And his sawed-off nightstand was now stocked with a much bigger variety of condoms and a eucalyptus massage oil that about sent him over the edge each time he applied it to Olivia’s supple body.

As crazy as he was about her, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that his sex drive had kicked into hyperdrive. Clamping a tight lid on his libido the last five years to get through vet school and enmesh himself in a new practice certainly hadn’t caused any harm now that he was active again. Thankfully, Olivia was matching him stride for stride when it came to the desire to find new ways to keep Samson busy on the other side of his bedroom door.

Finished with Costello’s exam, Gabe returned him to the basket of roly-poly, uncoordinated kittens. After a few wobbly strides, the kitten collapsed next to his creamy-colored, much bigger sister and began to lick his paw with what came across as a clear look of indignation.

“These last two could use another few cc’s of formula three times a day, assuming Mom keeps allowing them to nurse. Now that she’s hydrated and eating her share, her milk production should pick up. Still, with eight mouths to feed, it’ll be good to keep a watch on all of them. You know the signs of anemia?”

Patrick nodded. “Pale gums, lethargy, loose stools, high pulse.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it covered. Considering the litter size, you’re fine to supplement the rest with formula if you feel the need… You guys know how to raise kittens.”

“Yes, there’ve been three litters so far this year. Last year, there were nine, two of which were bottle-fed.”

Gabe peeled off his gloves. “Any others today?”

Patrick shook his head. “This is the last for today.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you Tuesday.”

“If you want to stick around, there’s a film crew expected in fifteen minutes. Do you remember Pepper, the Rottweiler who was one of the rescued fighting dogs from the Sabrina Raven estate?”

“Yeah. She was adopted awhile back, right? She was one of the first dogs I examined here. Sweet-natured dog.”

“Yes,” Patrick replied with a single nod of his head. “She’s being honored for her bravery.”

Gabe was about to ask for clarification when Patrick lifted the basket of kittens off the table and headed out of the room.

With a shrug, Gabe headed out as well. He didn’t mind hanging around to see for himself, especially with Olivia here.