Vow of Worth
Emma Renshaw
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
Enjoy This Book?
Acknowledgments
Also By Emma Renshaw
Connect With Emma
About Emma Renshaw
Vow of Worth
Copyright © 2020 by Emma Renshaw. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Copy Editor: Stephanie Marshall Ward
Proofreading: Julie Deaton, Janice Owens
Cover Design: Hang Le
Paperback Formatting: Stacey Blake, Champagne Designs
Visit my website: www.emmarenshaw.com
Created with Vellum
For Stoney, Cowboy, Maggie, Bella, Sammy, Ranger, Doc, Harley, Barkley, and Hersey. All the pups, past and present, who have given my life so much love and light. I love all of you so much.
And as always, for my husband. You’re the best dog dad in the entire world! I love you so much.
1 Kiernan
“You little fucker,” I growled.
I should’ve known this dog would give me hell when I spotted him at the shelter. He fooled me. All alone, curled up in the corner, as his brothers and sisters played together in the center of the large pen. I thought he was being excluded. With one little look from his large puppy eyes, he stole the heart right out of my damn chest, and I knew he was the dog for me. I had grand ideas about taking him everywhere with me. He’d be my constant companion; I’d just load him up in my truck. He’d hop in with nothing more than a short whistle, and we’d hit the road as our favorite country music played through the speakers. I had dreams of training him so he could assist me out in the field. He’d be my running partner and would bring a little noise into my life, instead of the quietness that I came home to every night.
Sure, I didn’t ask Roman if he’d be cool with a dog hanging out at the office of MarxMen, but I knew he’d accept it once Pepper Jack turned those amber eyes on him. Or least once Caden met him and convinced his dad to let him wander around the office. Roman had trouble saying no to his kid.
If Pepper Jack hadn’t peed on Roman’s couch before I had a chance to introduce them, it would’ve worked.
Probably.
Maybe.
At this moment, I definitely knew Pepper Jack would cause me trouble. He sat on his hind legs and pulled against the leash, refusing to go inside the vet clinic. He’d never been here before, so I had no idea how he knew he wouldn’t like it. And this damn dog was giving me a run for my money. I could bench press hundreds of pounds and run miles without breaking much of a sweat, but here I was, panting and sweating while fighting with a puppy that weighed less than fifty pounds. This dog had turned my entire life into a chaotic mess.
A line of people and their pets were behind us, waiting to get inside, but it didn’t bother Pepper Jack one bit. The woman behind me huffed and tapped her foot against the concrete sidewalk while glaring at me. I clenched my jaw. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath and bent down to scoop up Pepper Jack. He flopped on his back while in my arms and stretched out until his legs were completely straight. I turned sideways, waddling through the door, so I wouldn’t hurt him, but he reached out, hooked a paw on the doorway, and held on for a second. I was out of breath by the time I marched up to the front desk, and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face. “Hi. How are you? I have an appointment at two.”
“What’s this little guy’s name?”
“Pepper Jack Brooks.” As I said his name, his head lolled to the side and his tongue fell out of his mouth, and I swore he was smiling. The woman behind the counter gushed over him as I held back my eye roll. Of course he would act this way in front of the vet staff. Pepper Jack’s smile grew as each vet tech stepped up to rub behind his spotted ears. The huge, wide smile is something pit bulls are known for, but the white speckled spots all over his tan fur aren’t. The animal rescue didn’t know what he was mixed with. His litter had been dropped at the door in the middle of the night.
I juggled him in my arms as I snagged the tablet from the receptionist. I set Pepper Jack on the ground. He curled into a ball and fell asleep as soon as his eyes closed, letting out a loud snore that scared the nearby cat. He hissed from inside his carrier, but Pepper Jack didn’t even flinch in his slumber. He ignored all other animals. The first time I took him to the dog park, he did the same thing he’d done with his brothers and sisters: sat in the corner and ignored the others. A woman brought her dog over to introduce him, and Pepper Jack stuck his snout in the air, refusing to make eye
