An Appreciation of Cats

<p><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>How do we know if it's too late?</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Dr. Ian Devonshire the beloved veterinarian of Holly Grove is sixty-eight with no plans to retire-until a skin exam ends with an unexpected biopsy. Ian tells no one privately worrying about what a worst-case scenario would mean for his practice and more importantly his assistant Dr. Alec Tarley.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ian isn't sure if Alec's friendliness means what he hopes it does though it wouldn't matter if it did; Ian is old enough to be Alec's father and as his boss Ian doesn't want the small-town scandal of becoming involved. So even as Ian wonders what it might be like to have their afternoon tea somewhere other than behind closed doors he convinces himself the risks far outweigh the gains.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Especially now as the pending results strand him like Schrödinger's Cat. In an attempt to protect them both from the heartache of a malignant prognosis Ian makes the abrupt decision to retire. But when Alec refuses to take over the clinic without an explanation for the sudden change of heart Ian must decide between what'll hurt more: revealing his secrets or walking away.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>An Appreciation of Cats</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> is a no spice slow burn romance. Themes and tropes include age gap (+20) small town co-workers melanoma awareness older persons rep (65+) and ace rep (demi). This is the first book in a duology but can be read as a standalone.</span></p>