Rare Luck

By R.G. Hendrickson

Paul hasn’t had the best of luck. His boyfriend Rick has something on his mind that he wants to talk about with Paul after work in person. Paul worries about it all day long on his job as a veterinarian assistant. It’s probably something bad, or maybe his luck has changed.

Having spent much of his childhood in the foster care system, and homeless for a while as a young adult, Paul struggles with looking at the bright side, though he knows he should. So much has gone wrong. That’s what he expects. If only he had better luck.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jul 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685504977

Book preview

Rare Luck

By R.G. Hendrickson

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2023 R.G. Hendrickson

ISBN 9781685504977

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission from the publisher, with the exception of excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Rare Luck

By R.G. Hendrickson

Chapter 1

Paul set the pet tote on the examination table. Inside the carrier, the day’s first patient meowed. He smiled at the cat’s conversational tone. With his fingers through the bars, she let him scratch her neck and might have remembered him from last time.

As soon as he opened the tote, the tabby slinked out uncoaxed and sprawled on the metal surface. He scratched her chin and read the receptionist’s perfect cursive on the admission form. Cleo had stopped eating and was sleeping all day.

He reviewed the online chart and examined Cleo’s gums, finding them too dry, and her eyes dull. Poor baby, you’re dehydrated. He scratched her ear. With kidney failure setting in, the ineffective organs overcompensated by passing too much water without filtering enough waste products from the blood. His boss had made the diagnosis a year ago not long after he’d become her assistant.

Anticipating the veterinarian’s instructions, he took the hydration solution from the cabinet and hung the small plastic bag on the IV stand like the times before. He could always get the larger bag if Cindy told him so.

At Cleo’s previous appointments, they’d administered the fluid under the loose skin on her nape. Cindy might decide to do an IV instead, in which case he would trim the fur on Cleo’s front leg.

The doctor hadn’t come in yet. He wondered why. Cindy usually got there early. Thirteen appointments packed the schedule, more than usual for a Friday. Hmm, thirteen, Friday? He shouldn’t look for bad luck. It would find him anyway, whether he saw it coming or not.

His phone vibrated in his back pocket. He reached for it. Cindy walked in flustered and washed her hands. His arm fell to his side. The caller would have to wait, whoever it was.

Rick seldom called him at work. They hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye this morning. The vibration stopped.

Good morning, Paul. She scanned the chart.

Hi, Cindy.

If the caller had left a message, the phone would buzz again. Sure enough, there it was. The vibration tickled his butt cheek.

She checked Cleo’s eyes and gums. Sorry I’m late, kitty. I burned some toast. It set off the smoke alarm, and the kids missed the bus.

Paul held back from saying anything, since she’d addressed the cat. Oh no. The two words slipped out on their own.

Cleo and Cindy glanced at him. The cat batted her eyes. His boss smiled.

He’d told her his history but not the details. "That’s how I landed