Page 106 of Revival
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Juniper loves me, but she also keeps me in line.”
“I seem to remember you gifting her an entire dog she didn’t ask for.”
His mouth falls open, and he laughs. “Hey, that dog was special to us both.”
“Mm-hmm.” I feed another small treat to the pup.
With practiced caution, I gently look in her ears. The ends are matted, and the inside is definitely inflamed. “Ear infection. Both sides,” I say more to myself than my brother.
“Pick up any strays yourself lately?”
The sound I make is a cross between a snort and a scoff. “Never knew you as someone to beat around a tough question.”
The cotton tee on his shoulder wrinkles as he shrugs. “Yeah, you’re right. You’ve had a tough year. With all this talk about Spencer being back in town, I can’t say I haven’t worried about you.”
My pulse picks up, and a buzzing starts in my ears. “Now why would you worry about a thing like that?”
I move through my exam with steady hands. I refuse to let my brother read anything I don’t want him to see.
“You know why, Cortney.”
I let the silence linger as I palpate her abdomen. I pretend I didn’t hear him as I leave the room to prepare the vaccines.
Lee waits for me on his feet upon my return. With arms crossed over his broad chest, he leans his hip against the exam table.
“So?”
“So what?” I snap.
“Have you seen him?”
Closing my eyes, I inhale a steadying breath through my nose. “Who are we talking about again?”
“Spencer. Have you seen him?”
I lick my dry lips, stalling for time. “Does it matter if I see some guy I used to know strolling around town?”
“Some guy you used to know?” Lee’s voice takes on a deadly quality. “Have you forgotten what he did to you?”
“Of course I haven’t.” I set down the vaccines on the counter. There’s no way I can give them while he’s dragging me into this unwanted conversation.
“Then why aren’t you more pissed about this? I’m pissed just thinking about how he’s walking around this town when nobody’s taught him a lesson.”
“It was twenty years ago.”
“Do you think that fucking matters to me?”
“It should.”
Lee’s head moves back at my calm censure, nearly tapping the wall behind him. “You have seen him.”
I look down at my cuticles before crossing my arms over my chest. “Yeah, maybe I have.”
“You talk to him?”
When I lift my eyes to meet his assessing ones, I know I’m fucked.
“Dammit, Cort.”
