Hugging myself to keep the shivers in check, I turned my attention to Becky, who’d finished processing Mrs. Pflug and Archduke Ferdinand Fluffypaws. “Who’s next?”
“New patient,” she replied as she handed me a crisp manila folder. “Iggy Zemski.”
Iggy? Really? God, didn’t anyone name a pet Mittens anymore? Or Fido? I’d kill for a Fido. Figuratively speaking, of course. On an exasperated sigh, I stepped into the doorway between reception and the waiting area. “Iggy Zemski?”
The brute rose from his seat on the pleather couch, and I caught my first glimpse of the dog he’d brought with him. Fear flipped to anger. The poor beast’s fur was a matted mess on his malnourished frame. He might have been a Lab mixed with border collie or Australian shepherd, but his poor condition made any clear-cut identification impossible.
My voice turned to ice when I ordered, “Bring Iggy inside, Mr. Zemski.”
“I’m Iggy,” he said as he drew the abused animal forward. “I don’t know the dog’s name. He’s a stray. I think he was abandoned.”
“Oh.”
Shame brushed heat over my cheeks. Not only had I mistook the man’s name for the dog’s, but I’d also insulted him by questioning his motives—even if the questions remained inside my head. Served me right for jumping to conclusions about someone I didn’t know. Hadn’t I been judged and condemned without all the facts in evidence? Why on earth would I ignore my own hard-earned lesson and treat someone else with that same unkind knee-jerk reaction?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Zemski. Please...” I swept an arm toward the exam room door. “Come this way. I’m Dr. Herrera, by the way. Dr. Bautista’s new associate.”
I remained behind him, believing it safer to have a man of his size and stature where I could see him at all times. He was not only large, but solid muscle. His one weakness, a slight hitch in his right leg when he walked, only enhanced his power persona. He probably injured himself while wrestling a grizzly. Or kicking down redwood trees for fun.
Other Books by Gina Ardito
The Bonds of Matri-money
A Little Slice of Heaven
A Run for the Money
Nobody’s Darling (Book I of the Nobody Series)
Nobody’s Perfect (Book III of the Nobody Series)
Eternally Yours (Book I of the Afterlife Series)
Chasing Adonis
The Gift of the Magic (Short Story in Mistletoe and Magic, a holiday anthology)
Duping Cupid (a Valentine’s Day Short Story)
Duet in September (Book I of the Calendar Girls Series)
Charming for Mother’s Day (a Calendar Girls Novella)
Books by Gina Ardito writing as Katherine Brandon
Kismet’s Angel (Book I of the Kismet Series)
Kismet’s Revenge (Book II of the Kismet Series)
Kismet’s Salvation (Book III of the Kismet Series)
Echoes of Love
About the Author
Gina Ardito is the award-winning international author of more than twenty romances, a legendary singer in confined spaces (her car, the shower, her office cubicle), and a killer of houseplants. She hosts fun, informative workshops for writers around the country. In 2012, Gina was named a Woman of Outstanding Leadership by the International Women’s Leadership Association, but to her friends, she’s still just a shenanigator. A native of Long Island, New York, she lives with her husband, two children, a bionic dog, and their two cat overlords. For more info on Gina and her books, you can visit her website, follow Gina on Facebook, on Twitter, or sign up for the monthly newsletter she shares with her ScribBLING Diva pals.
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 1