The Christmas Cottage(3)
“He was lucky to find you. I was beginning to think he wouldn’t be able to get away. Hard to find temporary help during the holidays. Everyone wants to be with their families. Doc Benson is actually going to visit his daughter who moved to Arizona a few years back.”
She could tell he was asking, in a non asking way, why she was available.
“I didn’t have anything special planned for the holidays.” Nothing at all. Except avoiding them.
“Well, we’re glad to have you. You let me know if you need anything while you’re here. I left you a few things in the fridge to tide you over until you have time to shop.”
“Yes, thank you. That was nice. I need my morning coffee.”
“The coffee maker is on the counter. Filters in the drawer under the coffee maker.”
“Miss Holly, I can help you with any chores or anything you need while you’re here. I’m a good helper, aren’t I, Dad?”
“You are, Josh. But I don’t want you bothering Miss Holly.”
“He’s no bother. You’re welcome any time, Josh.”
The impish I-told-you-so grin Josh flashed at his dad almost made her break into laughter.
Wow. Laughing. When was the last time she’d laughed?
The boy’s grin was almost a mirror image of his father’s. He looked like a mini-twin to his dad. His dad had the same curly brown hair, only cut shorter. His broad shoulders filled out his chambray shirt. He had on the same simple jeans as his son, minus the rip in the knee. Work boots peeked out from the bottom of the jeans. Steve pushed off the porch, motioning for Louie to come. He turned to Josh who was busy stepping on and off the first step to the porch. “Come on, son. Let’s let Miss Holly get all settled in.”
Steve turned to Holly. “My phone number is written on the pad by the phone. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Holly watched the two of them walk away. Josh threw a stick and Louie chased after it. The three of them crossed the distance between the houses. She could just make out the shape of their house, faintly illuminated by the front porch light.
She rubbed her arms and looked around for the plug to unplug the Christmas lights. She saw Steve had put them on a timer. Okay. Fine. She’d leave them plugged in so she didn’t mess up the timer and seem ungrateful for his efforts, but she didn’t have to be happy with it.
She opened the door and went back inside to the cozy but lonely cottage, if a place could be both cozy and lonely at the same time.
CHAPTER TWO
The next day Holly arrived before the animal clinic opened but found the waiting room already filled with people and pets. She hadn’t realized a clinic in such a small town would be so busy.
The girl at the front desk looked up with a cheerful smile. “May I help you?”
“I’m Holly Thompson. The temporary vet.”
“Holly. Nice to meet you. I’m Julie. Doc Benson is in the back. Just head on down that way and he’ll get you started.”
Holly went down the hall and found Doc Benson sitting at a computer in the last room.
“Hi.” Holly crossed into the room.
The man pushed back from the computer and stood up, holding out his weathered hand. “You must be Holly. Glad to have you here. You are my daughter’s new best friend for covering for me over the holidays. She keeps asking me to come to Arizona for Christmas, but I never seem to be able to get away. Got two grandkids there, too. Will be nice to wake up on Christmas morning and see them open their gifts.”
“Glad to be here.”
“Hope you’re not missing out on too much with your own family.”
“No, I’m good. Didn’t have anything planned.”
The gray-haired man nodded. “I pulled up our schedule for today, and we’ll just work it together this morning, then split up this afternoon. If you have any questions, just ask. I haven’t scheduled any surgeries for the next two weeks, so you’d only have an emergency if one comes up.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hang your jacket up over there and we’ll get started.”
The morning raced by and Holly was surprised the first break they got was right before lunch when the people finally slowed down to a trickle.
Julie, from the front desk, offered to bring her a sandwich from the Magnolia Cafe down the street and Holly gratefully accepted. She was going to have to go grocery shopping and stock up on a few things for while she was here. She usually packed a lunch to bring to work.
The afternoon was not quite as busy as the morning, but still a steady flow of people and pets. Doc Benson had a friendly and skilled vet tech, Cindy, and by the afternoon Holly felt confident that with Julie and Cindy’s help, she could handle the practice while Doc Benson visited his daughter.