“What does that even mean?” Zoe asked, laughing.
I shrugged. “No idea, but I’ve learned it’s best not to argue with her when she’s like this.”
She dragged us out to the dance floor and we stood on either side of Zoe so she could follow our steps. She wasn’t the only one fumbling a bit with the steps, but she was laughing and damn, Fiona was right. As soon as Zoe got out of her head, her steps were smoother and she was following the beat.
“Yeah! There you go!” Fiona shouted, raising her arm. “Caffertys for life,” she said, again.
“Caffertys for life,” I repeated.
SIX
DECLAN
“You didn’t have to come out. Belle is doing great,” Shannon said, the shock at seeing me standing in the driveway written all over her face.
“It’s no problem at all. I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I’d drop in. But I can leave if this is a bad time for you,” I replied, pointing over my shoulder at my truck. What had seemed like a good idea as I was leaving my last client had me feeling awkward now that Shannon was standing in front of me, looking confused by my unexpected visit.
“No, no, don’t go,” Shannon said. “You might as well come check her out, since you’re here.”
“No charge for this, of course,” I offered as I walked over to her, hoping it would help. “Just don’t tell Ruth.”
Shannon finally grinned at me. “She’s got you jumping through hoops, huh?”
“You don’t even know.”
The truth was, Ruth would probably approve of the unscheduled drop-in to follow up with an anxious client. It was exactly the sort of thing she was known for. Care that went above and beyond an invoice.
I followed along behind Shannon, trying not to stare at her curves. How the hell was she getting prettier and sexier with every year that passed?
Instead of heading into the barn, Shannon made a sharp left and walked toward the pasture. “There she is.”
I followed to where she was pointing and spotted the old mare standing in the sun with her head tilted up as if she was absorbing the warmth into her body to nourish her foal.
“Wow, she looks great,” I said. “And big!”
“Yeah, seems like the threat of another vet visit was enough to kick-start her eating again. She’s totally back to normal. I guess you’ve got the magic touch.”
I saw two spots of pink rise in Shannon’s cheeks as she realized what she’d just said, and she cleared her throat.
“Do you want me to bring her in so you can examine her?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No need. I’ll take your word that she’s doing well. No one knows her better than you, after all.”
Shannon kicked her foot onto the bottom split rail and stared out at the horse. I stood beside her, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She was the same old Shannon that I remembered from when we were kids, but she was different too. She had an air of confidence now that was a total turn on. I’d never gone for women who acted like they needed a man to takecare of them. I liked strong women, the ones who worked as hard as I did. I could tell by the way Shannon carried herself that she was a Cafferty through and through. Hardworking, capable, honest, and the kind of friend you could always call in an emergency.
But that’sallshe was. A friend.
A very sexy friend.
I probably shouldn’t even think of her as a friend at all. Shannon was a client first. Or my best friend’s little sister. Certainly not someone who had a personal tie with me. I needed to remember that and ignore the seasick feelings that came over me any time she locked eyes with me. I wasn’t about to risk my relationship with Josh or my future with the practice over an embarrassing one-sided flirtation.
“What’s going on with you? You seem quiet.”
Shannon’s voice cut through my reverie.
“What? Nothing’s wrong. Why?” I fumbled with my words, feeling like she could read my thoughts. Just in case my face gave me away, I turned to stare out onto the field.
“You look… upset. Is something going on with Dr. Wilcox?”
