He wasn’t in a camo uniform, of course, but a blue denim shirt and jeans, with a white apron on top.
He looked down then and grinned at Chase, leashed beside Liam. “Can’t pet him, bro, though I know he’s family. You know that’s why we keep our Louper out back, too, when he’s here.”
“Right. Not sanitary when you’re on duty. But let me introduce you to someone.” Liam turned toward Rosa and gestured for her to join them.
As she did, a woman who’d been cleaning tables in the busy place dashed over. She was dressed similarly to the man who’d hugged Liam. She was slender, with long, silver-blond hair pulled into a clip at the back of her head, a very attractive woman—who also hugged Liam.
Rosa knew she shouldn’t feel jealous about that—especially when she looked down and saw a ring on the woman’s finger.
“So good to see you, Liam,” the woman said.
“I’ll say,” said the man.
Liam once more looked at Rosa. “I want to introduce you both to someone I’ll bet you’ll be very happy to know one of these days. This is Dr. Rosa Jontay, one of the town’s veterinarians. Rosa, this is my brother, Chuck, and his wife, Carleen. They own this place now—and they’re also owned by Louper, a dog who stays either in the enclosed backyard behind this place, or at home. He’s home today with a dog walker visiting him. Louper resembles Chase.”
Liam looked at her and grinned, and she read in his look the fact that these two people were also shifters who happened to have a cover dog, even though they weren’t military.
“Very nice to meet you.” She shook hands first with Carleen, then Chuck. “And I would be delighted to meet your dog sometime when he’s here or otherwise, though I hope he has no need of a vet.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Carleen said. “Now, you two come over here and sit down, and we’ll get you something to eat.”
“Oh, but—” Rosa began, but fortunately, Liam took over.
“We just need some takeout right now,” he said. “Rosa’s going to get some extra stuff for some of her veterinary staff, and she needs to get back to her clinic.”
“Great,” Carleen said. “We’ll get our staff moving on it right away. Just let them know at the counter what you want.”
There were several people ahead of them in the line, and Rosa didn’t want to butt in. “We’ll take our time,” she said. “But thanks.”
Liam nodded his agreement, though he said, “It helps to be related to the owners when you’re in a hurry. I agree with being polite to their customers, though. And if you don’t mind standing here a few minutes to hold our place, I’d appreciate it. I’ve something to ask Chuck.”
“Fine,” Rosa said, and agreed to keep Chase with her. She watched Liam talking to his brother by the wall nearest the door into the order area and kitchen. It was one of the few times she wished she had a shifter’s abilities—not to shift, but to hear things better than a normal person. The two brothers seemed to be talking animatedly, and she was curious about what they were saying.
The teenage guy at the front of the line stepped aside after placing his order. Rosa was glad to move ahead a little, particularly for the sake of the animals that might be needing her care back at the clinic.
Including, perhaps, Drew. She’d at least check on him, no matter what Melanie and the Alpha Force guy who’d taken over for Liam said about how he was doing—though she’d be absolutely delighted if he’d changed back during their absence.
Unlikely, though, or Melanie would have called her.
At least now there were only three more people ahead of her in line, and two appeared to be a couple. Rosa bent and patted Chase’s head. The dog was definitely behaving well, leashed at her side.
Liam rejoined her. “Everything okay?” she asked.
“Real good,” he responded, without more detail. In fact, he was quiet for a while.
“How long have your relatives owned this place?” Rosa asked finally, to make conversation. Besides, she was interested in his answer. “Did they follow you to Mary Glen?”
And did they want to become members of Alpha Force? she wondered. She figured that a lot of shifters might want to do so if they knew of the reality of Alpha Force, and its special elixir. With their relative, Liam, now a member, she had no doubt that Chuck and Carleen were well aware of the nature of that military unit.
She’d ask Liam more about them later, as she couldn’t here, in public.
“They’ve been here about four months,” Liam said. “They bought this franchise from the former owners and just took over. And yes, they followed me here.”
“Got it.” She looked around again. The restaurant was filled with customers—and with the aroma of grilled meat. Even she could smell it, and she figured it must be many times stronger to Liam, even in his human form. Or at least that’s what she’d heard from shifters in her past—and now. They all had enhanced senses.
And of course Chase stuck his nose in the air and sniffed, off and on.
The next person moved out of their way in line. As they started to edge forward a woman rushed out the door from the kitchen and threw herself against Liam, giving him a huge hug. “Liam, so glad to see you,” she exclaimed.
“Good to see you, too, Valerie,” he said, although his not-so-inviting expression, and the way he moved back, suggested he was fibbing a bit.
Somehow, that made Rosa feel a bit better about the woman’s highly effusive greeting. But who was Valerie?
She found out right away as Liam introduced them. “Rosa, this is Carleen’s sister, Valerie. And Valerie, Rosa’s one of Mary Glen’s wonderful veterinarians.”
Carleen’s sister—a sort of sister-in-law to Liam. That made Rosa feel somewhat better, although since they weren’t related by blood that connection wouldn’t keep Liam from getting into a relationship with her.
But that wasn’t Rosa’s business, though he hadn’t appeared to care about Valerie in that way.
Valerie resembled Carleen. Her silvery blond hair was shorter, though, and loose. She had deep brown eyes like her sister.
“Welcome to town,” Rosa said, to be polite. “Do you work here, too?” She gestured around the restaurant.
“I do right now,” the other woman said. “Look, you go ahead and place your orders, and then we can talk.”
She must have said that because Liam and Rosa had finally reached the front of their line. But Rosa didn’t want to take the time to talk to Valerie, and hoped Liam felt the same way.
Fortunately, Valerie disappeared, heading back into the kitchen—but then reappeared behind the counter, next to the guy who’d begun taking their order. She was the one to start entering things on the computer, and her counterpart, a twentysomething guy with a scruffy beard, didn’t look exactly thrilled about the help.
Rosa wasn’t surprised that Liam’s order consisted of a double burger, rare—lots of red meat. She asked for several sandwiches, including burgers and a couple containing chicken. The one with the most beef she intended to provide to Drew in his canine form.
When they were done ordering, Rosa immediately handed her credit card to Valerie over the counter. She’d already gotten it out and didn’t want to argue with Liam about it. She didn’t even look at him and was glad when Valerie took it from her and began to ring up their order.
“I’ll pay you back,” Liam growled from beside her. She just waved in a neutral gesture. This was another thing not to get into a discussion about here.
Valerie soon handed them the plastic bags containing their food. “Come back anytime,