was too soft to be a man’s.
“You okay?” Dr. Jack asked.
“Um... yeah. Fine.” If Lily had seen a woman who looked like Jack at Piedmont Park in Atlanta,she barely would have noticed her. But here in Versailles, where most premenopausal women werehyperfeminine slaves to Mary Kay cosmetics and the tanning bed, seeing a butch was shocking — likeseeing a bull-mastiff in a litter of poodles.
“You thought I was gonna be a man, didn’t you?” Dr. Jack sized up Lily with clear blue eyes.
“Um... yeah, I guess so. Just from the name and all.”
Dr. Jack looked stern suddenly. “Now I hope you don’t think that being a woman makes me less ofa vet.”
“Oh, gosh, no,” Lily said quickly. “I mean, I minored in women’s studies in college.” What anidiotic thing to say, she thought. But it was too late; she’d already said it.
“So... Mordecai’s out in your car?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, it looks like you’ve got your hands full with your little girl there.” She looked down atMimi. “Hi, doll face.” She smiled at Mimi for a second, then looked back up at Lily. “So, if you’d giveme your keys, I can just run out and get ole Mordecai for you.”
Lily handed over the keys.
Jack flashed her a gap-toothed grin. “I’m not a car thief, I promise.” She propped open the screendoor and disappeared outside. In a couple of minutes, she was back, carrying the one-hundred-eighty-pound dog as if he weighed no more than Mimi. She nodded at Lily. “Why don’t y’all just follow me backto the exam room?”
In the examination room, Dr. Jack set Mordecai down on a long metal table. “I’m not exactlyMordecai’s favorite person, but he knows he’s hurt and needs help, so he’ll listen to reason.” Mordecaiemitted a low growl as Dr. Jack cleaned his injuries.
“How bad is it?” Lily asked.
“Could be worse. He’s gonna need a few stitches, though. We’ll numb him, sew him up, give hima tetanus shot. He’ll be all right.” She looked at Mimi, then at Lily. “The sewing part’s not pretty, though.
You can wait outside if you’re squeamish.”
Lily reached out to pat Mordecai’s big head. “I’ll stay, if it’s okay. Just in case he wants me here.”
“Sure.” Dr. Jack opened the refrigerator in the corner, which was full of medicine bottles. Sheselected a bottle and closed the door. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how come you’re the onebringing Mordecai in? Big Ben or Jeanie usually brings him.”
Lily realized she hadn’t introduced herself. “I kind of. . . inherited Mordecai. I married Big Benand Jeanie’s son, Benny Jack.”
“Benny Jack McGilly finally got married?” She squinted at a syringe as she filled it with