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“He’s not, but he doesn’t have a choice. He has to get a shot or else he’ll get sick.” Aaron emphasized the last of the sentence specifically to the dog.
“Do you think he understands you?”
“I know he does,” Aaron answered, rubbing the thick fur around Gabriel’s neck. “This guy is pretty special.”
“Aren’t they all,” she said, and with one quick move, administered the injection with not so much as a yelp from the dog. “See,” she cooed, leaning into Gabriel’s face and rubbing his ears. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“She smells good, Aaron,” the dog woofed, his large, muscular tail thumping happily on the metal table.
Aaron laughed. “Don’t worry, Gabriel doesn’t hold many grudges. Give ‘im some affection and a cookie and he’ll forget all about the trauma.”
The doctor disposed of the syringe in a red plastic container on the counter. “All right,” she said, looking over her notes. “Let’s see, keep the wound uncovered so it can dry out and…”
“Warm compresses three times a day and two weeks of amoxicillin twice daily to kill the infection,” Aaron continued as he watched Gabriel sit up carefully on the table.
Dr. McGovern smiled, setting her pen down. “Pretty good.” She nodded. “Do we have an interest in the veterinary sciences?”
“I used to work in a vet’s office,” Aaron explained, the recollection of the life he had left behind washing over him in a wave of melancholy. He quickly turned back to Gabriel. “Do you want to get down?”
“Let me help you,” the vet said, and together they lowered Gabriel to the floor.
“You know,” she said, “I’m only here temporarily—but I could use a hand around the office. I can’t pay great money, but I could pay you something, and I could look after Gabriel’s bite—what do you say?”
It certainly was a tempting offer. There was something about this little town that had really gotten into Aaron’s system. It seemed to be saying that this was the place where he wanted to be. The fact that he could earn some money to bolster his dwindling savings account wasn’t a bad idea either. “Shouldn’t you check with Dr. Wessell first?” he asked.
Dr. McGovern nodded slowly. “I imagine so, but since my former fiancé is nowhere to be found, I’d say that gives me leeway to bend the rules a bit. You interested?”
“Let’s stay, Aaron,” Gabriel whined. “I’m tired of the car.”
“I’d have to check with my traveling companion,” Aaron said with a shrug. “But sure, if it’s okay with him, I’d love to hang around for a couple days.”
“Great,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Katie, and I know this is Gabriel, but it might be nice to know your name, too, especially if we’ll be working together.”
“Sorry.” He took her hand in his and gave it a shake. “Aaron,” he said. “Aaron Corbet.”
“Great to meet you, Aaron.” She released his hand. “Why don’t you go check with your friend and let me know what you’ll be doing.”
Aaron and Gabriel stepped from the building into the warm, spring afternoon and headed for the car. Gabriel was able to walk on his own with a minimum of discomfort, thanks to Katie’s ministrations.
“Where’s Camael?” Gabriel asked as Aaron opened the door and helped him into the backseat. He immediately lay down to check out the wound on his leg, sniffing and licking at the antiseptic goo that covered it.
“I don’t know,” Aaron answered. “And leave your leg alone,” he added, looking around for signs of the angel.
Since the battle at his home, he and the former Powers’ commander had formed a strange kind of bond. Aaron was always aware of the angel’s presence, and although he could feel something unusual about Blithe, right now he felt no sense at all of Camael. That alone was troubling. Looks like we will be staying a while, he thought.
At that moment, Katie came outside to get supplies from the back of her truck.
“Stay here a minute,” Aaron told Gabriel, jogging over to the vet, who was trying to balance three large boxes in her arms and close the back of her SUV.
“Katie, looks like I’ll be taking you up on your offer,” he said as she peeked out from behind the teetering boxes.
“Great,” she replied. “And your first assignment?”
Aaron snapped to attention. “Sure, what’s that?”
“Give your boss a hand with these boxes,” she said. “Damn things are heavy.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Where do you think he went?” Gabriel asked from the backseat as Aaron continued his patrol of Blithe.
“I have no idea,” he said, sca
“Do you think he would do that?” Gabriel asked, aghast.
“I’m just kidding.” Aaron chuckled as he eyed a coffee shop.
An elderly couple came out of the shop, and Aaron tried to see inside as the door slowly closed—but no luck. Besides, why would he be in a coffee shop—he doesn’t even have to eat, Aaron thought as he brought his car to a stop at a crosswalk, allowing an older woman with a shopping cart to cross. But then again, they might have had French fries.
In the rearview mirror he watched the Labrador tilt his head back and sniff the air. “Do you want me to get out and see if I can find him?” Gabriel asked. “I might he able to pick up his scent. He does smell kind of fu
“No, that’s all right, Gabe,” Aaron replied. “He’ll turn up. Why don’t we just find someplace to stay that’ll take pets.”
“I’m much more than a pet,” the dog said with pride.
“So you’ve told me,” Aaron responded, taking a left onto Berkely Street. “Katie said there’s a place that rents rooms down here.”
At the end of the dead-end street stood a large, white house surrounded by a jungle of colorful wildflowers. A wooden rooms for rent sign moved in the breeze.
“There it is,” he said, pulling to the curb in front of the house and turning off the engine. “You stay here. I’ll go find out how much they charge and if they allow pets.”
“You tell them I am not just a pet,” Gabriel called through the open window as Aaron headed up the walk beneath a wooden arch bedecked with snaking purple flowers.
“Can I help you?” asked an aged voice from somewhere amongst the lush vegetation.
“Yeah,” he responded, startled, not sure where to direct his answer. “I’m looking for a room.”
An old woman emerged from behind a thick forsythia bush, sharp-looking pruning sheers in her hand. She glared at him through thick, dark-framed sunglasses that made her look like one of the X-Men, and wiped some sweat from her brow with a glove-covered hand. “I have a few—ain’t that a coincidence.”
Aaron laughed nervously. “Cool,” he said with what he hoped was a charming smile.
“You alone, or with somebody?” She craned her neck to get a look at the car parked on the street. “Thought I heard you talkin’ to somebody.”
“I was talking to my dog,” he said, studying her face for a response.
The woman scowled. “You got a dog?”
Aaron nodded slowly.
“You want me to rent you a room—with a dog?” she asked incredulously.
He sighed. “Sorry to have wasted your time,” he said with a polite wave as he hastily turned and headed back toward the car.
He was just beneath the flowered archway when he heard the woman’s voice very close behind him. “What kind of dog is it?”
“He’s a yellow labrador,” Aaron answered, not quite sure what difference it made.
“Yellow?” she repeated, eyeing his vehicle.
Aaron nodded. “Yellow Lab, yes.”
She followed him as he continued to the car. “My father used to raise Labs,” she said as she pulled off her work gloves and stuck them in the back pockets of her worn blue jeans. “Sometimes I have a soft spot for them.”