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met the mayor's gaze–the man's wide-eyed look of utter bewilderment was priceless. Mrs. Johnson must've been reading historical romances again. Month before last, she'd been convinced Precious was suffering from consumption.
          "I'll be with you in a few minutes, Tom." Gordon patted the woman on the shoulder. "Precious needs me now."
          "But she'll be here at noon," the mayor argued.  
          Gordon frowned and held the door open for Mrs. Johnson and her cat. He glanced at his watch and shook his head. "No, I don't think this will take that long."
          Sue rolled her eyes and winked at Gordon on her way to the reception desk. "Mr. Mayor, what a pleasant surprise. Don't tell me your horse has colic again."
          As the door closed behind him, Gordon thanked God for cheerful, diplomatic receptionists everywhere.
          "Well," he turned to face his patient and Mrs. Johnson, "tell me about Precious and her...vapors."
     
    *   *   *
     
          Taylor stood on the sidewalk and stared at the sign.
           Digby Veterinary Clinic.
          The mayor had left out one rather significant word when he told her where to meet him. After she double-checked the address, she paced in front of the building for a few minutes, glancing at her watch several times before squaring her shoulders to face the mayor.
          This was too much. She couldn't practice medicine in an animal hospital.  
          Correction–she wouldn't practice medicine in an animal hospital. If the people of Digby truly wanted a doctor for humans, then they could make other arrangements. This was absurd.
          Convinced she had her temper under control and her determination in place, Taylor pushed open the door and went inside. A string of small bells jingled to announce her arrival. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a cat collar hooked to the door handle.
           Of course–what else?
          A large man rose from a chair near the receptionist's desk. His appearance matched the voice she'd heard on the phone earlier, giving new meaning to the phrase "larger than life."
          "Dr. Bowen?" he asked, extending his hand.  
          "Yes, and you must be Mayor Bradshaw." She held her voice carefully under control, then watched his huge paw swallow her hand in a vigorous handshake.
          "I truly do apologize for this little inconvenience, but I'm sure we'll be able to arrange something here for a few weeks."
          "Weeks?" Taylor echoed.
          "Here?" the woman behind the desk repeated.
          Taylor turned to face the receptionist. "Do you–"   Her voice froze and a loud roar began in her ears. It couldn't be.
          "Taylor."
          "You two know each other?" the mayor asked.
          Taylor looked at the floor and nodded. Why hadn't she considered the possibility of running into Gordon and Sue in Digby? It was a small town, after all.
          Of course, she'd assumed they'd probably moved away, like most of her senior class. Digby didn't have a lot to offer in the way of a job market. This entire mess was too ironic for words.
          "Yes, we...went to school together," Sue said, her voice quiet.
          Taylor filled her lungs with air, then released it very slowly. If Sue could do this, so could she. Mustering her courage, she faced the woman again. "Do you know anything about this?"  
          Sue's mouth was set in a grim line and her eyes glittered. She looked as if she could burst into tears at any moment, but Taylor held her gaze and tried to make her own expression as impassive as possible.  
          "No," Sue finally said. "I don't have a clue, and I'm pretty sure G–my boss doesn't either."  
          Both women shifted their gazes back to the mayor. "Well?" they asked in unison.
          The big man turned crimson and tugged at his collar. His bald head broke into