” Waylon indicated an aviary-type cage with bamboo growing in it.

A large chicken with a bright red comb strutted within it, pecking at the floor and the wires and the bamboo. When Judy came closer, it cocked its head at her, fixing her with beady black eyes.

“Don’t be startled if—” Waylon began.

The chicken opened its beak and breathed out a puff of flame. Judy jerked back, then realized that there was no heat in the scarlet glow. If anything, a wash of cold rolled out from it. With a satisfied expression, the chicken flapped its wings. They made an eerie rustling sound, like a whisper at the edge of hearing. Baaa-saaa, went the sound. Baaa-saaa.

“That’s no chicken,” said Judy. “What is it?”

“It’s called a basabasa, for the sound it makes with its wings. Imagine hearing that while you’re walking alone in a forest at dusk.”

“Brrr. Creepy!”

“And then imagine seeing… that.”

With perfect timing, the basabasa gave a very chicken-like peck at a dish of mealworms. Judy laughed. “You’re sure living your best life.”

“I am,” Waylon agreed. “At work, anyway.”

Judy thought of Raelynn running away crying, and of the clothes she herself was wearing, which hadn’t belonged to a girlfriend or wife after all. With sudden insight, she asked, “Are you lonely?”

He glanced away, as if to hide his reaction, then slowly turned to face her. “Yeah. I am. I’ve been lonely for a long time. Even when I was married to Rae’s mom. In some ways, especially then, because I felt like I shouldn’t be. What about you?”

Judy hadn’t expected him to turn the question back on her. But if he had the guts to answer it honestly, she had to summon up her own courage to do the same. “Yeah. I am. I guess I’ve always been. I’ve had a good life, but there’s always been something missing.”

“You’ve never married?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t want to marry just to be married. I’d rather be alone doing my own thing than be with someone who stands on the sidelines criticizing, or is in his own world except for when we meet up in the nights to have sex. If I can’t have the kind of partnership that I’d want, then I won’t settle for less.”

“You’re wise.”

She was looking up at him, at his deep blue eyes and red-gold hair, his broad shoulders strong enough to hold up a roof and the surprisingly sensual lines of his mouth. His own scent cut through the smells of antiseptic and cedar shavings, a scent of masculine warmth and well-washed flannel and some woodsy soap. A faint odor of smoke hung around him too, a ghost of the fire he hadn’t managed to wash off. She probably had some of that on her too.

As if he’d read her mind, he said, “You still smell like fire.”

“So do you.” With that, she knew what was going to happen between them, knew that she hadn’t been imagining the hunger with which she sometimes caught him looking at her. It was in his eyes now, burning like dry grass under the hellcolt’s hooves. She too was burning with that same inner fire.

She heard her own voice crack as she said, “Does that door lock from the inside?”

He put his hand on a huge crate of canned cat food. With astonishing, easy strength, he shoved it across the floor to block the door. “It does now.”

And then they were kissing with a shocking suddenness. The entire world went away as his strong arms came around her, nearly lifting her off her feet. All her troubles and worries and hesitations were forgotten, lost in the bliss and passion of that kiss.

He’s my partner, she thought. The one I always wanted and thought didn’t exist. It has to be him.

Waylon stepped away from her abruptly, breathing hard. His handsome face was locked into lines of tension, as if he was struggling with some enormous weight.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

“Why not?” Judy asked. “You’re divorced. You don’t have a girlfriend… Right?”

He looked so absolutely horrified at that suggestion that Judy filed away “would never ever cheat” under her rapidly growing list of his excellent qualities. “No, no. It’s nothing like that.”

“Then what’s the matter? Am I moving too fast?”

“No,” he said, almost automatically, then frowned. “That is—you aren’t. But maybe this whole thing is. I’m a parent, and… things are complicated.”

Judy believed him. His sudden hesitation had nothing to do with her, or his feelings about her. Though she wasn’t a parent herself, she understood what it meant to be responsible for other living things, and to sometimes have to place their needs above her own.

And that was the problem. Waylon was as attracted to her as she was to him, but that might not be enough. He needed someone who could be a mother to his child, not a middle-aged woman who’d never even been married.

She was standing in a room full of magic with the man of her dreams, and all any of it would do was break her heart.