McCormack. Last name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. She would definitely remember a guy who looked like him. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a uniform that fit him—very well. Dark brown pants, lighter brown shirt. Gun strapped to his hip. Very dark hair, cut short, full lips. Serious expression, which only made him look . . .

Hot. Sexy. Though she didn’t think about men being sexy these days. She didn’t think about men at all, and hadn’t for a very long time.

As he approached, she noticed the dog was limping. “Oh. What happened?”

“We were chasing a perp—uh, a suspect. Boomer must have twisted his leg in a hole or something because he yelped and came up limping. I was headed toward the Barkley’s vet clinic and saw Doc Weston’s office was open again, so figured I’d stop here first. If you’re closed, I can—”

“No. Of course, I’ll look at him. Bring him on back.” He walked side by side with her, and she noticed how very tall and broad he was. Daisy wound between them, licking the officer’s hand and staring adoringly up at him.

Yeah, some watchdog you are, Daisy. Daisy wasn’t exactly what one could consider a personal bodyguard, unless excessive licking and an overabundance of affection counted as weaponry.

Emma led the officer into the exam room and flipped on the lights, then turned around and knelt down, trying to calm her stupid, raging heartbeat. She smiled at the dog. “Okay, Boomer. Let’s take a look.”

“Boomer. Sit,” the officer said.

The dog sat and she examined his leg. He whimpered as she pressed on it. After finishing the exam, she lifted her gaze to the police officer. “Officer McCormack, I’d like to get an X-ray of this leg. I don’t think anything’s broken, but I want to be sure.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“You can come with me. It’ll calm him to have you there.”

She brought them back to the X-ray room, and he helped her get Boomer on the table while she got his leg in place for the X-ray.

“So, you bought Dr. Weston’s practice?” he asked.

Again, that voice of his. Deep and seriously . . . unnerving, but not in a bad way. It was doing something to her nerve endings she found decidedly . . .

Uncomfortable wasn’t the word. She just noticed his voice. And so did her body. “Yes. I bought it right after he retired.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I got your name.”

She looked up at him and frowned, then realized she’d been a complete moron and hadn’t bothered to introduce herself. “I’m so sorry, officer. I’m Emma Burnett.”

“Nice to meet you, Emma. Are you new in town?”

“Actually, I grew up here. My parents live over on Willow.”

He nodded. “Did you go to Oakdale High?”