Page 11 of Claimed By the Goalie Alpha
"Rita's trying to reach Mrs. Walker for permission." He checked his messages. "She's not answering and I’m not sure if the emergency clause in the contract allows us to take her to the vet."
"My car's close. I can drive you." I took hold of Bailey's leash. "But she needs help now, not in twenty minutes when someone calls you back."
The emergency vet clinic was fifteen minutes away. I drove while Julian sat in the back with Bailey, murmuring reassurances that did nothing to hide the fear in his voice. The other three dogs were sitting beside Julian looking at the window.
At the clinic, the vet tech rushed Bailey back. Julian started to follow, but they stopped him.
"We'll take good care of her. The vet will be out to talk to you soon."
And then we were alone in the waiting room. One by one the three other dog owners collected their pets from him. Julian sank into a plastic chair with his head in his hands.
"This is my fault. I should have noticed something was wrong earlier."
"You got her here. That's what matters."
His voice cracked. "Mrs. Walker trusted me with her dog."
I sat beside him, close enough that our shoulders almost touched and I could smell his shampoo mixed with the park scent combined with a hint of puppy. "Most dogs recover from chocolate poisoning if they're treated quickly."
"How do you know that?"
"I looked into it once after a scare with a teammate's dog." One of the guys on the team had nearly lost his husky to chocolate last year.
Julian really looked at me for the first time since we'd gotten to the clinic. His eyes were red-rimmed, and there was a streakof dirt on his jaw from handling the dogs. "Thank you for driving us. I know you probably had other things to do."
My wolf wouldn't have let me walk away even if I'd wanted to.
Julian kept checking his phone for updates from his office. His knee was bouncing with nervous energy. Every few seconds, his hand would rub the back of his neck. I wanted to reach over and still that movement and I’d whisper that Bailey would be okay.
"How did you become a dog walker?" I wanted to get his mind off Bailey.
Julian raised a brow. "That's random."
"We're going to be here a while."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Fair point." He leaned back in the chair, and his shoulder pressed against mine. He didn't move away. "I graduated with a degree in early childhood education. The plan was to become a teacher. I did student teaching and I loved kids but hated the bureaucracy including the paperwork and the standardized tests."
"So you switched to dogs."
"I needed a job while I figured out what to do next. A friend worked for a dog walking company and mentioned they were hiring. I figured it was temporary." He shrugged, and his shoulder brushed on mine again. "That was three years ago."
"You obviously like it."
"I love it." His voice had more depth when he talked about his work. "The dogs are adorable, the schedule's flexible, and I get to be outside instead of stuck inside.” He paused. "Though days like this make me question my choices."
"Bailey's going to be okay."
"You don't know that."
I did. My shifter hearing picked up the sounds from the back room. Bailey's heartbeat was strong and her breathing was steadier than it had been in the car.
Julian studied me. "You're very calm for someone who just drove a stranger and a sick dog to the emergency vet."
"I don't think we're strangers anymore."
The tension in his expression slipped away.
"No," he said quietly. "I guess we're not."
