the rain.
“This dog is hurt.”
“Is he your dog? Do you know how he was hurt?”
“No, and no. Listen, Dr. O’ Neil is a friend of mine. I’m a police officer, and I think the dog might actually be able to help us in a case, and we need to see the vet immediately.”
“Oh. You’re Holly,” she said knowingly. What was Brendan saying to people in his office about her, or people in general? Well, it didn’t matter right now. What mattered was the dog. “Come on back with me. I’ll get the doctor.”
“Thank you.”
Chad and Holly followed the woman who reminded Holly of an Amazon—tanned, beautiful, and at least six feet tall. She towered over Holly, who on her best day with heels stood 5’6. She realized that she often used her loud mouth to compensate for her size.
They entered an exam room, and Brendan immediately came through the opposite door. He looked at Holly a bit startled. “What have we got here?”
Holly set the terrier down on the table.
“Oh, my. What happened to you, poor boy?” Brendan asked. The dog whimpered as if answering him. “It’s gonna be all right, darling. Let me have a look.”
“We don’t know what happened to him,” Chad said. “Actually we’re hoping you might be able to tell us.”
“And you are?” Brendan looked up from his patient and glanced at Chad.
“I’m sorry,” Holly replied. “This is my partner, Detective Chad Euwing.”
“Nice to meet you, Detective.” Brendan kept one hand lightly on the dog and reached his arm out to shake hands with Chad. “Okay, the pup is definitely in shock and dehydrated. We need to get him on some IV fluids. My guess is he’s also got himself a broken shoulder and maybe a rib. By the state of dehydration he’s in, I’d say he’s been hurt like this for a couple of days at least.” Brendan reached up to an overhead cabinet and pulled out a syringe and some medication. He loaded the needle and shot it into the dog’s hip. The dog snapped at him. “You are a tough boy, aren’t you? You still got some fight in you, even after what’s been done to you. I’m impressed.”
“What did you give him?” Chad asked.
“A little kicker to take the edge off. In about a minute or two he’ll feel like he’s shot back some fine whiskey.” Brendan smiled at them.
Holly couldn’t help but smile back. Brendan’s expression warmed her all over, and, God, did it feel wonderful, as she was still wet from the rain. Seeing him in his element, she noticed his Irish brogue was a bit stronger than at home. She was very impressed with how gentle he was with the dog, as gentle as he was with his daughters.
Holly was indeed falling for Dr. Brendan O’Neil.
“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do with the chap. He needs some x-rays, but I want to immediately get fluids into him. I’m gonna take him into the surgical area, get the pictures I need, and have my assistant Lucy start his IV. She’ll also get him nice and cleaned up.”
“What do you think happened to him?” Holly asked.
“I’d say somebody took him for a soccer ball. I don’t know where the blood came from, though.” He pointed to the caked-on patch of blood on the dog’s side.
“We have an idea,” Holly said. “If he belongs to who we think he does, then his owner was murdered, and that blood could be hers. Do you mind cutting off that piece of fur so that I can send it to our lab for DNA evidence?”
“Not at all.” The dog had fallen into a near coma and barely fluttered his eyes as Brendan clipped off the piece of fur. Chad reached into his coat pocket for a plastic baggie and put into it what they hoped would prove to be evidence.
“Thanks,” Holly said. “Is he going to be all right?”
“I think so. He’s a tough little bugger. Do you know his name?”
“The dog that the ex-husband talked about is in the police report,” Chad said. “And I believe he matches the description. But I can’t remember the name. Can you?” He
“This dog is hurt.”
“Is he your dog? Do you know how he was hurt?”
“No, and no. Listen, Dr. O’ Neil is a friend of mine. I’m a police officer, and I think the dog might actually be able to help us in a case, and we need to see the vet immediately.”
“Oh. You’re Holly,” she said knowingly. What was Brendan saying to people in his office about her, or people in general? Well, it didn’t matter right now. What mattered was the dog. “Come on back with me. I’ll get the doctor.”
“Thank you.”
Chad and Holly followed the woman who reminded Holly of an Amazon—tanned, beautiful, and at least six feet tall. She towered over Holly, who on her best day with heels stood 5’6. She realized that she often used her loud mouth to compensate for her size.
They entered an exam room, and Brendan immediately came through the opposite door. He looked at Holly a bit startled. “What have we got here?”
Holly set the terrier down on the table.
“Oh, my. What happened to you, poor boy?” Brendan asked. The dog whimpered as if answering him. “It’s gonna be all right, darling. Let me have a look.”
“We don’t know what happened to him,” Chad said. “Actually we’re hoping you might be able to tell us.”
“And you are?” Brendan looked up from his patient and glanced at Chad.
“I’m sorry,” Holly replied. “This is my partner, Detective Chad Euwing.”
“Nice to meet you, Detective.” Brendan kept one hand lightly on the dog and reached his arm out to shake hands with Chad. “Okay, the pup is definitely in shock and dehydrated. We need to get him on some IV fluids. My guess is he’s also got himself a broken shoulder and maybe a rib. By the state of dehydration he’s in, I’d say he’s been hurt like this for a couple of days at least.” Brendan reached up to an overhead cabinet and pulled out a syringe and some medication. He loaded the needle and shot it into the dog’s hip. The dog snapped at him. “You are a tough boy, aren’t you? You still got some fight in you, even after what’s been done to you. I’m impressed.”
“What did you give him?” Chad asked.
“A little kicker to take the edge off. In about a minute or two he’ll feel like he’s shot back some fine whiskey.” Brendan smiled at them.
Holly couldn’t help but smile back. Brendan’s expression warmed her all over, and, God, did it feel wonderful, as she was still wet from the rain. Seeing him in his element, she noticed his Irish brogue was a bit stronger than at home. She was very impressed with how gentle he was with the dog, as gentle as he was with his daughters.
Holly was indeed falling for Dr. Brendan O’Neil.
“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do with the chap. He needs some x-rays, but I want to immediately get fluids into him. I’m gonna take him into the surgical area, get the pictures I need, and have my assistant Lucy start his IV. She’ll also get him nice and cleaned up.”
“What do you think happened to him?” Holly asked.
“I’d say somebody took him for a soccer ball. I don’t know where the blood came from, though.” He pointed to the caked-on patch of blood on the dog’s side.
“We have an idea,” Holly said. “If he belongs to who we think he does, then his owner was murdered, and that blood could be hers. Do you mind cutting off that piece of fur so that I can send it to our lab for DNA evidence?”
“Not at all.” The dog had fallen into a near coma and barely fluttered his eyes as Brendan clipped off the piece of fur. Chad reached into his coat pocket for a plastic baggie and put into it what they hoped would prove to be evidence.
“Thanks,” Holly said. “Is he going to be all right?”
“I think so. He’s a tough little bugger. Do you know his name?”
“The dog that the ex-husband talked about is in the police report,” Chad said. “And I believe he matches the description. But I can’t remember the name. Can you?” He
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