Alysanne approaches the remaining requirements of her grandfather’s will with single-minded dedication.
She continues to DJ when she needs to let off some steam. Her tips go up too and the extra money helps.
Briefly, she hires another vet, Zoe Patel, but it doesn’t last long.
“I don’t get what I did wrong! I cured her stupid cat.”
“There. That. That is what you are doing wrong.” Alysanne feels a twinge. With some more training and supervision, maybe Zoe could get up to speed, but the five-star rating is proving elusive and Alysanne simply cannot afford any mistakes. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
Alysanne takes several days off so she can feel the love from enough animals to complete the Friend of the Animals aspiration. It takes two more days for her own pets to forgive her for not spending enough attention on them.
The grind is grueling. Open the clinic, get Supriya making treats, clean up after the animals, close the clinic, go home, study up on charisma, make more treats, pay attention to her animals, try to work on the house so the value will go up, go to bed.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Until one day Nehemiah DeLong comes in with Loki. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“Let’s take a look,” Alysanne says, suddenly feeling flustered. Loki is presenting classic signs of “faking healthy” and probably just needs a preventative shot, but Alysanne keeps thinking of how Nehemiah’s hand felt in hers when she greeted him.
“You have a beautiful smile.”
“Thanks.”
After Loki ambles off the examination table, Nehemiah asks Alysanne if she might want to hang out some time.
He’s every bit as attractive as Alysanne remembers when he stops by.
“Wow, your house is gorgeous.”
“Thanks. I built it myself.”
She gives him the tour. The animals are leary of him at first.
“I was born in Oasis Springs,” he tells her. “But I could never go back there to live. I love the ocean too much. Besides this whole community is just so beautiful.”
They lie down to cloudgaze and Alysanne is pleased that her pets are comfortable enough now to settle around them.
Finally, he gets up to leave. “Thank you. I had a great time.”
There’s hesitation on both their parts, but Alysanne takes the initiative and kisses him. It feels like coming home.
