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“Hi,” my chest is heaving as I stand in front of Gabriel’s door at eight pm, holding the leash of my Golden Retriever, Bucky. “I’m sorry to come here at this time, but I need to ask for a favor.”
“What is it?” He responds in a concerned tone, but when he glances at my dog in uncertainty, I don’t know if he’s more worried about what could have brought me to his door at this time of the night or the dog.
“Can you watch Bucky for me? I’ll be back to get him in the morning, but I just got a call from my mom’s neighbor that she was rushed to the hospital. My dad is out of the country, so I need to go. But I can’t leave my dog alone overnight.”
Gabriel exhales as he looks at Bucky, who has his tongue out and his tail wagging.
“I don’t—why can’t you keep him in your apartment for a few hours? Isn’t he trained? I mean, you leave him at home when you go to work, right?”
I bite my bottom lip, trying not to panic. “The truth is, I won’t be back early. And I am guessing you have never owned a dog. Bucky can’t be left overnight and into the next day, he just can’t. He’s a sweetheart, I promise.”
He raises a brow. “I would have believed that if you didn’t send your dog after me the other day.”
Shit. I knew it would come around and bite me in the ass. I just didn’t think it would be this fast.
“That was my fault,” I confess. “I was being petty, and I apologize. But there is no one else I trust with my dog, and Bucky means a lot to me. Please?” I press both palms together. “My mom…I don’t know what is wrong, and I’m freaking out.”
A tear falls down my cheek.
“Okay,” Gabriel agrees. “I’ll take him. If he bites me, though, you’re going to pay compensation for the injuries and emotional damages. In the meantime, take as much time as you need with your mom. I’ll call you if I have any questions regarding,” he looks at the dog and shakes his head, “Bucky.”
An intense wave of relief washes over me. I throw down Bucky’s leash, throw my arms around Gabriel’s neck, and press my lips to his in a quick kiss. My eyes widen as I realize what I’ve done, but Gabriel’s arms that encircle my waist keep me from leaving.
“That wasn’t good enough,” he mutters before kissing me again, his hands cupping my face and his lips perfectly fitting with mine.
I sigh, temporarily forgetting my mom as I sink into the ocean of desire and drown in the intoxicating feeling of Gabriel’s hands on my lower back, with his scent invading my senses.
Until there’s a need to breathe, and I step back.
“That—”
Gabriel places a finger on my lips. “Shh. You’ll ruin it. Go see your mom, and we’ll talk when you return.”
Bucky, like the good boy he is, did not leave his spot despite his mom getting carried away. I hand everything Bucky needs in a bag to Gabriel and hurry off.
***
“Mom!” I rush into the hospital room.
“Why are you shouting?” She says in a raspy voice. “You’re going to make me deaf.”
Tears pour down my face as I sit on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in mine. “You—your neighbor called me and said you were taken to the hospital. I didn’t know…I didn’t know what to think.”
“It was a scare. A heart scare,” she replies gently, patting my hand. “I can’t believe you came all this way, though. At this time. Did you drive?”
I nod and then gasp in shock when she hits me on the shoulder. “Why would you do that?”
“Why would you drive all this way? You could have gotten into an accident! This is why your dad and I wanted you to live with us.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I sigh, knowing we were heading down this road. “I need to make it on my own, Mom, and I can’t do that if I’m still living with you.”
Her eyes tell me she’s not done with the topic, but she’ll let it go for now. I’m okay with that.
“What did they say is wrong?’ I question. “Have you called dad?”
My mom nods.
“Yeah, I called your dad. He’s taking the next flight and will be here in the morning. You don’t have to worry, Harper. The doctor said it was just a heart scare. It’s common when you get older and you begin to experience things like palpitations, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat. It didn’t help that I thought I could get some cleaning done and ended up overworking myself.”
