How do we know if it's too late?

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.

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.

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.

An Appreciation of Cats 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.