Her face flushed and she covered her mouth to prevent herself from spewing the sip she’d just taken. When she finally got herself under control, Constance nodded once more. “Sorry, you just surprised me.”
He gave her a strange sort of look. “That doesn’t sound good. At least your reaction wasn’t.”
“No, no. It’s fine. I—it’s really silly, actually. I was just thinking how good those croissants looked.” She gestured toward the pastry in front of her. “That one specifically.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips.
She touched the corners of the napkin with her fingertips and rotated the croissant a few times. “Thank you,” she murmured. “This was really sweet of you.”
“Don’t mention it.” He took a bite of his, then wiped his mouth with a napkin from the box at the end of the table. “So, let’s talk.”
She arched a brow. Right to business. To expect anything else would be equally silly. Constance cleared her throat and took another sip of her drink. Time to dive in. “You said you were willing to let me shadow you, at least at our property anyways.”
James tore off another piece of his treat. “What are you interested in exactly? Is it just to help with birthing the horses, or do you want to do more?”
Goodness. That wasn’t the question she was expecting. She hadn’t considered what opportunities would be opened up to her if she asked. Her brows pulled together. “What does that even mean?”
James leaned back in his seat and offered her a smile. “It means whatever you think it means.”
She huffed. “My dad wouldn’t let me go off and become a vet. Not arealone. He’s really protective and that might mean going away for college.”
“Not necessarily. You would have some courses that you would need to take in person, but a great deal of the classes can be completed online. Then there are a certain number of training hours you would need to complete. But I could help you with all of that.”
“You’re kidding.”
He shook his head. “If that’s what you want, then I’m sure we could make it happen. But if all you want is to learn a few tips and tricks when it comes to your horses, then we can do that instead.”
Constance worried her lower lip. Until he’d brought it up, she hadn’t even considered getting the education to be a veterinarian. Doing so would open a lot of doors for her. If she wanted to move away from Copper Creek, she could make a new life for herself. She wouldn’t be tied down, and better still, she’d be able to help animals.
She leaned forward, gripping the table with her hands. “But what if my dad doesn’t want me to? I have savings, but I don’t think I’d be able to manage everything it would take. I’d need his help.”
James tilted his head to the side. His eyes traced over her face making her feel almost naked. “You know, I’ve been looking to hire a new vet tech. That’s a two-year degree unless you can really add on your credit hours. What would you say if I gave you a scholarship and when you finished your associate’s degree, you worked for me while you completed your bachelor’s requirements?”
Her eyes widened. “Work for you?” she stammered. “Why would you do that?”
That charming grin filled his face once more and he shrugged. “I like you, Constance. And I—I used to be good friends with your sister. It would be my pleasure to help you out, and I would get to have some great company along the way.”
The blush that had come and gone like the tides of the ocean returned with a vengeance. She glanced away. He didn’t mean helikedher. She needed to stop with all this wishful thinking. James was a good guy. He was talented and smart, and anyone in town with an interest in animal medicine would jump at his offer.
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “I would love to take you up on your offer.”
“Great! We’ll have to look into the specifics of it all, but I’m sure we can figure out all of that stuff later.”
“There’s just one thing.”
He stilled, holding his drink mid-air.
“You’re going to have to convince my father.”
James chuckled. “That’s going to be easier than you think. All I have to do is give him the facts. How nice it will be to have a trained person on Slate Rock Ranch. If anything were to happen to even one of your animals, you would have the training and the know-how to fix it. Of course not everything will turn out the way you want it to, but just by being present, you increase the likelihood of a better outcome than if you weren’t there. I can’t be everywhere at once. This town really should have more than one veterinarian.” He finally took another drink, then replaced his cup. “And maybe you can be that person.”
His words warmed her as if she were a marshmallow cooking over an open flame—all gooey and toasty inside. She couldn’t hold back her grin if she wanted to. When he’d first arrived on the Callahan property, she would have been thrilled if he had given her even a small smile.
Turns out… she’d gotten much more than that.
* * *
Constance burstinto the house and hurried up to her room. The plan wasn’t going to start until James had a meeting with her father, but according to him, it was a done deal. He’d insisted he was good with men who had a sense of business.