For Mel— may our shared brains never give up.
. . .
"Damnit, Daisy!" Haley James shrieked, "Get back here!"
The three-month-old Yorkshire terrier didn't obey, and somehow managed to dash through Haley's open front door and run across the yard. Daisy, for the most part, was a good puppy. Today, however, was not one of those days. Haley knew she probably shouldn't have left her front door open after bringing in the groceries, but she forgot that it tended to stick, leaving a small gap of space just wide enough for Daisy to escape.
The small, pepper colored puppy was a blurred ball of fluff running through the grass. Haley could barely keep up.
Though she didn't run into the street, which Haley was forever thankful for, the adventurous little dare devil (Haley now thought she probably should have named her something like Indiana Jones) made a beeline for the house next door.
Daisy's little paws came to an abrupt halt when she found the object— or in this case, person— of her desire. A tall, dark haired man bent down next to his truck and laughed. He'd been in the middle of moving boxes into the house when he heard the little yelps of the animal.
"Hey, there," he cooed, reaching out to pet the now panting puppy. "Where'd you come from, huh?"
Haley cursed under her breath. Leave it to Daisy to befriend the new neighbor, who, up until 30 seconds ago, Haley didn't even know about. The for-sale sign had been up for over six-months and she had no idea someone had even bought the house, but judging by the large U-Haul parked in the gravel driveway, someone was definitely moving in.
"I'm so sorry," Haley started to ramble, rushing over to where the man was hunched over petting her dog. "She ran out before I could catch her."
The man looked up and Haley's brown eyes visibly widened. She'd never seen eyes so . . . vibrant. So blue. As he stared at her, she swore his smoldering gaze pierced directly though her soul. For someone who tended to ramble, Haley was actually rendered speechless. She was vaguely aware the man had said something to her but she stood there, completely frozen, as if he cast a spell over her.
"That's alright," he chuckled when the puppy's damp tongue started licking at his cheek, "she's cute," like her owner, he silently added. The woman was effortlessly beautiful. His eyes swept over her with a well-blended mix of appreciation and admiration, and okay, a little bit of lust, too. Dressed in a tight- white v-neck t-shirt and a simple pair of ripped jeans, the woman stole his breath. She was simple, ironically the girl-next-door kind of look, but Nathan knew he'd never seen anyone look better than her. His eyes swept over her again, this time taking notice of her bare feet and wavy chestnut brown hair. Streaks of golden honey reflected through the wavy strands as she stood directly under a beam of sunlight. Truly, it looked like she was glowing. And, god, that smile. If Nathan's knees weren't already bent, they definitely would have buckled and caused him to fall flat onto the driveway.
"Thanks," Haley finally found the words and smiled— the smallest part of her was jealous of her dog. She watched as Daisy lapped at the man's lips, her tiny tail wagging contently. Haley didn't blame her; she'd love to kiss those firm yet delicate looking lips, too. A blush infused her cheeks at the thought. What was she thinking? She literally just met this man and now she was thinking of kissing him? The summer heat must be getting to her.
"What's your name?"
"Daisy," Haley thoughtlessly responded. It was only after the word fell from her tongue that she realized her mistake.
The man's lips turned into a friendly smile, "It's nice to meet you, Daisy."
"I mean, it's Haley—," Haley interrupted. The blush spread from her cheeks to her neck; red heat flushing the golden skin. "I'm Haley. My dog's name is Daisy. I named her after the character in the Great Gatsby. It's my favorite book, and flower—"
God, she mentally scolded herself, Can you be anymore embarrassing?
His chuckle enveloped the air, "it's nice meeting you both." After petting Daisy one more time, he stood and held his hand out for Haley.
She smiled shyly and placed her sweaty palm inside of his— both aware of the electric bolt that shocked them at the touch. "I'm Nathan. Just moved in," he cocked his head to beckon towards his black pick-up truck, which Haley noticed was still filled with cardboard boxes.
"Well, welcome to the neighborhood, Nathan," her voice was drenched with flirtation, something she had little control over.
He grinned widely, "Thanks for the warm welcome."
Daisy tried to jump up on her hind legs, pawing at his jeans, but due to her tiny stature, she could barely reach his knees.
"I see Daisy made a new friend," Haley joked. What she would do to be her dog right now….
Nathan bent his head again and continued to chuckle. The puppy was adorable. "Hey, well, she can come by any time."
Haley tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear before bending down to pick up Daisy, who whimpered at the loss of contact with Nathan. "I'm afraid she'd never leave you alone," she teased again, running her own hand over the puppy's ears.
"That's alright, wouldn't mind some company," Nathan shrugged— his grin never departing his lips— and reached over to stroke Daisy again. The edges of his ears flushed pink when he realized how close his hand was to touching Haley's chest— a nice one, at that. For someone so tiny, she sure had a tight little package.
"I know what you mean. I got Daisy a few weeks ago so I wouldn't be alone. You, know, a single woman living alone could be scary," she babbled and Nathan's laugh filled her ears.
Excited butterflies sprouted in the pit of him stomach. She was single, he inwardly cheered. Good to know…
"Right, well I'm sure Daisy would viciously attack anyone who broke into your home," he teased. Daisy was much too sweet to do anything. Hell, she all but ran over to him and begged for attention.
"We'll have to work on it," Haley giggled girlishly. Hot, funny, and good with dogs? Check, check, and check. It was almost scary how perfect he was.
She took the moment to study him again. With raven black hair, a slanted smirk, and a body practically chiseled with a knife, her new neighbor was delicious. Haley thought guys like him only existed in movies.
He pet Daisy once more before pulling away. His and Haley's smiles dropping in the process. "I wish I could stay and chat but I've gotta get the rest of this stuff inside so I can return the U-Haul."
"Right, of course," Haley nodded trying to soothe Daisy who attempted to leap out of her arms again. "I'm sure we'll see you around?"
"Absolutely," Nathan grinned. They traded soft smiles and he watched as she and Daisy trekked back to her side of the lawn. Just as Haley was about to walk inside her front door, she waved cutely. His heart smiled.
Maybe moving to Tree Hill wasn't so bad after all.
. . . .
Humming a quiet tune, Haley slipped on a fresh batch of rubber gloves and checked the appointment book for the day: 10-year-old mutt with signs of illness. Easy enough, she thought.
"Dr. James, your 2:30 is here," her receptionist, Lisa, popped her head into the examination room and smiled politely.
Haley nodded, "you can send 'em in, please."
She continued humming and prepared the examination table for the next animal. A surge of pride rushed through her; Haley loved being a vet. This was what she was born to do, no questions about it. Ever since she was a little girl, she loved animals. Her parents would frown anytime she'd try and rescue yet another poor animal from the street; with six other children, there really was no room in the James house for pets. So, Haley spent the majority of her childhood volunteering in pet shelters or shadowing a local veterinarian: Dr. Brian Durham, who when Haley graduated from UNC Chapel Hill Vet School, retired and gave his practice to her.
She was forever grateful to him, someone she looked up to as a grandfather figure, and promised to run the vet clinic with her entire heart and soul— it was now one of the best clinics in North Carolina. People would flock from all over for her services, and its reputation in the small town was noble.
A light cough interrupted Haley's thoughts and she turned to face the pet and its owner. She audibly gasped at the sight of her neighbor standing there with a leash in his hand, attached to a large black dog. He was grinning sheepishly.
"Haley? You're Dr. James?"
Haley blushed, "yes, that's me. Hi again, Nathan."
He smiled and stepped further into the room, his dog practically dragging next to him. "Not gonna lie, I was picturing an old, bald and fat man as the vet."
She giggled, "sorry. Not old, bald or fat."
"Definitely not," his eyes pursued her body again and smirked at the blush evident on her cheeks. He noticed she did that a lot; well, he'd only seen her twice since meeting her a few days ago. Once in the drive way taking out the trash, which she somehow managed to look hot even doing that, and once again this morning when she got into her car for what he guessed was work. He never would have guessed she was a vet but damn, she looked sexy in an oversized white lab coat. Today her honey brown hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, showing off the nape of her neck and he licked his lips. She was gorgeous.
"Uhm, so who's this big guy?" She directed her attention to the old dog, who had already laid down on the floor.
"Oh, this is Asher. Ash for short." Nathan smiled and gently pulled on the leash, willing the dog to get up from the floor. Haley bent down and gently petted Ash's head.
"I didn't know you had a dog," she glanced up at him to see a wide smile on his lips. Her own smile spread.
"Yeah," his hands were shoved casually in his pockets, "this guy was being lazy and sleeping inside the day we met. Well, that's what I thought but it turns out I think he's sick. He's been extra mopey lately and I noticed he's got some red bump on his belly."
Haley furrowed her brows and ran her hand on the underside of Ash's stomach— Nathan was right; there was a swollen pimple beneath the matted black fur. Ash whimpered slightly at the feel of her hand.
"Hmm, it could have been an open wound that got infected. I'll take a look."
Nathan nodded gratefully and bent down to help her pick up Ash, then proceeded to place him on the examination table. He watched in awe as Haley gently coaxed Ash before starting her check-up.
"The paperwork said he's ten. Is that true?" She asked as she put a stethoscope against Ash's chest.
"Actually, I'm not entirely sure. The last vet I went to— in Charlotte— said that he was probably around that age."
"How long have you had him for?"
"Only about a year. I rescued him in a fire. Unfortunately the family couldn't get out, but, uh, he did. He hung around the fire station for a while and I finally decided to bring him home. He's been by my side ever since."
Haley looked up from Ash and bit her lip, suddenly picturing Nathan in a fireman's suit. Shit, that was hot.
"You're a firefighter?"
"Yep," Nathan beamed proudly. "Worked in Charlotte since graduating from Duke but Tree Hill offered me the position of chief. I couldn't turn it down so here I am."
"That's amazing. Congratulations."
"Thanks. So how about you? A veterinarian who owns a pet clinic? That's a huge deal."
Haley blushed and continued to check Ash; this time with a flashlight of sorts, shining it up his nose, ears, and eyes.
"It's not exactly mine," she explained, "well, it is, but I didn't buy it. Whitey— well, I called him Whitey. His real name is Brian Durham— owned it. He was my mentor for a long time and so when he retired, he wanted me to take over. I've been here for almost five years now."
"Wow, that's great," Nathan complimented. "What made you decide on becoming a vet?"
"I love animals," Haley gushed. "Any animal, you name it. My mom freaked out when I brought home a wounded squirrel when I was a kid. I cried for hours after watching it get hit by a car."
Nathan chuckled. "Aw, that must have been traumatizing."
"It was, for my mom," she laughed, "I put it in my backpack all bloodied up and everything. She screamed when I pulled it out with its eyes half closed."
He laughed loudly. This woman was the complete package. It was clear she had a huge heart, she made him laugh like nobody else, she was smart and sexy as hell. Since meeting her in his driveway the other day, he couldn't stop thinking about her. If he hadn't been so busy settling in and getting ready for the new job, he would have stood outside and waited for Daisy to run over again.
Nathan didn't want to admit it but he was definitely crushing on Dr. Haley James. Every chance he got he'd peek out his blinds in hopes of seeing her again. Now that he knew she was a vet, he might just have to get another pet.
Ash whimpered again when Haley prodded his belly. She knew almost immediately that it was an infected sore; the white puss lining the red wound was a dead giveaway.
"What's the verdict, doc?" Nathan asked nervously. He continued watching her inspect Asher and waited with a baited breath as she suddenly grew silent.
"Nothing detrimental," Haley reassured him with an easy smile, "looks like he had a cut that never fully healed. Perhaps from the fire? Anyway, some antibiotics and a steroid cream should do the trick. Has he been limping at all?"
"His back leg was damaged in the fire, so he's always got a limp, but he runs and walks just fine from what I can tell."
Haley scribbled something onto a notepad and nodded, "mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead, doc."
Haley's heart rate increased at his nickname for her. She never fussed over people calling her doctor, but when the word fell from Nathan's lips, it sounded like her favorite song.
Haley willed Asher off of the table and watched him leap onto the floor; sure enough, his back leg wobbled slightly as he struggled to stand. It could have been to old age, Haley noted, but it was unsettling to watch him, even if it was painless.
"I'm going to give him a brace for that back leg. It won't interfere with anything but if you do take him for a run or a walk, make sure he wears it so the limp doesn't get worse."
Nathan nodded diligently and watched Ash rub his head against Haley's thigh, silently begging for attention— it seems as if his dog was just as enraptured with her as he was.
"Thank you. I really appreciate your help, Dr. James."
She giggled and fetched Asher a treat from inside her lab coat pocket. "Please, call me Haley." Asher eagerly took the treat from her palm and swallowed it whole, causing both Nathan and Haley to laugh.
"Well Haley, Ash and I are thankful."
"I think he only likes me for my treats," Haley giggled and gave him another milk bone. Asher barked happily.
"How's Daisy doing?"
"Oh, she's still feisty. Definitely keeping me busy but she hasn't run out again, thankfully."
Nathan grinned, "that's good to hear."
Haley giggled when Ash pressed his nose between her legs.
"Hey, buddy, you just met her. Don't do that!" Nathan commanded firmly, an edge of playfulness lining his words as he attached the leash to his collar and pulled him away from Haley. "Sorry about that."
"Happens more than you think," she laughed and handed him the prescription form. "Just take this up front and Lisa will help you out. The antibiotic should be administered twice a day for ten days— preferably after eating. The cream can be put on once a day but keep an eye on the wound and make sure it doesn't spread. If it does just call the office and bring him back, but I don't see that happening."
"Got it. Thanks again."
"Oh," Haley called out just as he was getting ready to leave. She'd think of just about anything to keep him in the room with her. "Don't put any bandages over the wound; it has to breathe. And make sure he doesn't start scratching at it either."
Nathan nodded, smiling at her cute ramblings. "No bandages and no scratching," he confirmed. "I'll see you around, Hales."
Haley's teeth sunk into her lip and tried to suppress the giddy grin. "Bye, Nathan. Bye, Asher!"
Asher craned his head and barked as if to say goodbye. She laughed and watched them exit the examination room— a piece of her heart crumbling in the process. Was it bad that she already missed being around Nathan?
She busied herself the rest of the day, desperately trying not to think of him. But, like sudden gusts of winds, his image would blow through her mind and hot her when she least expected it— in fact, she almost gave a cat the wrong vaccination. Nathan Scott was a beautiful distraction.
Just as she was about to head home for the day, Lisa stopped her in the door. "Your 2:30 was a total hottie! You know, the guy with the tight t-shirt and rippling muscles? His dog was cute, too."
With her hand on the door, Haley blushed profusely. "Oh, you mean Nathan?"
Lisa's lips curved into a knowing grin, "you know his name?"
"He's my neighbor."
"Damn," Lisa drawled, "I wish I had a neighbor who looked like that."
"He is really hot, isn't he?" Haley was never one for gossip or mindless chatter, but Nathan was something she would have majored in in college if she had the chance.
"Oh honey, hot doesn't cut it! I hope you make your moves."
Haley shook her head bashfully, "I'm not sure I can. I mean, Ash is my patient now."
Lisa rolled her green eyes, "Haley, it's not against any rules. I think you should go for it."
She let a ghost of a smile tug at her lips, "I'll think about it"— as if she hadn't thought about it for the last three damn days. Oh, she thought about it, alright. She thought about being under him, over him, on the counter, in his truck… damnit, she needed a cold shower.
. . . .
The weekend came quickly and unexpectedly; fortunately for Haley, she had a busy work week, meaning she barely had time to think of Nathan (until it was time to go to sleep because then his smile and those eyes creeped into her mind like she wished he'd slide into bed next to her).
Even though it was Saturday morning, Haley decided to go into the office to get some paperwork done, serving as another nice distraction from her next door neighbor. She wasn't exactly sure why she had been avoiding him, but probably because every time she was around him all she wanted to do was throw him against the nearest wall and kiss the air out of his lungs— and, well, that would be embarrassing.
When the paperwork was finished and there was literally nothing else to do at work, Haley knew it was time to go home and take care of Daisy. Her poor puppy was confined to the laundry room for the majority of the day and it killed Haley that she couldn't be with her.
"Hey girl," she greeted happily, pushing open the laundry room door. "Aw, did you miss me, Daisy?"
Daisy yelped excitedly and jumped up onto Haley, lapping at her cheek with her wet tongue. Haley laughed, fed Daisy a quick treat, and attached a leash to her purple rhinestoned collar. "Wanna go for a walk? Huh?"
When Daisy barked, Haley rubbed the puppy's belly and walked her to the front door. She was finally calm enough to take outside; albeit it, she would stop and explore anything and everything, but Haley didn't mind— it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.
The duo had reached the edge of the block when Daisy took off in a sprint; luckily she wasn't big enough to drag Haley, nor was she able to break free from the leash, but Haley could barely keep up with her energetic dog.
"Daisy!" She called out, panting, "slow down, girl."
The puppy didn't listen; instead, she ran faster, only slowing down when Haley noticed who she was running to.
"Oh, shit," she muttered. Nathan was running towards them, shirtless, with Asher running by his side. Her jaw, as if on hinges, cracked and fell open, and hell, a damn bird could've flown straight into it, but she didn't care. Daisy started to pull on the leash again, but Haley was frozen. Her gaze locked on Nathan's shirtless chest, tracing the lines of his abs with her eyes. Not just a six pack, but an eight pack! His arms were a spider web of throbbing veins she'd love to get tangled between —
"Hey," Nathan popped out his headphones and slowed his running when he noticed Haley and Daisy on a walk. He actually missed her the past few days. God only knows how many times he thought about her. He was so far in a trance at work that he didn't even hear the emergency bell ringing until a co-worker shook his arm.
Nathan wanted to kick himself when he left her office with Asher the other day— he wished he would have asked her out. He wanted to get to know her as more than just his neighbor and as Ash's vet. He wanted to take her to dinner, pour her a few glasses of wine, maybe get drunk on her lips…
"Hi," she squeaked, "how are you?"
Nathan managed a smirk, "Pretty well, how are you?"
"Great," Haley grinned, trying to focus on his face instead of the hardened planes of his chest.
"Daisy," Nathan greeted and bent down to rub her ears. She was jumping up and down, barking for his attention. "Hey girl. Did you miss me?"
Daisy started to lap at his face again, causing him to chuckle. "Aw, I missed you, too."
"I don't think I've ever seen her this happy," Haley laughed, loosening her grip on the leash slightly in order to let Daisy closer to Nathan. She herself bent down to take a look at Asher, whose tongue was happily panting from his mouth.
"Hey, Ash. Are you feeling any better, buddy?"
Ash nudged lightly at her leg, begging to be pet. Haley laughed again and rubbed the space between his ears. "You're such a good boy!"
"I know," Nathan smirked with a teasing lit in his tone, "I gave him his medicine twice a day and put the lotion on. Just like you told me to."
Haley giggled and made eye contact with her sexy neighbor, "I guess you're a good boy, too."
"Do I get a treat?" He cocked an eyebrow and Haley's whole body heated.
"I'm sure we can arrange something," she edged her lips with her tongue, gently sinking her teeth into the skin. The whole action screamed flirtation.
"Yeah?" Nathan's lips slanted. "I liked the sound of that."
Asher and Daisy started to sniff each other for a few seconds, deciding to like each other. Haley watched with a warm heart as Ash nuzzled his head against Daisy's neck. The puppy calmed down by down and gently pawed at Asher.
"I think they like each other." Haley pointed out with a tiny giggle.
Nathan nodded and pat Ash's back leg proudly, "yeah, old Asher here loves everybody."
"How's he doing? I see you've got his brace on."
"Yeah," Nathan wiped at his sweaty brow with the back of his arm, "it actually seems to help him a lot. He's running better now and I think the antibiotics have been working."
Haley gently moved Daisy out of the way and reached under Ash's belly to feel for the abscess. She was hoping it would shrink on its own so she wouldn't have to remove it, and fortunately, it did. She didn't bother worrying Nathan by telling him sometimes a minor surgery would have to be performed, but in this case, it healed almost perfectly.
"Yeah, it looks a lot better," she noticed the inflammation had shrunk drastically. The white line of puss was still visible, but that was to be expected. It took a while for it to be rid completely.
Ash raised his left paw and dropped it softly on Haley's bent knee. Haley look it as a sign of respect and she placed a small kiss on his wet nose. "Aw, you're all better, buddy. Nathan's taking good care of you, huh?"
She smiled when he barked again.
Daisy had somehow managed to wrangle herself between Nathan's legs again and wouldn't budge— even when Haley pulled on the leash.
"Uh-oh," Haley quipped, "I really don't think I'm ever going to get my dog back."
Nathan laughed while Daisy rolled over and begged for a bell rub. "Why don't you and Daisy come over for a puppy play-date? I know Asher is hardly a puppy, but I think it'd be fun."
Daisy barked again as if interjecting her own eager response, and Haley giggled. "Well, Daisy definitely wants to."
"And how about you Dr. James?" His playful, teasing grin was back. "Do you want to come over?"
"I'd like that very much," though her smile was shy, her voice was eager.
"Great," Nathan stood erect again, much to Daisy's dismay, and tugged softly as Ash's leash. "Why don't you come over in an hour or so? I mean, if you're not too busy."
"No. I'm not busy at all."
Nathan's grin spread like a landslide, "okay, good. Let me just go home and freshen up and then you and Daisy can come by."
"Sounds perfect," Haley mirrored his grin and the two stood in the middle to the street, looking like a bunch of smiling bafoons.
. . . .
Nathan rushed around his house like a mad man; Haley and Daisy would be over in a few moments and it was then that Ash decided to make a mess of the empty cardboard boxes; he was shredding and tearing them apart, scattering the brown debris throughout the living room.
"Damnit, Asher," Nathan sighed. His dog tended to be lazy, but sometimes he'd get in destructive moods and rip through things as if he were a puppy again. "Come on, man, you've got to help me out, here. I'm trying to impress Haley, alright?" As he bent down to pick up the pieces, Haley knocked on the door. He mumbled an explicative under his breath but shouted to come in.
Seconds later, the front door opened and Daisy made a beeline right for him.
Nathan, who was still crouched down, nearly fell over at the unexpected force of fluff throwing herself at him.
"I swear," Haley babbled, "she was whining the entire time we were home. She kept trying to run out the door again."
Nathan looked up and laughed while greeting Daisy again, "I guess I have that effect on girls."
Haley playfully rolled her eyes but silently agreed. He definitely had that effect on girls, and both she and Daisy were no different. They were addicted to Nathan Scott.
"What happened here?" She gestured to the torn boxes.
"Ash has a mischievous side and decided to make my life a minor hell by ripping apart the boxes."
"Oh," Haley laughed. "Is he hiding?"
"Probably," Nathan chuckled and lead her to the new leather couch. "Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"
"No, that's okay. I'm good for now. Thank you, though," Haley declined politely and took a seat on the couch, all while letting her gaze sweep across his house. It was definitely a guy's house; decorations were lacking, and leather was everywhere, but it was a nice place. He still had some stuff to put away, but for the most part, it looked as if he'd made himself very comfortable.
Nathan wiped his hands discreetly on the pair of jeans he changed into and sat next to Haley on the couch— Daisy, like a shadow, followed him and whimpered when she unsuccessfully tried to jump next to him. He laughed softly and bent down to pick her up, she then curled up into a tiny ball on his lap and drifted off to sleep in seconds.
"Wow. You've got a magic touch," Haley said with an impressed smile. She wondered what he was like with children…
"Nah," he shrugged nonchalantly, "she's a puppy. She probably wore herself out on the walk before."
Haley nodded but she knew if she had the opportunity, she'd probably curl up against his chest and sleep there too. She caught a whiff of his cologne before and it went straight to her heart, like a jolt of caffeine— could he be anymore intoxicating?
"Have you ever had any dogs before Ash?"
"Surprisingly, no. He's my first pet."
"Wow," Haley's eyes widened in shock. He seemed like a natural. "I never would have guessed that. Daisy's my first pet, too. I was always too focused on work to take care of a dog but I caved at the pet store when I saw her. She's too damn cute."
"She is adorable," Nathan's hands were still brushing through her furry brown hair, wondering silently what Haley's hair would feel like between his fingers. He didn't think he'd ever use words like 'cute' or 'adorable' but since meeting Daisy and Haley, he found himself thinking them a lot.
Asher trotted into the living room a few seconds later, as if feeling left out, and jumped up next to Haley— again, he laid his two paws over her legs and dropped his head on her lap. She cooed at him softly and gave his narrow head a rub.
"He looks a bit like a German Shepard mix," she mused out loud. Ash's ears were pointed, and his snout was elongated— a lot like a Shepard's, but his fur was a bit curly, giving the impression that it was a type of Labrador or poodle.
"Yeah, I thought that, too."
"Did you name him Asher?"
Nathan nodded, "Yeah. He was laying in the ashes when I found him. I almost stepped on him— his fur was covered in charcoal black."
"Aw, poor guy," her hand rubbed at Ash's neck. He too, had fallen asleep. "So much for the doggy play-date," Haley laughed. "They're both knocked out."
Nathan threw his free arm around the back of the couch, "yeah," his eyes were twinkling, "but I'm anxious to get to know you, Haley."
Chills fell down her back from the smoldering look in his eyes. He sounded so sincere. "I'm anxious to get to know you, too."
"What do you want to know?" He cocked his head and her free hand inched closer to his.
"What made you want to become a fireman?"
Nathan blew out a heavy breath and slumped his shoulders slightly. Daisy released a little snore and the corners of his lips turned lightly. "I was in college, planning to turn pro to play basketball, actually, when my Dad died in a fire. He owned a car dealer ship and there was some faulty wiring or something and the whole place burned down. He drank too much that night and must have passed out or something because he, uh, he never made it out alive."
"Oh, Nathan," Haley gasped, "I am so sorry."
"It's okay," he shrugged again, "honestly, we didn't have the best relationship but it killed me inside. A part of me was angry that nobody saved him so after getting hurt playing basketball, I gave it up and joined the fire department after graduating. I wanted to save people, and I love it. I get such a rush, almost more so than when I used to play basketball."
"I bet you look good in the fireman uniform," she mumbled lowly.
"What?" Nathan heard her and tried not to smirk when he caught her blushing.
"Nothing," she coughed, "I, um, had a tickle in my throat."
"Really, 'cos it sounded like you said I'd look good in the uniform."
Haley giggled softly, careful not to wake the dogs, "I think you imagined it."
"Well, hey, you look pretty good in a lab coat. I know I didn't imagine that."
Haley bashfully lowered her eyes, desperately trying to suppress the giddy smile she was wearing— thanks to him.
"I'm serious, Hales," Nathan continued, loving the effect he had on her, "you've got to be the sexiest vet I've ever seen."
"Nathan!" She swat softly at his bicep and had to stop herself from keeping her hand there, squeezing it tightly… "stop it, you're embarrassing me."
"What?" He shrugged, "it's the truth. You're beautiful, Haley."
She blushed at his confident confession and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, "thank you."
Their seductive, colliding gaze came to an abrupt halt when Nathan's stupid phone started ringing. He knew he had to answer it because he was technically on call for work, and if there was an emergency, he would have to be there.
"Sorry," he groaned and pulled the phone from his pocket, careful not to disrupt Daisy from her nap.
Ash, on the other hand, quirked an ear and opened his eyes. He picked his head up from Haley's lap and blinked at Nathan.
"Hello?"
Haley watched him stand from the couch and frown. "Alright," he said, "I'll be there soon. Bye."
"I'm sorry," he apologized again, "that was work. There's a fire on Front street. I've got to go and oversee it."
"Oh," Haley felt the dejection seep into her body but nodded in understanding. "Okay, it's okay. Go, go. I'll see you later."
Nathan nodded— he too, feeling the dejection seep into his body. He and Haley were just getting to know each other better, and of course the moment was ruined. He scurried around the house, but before grabbing a bag and a hard hat, he scooped Daisy into his arms and handed her over to Haley. "I hope she's not to mad at me when she wakes up."
Haley laughed, "I'm sure she'll forgive you. Be safe."
"Always am," he grinned and followed her out of the door. Asher cried out from the couch at the loss of them but he was used to Nathan running out urgently. His head fell back onto the couch and he drifted off to sleep.
. . .
Later that night, much later — around one in the morning, to be exact— Haley stirred from her sleep at the sound of a furious knocking on her front door. Daisy, who was asleep next to her, jumped up on high alert and followed Haley out into the living room. She didn't even have time to grab her robe, and ran to the door with just a skimpy tank-top and thin pajama was at her feet, barking wildly.
"Nathan?" She swung open the door and revealed her disheveled looking neighbor— blood was stained on his white t-shirt, and it looked as if he had been crying.
"Hales, I need your help. Something is wrong with Ash."
"Oh, God, okay I'll be right there." Her teeth sunk low in her lip and she ran to her coat closet where she kept a spare vet kit. Daisy was at Nathan's feet and hurriedly ran behind him. It's like she too, knew something was wrong. Her barking was laced with concern and she circled his legs. Haley slammed her front door behind her and she ran straight to Nathan's house. When she got there, she found Ash lying on the living room floor with a pool of blood dripping from him. Nathan was hunched over him, breathing heavily as Daisy tried to support him by rubbing her little head on his arm.
"God, Haley, you have to do something. I—I can't lose him!" She was vaguely aware of the tear that escaped his now dull blue eyes as she bent onto the bloodied floor and felt around Asher's stomach. Sure enough, the infection had burst— probably from him scratching at it. It wasn't as bad as it looked, but he'd lost a lot of blood by now and would definitely be needing stitches.
"Nathan, you have to breathe, okay? I need you to keep Ash calm. I need to stitch this wound."
Ash's dark black eyes were watching half-lidded, as he lay limply on the cold floor. Nathan was probably more scared than the dog was, which was to be expected considering he walked in from work a few minutes ago and almost passed out after finding his beloved best friend on the floor with blood everywhere.
"I—I can't," he shook his head. His fingers grasped at his hair, pulling at it with nothing but fraying nerves.
"Listen to me," Haley pleaded, "Ash is going to be fine, but the needle might hurt him and I don't have anything to take the pain away so you have to sooth him. Can you please do that for me?"
"I-I can try," he gulped, watching as she rifled through a medical kit and pulled out what he assumed to be the stitches.
"I know you can do it, Nathan. You're so brave, and so is Asher. He's going to be okay, do you hear me? His scar opened prematurely and lost a bit of blood, but he'd going to be okay."
Nathan licked at his dry lips and inhaled heavily. Asher was going to be okay. Haley was there— she was going to fix him.
Asher let out a howl when Haley first poked the stitching needle at his fur, but Nathan took hold of one of his paws and squeezed it. "Listen to me, Ash," Haley heard him choke, "you've gotta stay strong for me, buddy. You hear me? You've made it out of the fire and I know you can get through this minor pain. Dr. James is going to fix you up and you'll be good as new again. She's smart and beautiful."
Haley tried to fight a smile as she continued to diligently stitch up his wound; some how, the open infection spread a lot wider than its original size, which explained the amount of blood lost. Daisy was surveying the scene and made sure Nathan was staying calm and that Asher's eyes were still open— she'd bark whenever he tried to close them.
"Okay," Haley finally announced five minutes later, letting out her own breath of relief. "He's all stitched up. You'll have to keep an eye on it and we're going to have to put him on some stronger antibiotics so it doesn't get worse, but we can take care of all of that at my office tomorrow—," her words were cut off when Nathan leaned over and kissed her. Hard.
She gasped into his mouth but pushed herself flush against his chest, once again fighting a smile. It was unexpected, to say the least, but it was better than she could've dreamed. Her heart pounded against his, as their lips synced into a song she wanted to sing on repeat for the rest of her life.
At the feel of Asher and Daisy pawing at them, they pulled away, breathlessly, but laughing.
"What was that for?" Haley whispered.
"Thank you," Nathan didn't let go of her waist, "you saved him. You saved my best friend."
"It was nothing," Haley tried to downplay it, blushing under his intense gaze that felt like a damn spotlight.
"It was everything," Nathan corrected. "How can I possibly repay you?"
Asher struggled to get up, but when he did, he lapped his tongue against Haley's face and she eagerly kissed his nose. "Take me on a date, Nathan Scott."
He grinned and smashed their lips together again— the kiss lasted much shorter than he would have liked because Daisy jumped onto his leg and barked for attention.
"Make it more than one date, and you've got yourself a deal, Dr. James."
"Should we kiss on it?" Haley eyed him.
"Absolutely."
Asher and Daisy barked, but this time, neither pulled away.
. . . .
Two-Years-Later:
"Is the blindfold really necessary?" Haley groaned playfully as Nathan lead her into their new beach house, which they had just moved into a few weeks ago. After dating for nearly two years, they had enough of playing ping-pong and rotating in and out of each other's homes. The easiest option was to sell both of the houses and find a bigger one closer to the beach, where they spent most of their free time. Asher and Daisy loved it; there was so much room to run around— though Asher didn't run as much as Daisy did, the added space was a bonus for finding new places to sleep in.
"Yes," Nathan chuckled, "hold on, we're almost there." He slowly walked her into the kitchen where Asher was eyeing the present Nathan had for Haley. Daisy, as expected, was Nathan's shadow and trailed closely behind the couple.
But, when Daisy's tiny brown eyes landed on the present, she started barking and running over to it.
Nathan chuckled at both of his girls' (yes, he considered Haley's puppy one of his girls) eagerness.
"What is it, baby?" Haley gushed. She could barely contain her excitement when Nathan told her he had a present for her. She had just gotten home from work and Nathan met her outside, immediately placing a blindfold over her eyes.
"Ready for it?"
"Yes!"
"Okay," Nathan announced giddily and pulled the blindfold off from her eyes, looking over at her to gauge her reaction.
"Oh my God!" She screamed. Tears instantly brimmed under her brown eyes—she was torn between looking at him and the present. "Nathan, you got me a puppy!"
He laughed and nodded, watching her bend down as the white lab bounded over to her in the adorable way that puppies waddle.
Haley immediately scooped him up into her arms and cuddled the dog close to her chest. She was cooing at it excitedly.
"That's not all," Nathan said from behind her, "look at his collar."
She screamed again. Daisy, Ash, and the new puppy barked.
Haley's eyes instantly blurred with a fresh batch of tears, making it almost impossible to read the puppy's dog tag that was etched with the words "I love you, doc. Will you marry me?"
And, attached to the collar was a sparkling diamond engagement ring.
"Oh my God," she sniffled, "I can't believe this."
"So, what do you say? Will you marry me?"
She turned and found him down on one knee— a bouquet of daises in his hand and a hopeful smile on his lips.
"Yes! Yes, of course," she launched herself into his arms and peppered his face in kisses. "I love you, so much."
"I love you, too," Nathan wiped her tears with the padding of his thumbs and gently took the puppy from her arms. He softly unhooked the collar and pulled the ring off of it to slide it on Haley's finger. The puppy continued to lick at Haley's tear stained cheeks.
"it's beautiful," Haley admired, "I love it, and I love this puppy! I can't believe you did all this."
Nathan grinned proudly, "I know you had your eye on him when we passed the puppy store a few weeks ago. I went back the other day and fell in love with him the minute I met him— kind of like how I felt when we first met."
She smiled at that and took turns petting the dogs that had gathered around them on the kitchen floor.
"What's his name?"
"You can name him anything you want but I kind of liked 'Bear' like 'ring bearer,'" Nathan beamed.
Haley giggled and Bear nuzzled his furry face against her neck. "Bear is perfect. I love it, I love him, I love you."
"It's a good thing we got a bigger house, huh?" Nathan laughed. "We've got three dogs now."
"No kidding," Haley's teeth sunk into her lower lip— the look Nathan knew as something she did when she had to tell him something.
"What is it, babe?"
Her teeth let go of her lip and she slowly smiled, "I'm pregnant."
His eyes widened, "are you serious?"
"Mhmm. I took a test last week and it was positive. I just wasn't sure how to tell you—,"
Nathan felt the tears spring to his eyes, and he pushed her gently onto the kitchen floor, falling right on top of her. The dogs continued to scurry around them, but both were oblivious as they got lost in each other's lips. "I love you. I love you so much. I can't wait until you're my wife and I'm so excited to be a Dad," his hands fell to her flat stomach and they shared another kiss. "You've given me everything I've ever dreamed of and more."
Haley wiped her tears before winding her arms around his neck, "Nathan, Haley, Asher, Daisy, Bear, and Baby Scott. Our little family is complete."