“I did.” Squaring her shoulders, Carly turned to eye Bridget, now curled up on the back seat. “But I’m glad she has a home. With me.”
Back when they’d been together, they’d never discussed having or not having a pet. They’d talked about dreams and values and how many children they’d like to have, but not about cats versus dogs versus pet-free. In fact, until recently, the closest thing Carly had to a pet had been a squirrel that lived in the large oak tree outside her kitchen window.
Curious, she eyed Micha. “What about you? Do you have any pets?”
He shook his head. “No. Up until now, it’s been military and then hospitals. But I grew up with dogs.” Glancing at Bridget in the back seat, he smiled. “I like yours.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “I like her, too.”
As they pulled up in front of her house, Micha didn’t say anything but she could tell from the hopeful look in his eyes that he wanted her to ask him in.
“I appreciate the ride,” she said instead. “It was good to see you. But it’s been a long day and I want to give Bridget a bath and feed her, plus start taking her out on the leash to see how she does.”
He nodded. “Okay.” Hesitating, he glanced up and down the street. “Stay safe.”
“You, too.”
Puttering around her house, Carly found herself constantly reaching to pet her dog. Bridget seemed reluctant to leave her side. She suffered through her bath with a kind of quiet dignity, ate her bowl of kibble with gusto and curled up on the couch with her head resting on Carly’s lap while they watched TV. After, Carly took Bridget outside on the leash to relieve herself. Once she had, they came inside and Carly gave her a treat as a reward.
“Ready to go to bed, girl?” Carly asked. Bridget immediately began wagging her tail as if she understood. Heart lighter than it had been in days, Carly led the way back to her bedroom.
Carly had placed the brand-new dog bed on the floor near her nightstand and when the time came to turn in for the night, she showed Bridget where she should sleep. To her surprise, the pup seemed to understand immediately and curled up there with a soft grunt. Closing her eyes, she promptly went to sleep.
After taking a couple of pictures with her phone, Carly resisted the urge to text them to Micha. Instead, she washed her face, brushed her teeth and got into bed. Turning out the light, she drifted off to sleep.
The vet clinic called early the next morning. “I’m afraid I have some bad news on the owner of the stray dog you found,” the caller said. “We’ve located the previous owner and learned he is deceased. His daughter stated she does not want the dog.”
Somehow, Carly managed to restrain herself. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “That means I can keep her, right?”
“Yes, you can. Or you can drop her off at the shelter if you prefer.”
Glancing at Bridget, sleeping in a stray patch of sunlight, Carly grinned. “That’s not happening. She’s mine now. I guess I need to make another appointment to get her vetting done.”
They settled on a date and time and Carly ended the call. She walked over to her new dog and bent down, crooning softly as she reached out to pet her. “You’re not going anywhere, baby girl.”
Bridget eyed her, yawned and then went back to sleep.
Carly got up and started dancing around her kitchen. While she found it sad that Bridget’s owner had died and unbelievable that his daughter hadn’t wanted the dog, Carly couldn’t help but rejoice in the knowledge that she got to keep her.
Impulsively, Carly grabbed her phone and punched in Micha’s number. He answered immediately, his kind, husky-voiced greeting generating a warmth deep inside her. Talking quickly, she told him the news. “So now I really have a dog,” she concluded. “I made another vet appointment to get her checked out.”
“Congratulations. I wish I was there to celebrate with you.”
She caught her breath, her heart skipping, any words she might have said caught in her throat.
“Too fast?” he asked.
“Kind of. Yes.”
Quickly, he changed the subject. “Are we still on for dinner Sunday night?”
Again, she hesitated. “I’ll probably be eating a huge meal over at the cookout, so I doubt I’ll be hungry.”
“I get that. Maybe we can just grab a cup of coffee.”
“Micha...”
She could picture him steeling himself. “Yes?”
“I know we agreed we’d try to be friends for now, but I think maybe this is moving way too fast.”
“Hey, it’s just coffee.” His quiet laugh sounded forced. “Actually, I just want to see you.”
His words and the husky tone to his voice had warmth unfurling inside her. Was she really that weak?
While resistant, she considered the idea. “We really should give each other a few days’ space,” she replied.
“Please. We can do whatever you want. Even if you just want to sit outside in your backyard and watch your dog play.”
The quiet plea in his husky voice made her relent. Once, she’d never been able to deny him anything. “Look, I’ve got to head in to work. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home from Oak Park tomorrow,” she said. “We can figure out something.”
Murmuring assent, he ended the call. Staring at her phone, Carly wondered how it was possible to miss someone so badly when her emotions were all over the place. Losing him had shattered her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to set herself up to be destroyed again.
CHAPTER 4
After ending the call, Micha rejoiced—just a little—at the fact that Carly had actually relented and decided to see him Sunday after her family get-together. Even talking to her on the phone affected him. Listening to the unabashed joy and excitement in Carly’s voice as she’d told him about her new dog, his heart had squeezed. He ached for her. Hearing her
