“You did great!” Her own joy bubbled over—as it generally did where Leigh was concerned, and Sage felt better than she had since Scott had first dropped his bombshell two days before.
She was living her best life.
And was back up on top of it.
Chapter Ten
Gray spent Thursday night at a small private gathering of veterinarians. All doctors who’d worked for GB Animal Clinics. As part of Sage’s revitalization plan, he had to determine whether he was going to start out solo, as he had the first time, or if he wanted to include other practices along with his own—as he’d ended up.
While his gut instinct was telling him to go it alone—he’d been burned once, it could happen again—he knew that sometimes his gut reacted in accordance to conditioning from his childhood, more than from the life he’d built.
With, of course, that one exception. The doctor on his staff who’d chosen to deal illegal drugs on the side.
He didn’t want to let one ex-friend and golfing buddy—current criminal—shape his future.
But he couldn’t help but to do so.
He left what turned out to be a late-night affair undecided. And with a lot to think about.
Not a bad thing, if it kept him focused on the future and away from mental wanderings wrapped around Sage Martin that were going nowhere. Friday was equally consumed with tasks his interim lawyer had given him. Looking for one or more places he could rent in the short term to get himself back up and running.
She’d already drafted a letter to his personal client list—and a second to the entire GB Animal Clinics client list—both of which he’d signed the day before. The mass mailings, both snail and email, would be going out that day. Before the weekend, she’d told him in her office on Thursday afternoon.
And Friday night, he had a meeting with his Realtor. Apparently, there was a bidding war going on for his house. He’d priced it to sell. The bids had risen above asking price.
He’d considered all of them. And accepted the one that offered cash on the spot—no long wait for financing and closing. It was also the highest offer. And had come in first.
No chance of any improprieties or claims of unfairness.
An inspection could be done as early as the next day, Monday at the latest, and after that, the title work could take as little as a week.
Could be longer. But in any event, he’d at least have some working cash sooner rather than later. A circumstance he’d provided himself without Sage’s legal advice, intervention or even knowledge. Why that mattered, he couldn’t explain in any good detail to himself, but he felt good about it just the same.
He woke up Saturday morning with a sense of satisfaction he hadn’t known since the news of his colleague’s illegal drug dealing had hit. Got up just after dawn and, pulling on his swim trunks, hit the beach. The water would be cold.
And just what he needed to get an invigorating start on the first weekend of his restarted life. Most importantly, he’d have the beach to himself.
Wouldn’t have to worry about a little four-year-old running up to see “Uncle Scott’s friend.”
The thought slowed him some as he walked quietly through the large cottage to let himself out the back door without disturbing Scott or Morgan. Shamed him a little even as, in the quiet, with nothing to do but be alone with his thoughts, he couldn’t escape the fact that he’d purposely stayed out late both Thursday and Friday nights so that he’d run no chance of coming face-to-face with the child.
And since he’d spent the past ten years dealing with children, all of them pet owners, in his practice, and enjoyed conversing with them, there could only be one reason why he’d be shying away from interacting with—or even seeing up close—Scott’s niece.
Because she was Sage’s daughter.
He made it to the door, a bit warm as the realization washed over him with full consciousness, complete acknowledgment rather than being brushed aside to deal with later. Had the lock undone and knob turned when he heard the thump telling him that Scott’s corgi had just jumped down from the end of the king-size bed where she slept.
He’d heard a similar sound one other morning, when Scott had had an early meeting before court.
Figuring, as a good houseguest, he had no other choice but to take Morgan out to do her business, since he was the one who woke her, Gray headed on out—with his unexpected companion. Kind of glad for the company.
As soon as the dog had relieved herself, she trotted happily beside Gray down to the water. Sat, and looked up at him.
Telling him she’d wait, he knew. Scott had shared that he had her well trained. But Gray figured it was more than that. If Scott was ever in trouble in the water, the dog wasn’t going to just sit there. She’d do whatever she could to rescue him.
Taking his first few steps into the water with that thought, he turned and looked back at Morgan. And an idea struck. Diving into the wave coming at him, he welcomed the shock of cold, and the start of a new plan, together as one.
He could thank the residents of Ocean Breeze for their welcome into their private domain by offering a water service course to their dogs—any who wanted to partake.
