Page 100 of The Flirty Vet

"You figured right, mate. I also need a stiff drink."

Dunlop raises two fingers at the bartender, who nods in response, and then he leads me to the cordoned-off VIP section, slipping the bouncer a fifty as we make our way in.

"What's been happening?" he asks as we slide into a corner booth.

I fill him in on the usual stuff—work, the kids, even briefly mentioning Col, although I'm not really sure why.

As the drinks arrive, he tells me all about his hubby, Robbie. I haven't met him yet. I wasn't able to make it to their wedding because it was in the middle of mustering season. From what Dunlop's telling me, they had quite a journey to getting together. It sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood romcom, complete with a scene in the rain, lots of swooning, old-school-style online dating, the works.

We're onto our third drink when he asks, "You ready to talk about the thing you flew all the way down here to talk about?"

"I am." I take a giant swig of scotch, letting it burn down my throat, before I open up to him. I really hate fucking being in this position, but I'm shit out of options. "Listen, mate, you know I hate asking for help. But I am right royally fucked."

His brow furrows with concern. "You know I'll do anything I can to help you. What's going on?"

"It's a long story," I say, then explain the mess Kat has made of managing the farm after Mum's passing.

I don't get into how she's currently on a massive bender being pursued around the country by my other sister, because, believe it or not, there are some matters even I like to keep private. I know Dunlop wouldn't judge me, but it doesn't exactly showcase my family in the best light.

When I finish explaining the predicament we're in, Dunlop looks likehemight need another drink. "Fuck, man. That's a lot. I'm so sorry you're going through that."

"Thanks. Tell me about it."

"How can I help? Do you need money?"

"No, no, no. Not money. I would never?—"

"I know you wouldn't. But if you need it." He looks me in the eyes. "If it's for your family."

If there's one quality I love about Dunlop more than anything else, it's his loyalty to his family. He'd go to the mat for them.

"Nope. Can't do it." I'd have to be staring down the barrel of a gun to ask someone for money. "But I was hoping you might know someone who could go through the mountain of paperwork to see if there's some way we might be able to dig ourselves out of this hole."

"Of course. That's not a problem at all. I know the best people. How long are you staying on the Gold Coast for?"

"As long as it takes…which, ideally, won't be very long." I scrunch up my face. "I'm kind of delaying something important by being here."

"Let me see what I can do."

He's already whipped out his phone and is furiously tapping out a message.

"Thank you so much, Dunlop. I owe you one."

"You owe me nothing. You'd do the same for me."

"In a fucking heartbeat."

He knocks his glass into mine. "In a fucking heartbeat."

Robbie arrives, and I can totally see they're a match made for each other. Robbie might be small and give off a twinkish vibe, but it's obvious Dunlop adores him. He's got my old friend wrapped around his little finger, and I couldn't be happier for them both.

After a few more rounds, the conversation somehow swings back around to Col. Okay, I swing it back around to Col. It's me, my fault entirely.

"So here's the thing," I say. "The guy who's potentially sealing my family's fate is the same guy who I'm…in like with."

"Oh, man," Dunlop says, clearly surprised, while Robbie's eyes light up.

Notthe reaction I was expecting. "Why do you look so happy?" I ask him.