Neve exchanged a wide-eyed look with Reece. What was this lady’s problem?
“I’m s-so s-sorry, Dr. Bunting,” Neve stammered, and Reece felt a pull deep in his chest. “I meant no disrespect.” She paused to clear her throat, an awkward beat of silence passing. “In light of the clinic’s latest, um, setback, I was hoping you’d be kind enough to accommodate my patients.”
“Anything you need, Dr. Embry” the vet’s crisp tone clipped over the phone’s speaker, “Just send them to me. You may reassure them they will be in the very best hands.”
Despite the woman’s off-putting manner, Reece was relieved on Neve’s behalf and told her so after she ended the call. “Is she always so uptight?”
“Pretty much, though she’s never slapped me down for being informal before. She takes her title very seriously. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” he agreed. “And what’s with the crack about her family?”
“No idea.”
He stroked his beard. “Well, at least you’re covered now. It’s good of her to take on your load.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Neve wrapped her arms around her middle and stared out the window.
“You’re not convinced. Why is that?”
Her mouth moved side to side. “It’s just … I haven’t sent many people to her, but I’ve heard from one or two that they don’t like her bedside manner. If she talks to them that same way, then I totally get it. Fancy education aside, people around here respond much better to a more casual vibe.”
“True, though it doesn’t mean she’s incompetent.”
“No, but they’ve also told me they’re not sold on her skill set. Bottom line, they’re not comfortable going to her. It makes me a little nervous to send more of my patients to her clinic.”
Neve’s clients were probably spoiled because she’d been their vet forever. “Nobody likes change.”
“I guess you’re right. Oh well. Not much I can do about it now.”
They were cruising down the highway in Reece’s truck, little beads of snow bouncing off the windshield. A familiar mile marker came into view, and he took a turn on a dirt road that wound through a thick stand of pines. When they emerged, his parents’ log mansion came into full view.
“It’s always so pretty and peaceful here,” Neve sighed.
He slid her a sidelong glance. “Are you ready to face the music?”
“I’m hoping there is no music, that the gang kept our secret to themselves.” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Except you’re still wearing your wedding band! Aren’t your parents going to notice?”
“Oops, I forgot. And yeah, Mom will notice for sure. I’ll slip it in my pocket before we go inside.”
Except he couldn’t get the damn thing off. He was still struggling with it when the door opened, revealing his mother beaming at them. She pulled Neve in for a hug, and he shoved his left hand deep in his pocket and skirted around the two women while Neve shot him a death glare over his mom’s shoulder.
“Soap,” he mouthed. His brothers called out greetings as he ducked into the guest bath. “Be with you guys in a sec.”
He managed to work off the ring over a swollen knuckle and eyed it closely before dropping it in his pocket. Tiny writing inside the band stopped him short:Best 1/2 of Couple #3.
Oh shit! Had the ring come that way, or had they somehow managed to get it engraved? Did Neve’s band say something too?
“Fuck me!” he groaned aloud. He narrowed his eyes at his reflection. “This is getting more unreal by the minute, and you need to get a grip, dude.”
Shaking off his latest discovery about their wild night, he strolled casually toward his brothers and father in the kitchen, accepting the cold brew his dad shoved at him.
Charlie gave him a shit-eating grin. “So.”
Shooting his brother a warning glare, Reece took a long, cool drink. “So. You tell Mom and Dad what you did yet?”
“He sure did,” his mother sang from somewhere. “I can’t believe you crazy boys! Two weddings, and I wasn’t there for a single one!” She wedged herself beside him.
Two weddings.Reece’s shoulder muscles unwound and dropped several inches. His brothers and sisters-in-law had kept their word—so far. Reece draped an arm around her waist and pulled her in, dropping a kiss on her hair. “It’s okay, Mom. You didn’t miss much. And don’t forget you get to host the reception. That’s the best part anyway.” He turned toward Noah. “So what’s happening at the tavern?”
