The key to forever, p.2
The Key to Forever, page 2
Tori pulled on his harness but try as she might, going up against eighty pounds of muscle and teeth was near impossible. Not that she ever thought Maxx would bite her, but she didn’t want to stress him more than he already was. She reached in her purse and pulled out one of his favorite treats. “Here, have the first one on me.”
He gobbled it down without chewing.
“Oh, okay. I bet you want another one, huh?” She reached back into her purse and teasingly removed a single treat, taking her time. “Oh look. Another one. Hmmm if only you could get out of the car…” She allowed her words to trail off and backed up with the treat on the palm of her hand.
Resigned, Maxx shuffled out of the car and snapped up the morsel from Tori’s hand. There was no joy as he swallowed the treat.
“Hey, I don’t want to be here any more than you. But you don’t want to keep scratching all the time, do you? We need to get to the bottom of this.” She wrapped the end of the leash around her hand to ensure her grip was good, then crossed the parking lot to the animal hospital. It was a long one-story building stretching across the entirety of one side of the parking lot. Three different doors led inside so Tori pulled the business card Mom had given her earlier out of her purse and checked the address for a suite number.
With none listed, she looked back at the building and headed to the first door. A small sign and arrow pointed her down the path to the next door. A larger sign would have saved her going to the wrong door in the first place. Maybe other clients faced the same problem. She would suggest a clearer sign to the doctor so others would benefit in the future.
After locating the correct door, Tori and Maxx entered into a large area. It was an open design with lots of chairs typical in a waiting room. The reception area was on the other side of the room, so they trekked that way, passing several people with dogs, large and small, and cats in carrying crates. Tori wanted to stop and pet every single one of them, but Maxx pulled her along, not wanting to be bothered. Which was probably best considering if most of the animals were sick enough to be at the pet hospital, they may not appreciate the company.
“Hi. How are you?” Tori smiled at the young man behind the desk.
He blinked. “Um, hi. I’m good.” He shook his head and smiled. “Sorry, nobody ever asks me that. You caught me off guard. Can I help you?”
Tori nodded in understanding. It was the same when she worked in the registrar’s office which probably made her more sensitive to how she treated people behind desks. “Well, that’s a shame. I’ve got Maxx Matheny here for his three o’clock appointment.”
The receptionist tapped on his computer, then passed Tori a clipboard. “Just fill those out and keep them with you. Someone will call you back shortly.”
She gave the man a wide smile. “Thanks a bunch.” Then she directed Maxx to chairs nearby the closed door leading to the back.
There were so many questions on the forms and Tori had to text Mom several times to get through the first three pages. She still had two more to go when someone called Maxx’s name.
She scrambled up, balancing the leash in one hand and the papers and clipboard in the other. “That’s us. Be right there.” Her purse had fallen to the floor so she retrieved it and stuffed it under one arm, careful not to spill the papers she hadn’t clasped back on the board.
“Here, let me help you with that.” The woman holding the door open reached for the clipboard and forms.
“Sorry, I didn’t quite finish.”
“No problem at all. We’ll finish in the exam room. I’m Shannon, the vet tech. Please follow me and we’ll get you and Maxx settled.”
Maxx and Tori did indeed get settled in the spacious exam room. Tori answered questions while Shannon typed on her tablet.
Shannon put her tablet down and approached Maxx slowly. “Hey fella. I hear you have some allergies. Can I take a look?”
After sniffing Shannon’s outstretched hand thoroughly, he allowed her to examine him.
“Okay, the doctor will be in shortly.” She gave Maxx a pat on the head and left the room.
Tori and Maxx didn’t have a long wait before a man strolled through the door dressed in purple scrubs, carrying a tablet. The first thing Tori noticed was his gorgeous mouth, with a perfect Cupid’s bow and full bottom lip. Then he looked at her with those bedroom eyes at half-mast. She knew those eyes.
Ethan?
CHAPTER THREE
Ethan
Normally Ethan paid zero attention to the clients standing on two legs when he first walked into the exam room. His furry patients deserved a thorough inspection to figure out their issue and make them better.
Today was not normal.
Whoever this dog’s owner was had Ethan mesmerized. She had huge brown eyes that held a bright sparkle as she stared right back at him. Her tall body was lush and although her clothes weren’t revealing, the image of the swell of her breasts and roundness of her butt hit Ethan directly in the groin. And her brown skin…it was glowing. Especially her long neck which was exposed from braids piled high atop her head.
After staring uncomfortably long at the beautiful woman before him, he cleared his throat. “Hello, I’m Doctor Borden. Is this Maxx?” He aimed to cover his faux pas with his introduction. Judging from the woman’s wide eyes, success eluded him. There was something about those huge eyes that was familiar though.
The woman only stared then her mouth dropped open.
“I’m sorry, is something wrong?”
She flung herself at Ethan and the dog barked, creeping toward them. “Down, Maxx. This is our friend. Practically a cousin.” She let Ethan go and leaned down to pat the dog on his head.
A cousin? Wait, was this…
“Do you not know me? What are you doing here? I just saw Aunt Leah yesterday and she didn’t even mention you.”
Ouch. Although Ethan couldn’t say he was surprised. Mom didn’t want him here…hovering. “Tori, wow. How have you been?” Please don’t let her know I was just ogling her.
“Really great. Gosh, what’s it been?” She tapped a finger against her chin as she quietly counted. “Jeesh, at least ten years, huh?”
He smiled. “Not since I graduated so about twelve, I guess.”
Tori plopped in a chair and her dog promptly sat then leaned protectively against her leg. “I can’t believe it. Of course I’ve kept up with you. Aunt Leah is so proud.”
Although he knew it already, hearing the words from Tori put a smile on his face. “That’s nice of you to say.”
“It’s a hundred percent the truth. She brags about you all the time. First when you graduated from Howard. Then from Texas A & M vet school. Then when you finished your dermatology residency at Auburn.” She flailed her hands in the air as if conducting a symphony. “And of course, the huge thing of saving animal lives through Veterinarians Without Borders. Between Aunt Leah and Aunt Melanie, they couldn’t keep quiet about your adventures in Liberia.”
He had no idea. “Nothing like Melanie’s accomplishments of course. But I tried.”
“Tried?” She looked around the room. “How long have you been back?”
“Just a little over two weeks. I started here yesterday.”
“I bet Aunt Leah is happy to have you home. I still can’t believe she didn’t mention you were back.”
Ethan huffed then bent down to have a look at her dog. “I’m not surprised. I returned to take care of her, and she’s not thrilled about it.”
Tori’s face fell. “Is something wrong with her?”
“Aside from nearly killing herself from falling off a ladder, you mean?”
She smiled and perked back up. “Oh, that.”
“Yes, that. I’m here to ensure she doesn’t go up any more ladders.”
“Good luck with that.”
Ethan couldn’t help but release a little chuckle. Of course Tori knew Mom as well as anyone. “You said you saw her last night?”
“Yes. Aunt Melanie’s in town for a couple days.”
“I know. I saw her this morning before I left for work. I’m staying with Mom while I search for something. The housing market is brutal here.”
“Tell me about it. I have a small condo big enough for only me.”
“And Maxx, right?” Ethan scratched behind the dog’s ear.
“Maxx? Oh no. He’s Mom’s dog. She had a big meeting this afternoon. My schedule is flexible so I volunteered to bring him.”
“Oh, okay. I didn’t get a chance to really talk to Melanie this morning for long. I hope we can catch up when I get off later.” Ethan picked up his tablet and read through Maxx’s notes to verify what he suspected.
“Probably not, because we’re going to a movie in the city when I’m done here. Unless you want to come with?”
“I wish I could, but I’ll be here until about eight. I’m sure you’ll be knee-deep in popcorn by then.” It was a shame he worked so late. Although he kept in close contact with Melanie, he’d love to hang out with both women. He still couldn’t believe Tori was here in the office. “I wish I’d known about dinner last night. Mom’s being a brat.”
“Oh, me too. It was so great. Melanie blessed us with a few songs. It was nice.”
“I bet. Do you still, uh, play?” Ethan’s stomach clenched. He wasn’t sure why he brought up this sore subject.
“Not my yellow Ibanez, of course, but I manage.” Her voice held no malice, and she grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I’m just messing with you.”
“I know, but I’ve never forgotten about the incident. I’m so sorry.”
“You mentioned that.”
He had, like about a hundred times. Then he avoided Tori like the plague out of shame. “I wish I could change what happened. I was so careless.”
“You were a kid, but if you want to make it up to me, you can ask Asher to help me find my birth family.”
Ethan blinked. This is not how he expected this conversation to go. They always knew Tori was adopted so Ethan figured she would have already found her birth family by now. Especially with the advent of home DNA tests. Then again, Tori was flighty as a child, jumping from one hobby to the next. Maybe she hadn’t followed through. “Why haven’t you asked him yourself? You’ve lived in the same area this whole time. You see him at Mom’s from time to time, right?”
Tori was shaking her head before Ethan finished the question. “He’s really busy.”
That was something Tori didn’t need to tell Ethan. He hoped his brother’s schedule wasn’t as packed as he feared. Mom truly had been mostly on her own while Ethan was in Liberia, engaged helping to restore the country’s animal infrastructure after years of internal war then the ravishing effects of Ebola.
But now he was needed at home.
“I can definitely check with him, but to tell you the truth, I haven’t seen much of him either since I’ve been back.”
“I would really appreciate it.” She studied him for a moment then blushed and looked down at Maxx. “So what’s going on with the pup?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tori
When Mom came through the front door, Maxx nearly knocked Tori down getting past her. Mom laughed and plopped down on the floor, giving him lots of pets. “Did the mean doctor mistreat you, buddy?”
“Please. He got all the treats and no shots. I’d call that a win.”
Maxx whimpered anyway, soaking up all the love, then laid his head in Mom’s lap.
“He is too spoiled.”
Mom only shrugged, then lifted herself from the floor. “What did the doctor say?”
Tori followed Mom into the family room and perched herself on the arm of the leather sectional. “About that…”
“Oh no. Is it bad?”
“Oh gosh no. Nothing’s wrong with Maxx other than seasonal allergies just as your vet figured. He had a skin patch test though to determine exactly what he’s sensitive to. They’ll use the results to determine what they’ll put in the vaccine. Then you’ll need to decide if you want to give him an injection every day or a pill under his tongue twice a day.” Tori grimaced.
“So those are my only options, huh? Neither sound very appealing.”
“I definitely wouldn’t want to do either.” Tori laughed then grimaced again. “Oh, and the kicker is that it can take up to eighteen months to even make a difference.”
Mom glanced over at Maxx who had made himself comfortable on one of his many beds scattered throughout the house. “You may be more trouble than you’re worth, dear boy.”
Tori snorted. “Yeah, okay. I’m telling you, Mom, if someone made you choose between me and him, I’d be shaking in my boots a little.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’d choose Maxx.” She laughed and wrapped an arm around Tori’s shoulders, squeezing tight, then kissed her temple. “You know I’m just kidding. I love you more than anybody and anything.”
“Of course I know.” It was the one thing in life Tori was absolutely sure about.
“So, what were you going to say earlier? What’s the deal?”
“The doctor. That’s the deal. It was Ethan.” Tori stretched her eyes to drive home the point.
“Ethan who? Not Borden?”
“Ha. Yes, Borden. You could have bought me for a penny, Mom. You didn’t know he was back?”
Elizabeth stood and walked over to the windows, then closed the blinds since the light was fading anyway. “I knew he was in town, but I didn’t realize he moved back. I thought it was just a visit.” She faced Tori and put her hands on her hips. “I asked Melanie why he didn’t come last night, and she whispered that she’d tell me later. I wonder what that’s about.”
The doorbell rang and the dog bellowed.
Tori shot off the sofa arm. “Hush, Maxx. That must be Aunt Melanie. We don’t have time for you to drill her though, Mom. The movie starts in an hour, and we still have to fight through traffic.”
“Fine, but I want a full report when I see you tomorrow.” She grumbled and sat on the couch, then patted the space next to her for Maxx to jump up.
“Like I said, spoiled. You can ask Aunt Melanie tomorrow if you want.” Tori didn’t like passing information between people. It was better to go to the source. Besides, she already had a sense of what was going on between mother and son.
Tori walked down the hall and swung the door open. “Auntie!”
Melanie kissed her niece on the cheek and strolled through the door looking fantastic in an olive-green, front-zipped jumpsuit that flared down the legs. She tried to dress it down with a jean jacket, but the glamor wasn’t diminished. Her black pumps click-clacked on the tile entryway.
After looking down at her own plain jeans and cable-knit sweater, Tori sighed. “I should have gone home first and changed.”
“What are you talking about?” Melanie grabbed Tori’s hand and spun her around. “You could wear a burlap sack and still shine. Don’t forget that.”
“You’re too sweet, Auntie.”
“Where’s Elizabeth?”
“Here I am. I was just washing my hands.” The older woman gave her youngest sister a kiss on the cheek and hugged her tight. No matter how much the sisters saw or didn’t see each other, the affectionate hugs were always the same. “Tori says you’re in a rush.”
Melanie checked her phone for the time. “I guess we are. Do you have breakfast plans tomorrow?”
“It’s Saturday and I’m definitely free. Oh, let’s go to that place across from the Claremont.”
Rubbing her belly, Melanie nodded. “Yum.”
“Do you want to go, Tori?”
“Can’t. I’ve got tennis in the morning. You two have fun though.” Tori reached for her aunt’s hand, heading back to the front door. “We better go before we’re late.”
Melanie tossed her sister a smile. “I guess that’s my cue to go. See you in the morning, dearest.”
“It’s a date.”
When they reached Melanie’s rental, she turned to Tori before opening the driver’s-side door. “What was that all about?”
“I’ll tell you on the way.” While Tori didn’t like gossiping, she was curious about Ethan. Not why he moved back. Or why Leah acted funny and didn’t mention him. She was interested in the man himself. Of course she couldn’t act on any tingles she may or may not have felt when she first saw him, but that didn’t stop her from wondering.
*
As they crossed the Bay Bridge, Tori looked to the right at the distant Alcatraz Island. It was a habit whenever she crossed even though she had no intention of ever going out there. She didn’t understand the appeal. Negative energy radiated from the small island.
Melanie’s lyrical voice broke through Tori’s musings. “So what’s been going on with you?”
“Nothing much really. Just selling houses.”
“You must enjoy it, huh? It’s the longest you’ve stayed put in one place.”
Sometimes Tori wondered if Melanie’s wanderlust had rubbed off on her somehow. There were moments when she forgot they didn’t share actual blood. “I like being close to Mom and I haven’t found anywhere else I want to live permanently. I enjoy real estate, and it pays the bills, but I don’t see myself doing it forever.” Tori shrugged. Eventually something would capture her long-term attention. Maybe something with her music.
“It’ll come with time.”
“I’m always amazed how you knew from birth you wanted to be a doctor.”
Melanie glanced at Tori, then back at the road as she navigated the upcoming exit. “Maybe not from birth exactly, but pretty early on. But that’s my path, honey. Everyone’s route takes different turns.”
“Not Ethan’s. He talked about becoming a veterinarian since you let him have your stethoscope when you were home from med school visiting.” Tori fingered the pocket of her jeans, pulling at an errant thread.
Melanie laughed. “I’d forgotten that. He was barely out of diapers but refused to take no for an answer.”
“Good thing, I guess. Look at him now. A whole doctor and a specialist to boot.”
