Graham clears his throat again and pokes me in the side, giving me a warning look.
I attempt to form words. “Hey, Hannah. Thanks for seeing me.”
I’m doing my best to appear chill, when all I want to do is rub one of those curls between my thumb and forefinger to see if it’s as soft as it looks. But Graham said, hands off.
Hands-off-Hannah.
That’s the name I’m going to have to keep in my head because she’s the epitome of sun and ocean wrapped in this stunning package of curly hair and curves that give the shoreline serious competition.
“Sure. No problem. Graham said you needed help regaining full mobility, and, well,” she holds her hands out for a moment, “that’s what I specialize in.”
I scan the workspace again before settling back on Hannah, who’s studying me as if she’s waiting for my reaction. “Beautiful. I mean your office. It’s a great space.”
Her smile widens. “I know, right? Liam and Graham were huge in helping me get it set up.”
I point over my shoulder with my thumb. “What’s with the sign about pets?”
She glances at her brother, then back at me. “Graham didn’t tell you?”
Graham runs a hand over his mouth, hiding an awkward smile, but says nothing.
“No. Want to fill me in?” I say this to Hannah as I shoot daggers at him.
Without blinking an eye, she squares her shoulders and puts her hands on her hips. “I also do physical therapy for animals.”
CHAPTER 2
Hannah
My stomach is a bundle of overactive nerves. And that’s putting it mildly.
I haven’t seen Nick Lawless since I left for veterinary college almost six years ago. Back then, I only ever admired him from afar. As one of my older brother Graham’s best friends, Nick fell into that ‘not an option’ category because he was a bit of a rake, according to my brother, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the guy’s sexy good looks.
And I may have even had a small crush on him—okay, maybe not so small. It was more of an irresistible attraction every time I laid eyes on him, which usually only happened if I went to the beach and happened to casually walk by the guard tower he was assigned—okay, I may have intentionally done that. Or the rare occasion Graham invited him to a family dinner, in which they stayed long enough to inhale my mother’s homemade cooking and move on to whatever they had planned next.
But all that’s in the past.
However, I gotta say that time has done nothing to diminish his appeal. Quite the opposite, actually. Even with one arm in a sling and long sleeves that do little to hide the definition of his biceps, the guy still makes my heart stutter like a GIF onsteroids. His dark brown hair is longer than I remember, but that just enhances that hint of bad boy I recall peeking out every so often. Especially when he and Graham would take turns pulling pranks on each other.
And don’t even get me started on his eyes because I swear I won’t be able to stop. I know women swoon after a guy with blue eyes, but Nick’s are dark like twin deep blue seas inviting me to dive in and get swept away.
All the more reason to keep my guard up. I let a guy like that in once and wound up burned. A hot hockey player who did as much playing off the ice as he did on it.
Right after that breakup, I felt scorched and blistered. But then, as time passed, I realized I was more angry over the fact that Bryan played me than the loss of the relationship. So, yeah, I won’t take that risk with a player again.
All of that I push aside because he’s about to become my patient…perhaps. Right now, he looks more apt to bolt like a dog eyeing an open door.
Nick bounces his gaze to Graham, as if to check that he heard correctly. His heavy brows draw together as he nails me with a look that would intimidate a shark. “Animals? You mean, like dogs?”
My first instinct is to come out with fists blazing. Metaphorically speaking, that is. I guess I’m used to handling two older brothers who didn’t consider the day complete unless they teased me about something. So, hearing Nick’s slightly sarcastic tone brings out my defensive side.
I lift my chin and pull my shoulders back. “And cats. Horses and goats, too.”
His eyes widen as he scans my office, which is small, I know. It’s a starting point, and the rent is cheap—a bonus for having my oldest brother, Liam, as my landlord. But it’s all mine…and a dream come true.
“Not here, of course. I usually go on-site, especially when it’s easier for me to go to the animal than for the animal to come here. But animals need physical therapy and massage, too. Not in the same way as humans, but studies are showing it can be beneficial for their recovery from injuries and certain surgeries. Sometimes even prevent surgery.”
He stares at the massage table. “And you do all of this in this same space?”
