Page 4 of Moore to Love
“You know as well as I do that there are parents who don’t put their kids first when they’re going through a divorce.”
I snorted. “Yeah, unfortunately, I know that all too well.”
“Which is why you deserve a break.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. My brows drew together as I asked, “What kind of break?”
“You like animals, right?”
“You better not be trying to tell me that you’re giving the kids a dog.” I’d given Ryland access to Benjamin’s and Madison’s therapy notes, and my son hadn’t been shy about complaining over his lack of a pet. We’d been talking about getting them a puppy for Christmas right before Thad dropped his bombshell on me, and Benjamin had been sorely disappointed when I’d had to sit him down and explain how getting a dog would have to wait a little while. “No matter how much unconditional love a dog would give us, I’m not in a place to handle being responsible for another living being. Not even a plant.”
“The break I’m talking about is a part-time job with flexible hours and an understanding boss.”
I’d hoped to have a job by now, but working around the kids’ school and the classes I was taking didn’t leave me much time during the day. And a night job didn’t make sense because I’d end up spending everything I made on day care. Finding a job like he’d just described was nearly impossible, but if anyone could accomplish it, my money was on Ryland. “That sounds more like a miracle to me.”
“Nah, all it took was a simple conversation with one of my cousins.”
Being part of the founding family of Mooreville definitely had its perks, one of which was living in a place full of people who loved and supported you. The Moore family was huge, and their brood had been growing by leaps and bounds lately.
Shortly after his billionaire cousin moved to town, he promptly fell in love with a single mom, got married, and had a baby. Then the cousin who was a general contractor met an Olympic speed skater who was also a huge social media influencer when she moved to town, and he swept her off her feet even more quickly. It didn’t take too long before Ryland followed in their footsteps, talking Waverly into marrying him in even less time than his cousins did with their wives—which was quite the feat, considering they’d started out on opposite sides of a court case.
I was still a relative newcomer to Mooreville since I’d only moved here three and a half years ago, and I’d barely made any friends since I’d spent the past nineteen months focused on helping my children navigate the divorce. But I’d still heard all the gossip—and there was quite a bit of it since the Moore men were a popular topic around town—when Ryland and his cousins had fallen for their women.
Although I hadn’t met his cousin who was a veterinarian, it was easy to guess who he was talking about since he’d mentioned animals. Or it could just be wishful thinking since I’d seen him around town and thought he was the hottest of the Moore men.
“What kind of help does he need? I’ve never worked in an office before, and I’m definitely not qualified to work with animals, no matter how much I like them. And I wouldn’t be able to give him very many hours if I wanted to keep up with my classes, which I really need to do. He’d probably be better off hiring someone else.”
“Stop talking yourself out of the job and give Finn a call.” He rattled off a number, and I put him on speaker so I could type it into my phone as a new contact. “The clinic is growing faster than he expected, and he can use however much help you can give him. And he’ll give you a glowing recommendation when you’re ready to job hunt after finishing your degree.”
No matter how nervous I was about being in over my head by taking a job at Finn Moore’s vet clinic, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
3
FINN
Afew days passed before Eloise finally called me, but I used the time to get things in order for her new position. At first, I’d agreed because Waverly was the one who’d asked, and I’d been sympathetic to Eloise’s situation. But as I’d worked on her job description and talked to my staff, I realized I needed the help just as much as she needed the job.
I wasn’t the only one feeling the strain of my growing practice. Meghan, my vet assistant, was putting in extra time whenever I took a call out to one of the local farms. And Joshua, my receptionist, was slacking on his studies because he was doing extra paperwork to take some of the load off me.
They'd practically danced around the waiting room when I told them I was thinking about bringing in someone part-time. I felt like an ass for not noticing the strain they’d been under, but I was also relieved because they were looking forward to the help so much that they were going to be extra welcoming to Eloise.
I figured she would probably be nervous about starting her first real job. Especially while also going back to college and sending her youngest child to kindergarten. That was a lot of change to handle all at once, even more so after going through what sounded like a messy divorce based on the little information Waverly had shared with me. I wanted her transition here to be as smooth as possible.
Pulling me out of my thoughts, Joshua popped his head into my office and asked, “When does the new girl get here?”
“You’re jumping the gun.” I shook my head with a laugh at his enthusiasm. “She’s not the new girl yet. And we shouldn’t even be calling her a girl at all. She’s three years older than you and the mother of two.”
“Good point.” He pursed his lips as he tilted his head to the side. “But I thought you said you weren’t bothering with interviews because Eloise already had the job.”
“The position is hers if she wants it, but she kept calling our meeting today an interview when we spoke on the phone. So I don’t think it’s quite sank in for her yet,” I explained.
“Gotcha.” He nodded and shot me a grin. “Then I guess I’d better try not to tackle-hug her as soon as she walks in the door. I wouldn’t want to scare the newest member of our team off before she’s accepted the job.”
I knew Joshua was joking, but that didn’t stop me from being hit by an irrational surge of jealousy over the thought of him hugging Eloise. Gritting my teeth, I muttered, “Yeah, good call.”
“I’ll let you know when she arrives.” Luckily, Joshua didn’t seem to notice my reaction because his smile didn’t dim before he turned to head back to his desk.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a few deep breaths. I needed to pull myself together before Eloise arrived, or I’d be the one scaring her off before she agreed to come work for me, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.
