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Copyright 2004

When Jenny parked at the stable, she saw Mitch’s truck at the house again. Her first impulse was to go to the house and tell him his plan had worked, but she thought better of it. She didn’t want to interrupt something between he and his parents, so she went into the stable. She was rewarded by the sight of Mitch sitting in the office, instead of Rob. Jenny rushed in to greet him, all smiles, and he met her with open arms.

“No dream?” He asked, picking her up with a kiss and holding her in mid-air.

“No dream,” she reported triumphantly, “Did you come here this morning just to find out?”

“Well,” he put her down, “Not exactly.”

“Oh,” she let her disappointment show.

“To be honest,” he stood there with his arms around her waist, “I spent the night here last night…But I was waiting to leave for work so I could see you.”

“Spent the night here?” She quizzed, “Why? Is something wrong?”

“I came over here last night to talk to Dad,” he shrugged, “It got late, so I just stayed. I keep clothes and stuff here because I used to do that a lot.”

“What if I’d called you?” She had a look of fear and hurt on her face, “You wouldn’t have been home and I would’ve freaked out.”

“Would I let that happen, Sweetheart?” He reached down and kissed her, “If you would have called, you would have gotten me. My home phone was forwarded to my cell phone. My cell phone was right by the bed.”

“Oh,” she looked down, embarrassed, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be fussing at you.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her again, “It’s OK…but what you shouldn’t be doing is worrying so much, OK?”

“OK,” she nuzzled into his chest, “Are you going to tuck me in every night?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he assured, “Now, I need to get going. I’ll see you later.”

“All right,” she let him go, “see you this afternoon.”

Jenny’s dream disappeared as she and Mitch fell into a pattern of him tucking her into bed each night and greeting her each morning at the stable. Rob started conducting interviews for more help and Jenny started riding the horses to see which ones best suited her style.

Mitch and Jenny were still greeting each other one morning when Rob walked in. She had relaxed a bit about kissing Mitch in front of him, so his entry didn’t disturb her.

“Morning you two,” Rob smiled, “Jenny, we hired a guy yesterday afternoon. He’s not a kid…we gave up on that. He’s actually about your age, but he says he needs a job. He should be here anytime.”

“OK,” she stepped out of Mitch’s arms, “Am I supposed to show him what to do?”

“That’s what I wondered,” Rob raised his brows, “Do you feel comfortable doing that? I can show him if you’d rather.”

Mitch was watching Jenny’s reaction intently. She was obviously hesitant.

“Dad,” Mitch offered, “Maybe you should do it.”

Just then a tall young man appeared at the office door. He was bigger than Rob, his arms looked stronger than Dutch’s and his shoulders were broad like a football player. He had short dark hair and brown eyes and he was very tanned.

Jenny took one look at him and broke into a huge grin, “Bruce?”

“Jenny!” He smiled and she went to hug him.

Mitch and Rob exchanged looks of surprise, before Rob commented, “Well, I guess I don’t need to introduce you two.”

“We went to school together before I moved,” Jenny explained, “Bruce was my buddy.”

“Well then,” Rob remarked, “I suppose you won’t mind training him…Bruce Howard, this is my son, Mitch Martin…the M of J & M.”

“Glad to meet you,” Bruce shook Mitch’s hand with a bone crushing grip, “You’re the vet, right?”

“Right,” Mitch nodded, eyeing Jenny, who still had her arm around Bruce.

“He’s also my boyfriend,” Jenny winked at Mitch, “And I’d better tell him goodbye so he can get to work.”

Jenny walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck, then she reached up and gave him a warm kiss. She could sense some jealousy, so she figured some damage control was in order.

“I don’t want you to be late for work, Sweetheart,” she purred, gazing into Mitch’s eyes, “I’ll see you this afternoon, OK?”

“OK,” Mitch sighed, “Behave.”

“Me?” She giggled.

“Yes, you,” he kissed her again, “Keep her out of trouble, Dad.”

“Got it,” Rob grinned and saluted, as Mitch walked out, “Bruce, why don’t you go with Jenny. She’ll show you the ropes.”

~*~

They had dinner that evening at the Jackson house and after their normal small talk, Paula looked to Jenny, “So, Rob tells me that you already knew Bruce. Think he’ll work out?”

“Yeah,” Jenny nodded, “We went to school together before I moved to Kansas. He’s a real good guy. I don’t know if you’d consider it, but he’d be good help with the rest of the farm too. He grew up helping with cattle and hay and all that stuff.”

“So,” Rob questioned, “What’s the story? You know, I can only ask so much in an interview. Why’s he need a job like this now?”

“He was in college, taking pre-vet courses,” she reported, “but he didn’t get accepted into vet school. I guess it’s pretty tough for a white male to get in these days…even with perfect grades.”

Mitch nodded, “It is. Are you listening to this, Kevin?”

“I’m listening,” Kevin was hanging on her every word.

“So,” Jenny went on, “he’s got to pay off student loans before he can take any more classes to get a degree in something else. This is what he knows how to do. He’s tried getting on with a vet, but no one wants to hire him because they figure he won’t stay.”

“Mmm,” Rob nodded, “I see. Well, if he wants more hours, I could use the help around here with other things. I’m sure we can help each other out. Can he work on his own tomorrow?”

“Oh yeah,” Jenny assured, “It’s not exactly rocket science to clean stalls and feed horses.”

“Good,” Rob told her, “I have a couple of lessons scheduled in the morning. I want you to sit in and get a feel for how we work.”

“Yes,” Paula agreed, “I have a new student scheduled this Saturday. Would you want to start with her?”

“On Saturday?” Jenny glanced at Mitch.

“Go ahead, Sugar,” he smiled, “I’m working this weekend.”

“OK,” Jenny agreed, “Do you think I should turn in my notice to Doc?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Paula informed, “May I make a suggestion?”

“Of course,” Jenny nodded.

“Well,” Paula explained, “I didn’t have any problems with Doc when I quit. I’d been there forever and I prepared him for it way in advance. Told him when Rob and I got engaged that I’d be leaving right before our wedding. Then when we bought the house, I told him it was time for me to start training my replacement so she’d be ready when the time came.”

“You think I’ll have a problem?” Jenny asked.

“I’ve seen him tell people to leave the minute they gave their notice,” Paula reported, “And he didn’t tell them nicely, either. I’d hate for him to do that to you. He might not, anyway, because he’s known you forever too.”

“So what’s your suggestion?” Mitch asked.

“I think you should go with her, Mitch,” Paula posed, “You need to tell him that the two of you wish to pursue a personal relationship and that you don’t want to compromise the professional standards of the clinic. Tell him that Jenny has the opportunity to work full time for us now, so you feel it’s better for everyone involved if she quits the clinic.”

“Hey, Mitch,” Jenny suddenly had an idea, “Maybe Bruce could take my job at the clinic! He’d certainly be capable of it.”

“Hmm,” Mitch thought, “Can I talk to him about that, Dad?”

“Sure,” Rob agreed, “We’ve been sharing Jenny. I don’t see why we couldn’t share Bruce.”

~*~

When Jenny arrived at the clinic the next afternoon, Lucy gave her a funny smile and greeted, “Hey, Lady. I’m supposed to tell you to go to Doc’s office as soon as you get here today.”

“OK,” Jenny sighed, feeling herself tense up, “Thanks, Lucy.”

The office door was closed, so Jenny knocked before entering, “You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah,” he stood up from his desk and motioned to a chair, “Have a seat, Jenny. Mitch said you wanted to talk to me this afternoon.”

“Oh,” she smiled, wondering where Mitch was, “I…uh…”

Just then, Mitch opened the door and came in, “Hi, Jen. I told Doc we needed to talk to him.”

“Yeah,” she was relieved to see him, “Would you like to start?”

“Sure,” he grinned, his eyes twinkling, “Doc, Jenny and I have a situation to handle and we want to do what’s best for everyone. We both have a lot of respect for you as a Doctor, an employer, and as a person. We both consider you a friend and we’d appreciate your input on this situation.”

“All right,” Doc leaned back and smiled, “Whatcha got?”

“I know I asked you to hire Jenny because I wanted some help,” Mitch continued in a relaxed tone, “And she has been a valuable asset to my work. However, she has an opportunity to work full time at the stable now. My cousin, Chelsea, is about to get married and we need someone we can trust to take over her position.”

“I see,” Doc grew somber and stroked his mustache.

“Meanwhile,” Mitch told him, “At the stable, we’ve hired a guy who Jenny went to school with. He’s a big burly guy who was trying to get into vet school and didn’t make the cut. She thinks he might be able to step right in and take her position here.”

“Sort of trade, huh?” Doc ran his fingers through his hair.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet,” Mitch assured, “I don’t know if he’d even be interested. I felt we should bring this to you first.”

“So, Jenny,” Doc looked at her, “You want to take this other position, I gather?”

Jenny took a deep breath, “It would mean no more mucking stalls and hard labor. I’d be teaching lessons and running the website. I’d certainly be willing to fill in here if you needed someone to cover for Lucy or Sheila or something…I’m sure Rob and Paula would be flexible about that.”

Doc sat in silence for a few moments and Jenny looked nervously at Mitch. She was wondering if he was going to tell Doc the rest.

“There is another aspect to consider,” Mitch broke the silence, “Jenny and I have made every effort to present a professional appearance on behalf of the practice…We work very well together. However, we have developed a very strong friendship and we wish to pursue a relationship that might interfere with our ability to work together.”

“Ah,” Doc chuckled, “The truth comes out. Let me guess—Paula told you that I wouldn’t approve of you working together and dating?”

“She did advise us against it,” Jenny confessed, “And we both agreed that it could adversely affect our job performance.”

“Well,” he grinned slyly, “It hasn’t so far. You’ve both remained very professional and you’ve been seeing each other for quite a while now.”

Mitch and Jenny exchanged surprised looks. Doc laughed.

“Yes,” Doc told them, “I’ve known for some time. I appreciate that you kept it away from the office. I also know why Paula told you that. Look, Jenny, if you’re quitting because you want the other position, that’s understandable. I have no problem with it. However, if you’re just quitting because of this thing with you and Mitch, then don’t.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Jenny smiled, “I hope you know how much I appreciate you giving me this job. I really do consider you a friend…I would like to take the other job, though. I think it’s a good opportunity to learn something completely different and still be working with horses.”

“That’s fine,” Doc nodded, “Tell you what, Mitch, you talk to this other guy and feel him out. If he’s interested, set up a time for me to talk to him, OK?”

“OK,” Mitch agreed, “Doc, I hope you know I haven’t kept this from you because…”

“Like I said,” Doc interrupted, “I know why Paula told you that. I fired a vet once when she was working here. He started dating the girl who cleaned the kennels. It’s a long story. You can ask her about it…Different situation by a long shot. I know you two haven’t done anything unethical. I wish you both the best.”

“Thank you,” Mitch got up and reached out his hand to shake, “I want you to know I’ve learned more from you than I ever did in vet school.”

“Well,” Doc laughed, “That doesn’t say much for vet school, does it?”

“Thank you, Doc,” Jenny went around the desk and hugged him, “I meant what I said about filling in. I know how hard it is to let people off and work short-handed.”

“Well,” Doc told her, “I may take you up on it…Of course, that’s going to be Mitch’s problem one of these days, anyway.”

Mitch smiled, “We’ve got a couple of calls to make. Shall we?”

“Ready if you are,” Jenny followed him.

 “Let’s go.”

~*~

“So,” Rob laughed at the dinner table, “the old guy knew all along. Pretty hard to fool a coyote, I guess.”

“A coyote?” Paula chuckled, “I’ve heard Doc called a lot of things, but that’s not one of them.”

“Now,” Mitch pushed his plate back, “Mom, I want to hear this other story.”

She glanced at her sons. Their plates were empty and they were all ears, “Boys, go finish your reading for today. We’ll clean the table tonight.”

“Not a story for young ears,” Jenny murmured.

“No, it isn’t,” Paula remarked, then continued when the boys were gone, “The vet hadn’t been there for long and he wasn’t much of a doctor, in my opinion. The girl we had cleaning kennels was in high school, I think a senior. Anyway, Doc came in one Sunday to get something and caught them together on an exam room table.”

Mitch burst out laughing, “An exam table? Stainless steel…that sounds cold!”

Jenny elbowed him, “Mitch!”

“Maybe they used a towel from the kennels,” Rob laughed, “Gives a whole new meaning to the term…”

“Rob!” Paula jabbed him, “That’s enough from both of you.”

“So,” Mitch collected himself, “He fired them on the spot, I’m guessing.”

“Yep,” Paula nodded, “Can’t say that I blamed him. I’m not sure she was 18, so Doc could have gotten into all kinds of legal trouble.”

“Mmmm,” Mitch nodded, “So, you thought he might be a little skittish about Jenny and I after that incident.”

“Um-hmm,” Paula confessed, “Guess I was wrong. He probably knew you both well enough to figure it wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, you’re both adults, too.”

“Well,” Mitch put his arm around Jenny, “I’m glad it’s all out in the open now. I hate hiding things…And I’m going to talk to Bruce tomorrow morning and see what he thinks, OK?”

“He should be here around 8:00,” Rob told him, “You can use the office.”

~*~

Bruce was delighted with the prospect and he made a good impression on Doc. After his initial pangs of jealousy, Mitch found that he enjoyed working with Bruce a great deal and his immense size was a great benefit working cattle. Mitch suggested he abandon a college degree and try to pass the state test to become a licensed veterinary technician instead. He even volunteered to help him prepare for the exam.

Jenny enjoyed giving lessons to the beginners and she spent her afternoons learning from Chelsea. The Internet was a whole new frontier for her and Chelsea showed her all sorts of things that had nothing to do with work.They were visiting in the study one day when Chelsea started looking up wedding gowns on the web.

“You’re not going to order a dress, are you?” Jenny asked.

“No,” Chelsea giggled, “I’m just looking. We need to go shopping soon to get dresses!”

“Are you getting excited?” Jenny laughed.

“Yes,” Chelsea’s eyes danced, “Our house is coming along nicely and Dutch and I have been looking at furniture. I can’t wait! I don’t know how Aunt Paula and Uncle Rob managed for five years.”

“It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Jenny agreed, “But I think he just didn’t give her a choice…and look at him; wouldn’t you wait forever for a man like Rob?”

“Yeah,” Chelsea smiled, “I’m getting a man like Rob…I’m just glad I don’t have to wait forever. You’re getting one, too, you know.”

“Chelsea,” Jenny became serious, “You know Mitch pretty well. Do you think he’ll propose to me someday?”

“I know he loves you,” Chelsea confirmed, “And he wants a family. Just be patient. Dutch completely took me off guard. Maybe Mitch is just waiting for the perfect moment.”

“Patience,” Jenny grimaced, “I hate that part.”

“Me too,” Chelsea giggled, “Just ask Aunt Paula. I got a major speech from her on that once upon a time. But, I have to admit she was right.”

“I’m always right,” Paula walked in and they both jumped, “Just ask Rob.”

“Aunt Paula,” Chelsea laughed, “I was telling Jenny how impatient I was with Dutch in the beginning.”

“Mmm,” Paula remembered, “I believe I told you patience is a virtue…Well, it is, Ladies. And don’t think that it gets easier with age or marriage. It doesn’t. Anyway, I came in here to tell Jenny that Mitch is on the phone for her.”

“Oh,” Jenny picked up the desk phone, “Hello?”

“Hey, Honey,” he greeted, “Listen, I need to talk to you about something tonight. Can you meet me at my house, instead of Grandma’s?”

“Sure,” Jenny grew concerned, “Is everything OK?”

“Yeah,” he assured, “I’ll stop in town and pick us up a pizza for supper.”

“All right,” she agreed, “I’ll meet you there after work.”

Jenny drove up right after Mitch and fended off Panyon, who greeted her with great enthusiasm. They settled in with their pizza and talked briefly about their day.

Finally, Jenny asked, “So what is it you need to talk to me about?”

“After we’re done eating,” he told her, “It’s too serious to discuss over pizza.”

“Should I be worried?” She asked, “Are you about to tell me you just want to be friends?”

“No, Baby,” he winked, “Worrying is my job now—because we’re a lot more than friends.”

They finished the pizza, Mitch put Panyon outside and then he sat on the couch with Jenny. He didn’t wrap himself around her like usual. This time he placed her on one end of the sofa and sat down opposite her so he could look her in the eye.

“This is serious,” she remarked, growing concerned.

“I want to be able to see your face while we talk,” he explained, “This is very serious.”

“Mitch,” Jenny confessed, “You’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry,” he smiled, “You don’t need to be scared or worried. I just have a huge decision to make and it directly affects you. I’m not about to make a decision like this without your input.”

“What is it?” Jenny asked.

“Doc called me in his office today,” Mitch explained, “He’s getting serious about retirement now. He’s going to start getting figures together and come up with an asking price for the practice.”

“Oh,” she nodded, “That is serious.”

“Jenny,” he leaned forward, “I plan on talking to Dad about this too. I want you to go with me. We need to make this decision together.”

“Mitch,” she told him, “This is your decision to make…not mine.”

“It’s our decision,” he corrected, “This is bigger than buying a truck or a house. You can’t just up and sell a vet practice when you want, like you can a house or truck…I’ve been thinking about this for a while now.  I had my mind set about it, but things have changed. You’re in my life now. This affects you now too. I can’t do this if you don’t want me to.”

“Mitch,” she argued, “this is your life…your career…”

“Jenny,” he scooted toward her and took her hands in his, “This is not

the way I planned this. I wanted to dazzle you, but now Doc threw this in my lap, so I have to talk to you about this now…”

“Mitch…” she didn’t understand.

“Baby,” he lifted her hands and kissed them softly, “It’s our decision because I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me, Jen?”

Her mouth dropped open and tears came to her eyes, “Oh Mitch! Yes!”

He took her in his arms and kissed her, “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring to give you. I was going to propose at Chelsea’s wedding in front of everyone. I planned to get her to make sure you caught the bouquet and then I was going to come up and kneel down and give you the ring…But this came up and I can’t wait to do it that way. You need to be a part of this decision because it’s going to affect our lives together.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she ran her fingers through his hair, “It means even more to me that you felt like this. Yes, I’ll marry you and yes, I’ll go talk to your dad with you and yes, I’ll help you make this decision.”

They went back to Jenny’s house to tell their news to Bessie before she went to bed. They entered the house holding hands and giggling like school children.

“What have you two been up to?” Bessie greeted, “You both look like the cat that ate the canary.”

This comment sent them both into another giggling frenzy and made Bessie shake her head and wag her finger at them.

“Sorry, Grandma,” Mitch finally managed to talk, “We’re just both very happy right now.”

“We have news,” Jenny gathered her composure, “and you’re the first to know.”

“Know what?” Bessie asked, hands on her hips.

“We’re getting married,” Mitch announced, “I proposed and Jenny accepted.”

“Well,” Bessie went to hug Mitch first, then Jenny, “it’s about time! See, Honey, I told you all along this young man was the one!”

“Huh?” Mitch raised his brows.

“I’ll tell you later,” Jenny waved her hand, “Don’t tell Mom yet, OK? I really want to drive down to tell her in person.”

“Of course,” Bessie agreed, “When? You’re going along, young man. Linda needs to see what a fine man her Jenny has found.”

“Oh,” Jenny looked at Mitch, “I don’t know when…”

“I’m off this weekend,” he told her, “Maybe we could drive down Friday after work. We’ll have dinner with my folks tomorrow and tell them. After they hear this, I’m sure Mom will teach lessons to let you off for the weekend.”

“We’ll ask her,” Jenny agreed.

~*~

Jenny was helping Paula with dinner when Mitch arrived. She had been glowing all day and both Rob and Chelsea had quizzed her mercilessly about it. So far, she had fended them off, but she was glad to see her partner arrive so they could share their news.

“Hey, Princess,” Mitch greeted her with a hug and kiss, “How was your day?”

“Good,” she winked, “And yours?”

“Long,” he sighed, “I miss my afternoons with you. I’m glad to be here.”

“Well,” Rob slapped him on the back, “We’re glad you finally got here, because we’re all hungry!”

“Sorry,” Mitch shrugged, “Got here as soon as I could.”

They all settled in for the meal and after the blessing was offered and food was passed, Mitch reached under the table and squeezed Jenny’s knee. She gave him a smile and nodded.

“Well,” Mitch started, “While we’re all together here, Jenny and I need to talk to you. Dad, we need some of your sage advice…You too, Mom.”

“Deny anything that can’t be proven in court,” Rob quipped, “How’s that?”

“Sorry,” Mitch laughed, “That doesn’t even come close this time. Doc is getting serious about selling the practice. He’s getting figures together to come up with an asking price.”

“So soon?” Paula was surprised.

“Um-hmm,” Mitch informed, “So, we need you to help us make some decisions. I know you gave me a whole list of things to consider when I brought it up before…but now things have changed in my life. I think I need a longer list.”

Rob grinned and looked at Jenny, “Why? Just because you have a girl?”

“Because,” Mitch announced, “We’re getting married.”

Paula gasped and Rob smiled as big as Jenny had ever seen.

“Married?” Keith exclaimed.

“Will that make Jenny our sister?” Kevin asked.

“Sister-in-law,” Jason corrected.

“Yes,” Mitch grinned, “So we have more things to consider now…it’s no longer just my decision.”

“Well, well, well,” Rob beamed, “That is good news. Congratulations. Now I understand why Squirt here has been walking on air today.”

“We wanted to tell you together,” Jenny confessed, “You didn’t make it very easy when you kept asking me what I was so happy about.”

“Are you gonna let me give you away?” Rob winked.

“I was hoping you’d be willing,” Jenny giggled, “That ought to confuse people, huh? The groom’s father giving the bride away.”

“There’s no one I’d rather give you to,” Rob was still grinning from ear to ear.

“Before we start planning the wedding,” Mitch cautioned, “Can we discuss the decision at hand, please?”

“Huh?” Rob seemed to have forgotten, “Oh, the clinic, you mean?”

“Yes,” Mitch nodded, “Before all this came to pass, I’d pretty much decided that if the price was right and I could get the financing, I wanted to do it…but now…Well, things are different.”

“Why?” Rob posed, “Didn’t you consider a family when you were making your decision? I told you to.”

“Yeah,” Mitch nodded, “I mean, as far as whether I could support them and such…but it wasn’t staring me in the face then.”

“Mmm,” Rob chuckled, “And now that it’s got pretty green eyes and long strawberry blonde hair, it looks a bit different, huh?”

Jenny blushed, “Daddy, I think he just wants to know what else to consider that he didn’t think about before.”

All the boys and Paula snapped to attention when Jenny called Rob ‘daddy’. Up until now it was something that had been mentioned, but they’d never heard her say it. Neither Rob nor Mitch took notice.

“Fair enough,” Rob thought for a moment, “Well, I’d say you need to go back to square one. Jenny, your mom lives in Kansas…do you want to go back there someday? Raise your children there? Because if you do, then owning the practice will get in the way, so you simply shouldn’t buy it.”

“I hate Kansas,” she stated flatly, “This is my home. This is where I want to raise my family…as long as this is where Mitch wants to be. My home is wherever he is.”

Her conviction brought a smile to Paula’s face, “I’m glad to hear you say that, Honey. Too few women feel that way these days.”

“All right,” Rob nodded, “Then I’d say your main consideration needs to be the demands of owning your own practice. For me, starting our own business meant me getting to be home more. For you, it will mean the opposite. Is that how you want to start a marriage?”

“Jenny can work there if I own it,” Mitch suggested.

“Can I make an observation?” Paula asked.

“Please do,” Mitch encouraged.

“I’ve known a lot of vet practices where their wives worked with them,” she reported, “It tends to cause more problems than it’s worth. I think that especially here, where you have long time employees like Lucy and Sheila, it breeds resentment. Now, they like Jenny. If they feel like she’s elevated over them, they’ll hate her.”

Jenny and Mitch exchanged surprised looks.

“I’d have to agree with Paula,” Rob admitted, “It’s kind of across the board in business. I’ve seen it happen in architectural firms too. I think if Jenny fills in when someone needs off and helps you with the business side of things, then she’ll be appreciated and respected. But if you try to put her in the day to day mix, it’ll cause all kinds of problems…and if it causes problems at work, it’ll hurt your marriage.”

“I might add,” Paula offered, “That if you do buy the practice, I’d be more than happy to help out in a pinch too. And your father and I will both help you with the business aspect of it…I know they don’t teach that in vet school.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Mitch smiled, a bit wistfully, “There’s a lot of things they don’t teach in vet school.”

“Honey,” Jenny took hold of his arm and he looked at her, “If this is what you want to do, then my being in your life shouldn’t change that. I’m not working there now and we still find time for each other.”

“But Doc’s there now,” he reminded, “When he’s gone, I’m it. I’m on call 24/7. No days off, Jen. Unless I hire in a vet…”

“You can hire me,” Kevin offered.

“Bud,” Mitch laughed, “I’d hire you in a New York minute if you were old enough.”

“You know,” Paula remarked, “I’m betting Doc will go into DTs if he quits cold turkey. He’s always been a workaholic. He might like to ease out. He might work one day a week for you or something.”

“He might,” Mitch mused, “I’m not sure I could be his boss, though.”

“Look, Son,” Rob pronounced, “This is your decision. All we can do is make observations and tell you things we’ve experienced in our lives. The bottom line is, things are going to change. If you don’t buy the practice, someone else will. You may or may not like that someone. They may or may not like you. When your contract is up, they may or may not offer to renew it…”

“Yeah, Dad,” Mitch waved his hand, “I got it. Back to that being my own boss thing. I guess Jenny and I just need to sit down and talk about what we want and where we want to be a few years down the road, huh?”

Rob nodded, “You’re the only ones who can decide what’s right for you…And don’t worry about the financing. I’ll help you on that end. It’s not going to be a problem.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Mitch got somber, “You’re the best.”

“So,” Paula tried to lighten the tone, “Have you told Linda yet?”

“No,” Jenny grinned, “We were thinking about driving down this weekend. Do you think I could persuade you to teach the lessons on Saturday?”

“Absolutely,” Paula laughed, “The least I can do.”

“Do you want to take my truck?” Rob offered, “It’s got a lot more room than yours. You can haul your luggage in the cab that way so you don’t have to worry about rain.”

“I was thinking I might ask you if we could,” Mitch admitted, “I was thinking the CD player would be nice. I’m trying to decide what to do with Panyon.”

“Leave her with us,” Paula suggested, “She’ll be fine here. It’ll make it easier for you and her both when you’re gone longer for your honeymoon.”

Mitch laughed, “Hadn’t thought that far yet. OK, I’ll leave her here. Jen, shall we walk over and tell Chelsea and Dutch our news?”

“Shouldn’t we help clean up here first?” Jenny got up.

“Nonsense,” Rob stood up and came around to hug her, “You kids go share your joy. We’ll clean up.”

“OK, Daddy,” Jenny snuggled into the crook of his arm, “Thanks for everything.”

He grinned, knowingly, “You’re welcome, Squirt. I told you not to worry, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” she giggled, “You were right all along.”

“Come on, Princess,” Mitch pulled her away, “Let’s go tell them.”

Dutch opened the door of Chelsea’s apartment, “Hey, look who’s here. Come on in.”

Chelsea was on the couch, her knees tucked up with her arms around them, “Hi guys! What brings you here?”

“Well,” Mitch put his hands on his hips and looked at Dutch, “I kind of need a favor. I was hoping Dutch could help me out.”

“Sure,” Dutch remained standing, “What’s up?”

“It’s kind of presumptuous of me,” Mitch stalled, “But…well, you did ask me to be your best man…so I figure that means something…”

Dutch chuckled, “Spit it out, Mitch. Whatcha need? Bulldozer? Road grader? Backhoe? Crane? New house?”

“No,” Mitch smiled, “I find myself in need of a best man.”

After a moment to let his request sink in, Dutch and Chelsea both broke into smiles. Chelsea jumped up to hug Jenny and Dutch reached out to shake Mitch’s hand.

“Congratulations, man,” Dutch told him, “I’d be happy to grant that favor.”

“Will you be my maid of honor?” Jenny asked.

“I’d love to!” Chelsea squealed, “I’m so happy for you! Now we can really go dress shopping!”

“Congratulations, Jenny,” Dutch gave her a big hug.

“I’m thrilled for you, Mitch,” Chelsea hugged him.

He lifted her off the ground hugging her back, “Thanks, Chels. I’m really glad you’re happy too.”

Jenny watched as he put Chelsea down, but left his arms around her waist. She put one hand on the side of his face and looked up into his eyes. Jenny felt a pang of jealousy and glanced at Dutch. He winked at Jenny reassuringly.

“You deserve this, Mitch,” Chelsea told him, “You deserve all the happiness in the world. You’re going to make such a good husband…and a wonderful father.”

Jenny thought she saw a tear in Mitch’s eye, “You deserve to be happy too, Chels…That’s all I ever wanted for you. Just for you to be happy.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then let go and stepped away. He looked at Jenny and Dutch, then watched Chelsea walk over and put her arm around Dutch’s waist. Jenny decided this was no time to let jealousy take over. She followed Chelsea’s lead and went to Mitch’s side, putting her arm around him. He smiled down at her and pulled her close.

“You want to stay?” Dutch broke the silence, “We were about to watch a movie.”

“No,” Mitch shook his head, “We need to get going. Thanks, guys. We’ll see you later.”

“Jen,” Chelsea called, “Maybe we can go shopping next week?”

“Good idea,” Jenny agreed.

They walked quietly back to their trucks, Panyon at their heels. When they got to Jenny’s truck, Mitch opened her door for her, but when she started to get in, he stopped her.

“Jen,” he pulled her into his arms, “You know I love you, right?”

“I love you too,” she assured.

“Chelsea’s just…” he struggled, “I don’t want you to think…”

“It’s OK,” Jenny stopped him, “I understand. You don’t have to explain it.”

“I’m in love with you,” he cupped her face and looked into her eyes, “And only you.”

She thought of her own feelings for Rob, “I’m in love with you, Mitch. It’s OK, Sweetheart. I understand more than you could possibly know.”