“I’m really thankful you did.” She debated bringing up the mechanic but decided not to. There was something intimate about standing out in the rain with him and the dogs, watching the raindrops dampen Gabe’s hair and roll down his temple. He had beautiful eyes, hazel-green, and a chiseled jawline. And really nice hands. They’d drawn her attention several times on the ride here when they were wrapped around his steering wheel. Long fingers and defined muscles that she could imagine guiding a scalpel with precision as easily as catching a football.

He motioned toward the shed. “I guess I haven’t been paying enough attention to the weather this spring. These guys are just from two counties. The water’s higher in spots further south.” He gave a light shake of his head. “If the rivers keep rising, I can only imagine how much worse it’ll get. I’ve been in practice less than a year, and I’m still figuring out how intricately woven rescue efforts are.”

“Having grown up down here, I can tell you the farmlands closest to the water flood often enough no one gives it much notice. At least not until things start getting serious. And I had no idea about the rescue efforts, either, even living here where it floods more years than it doesn’t. Not coordinated ones like this. Two of my grandpa’s lower fields flood whenever the tributaries around the farm back up. When it gets bad, animals come in from who knows where. They even show up on his porch. He acts all tough and says he’s not about to let four-leggeds burn up his profits. But he ends up letting them stay if they don’t move on when the water recedes.”

Gabe dragged a hand across his damp brow. “I can relate to that. I’m renting where I live. If it weren’t for the fact that my lease only allows one animal, there are a couple homeless dogs and cats I’ve worked with that I’d have loved to bring home.”

“Oh really? I wouldn’t have guessed you’d end up with homeless animals at a veterinary office.”