4. Ben

4

BEN

I parked my truck outside Last Drop and took a moment to gather myself before heading inside. My nerves were doing their usual pre-date routine of tying knots in my stomach, making me wonder if I should’ve picked a better shirt.

Beyond my nerves was a sense of excitement, too.

Sienna had been on my mind since I’d listened to her voicemail. She was sharp, witty, and her energy was electric in a way that lingered. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d looked forward to seeing someone as much as I did her.

Pulling in a deep breath, I slipped out of my truck and headed for the entrance of the bar. My cell chimed with a text before I made it to the door. I fished it out of my pocket and paused to see who it was.

Sienna’s name lit my screen.

I’m inside already. Come find me.

A grin pulled at my lips.

When I swung the door open and stepped inside, the hum of conversations, low music, and clinking glasses surrounded me. My attention zeroed in on Sienna almost immediately. She stood near the bar, her vibrant red hair catching the dim light, making her stand out among everyone else. Her sharp, observant eyes scanned the length of me as I walked toward her.

Damn, this woman had a presence that was impossible to ignore.

“Hey, Dr. Ben,” she said in her sultry tone as I walked up.

“Hey yourself,” I replied, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. “Ready to make me regret agreeing to karaoke?”

Her laugh was soft, but full of mischief. “You’ll be fine. Besides, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone now and then.”

“I’m definitely doing that right now, I can assure you,” I said, my grin growing. “I need a beer before I sing a word, though.”

I stepped to the bar and motioned to the bartender for two beers. Joe nodded to me in response. While I didn’t come here often, I still knew the owners by name—Joe and Ivy.

It was a small-town thing.

From the corner of my eye, Sienna reached into her purse for her wallet.

“I’ve got this,” I said with a shake of my head.

She raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge reflected in her eyes. “You sure? I’m perfectly capable of buying my own drink, you know.”

“Not tonight,” I said, handing her a bottle. “Consider it part of my apology for hijacking your voicemail.”

She smiled, taking a sip as I paid Joe. “Fine. But the next round is on me.”

“Deal.”

I took a swig from my beer, unbelieving I was out on a weeknight—on a date. Even though we hadn’t called it a date, that was what I was categorizing it as in my head.

Sienna gestured toward the karaoke sign-up sheet before I could ask if she wanted to find a table or play a game of pool.

“I’ll go get us on the list,” she said. “Be right back.”

I watched her weave through the crowd. There was something effortless and calculated about the way she moved, like she was incredibly comfortable in her skin as she glided through the crowd. It hit me, watching her, just how much I wanted to know her. Not just her favorite coffee or what she did for fun, but the stuff that mattered—the things that made her tick.

When she came back, the grin on her face hinted she had a secret. I eyed her suspiciously.

“All right, what did you pick?” I asked, narrowing my eyes on her.

She took a sip of her beer before answering. “You’ll see.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring,” I said, trying to laugh off the knot of nerves building in the pit of my stomach again. The last thing I wanted was to make myself look like an idiot in front of her. What had I been thinking, agreeing to sing karaoke with her? Of course, I would make myself look like an idiot. “You’re not setting me up for failure, are you?”

Her grin widened. “Don’t worry, the lyrics will be right there on the screen. You’ll know the song, though. Everyone does. It’s a classic.”

I shook my head, laughing despite myself. “Well, considering I already made a fool of myself with that voicemail, I guess I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“You didn’t look like a fool,” she countered. “I mean, look what it led to.” She gestured to us and where we were.

“Good point.”

We grabbed a small table near the back, away from the noise of the bar.

“So,” I said, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. “How was your day at the coffee shop? Do you like working there?”

She shrugged, her smile softening. “Fine, but it’s not exactly what I want to do. I’ve been trying to start a dog grooming business.”

That caught my attention. “Dog grooming? That’s awesome. Where’s your setup?”

“The tiny dining room of my house,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “Seriously?”

“Don’t laugh,” she said, pretending to scold me. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, though. “Okay, yeah, it’s not ideal and maybe that’s why no one’s booking with me, but the goal is to save up for a shed I can put in the backyard. My landlord already signed off on it and I’m almost there moneywise.”

“That’s actually a great idea. Smart,” I said, meaning it. “If you want, I could put some cards out at my clinic for you.”

She took another sip from her beer and then tossed me a grin. “That would be amazing, except I don’t have cards made up yet.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You’re really selling this business, aren’t you?”

“I know, I know,” she said, throwing her hands up in mock defeat. “I’m working on it. Just maybe not in the order I should be.”

Before I could say anything more, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the screen and frowned. “Sorry, I need to take this,” I said, standing and making my way outside. “Hello, this is Dr. Andrews,” I answered once I stepped out into the parking lot.

“Dr. Andrews, it’s Donna Puglisi—my golden retriever, Bella. She went into labor a few hours ago, but something’s wrong. She’s panting hard, and I haven’t seen any puppies yet. I think she’s in trouble.”

“Okay,” I said, my mind shifting into problem-solving vet mode. “First, take a deep breath. Is she pushing, or does it look like she’s straining without anything happening?”

“She’s straining, but nothing’s coming out,” Donna said, her voice shaky. “I don’t know what to do.”

“All right,” I said, keeping my tone calm. “This could be a positioning issue or something more serious. I need you to check if you can see anything—like a sac or a puppy starting to crown.”

“Okay, hang on. No, I don’t see anything. She’s just straining.”

“Got it. Keep her calm, and make sure she’s in a comfortable, quiet space. Is she drinking water?”

“She’s ignoring it,” Donna said, her panic rising again. “Dr. Andrews, what if she?—”

The call abruptly cut off and my screen went black.

Damn it, my phone died.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

I quickly headed to my truck for a charger. After rummaging around, I realized I didn’t have one. Pulling in a deep breath, I remembered moving it to my desk at the clinic because my office charger had stopped working.

Shit.

I headed back inside the bar, prepared to let Sienna know what was going on, and that I needed to cut our night of fun short.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her observant eyes noticing right away that something wasn’t right.

“That was one of my patients calling. Her golden retriever went into labor and there’s a complication,” I said. “I need to get over there, but I don’t have the address and my phone just died in the middle of the call.”

“Oh, no!” Concern tinged her words.

“I need to head to the clinic so I can pull up her file and get the address—and my phone charger, apparently.” The weight of the situation pressed down on me. “I’m so sorry. Can I get a raincheck on karaoke?”

“Of course. Do you need help?”

I blinked, caught off guard by her offer. “Actually, yeah. I could use an extra set of hands if you’re serious.”

“Let’s go,” she said, grabbing her bag. “Oh. Wait.” She rummaged through her purse and pulled out a charger.

I stared at her, surprised. “You carry a universal charger in there?”

“Let’s just say I know someone who’s good at making sure people have what they need.” She smirked.

It fit perfectly, of course, and once we got to my truck, I called Donna back. She gave me a quick update and then I got her address. Plugging the address into my GPS app, I glanced over at Sienna.

“Thanks for this. I owe you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, her smile genuine. “Thanks for letting me come along.”

I backed out of my parking space and headed toward Donna’s house. When we reached it, I cut the engine and grabbed my emergency bag from the back seat. My pulse was steady, but my mind was already running through every possible complication and how to handle it. Sienna followed me to the front door, her expression sharp and focused in a way that surprised me. She wasn’t just tagging along—she was ready to help.

The front door flew open before I even knocked. Donna stood there, her face etched with panic.

“Thank God you’re here, Dr. Andrews,” she said, her voice trembling. “She’s been straining for over an hour, and nothing’s happening.”

“Where is she?” I asked, my voice calm.

“In the laundry room,” Donna replied, leading us through the house. “I thought it’d be quiet enough for her there.”

As we stepped into the laundry room, Bella was lying on a blanket, her sides heaving as she panted hard. Her eyes flicked to me, glazed with exhaustion and pain, and my chest tightened.

“Good girl,” I whispered, dropping to my knees beside her. “You’re doing great, Bella. We’re here to help.”

Sienna crouched down on Bella’s other side, her movements calm and careful as she stroked her head gently.

“You’re okay, sweet girl. Just hang in there,” she said. I glanced at her, impressed by how composed she seemed despite the magnitude of the situation. My attention shifted back to Bella as I reached for my gloves and began examining her.

“Donna, can you tell me exactly when she started showing signs of labor?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and steady.

“About three hours ago,” Donna said, wringing her hands. “But she didn’t really start straining until an hour ago, and nothing’s happened since.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding. “From what I can feel, it seems like one of the puppies might be stuck. It’s not uncommon, but I’ll need to act quickly to make sure both Bella and the puppies stay safe.”

“She’s going to be fine,” Sienna said to Donna, and the confidence in her voice comforted even me. “Ben’s got this. And Bella’s a fighter, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Donna said.

“Exactly,” Sienna insisted.

This woman had a knack for grounding people in moments of chaos. It was impressive as hell.

I focused on Bella, working carefully to shift her puppy. After a few tense minutes, I finally felt the shift happen.

“All right, Bella, here we go,” I whispered. “Push for me, girl.”

“You’re so strong,” Sienna said, leaning closer to Bella’s head. “Just a little longer.”

With one final push, the first puppy slid free, tiny and squirming. I looked it over, making sure there was nothing wrong.

“Healthy and strong,” I said, meeting Donna’s eyes.

She let out a sob of relief. “Oh, thank goodness!”

Sienna reached for a towel, wrapping the puppy gently before handing it to Donna. “Here’s your first grand-pup,” she said, earning a shaky laugh from Donna.

Over the next hour, Bella delivered four more puppies, each one healthy. Sienna stayed right there, never faltering, keeping Bella calm and steady as I worked. When the last puppy arrived, Bella gave a low whine and settled back, exhausted while gently licking her new litter.

“That’s all of them,” I said, sitting back on my heels with a sigh. “Five healthy puppies, and Bella’s doing great.”

Donna knelt down beside her and stroked her head. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion as she met my stare. Her gaze drifted to Sienna. “Both of you.”

“I’m glad I could help and that everything went well,” I said, smiling as I took my gloves off and packed up my supplies. “Be sure you give Bella lots of water and rest over the next few days. Call me if you need anything.”

Sienna stood. “She’s a good mom,” she said, before glancing at me with a warmth that caught me off guard. “And you’re a good vet.”

For a moment, I was too taken aback by the sincerity in her tone to respond. Then I chuckled, shaking my head. “You’re not so bad yourself. I think Bella might’ve liked you better than me.”

Sienna laughed, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I just follow orders.”

I could tell she was being modest, but I didn’t push. Instead, I grabbed my bag, said goodbye to Donna once more, and we headed out to my truck.

I wasn’t ready for the night to end, though.

“Do you like cupcakes?” I asked Sienna as I cranked my truck to life. “Sugar Sweets Bakery has these apple cinnamon cupcakes that are amazing.”

She raised an eyebrow. “No pumpkin spice?”

“Sorry, not a fan.”

Her laugh was warm and infectious. “A man after my own heart. I can’t stand pumpkin spice.”

“We’re a match made in heaven,” I said. “So, is that a yes, then?”

“Yes.”

“Great, because they close soon, but I think we can make it in time.”

“Pedal to the metal,” she teased.

I backed out of Donna’s driveway and headed toward town. We made it to Sugar Sweets Bakery just as Fern was flipping the sign to ‘Closed,’ but she noticed me and waved us inside.

“Let me guess, apple cinnamon cupcake with buttercream frosting?” Fern asked with a knowing smile.

“Two, please,” I said.

Fern packaged two in little boxes for us. Once I paid, we made our way back to the sidewalk so she could finish closing up for the night. Sienna took hers out of the box, eyeing it.

“This looks almost too pretty to eat,” she said, peeling back the wrapper.

“Almost,” I teased.

She took a bite, her eyes widening. “Okay, this is worth skipping karaoke for.”

“I’ll take that as a win.” I laughed, and then took a bite of my own.

As we strolled under the glow of the streetlights, I found myself stealing glances at Sienna. Something about her made even the simplest moments feel like they mattered. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I liked that about her.