The Vet's Secret Wish (Sweet Romance Book 3)

By J. L. Campbell

Matthias Laing has Toni Nevers' assurance that she'll marry him on Valentine's Day—eleven long months away. The trouble is, Matthias can't rest easy, not after Toni's ex admits he made a mistake and wants her back. A man of action, Matthias isn't leaving his dream of having forever-and-a-day with Toni to chance.

The ace up Matthias' sleeve is Toni's five-year-old daughter, Jade, who has taken a shine to Matthias and wants him installed as her 'back-up daddy'. With Jade and her small army of pets on his side, they roll out a plan to get Toni to marry him within six months. Will this enterprising pair—aided by Jade's growing menagerie—be successful in their bid to have a summer wedding?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. L. Campbell
• Release date: Jun 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311092861

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The Vet's Secret Wish

by

J.L. Campbell

Copyright © 2015 by J.L. Campbell

Published by

The Vet's Secret Wish

Copyright © J.L. Campbell

Cover art: Visual Luxe

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews or articles

This is a work of fiction. References to events, characters, organizations and places are fictional and the product of the author's imagination. Any similarity to actual events and people living or dead is coincidental.

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The Vet's Secret Wish

Matthias Laing has Toni Nevers' assurance that she'll marry him on Valentine's Day—eleven long months away. The trouble is, Matthias can't rest easy, not after Toni's ex admits he made a mistake and wants her back. A man of action, Matthias isn't leaving his dream of having forever-and-a-day with Toni to chance.

The ace up Matthias' sleeve is Toni's five-year-old daughter, Jade, who has taken a shine to Matthias and wants him installed as her 'back-up daddy'. With Jade and her small army of pets on his side, they roll out a plan to get Toni to marry him within six months. Will this enterprising pair—aided by Jade's growing menagerie—be successful in their bid to have a summer wedding?

Chapter 1

Saturday March 12, 3:15 p.m.

Across the office, Jade—my almost-fiancée's daughter—sat in a padded-wicker chair. Her bare feet were bent at the knees and her cat, Murphy sprawled on top of them. Jade stroked his fur while speaking into his ear. Murphy mewed at Jade as if he understood what she'd said to him, and I had no doubt he did.

Ridley, the Pit Bull mix lay dozing on the tiles.

The moment my focus turned to the patient cards on the desk, Jade asked, Doc, you busy?

I'd never be too busy for her, so I laid down the pen and gave her my attention. What d'you want to know?

Jade was a powerhouse of questions and I'd learned to pay attention if I didn't want to wander onto a minefield that would blow up in my face.

Daddy and I were talking about you and Mommy last night.

Now, I was riveted. Yeah?

She nodded, putting all her energy into it. I told him about your rings and he said promises can be broken.

Here, she sighed. I know because before now, he broke his promise to let me stay at his house a lot.

The upstanding side of my character told me to shut down this conversation now, but the part of my brain that suspected Jade's father still wanted her mother back made me ask, So what else did he say about Toni and me?

She stroked Murphy's forehead and made a funny face at him before frowning. Um … he said … oh yes, a promise is a comfort to a fool.

I spun the promise ring on my finger, focusing on the pearls inset in the titanium finish. The stones were set inside one half of a heart, and Toni's ring contained the matching side. She'd given me the ring a month ago with a promise to marry me on Valentine's Day next year.

Now, I wondered if I knew what the heck I was doing to agree to that half-measure when I wanted Toni to be Mrs. Matthias Laing this minute.

So Toni wasn't as gung-ho about marriage as I was, but considering what she'd been through, and since I'd agreed to wait, I couldn't bum rush her at this point.

… true, Doc?

Jade's questioning tone jolted me out of my mental space. What was that?

I was asking if that's true.

My blank stare gave me away, because Jade sighed and rolled her eyes. Is it a comfort for a fool?

No, it's not. I've lived up to the ones I've made to you, haven't I?

She nodded and then said. Daddy wasn't talking about you and me.

My intense stare prodded her to continue. He was talking about Mommy and you.

I would have asked why he was talking about Toni and me since they weren't together anymore, but that didn't serve any useful purpose so I bit my tongue. Jade's words made me uncomfortable because I suspected Dane had every intention of getting back into Toni's life.

Toni's reassurance that she had no desire for a second chance with Dane should have made me more relaxed, but it didn't, and Jade forced me to shelve my thoughts when she got up and approached the desk. She sat on the edge of one of the visitor's chairs with Murphy on her shoulder. She wrinkled her eyebrows. So remind me what promise rings do again?

Sucking in a lungful of air, I put a smile on my face and raised my left hand. Next time your daddy asks, tell him your mommy gave me this ring and said she was going to marry me.

Even as the words left my mouth and though I said it in an even tone, shame crept over me. Why was I allowing Dane's snide remarks to disturb me?

He was in the past.

I was in Toni's future.

End of story.

In her innocence Jade played devil's advocate when she continued our conversation. That's what he was talking about. He said that might not happen.

She sat forward, widening her eyes. You're gonna make sure you marry Mommy, right?

You can bet on it.

She put Murphy on her lap and wriggled until her back hit the seat. Good, because then you and mommy can have another daughter for me and Ridley and Murphy to play with.

At the sound of his name, Ridley stretched and trotted to sit at Jade's feet, out of my sight.

As if I'd summoned her by telepathy, Toni knocked once and opened the door. I smiled, my usual reaction each time I saw her, and it never failed to amaze me that she always appeared when Jade had said something that could be interpreted as awkward.

Tonight was date night for Toni and me. We'd be having an early dinner and intended to leave Jade at her grandparents' house and pick her up afterward.

Toni had gone two plazas down from the clinic to get a haircut a half-hour ago.

I'd tried to dissuade her, but she said it would make her hair easier to manage. Now, I admitted that what she'd described as a pixie cut emphasized her expressive, deep-brown eyes and soft, full lips. Her toffee-colored skin was a bit darker from our trip to the beach last weekend and her hair a little tousled from the wind.

She smoothed a hand down the side of her jeans and walked inside to take the seat next to Jade, tugging her ponytail and looking at the tiles to be sure where she put her feet.

How's everybody?

We're good, Jade said. We were just talking about you.

I hope it was good stuff.

Jade nodded. Yes, it was about you and Doc.

Although Toni laughed, she wore a what-did-she-tell-you-this-time expression that I had come to know well in the past three months.

Don't worry, I said, She's just making sure we still have marriage on the cards.

Of course, we do, Toni said, smoothing Jade's frizzy hair.

Good, because Daddy's not so sure you're gonna keep your promise.

Toni pulled in a sharp breath and looked across the desk at me.

In return, I gave her a serene smile. Despite what was happening inside me, I didn't want Toni to feel I had any doubt in my mind that we'd be married on Valentine's Day next year, as she'd agreed.

As I watched, her right hand went to the promise ring, twisting it on her finger.

When she caught me studying her, Toni laid both hands on the chair arms and then asked, How soon will you be ready to go?

My gaze went to the patient cards I'd forgotten on the desk. Then I did some calculations in my mind. I only had a Shih Tzu and a Poodle to see and then I'd be done for the evening.

Why don't you drop off Jade and I'll meet you at your place in another couple of hours?

Fine, Toni said, getting to her feet. She walked around the desk and kissed my forehead. I'll catch you later.

I grabbed her fingers and pressed them to my lips. Yeah, later.

Bye, Doc, Jade yelled as she herded Murphy and Ridley out the door.

Later, Precious Gem.

When they left, I slumped in the seat, still unsettled by my conversation with Jade. I didn't have time to mull things over for more than a minute before my assistant, Melanie, rang my extension to say my next pet parent had come in early.

I shelved thoughts of Toni and our not-so-desirable situation, determined to sort that out over dinner. Not that Toni would allow me to push her any harder than I'd been doing in the last two months.

But still …

Chapter 2

Saturday, March 12, 7:45 p.m.

After swirling my fork around in the leftover pasta, I frowned and studied Matthias.

He was 'all that' in a cream shirt that emphasized the rich, deep-brown hue of his skin. The smile that always drew a response from me and made me feel like I was the center of his world had gone missing. He'd been quiet since we sat down to dinner and I hadn't worked out what was going on with him.

He must have felt me staring at him because there was no surprise in his eyes when he met mine. After studying me over the rim of the glass, he had another sip of red wine and put the goblet on the table.

As if avoiding me, he studied the restaurant—a huge space filled with plush furniture that simulated a living area, rather than what it was. Landscapes done in oil decorated the walls, adding to the impression of us being in a vast area. The restaurant was full, but the tables were set far enough apart for us not to be overheard by the people sitting around us—if we spoke at a moderate level.

You want to tell me what's bothering you? I asked.

Why d'you think that's the case?

Come on, Matt. You're not the world's most talkative man, but you've barely said two words to me since we sat down.

He tilted one of his eyebrows. Maybe I'm just hungry.

My gaze settled on his empty plate. Well, you've fixed that.

I'm fine. I'm just thinking.

I swallowed a little of the fruit juice I'd ordered with dinner and sighed into my glass.

On the surface, nothing seemed to be wrong but without searching too hard I knew something was off with Matthias. It wasn't what he was saying. The problem was in everything he obviously didn't plan to voice. My mind went back to the conversation we'd had this afternoon in his office with Jade and instinctively, I knew I'd hit on the problem.

Folding my hands together, I took a deep breath. What are you thinking about?

The Matthias I was used to seeing, came out to play.

His brilliant smile wowed me once more. A man can't have some private thoughts?

Not when you look as if your world has tilted sideways.

A little at a time, his smile disappeared. Miss Toni, I'm sure you know you've tipped my world off its axis since forever.

His smile reappeared and he reached for my hand. I laid it in his, letting him divert me from what I wanted to know—for the moment. Matthias could be persuasive when he wanted to be and for whatever reason, he wasn't ready to talk about what was bothering him.

D'you have any plans for next weekend? he asked, stroking my skin with his thumb.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What about if we get a day pass and act like tourists somewhere on the North Coast?

That sounds like heaven. Where are you thinking of taking me?

Somewhere in Ocho Rios or Runaway Bay.

Jade—

Of course, we're taking Jade.

For a few seconds, I didn't do anything but smile at him like an idiot. This was one of the things I loved most about Matthias, how considerate and intuitive he was. He treated Jade not as an extension of me, but as if she were his daughter.

A