She coughed into her arm and then sighed. “I know you, Spence. I watched you overachieve literally everything. You ran for president of the blood drive committee of all things. You never half-ass things, so I know you did everything you could for that baby.” She looked at me again, and her gaze warmed me to the core even if I couldn’t return it while I drove. “And I know that no one could have done better.”
If I didn’t convince this woman to love me back, I wasn’t going to make it. “Thank you,” I managed to get out.
Arabella relaxed in her seat, blissfully unaware that my entire soul was screaming for mercy, gnashing its teeth and urging me to gather her in my arms and never let her go. “Is that why you wanted to open a new practice? Change of pace?”
“Fewer life and death emergencies,” I nodded. “I know that’s probably cowardly—”
“No,” she replied swiftly, giving me a frown of censure. “Spencer, no. What you’re doing is going to be life-changing for those families. It’s a wonderful idea.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’d be crazy to refute the great Dr. Rook’s opinion. I’ve never seen cleaner work in any OR in my life, let alone in a barn.”
I caught her smile in my peripheral vision. “Thanks. I have to be fast in those conditions. I give them plenty of antibiotics, but the risk of infection is obviously high.”
“I can imagine.” I sneaked a look at her before returning my attention to the road where I pulled into a small coffee shop. “Speaking of which, did you take yours before dashing off to save equine lives this morning?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Doctor.”
“Hey, I’m just doing my job,” I said with a lift of my hands after pulling into the drive-through lane.
“What job is that?” she asked, her beautiful features deadpan. “Unmitigated pain in the ass?”
“On retainer,” I replied severely.
“Professional overbearer.”
“PhD,” I confirmed.
“Double doctorates,” she whistled. “What can’t you do?”
Catch you, I thought, slowly devouring the sight of her.Admit that you’re more important to me than any other person on this planet, and you have been for some time.“Clearly, I can’t convince you to rest, which has been the bane of my existence, lately,” I said instead.
“Well, the horses aren’t going to suture themselves,” she replied simply, looking out of her window and clearly thinking about something other than my existential crisis.
“The transfer of ownership for your ranch isn’t going to sign itself, either,” I reminded her.
She inhaled sharply, giving me a concerned, wide-eyed look. “I forgot.”
“I know. Don’t worry—I’ll reschedule for tomorrow.”
Relief sagged her shoulders. “Shit, I can’t believe I forgot about that.”
“Yes, I’m very put out,” I replied with heavy sarcasm. “I might get stuck with your unprofitable sinkhole of a ranch, and then where would we be? I still can’t get within three feet of the damn horses to feed them.”
Her lips twitched into a smile. “I’m sure I can help you with that.”
“I’m sure you can, but pass.” We pulled forward, one car away from being able to make our coffee order. “I’m happy to drop in and remind you to take vitamins and days off.”
Something significant crossed her features, first warm and soft, and then her gaze pulled away while her thoughts took a different turn. A crease formed between her brows as she said, “Yes. True.”
“Don’t miss the appointment tomorrow,” I warned her. “Eleven in the morning.”
“I’ll be there,” she promised.
Chapter twenty-three
Arabella
Imissed it.
