Learning to Live

Chapter 30

I'd been looking for a good boxing gym ever since I moved here and opened my clinic. It shouldn't be difficult to find in a big city, but it was. Maybe because I was comparing every place to Steve's gym. And nothing compared to Steve's gym. That place had been my second home.

So on Saturday evening, as I'd been doing for more a year, I abandoned yet another gym and went home to scroll through the list of remaining boxing gyms in the city, ending my day of rest on a disappointing tone.

Unless there was an emergency, I usually took Saturdays off. So on Sunday morning, I was bright and early in my clinic before any of my staff arrived. I'd named my clinic after my nephews. Landon & Lander Veterinary Clinic had a good client base for being open for only a little over a year. Of course, some of my clients were a few of Jason and Scott's teammates or their partners. Having athletes as part of my clientele was good advertisement.

Gemma, my assistant, arrived shortly after me. She was a twenty three year old girl with the most beautiful features. Her mother was Japanese and her father was African-American, and she inherited both her mother's cat-like eyes and her father's deep tan skin. She got hit on by clients more times than she liked.

Her latest fan was one of Jason's teammates, Cornell. Cornell had come in one day just to accompany Jason when Jason's dog had a checkup, and he came back at least once every month, ostensibly to ask for advice because he wanted to adopt and didn't know how or where to go. It'd been almost six months, and the guy was still coming for advice, which he only asked from Gemma.

It was vastly amusing, especially since Gemma didn't give him the time of the day.

I loved my job. I loved the people who worked for me. Which was good since I often used work to escape social obligations.

"Doctor Milton, your first appointment is here," Marry, my receptionist, said, peeking through my office door.

"Let them in."

I rolled my chair back. My office- a desk, chairs, and a file cabinet- was separated from the examination room by an adjoining door. Through it, I could see Gemma putting the cage of a cat on the steel table. The orange cat hissed as his owner tried to calm him down. Even when some of the pets tried claw my eyes out, I loved my work more than I thought was possible.

But when the pet was an orange cat, my heart squeezed with the painful reminder of Cheddar. After meeting Hunter, I really didn't need the heartache today. But life didn't care about my feelings.

I smiled at the owner and got myself together. Here we go.

*** **** ***

Ten hours later, I was ready to crawl into a hot bath and pass out. I rubbed the back of my neck as Gemma sterilized the examination table. The last puppy had peed on it and on me. But the fluffy golden retriever was too cute, I didn't even care.

I changed into a clean pair of blue scrubs before joining Gemma in the examination room. "This is the last one, right?"

"Yep," Gemma grinned. "One of your brother's friends, I think. Or maybe Jason. He was nice enough to get a picture with the last client."

"Is he easy on the eye?" I joked. He must be an athlete.

Gemma dropped the paper tissue in the trash bin and fanned her face. "Oh yeah. I think Mary is melting out there. Also, his dog is pretty huge."

I chuckled, sterilizing my hands. "Well, let him in."

I had my back to the door when Gemma let the client in. I smiled and turned. My smile froze.

Hunter stood at the door, dressed in a gray hoodie, his black hair swept back and his dark eyes warm.

"Hey," he said. My heart squeezed, his deep voice a spear to my chest.