Free Hope Flames: Hope Book 1 by Jaci Burton Page A

baseball.”
    She shot him a grin. “I love sports. I played softball all through school. I’d have played it in college if I’d had the time. I was good enough to get a sports scholarship.”
    “But that’s not what you wanted to do.”
    “No. I had big plans to become a vet.” She stared out over the field.
    “And now you’ve got your own practice.”
    “Yes. Finally.” She shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth. He wished he could see her eyes behind her sunglasses, because he could tell her thoughts had drifted.
    “So you ended up changing colleges? You went to school in South Carolina?”
    She focused on the game for a few minutes before she answered. “I had a hiccup in my school-and-career plan for a while. Kind of derailed me for a few years, so when I decided to apply to vet schools I couldn’t get back into school here in Oklahoma. That’s how I ended up in South Carolina.”
    She turned her head to look at him. “How did you know about South Carolina?”

    “It’s on your ‘About Dr. Emma’ page on the clinic’s website.”
    “Oh.” Her lips quirked. “You’ve been to the clinic’s website?”
    “Yeah. Have to know who’s treating my dog, you know.”
    She laughed. “Of course. How very thorough of you. Did you run a background check on me, too?”
    “Nah.” He grabbed a handful of popcorn and resumed watching the game. “Not yet, anyway.”
    She looked at him, and he again wished she wasn’t wearing her sunglasses, because there was definitely something going on. She wasn’t smiling.
    “I’m kidding, Emma.”
    She laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. “I knew that.”
    Okay, so the idea of a background check freaked her out. What did she have to hide?
    Not that he did background checks on women he dated. He never investigated girlfriends—which Emma wasn’t, and would never be, despite her sun-kissed cheeks and the way she yelled at the players and how much Boomer looked up at her with adoration.
    Or how much he wanted to kiss her again.
    As she watched the game, she absently petted Boomer’s head. It was an unconscious act, but Boomer ate it up and leaned into her hand.
    “He likes you,” Luke said.
    Her gaze drifted to his and she smiled, the kind of smile that punched a guy in the gut. She grabbed a handful of Boomer’s fur and ruffled it. “I like him, too.”
    “You’re so natural with animals.”
    She shifted. “You seem surprised by that.”
    “No. Well, yeah. My ex hated animals, and especially Boomer.”
    “Your ex-girlfriend?”
    “Ex-wife.”
    “Oh. I’m sorry.”
    “For me or for Boomer?”
    She laughed. “Both of you. Who wouldn’t love this dog?He’s perfect.” She leaned down and pressed her forehead against Boomer’s. Her affection was so natural, and when Daisy came over and the dogs started to play, she stood.
    “They’re restless and they’ve both been so good for so long. How about a walk?”
    “Sounds like a great idea.”
    They got their hands stamped by one of the attendants at the gate and took the dogs across the street to the park.
    “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been divorced?”
    “Almost four years.”
    “Wow. A long time ago.”
    “Yeah. We were both too young to get married, but we met my first year in college, and it kind of stuck. We got married my junior year, and she moved out to the ranch to live with me.”
    “And that didn’t work out?”
    He let out a short laugh. “Uh, no. Rebecca was country club and lattes for breakfast every morning, and going shopping with her friends, and getting manicures and pedicures. Being stuck on a dusty ranch with a bunch of stinky cows and a husband who wanted to be a cop wasn’t as romantic as it had sounded. She hated the ranch, hated the cattle and the horses, and she especially hated the dogs, especially Boomer.”
    Emma stopped and stared at him. “Wow. Really?”
    “I’m not exaggerating, Emma. The woman I fell in love with and married