Single Kid Seeks Dad Read online

  “Luther didn’t have that problem. I was the one who wanted him and I got him.” Her airy voice didn’t totally hide the old pain.

  “And here I thought you were the loser in the battle for Luther the Wonder Cat.”

  Lucy chuckled. “Ross and Luther didn’t get along at all and that was putting it mildly. Luther’s idea of fun was shredding Ross’s favorite ties.”

  “It sounds like you got the better deal.”

  “I did.” Lucy pushed herself out of her chair. “I should go. Nick!”

  Her son waved at her to indicate he heard. “I’ve got to put the dogs back first,” he called back.

  “Don’t forget to get out a bag of puppy kibble,” Logan told him.

  “Thank you for the pizza,” Lucy said. A smile curved her lips. “And the puppy.”

  “I don’t think I had a choice where the puppy was concerned.”

  She crouched down as the puppy ran over to her. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. “You’re probably right.”

  It wasn’t long before Nick returned from the shelter with a bag of kibble draped over one shoulder. Logan walked them to Lucy’s car and watched them drive away.

  “See you Monday, Logan,” Kristi called out as she headed to her motorcycle with Jeremy following her.

  In no time, Logan was alone. After he checked on Magnum in the clinic, he walked to his house, a short distance behind the clinic.

  The small two-bedroom cottage suited his purposes for living quarters. He also liked the idea of living close to the clinic in case of emergency.

  He hadn’t expected Lucy to throw herself into helping out today. Nor had he expected her to go home with a puppy.

  He pulled his clothing off and changed into cotton pajama pants and a T-shirt then padded barefoot into the kitchen to get something to drink.

  He usually enjoyed these solitary hours. Tonight was different. Tonight he felt restless and in need of company. Not just any company either.

  But the lady he wanted had a son and wouldn’t be the kind of woman he’d invite back here for some his-and-her quality time.

  Lucy Donner had him feeling conflicted. While he’d like to know her much better, he knew she was a dangerous proposition. Even if she stated she had no desire to date, she still spelled commitment with a capital C.

  Chapter Four

  “This isn’t fair, Brenda! You cannot have the baby now. We’re not prepared!” Logan shouted into the phone with panic coloring every word. He held on to the receiver with a death grip. “Besides, you said it’s not due for another three weeks.”

  “You are not listening, Logan. I already had the baby,” Brenda explained, using the long-suffering tone she tended to use with Logan. “I told you two months ago we needed to bring someone in so there would be plenty of time for me to train them.”

  “Okay, I’ll call a temp agency and you’ll be available to explain things to the temp, right? We’ll do just fine.”

  “Listen to what I’m saying, Logan!” She laughed. “I just had an eight-pound-six-ounce baby girl. You should be grateful I even called you to tell you I wouldn’t be in. I’ll make it easy for you, Logan. The appointment book is easy to maintain and all the records are in order. If you can’t get a temp in right away Gwen can help.”

  “You want Gwen to work the front? Are you nuts? You know very well she’s no good with people.”

  She sighed. “Good-bye, Logan. I’m starting my maternity leave as of now. Call the temp agency!”

  A dial tone hummed in his ear.

  “She hung up!” He stared at the receiver with disbelief. “She hung up on me!”

  “Brenda’s allowed to be cranky. She told me she had to have an episiotomy.” Gwen said as she breezed by. “Want me to explain what that is?”

  “I’m a doctor. I know what it means,” Logan muttered. He looked at her speculatively. “Gwen, Brenda said everything out there is all set up.”

  “Oh no, I’m not working the front desk.” The tech opened a cabinet drawer and pulled out several tubes of medicated ointment. “When I took this job I told you I refuse to deal with Homo Sapiens.”

  He muttered a few choice words under his breath as he heard line one then line two start ringing.

  “I’m not getting that,” Gwen sang out.

  Logan had a bad feeling the day was only going to get crazier.

  “COME ON, Domino,” Lucy coaxed the puppy out of the vehicle. “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you here,” she assured him as she gently tugged on the leash.

  She knew she could have waited until she dropped Nick off that afternoon, but she told herself they were in the area. Which was why she’d bundled the puppy into the SUV and driven to the clinic where she found a number of vehicles parked in front of the building.

  “We’ll just make an appointment for a checkup and your shots,” she told the puppy as they stepped inside.

  Lucy took one look and almost backed out of the room. She’d clearly stepped into what any sane person would call sheer chaos. Several people stood in front of the desk; others sat on the benches lining the walls. They all shared the impatient expression of someone who’d waited for some time. Ringing phones added to the confusion.

  “Could someone, anyone, please answer the damn phone!” Logan’s roar could be heard from the back.

  Since no one jumped to his plea, Lucy took matters into her own hands. She walked around the desk, grabbed the phone and punched a lit button.

  “Valley Animal Clinic.” She glanced at the appointment book as she listened to the voice on the other end. She made an appointment for the following day. She only had to look at the filled columns to see Logan didn’t have any free time that day. After she hung up the phone, she looked out at the sea of faces—human, canine and feline, along with one reptile. A faint sound coming from behind alerted her to a new presence. She turned her head to see Magnum standing in the hallway opening.

  “Tell you what, I’ll answer these phones, so you only have to worry about yours. How’s that?” she told the Malamute. The dog turned around and walked back down the hallway as if telling her the job was all hers.

  Lucy turned back to the human and animal contingent.

  “Let’s see about doing this in an orderly fashion, shall we?” she announced, picking up a pen with one hand while looping the end of Domino’s leash around the chair arm with the other.

  “THANKS for your patience, Harvey,” Logan told the owner of a basset hound named Ralph who’d come in for booster shots. “What with Brenda’s baby coming early, we’re a little crazy today.”

  “Things got sorted out,” the elderly man told him. “Wasn’t sure there for a while, though.”

  “Yeah, Gwen surprised even me.”

  “Gwen?” Harvey chuckled. “Everyone would have run for the hills if Gwen was out there. No, it was that pretty little gal with the black-and-white puppy who took charge out there. If I was you, I’d see about keeping her around. See ya, Doc.”

  Curious about Harvey’s words, Logan walked out of the examination room. As he glanced at the examination room doors he noticed the formerly overflowing chart holders were now empty. If he hadn’t emptied them and Gwen hadn’t, then who had? That pretty little gal Harvey mentioned?

  He stopped Gwen when she walked past. “Did you empty the chart holders?”

  She stared at him as if he’d just lost his mind. Considering the way the morning had gone, it could easily have happened.

  “Right, as if I’ve had time to take a breath. I thought you did it.”

  Logan slowly shook his head.

  “Right about now I don’t care if little gremlins stole in here and did it,” she said.

  “Harvey said a ‘pretty little gal’ was out front.” Logan closed his eyes and prayed there was plenty of aspirin in his desk drawer. “What does the reception area look like?”

  Gwen shot him one of her patented looks. “How would I know? I thought you were funneling them back here
.” She pulled a protein bar out of a drawer and tore open the wrapper.

  They stared at each other for a few moments before it sunk in.

  “Harvey’s pretty little gal.” Logan turned and almost ran for the front.

  The last thing he expected to find at the counter out there was Lucy accepting a check from Harvey.

  “Yeah, Doc, she got things in order out here in no time,” the elderly man told Logan as he walked out. “She’s a real keeper.”

  Logan looked around the now-empty reception area. “What happened?”

  “You had a lot of cranky humans out here. I just went through the appointment book and sent them back in order. Your phone was ringing like crazy, too, so you can expect all week to be the same since I made a lot of appointments. People would think you’re the only veterinarian in the county.” She picked up Harvey’s chart and set it to one side. “What happened to Brenda?”

  “She had an eight-pound baby girl three weeks early,” he replied.

  Lucy clucked her tongue. “Been there, done that, loved the drugs. I’m surprised she didn’t arrange for a replacement for while she’s gone.”

  Logan shifted uneasily and looked off into space. “We talked about it.”

  “Meaning she told you someone needed to be brought in before she left on maternity leave and you kept putting it off,” she guessed correctly.

  He occupied himself with studying a chart. “I’d say that’s pretty close to what happened.”

  Lucy shook her head. “No wonder she’s looked so frazzled these past few weeks. You never did anything about it. What she should have done was go ahead and just bring someone in.”

  “I had a temp here this morning,” Logan explained.

  “Really?” Her voice sounded skeptical.

  “She walked in, took one look around and announced she’s allergic to cats and left.”

  Logan considered Lucy. “You did a great job and we appreciate it.”

  Lucy didn’t need a college degree to see where this was going.

  She asked, “First my son, now me? Even the judge wouldn’t do this to me.”

  “Actually, he would if he could, but I’ll go one better. I’ll pay you.” He named an hourly rate. “And free medical care for the puppy and your cat.”

  “That’s why I came in, to make an appointment for a checkup for Domino. Luther hates vets with a passion. You only have to mention Luther Donner to any vet in Orange County and they’ll tell you he’s the cat from hell. Some vets were known to drag out stakes, silver bullets and holy water before seeing him.”

  “Cats from hell are my specialty. At least stay this afternoon. I’ll get a temp in for tomorrow.”

  Lucy thought of the excuses she could make: She had to wash her hair, she had an important appointment in another country. But she knew she couldn’t make any of them sound convincing. Besides, lately she’d felt restless. She’d closed down her travel business when she and Nick moved out here because she’d felt the need to look for something new. So far, she hadn’t decided what she wanted to do with herself other than getting the house and property together. She’d worked with a landscaper to get the front and back yards into shape. It took six months to get the property the way she wanted, but now she had areas meant for relaxing even if she hadn’t spent as much time as she’d like there.

  She had invested what was left of the money from the settlement from the airline along with the sale of her other house, so she didn’t have to worry about getting a job in the next few days. But she wasn’t used to being idle and with the house finished, she was finding she had too much time on her hands.

  She hadn’t planned on returning to her work as a travel agent. Maybe working here was what she needed just now.

  “Domino is welcome to come in with you,” Logan added.

  “You’re desperate, aren’t you?” She couldn’t resist torturing him a little.

  He didn’t lie to her. “Desperate is an understatement.”

  “How long is she staying out?”

  “A few months.”

  Lucy nodded. “All right, I’ll help out for a while, but I’ll need to leave in the afternoons to pick Nick up from school.”

  “No problem. And we’re closed from twelve to two. Voice mail will pick up the phone calls then. Gwen or I stay around in case there’s an emergency, but you’re free those two hours. Kristi and Jeremy come in after their last class. Just let me know when you’re leaving to pick up Nick.” He unwound the leash from the chair and picked up the puppy. “How did he do?”

  “Luther wasted no time letting him know who’s boss. He didn’t like sleeping in a box, so I let him sleep with me.” Lucy smiled fondly at the puppy, who was happily chewing on Logan’s fingers. “I know, I’m spoiling him already, but he’s so cute and lovable.”

  “Lucky guy,” he murmured. “So you named him Domino?”

  “With the black and white, it seemed fitting. Naming him Patches sounded too predictable.”

  Logan studied the terrier. His stubby tail was white tipped with black. The puppy uttered a happy yip.

  “I’ll check him out, but knowing Mrs. Crenshaw, the pup is in perfect health,” he said.

  “She called a little while ago. She wanted you to know she’s having someone come out to set up a salt-water aquarium. She just loves all the colors fish come in.” Lucy’s lips twitched. “I told her I took the puppy. She’s going to drop off all his things this afternoon.”

  “Be prepared for pretty much everything including a complete wardrobe. Her husband buys all new accessories for each dog,” Logan said, handing the puppy over to her. “Domino will be set for life.”

  Their fingers brushed as she accepted the dog. For a moment, Lucy felt the air inside her grow still. She reminded herself blond-haired men were dangerous. At least, they always had been for her.

  She’d even told herself that Logan Kincaid was nothing more than a typical wolf on the make. She knew she was lying to herself.

  It was said any man who loved children and animals couldn’t be all bad. Even better, Logan treated Nick as a person, not a kid who didn’t know anything. She’d already seen him around animals. He took his vocation seriously because he truly cared about the animals in his care.

  She cradled Domino against her breasts. She felt the warm gentle rasp of his tongue on her chin.

  “Within five minutes of meeting me, you hit on me. Why?” Her question was made in a hushed voice as if she was afraid of being overheard even though they could hear Gwen walking around in the back of the clinic.

  “Why not? You’re a lovely single woman.”

  Even though he’d said she was lovely, she felt disappointed by his answer. “A reflex action, then.” She turned away and bent down to pick up her purse. “Okay, I’ll be back a little before two.”

  Logan felt off balance. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, and he felt the need to know. “So you’ll take the job?”

  She looped the strap over her shoulder and headed for the door. After three steps, she paused and turned around. “I don’t have to wear scrubs with puppies and kittens on them, do I?”

  He looked at her; she was dressed in a pair of slim-fitting jeans topped by a pink T-shirt. Just as she had on Saturday, she’d threaded her ponytail through the back of a denim baseball cap. She was more than lovely. She was beautiful. He grinned at her. “Only if you want to.”

  “Then I choose not to.” She opened the door and stepped outside. A moment later, Logan heard an engine start up and Lucy’s vehicle leave the parking lot.

  “So she’s staying?” Gwen asked as she entered the reception area.

  Logan turned around. “Yep.”

  “Better than training a temp every five minutes.”

  “We wouldn’t have to do all that training if you didn’t scare them away. For someone claiming to be allergic to cats, that temp this morning wasn’t even breathing hard,” he pointed out. “It wasn’t until she spoke to you that she practica
lly ran out of here.”

  “I told you I’m no good with Homo Sapiens.” She disappeared into the back rooms.

  “No wonder you don’t date,” he muttered.

  Gwen stuck her head in through the doorway. “Trust me, boss, I date a lot more than you do. There are a few Homo Sapiens I’m willing to deal with on a more personal level. For you, having Lucy Donner around here will be a good thing since it’s obvious you have the hots for her.”

  “I do not have the hots for her!”

  “Oh, come on, boss, wake up and smell the pheromones.” Her laughter mocked him. “I’ve got a lunch date. See you later.”

  “Bring me back something, will you?”

  When a low rumble sounded by his side, Logan looked down to see Magnum watching him with silvery-blue eyes.

  “I don’t see you having any lady friends,” he grumbled to the dog. “Oh, that’s right. I took that joy from you.”

  The big dog replied with a slight curl of the lip.

  “Nothing worse than a dog with no sense of humor.”

  “YOU’RE WORKING at the clinic?” Nick stared at his mother as if he’d just heard the worst news in his life. “Mom, you don’t need to check up on me like that. Logan told you I’m doing a good job. I’m not getting into any trouble at school. The dean even said he’s proud of me for taking responsibility for my actions. Please, Mom, don’t do this to me,” he begged.

  His mom took her eyes off the road for a second and looked at him patiently. “I explained it to you. Brenda had her baby early and they need someone organized to man the front desk. And who’s more organized than your old mom?”

  He slumped down in the seat, pouting like a five-year-old.

  “It’s only short-term,” his mom said.

  He stared out the window. “This sucks.”

  “I promise not to call you my very special baby boy in front of them.”

  Now he was downright horrified. “Mo-o-m!”

  “You’re still so easy to fool.” She grinned as she pulled into a parking space alongside the clinic and she held up her right hand. “I vow not to call you my special pet names or tell any of those cute little stories that embarrass you. In fact, I won’t even tell anyone you’re my son.”