Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
She snuck a look at him as he drove, his rugged profile concentrating on the road ahead, and tried to imagine how different things might have been between her and Jay if she’d known the truth about his past. Not in a romantic sense, of course. That was out of the question. But maybe they would have become better friends, bonding over their love of books—and now dogs. She was so pleased that he might choose to take on a tricky dog in need of unconditional love—the kind of love that she was starting to realize Jay might need too.
She took a moment to appreciate the gorgeous sunset as they drove along the coastline. It didn’t matter one bit that she’d lived here her whole life—the pinks and flaming oranges still took her breath away as they illuminated the white sand of the beach. The shelter was a little way out of town and she enjoyed the purr of the engine and the way Jay handled the powerful car.
When they pulled up at the shelter, she heard a chorus of dogs barking through the open windows. It was as though each of them was yelling, Pick me. Pick me. Pick me.
Jay parked and said, “Is this place really going to close due to lack of funding?”
“It’s definitely under threat,” she said, shaking her head. It made her so sad to think that some of these dogs might never find a home. “There’s a big fundraising effort underway, but there’s also a primary school facing some funding issues, and there’s only so much money to go around. Even in a prosperous community like this one.”
Jay nodded thoughtfully, as though he were making mental calculations about how much to donate. She was glad he was so game to use his wealth for good. So many people who amassed a fortune kept it to themselves, but she knew that, like her siblings, Jay wasn’t one of them. As they entered the shelter, the sound of barking became close to deafening. Jay laughed and playfully covered his ears. However, the young clerk at the front desk was used to it and gave them both a friendly nod.
Erin greeted her and asked, “How are you doing, Emilia?”
She smiled. “Can’t complain, Erin. Busy as usual!”
Erin said, “My friend here would like to have a look at the rescue dog of the week.”
Emilia eyed him up the way a matchmaker might eye a potential suitor to see if he was worthy of meeting his match. He flashed her his most winning smile and then she gave a curt nod. “You got kids?”
“No. Is that bad?”
“No. It’s good. Rocco needs attention. Wait here a minute—I’ll go get him.”
Jay watched her leave and then said to Erin, “I’m still not convinced I can look after a dog. I travel so much. But I’m super curious to see this little guy. Maybe I can donate what they need to keep him alive for someone else to adopt him.”
Erin had a feeling that the minute Jay set eyes on this dog, he would make it work somehow. That’s just what dog people did.
Emilia returned, leading a dog on a leash. He wasn’t a big dog, and his hair was more like something you’d find on a welcome mat than a pet. He went to Erin first, sniffed her, and then went back to Emilia. Jay bent down and the dog’s big brown eyes fixed on him warily. He was clearly nervous. His short ears lay flat to his head and his tail wagged, but in a very tentative fashion.
They stayed that way for a moment, just looking at each other.
Then, in a soft voice, Jay said, “Hey, buddy.”
The dog took a few steps forward and stopped. Jay didn’t move. He remained still and then the pup slowly came to him. As he did, he sniffed, and then sniffed again, and then the wiry tail began to wag like crazy. Jay laughed, petting him and playing with his ears, and the next thing they knew, the little guy was jumping all over him and nuzzling him.
Emilia turned to Erin and said, “That’s amazing. He’s scared of most men.”
Jay grinned, clearly flattered. “He’s a scrappy little tough guy with a soft center.”
Erin couldn’t help herself. “Just like you.”
Jay turned to look at her, his eyes wide, and she realized that he was surprised to hear she thought of him that way. That she knew he had a soft center under all that bravado. She couldn’t tell whether he was pleased or embarrassed by her remark. She figured he wasn’t used to letting his guard down and it might take a while before he was truly comfortable with it.
“He’s a great dog,” Emilia was saying, “but he needs socializing. He’s been here longer than most because he’s not cute and cuddly. But he likes you.” She laughed. The dog was licking Jay’s nose. “Obviously.”