The vet scooped up the pup and closed the door behind him. I tossed the peanut butter and drool–coated tongue depressor in the trash.
“I’ll pay you back,” Merci promised.
I shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I feel so bad for her. You can tell it really hurts.”
I smiled softly at Merci’s big heart, and it stirred a memory. “Remember when you brought home that abandoned baby raccoon when you were sixteen?”
Merci giggled. “Merrick was so pissed. He said animals didn’t belong in his house. I’m shocked he let Brisket move in.”
“Brisket and Kenna were a package deal. He would’ve allowed a pony in his house if it meant getting her to move in.”
“True. Honestly, it’s only a matter of time before she talks him into buying her a Highland cow or something. Maybe I’ll throw the idea out there just to fuck with him.”
I laughed. “I want to be there to see his face.”
“Deal. I’ll do it at the next dinner. Maybe I can even get Kenna to play along and show him pictures of the baby cow she wants.”
I shook my head. “He’ll buy it for her if she really wants it.”
She sighed wistfully. “I wonder if I’ll ever find that.”
“A whipped man who will buy you a cow?” I asked.
She smacked the back of my head. “Actual love. You know, where the asshole doesn’t cheat on me. What’d I do to deserve that?”
“Nothing,” I insisted. “You’re smart. You’re funny. And you’re fucking stunning. There’s nothing you did to deserve the way Luca treated you.”
“Aww, you think I’m stunning?”
I scoffed. “That’s the only part you heard?”
The vet returned before she could retort with two large X-rays. He pinned them to the backlit display. “Two breaks and an infection that’s eaten away at the bone. She needs surgery. Probably amputation. It’ll cost about $1,000—maybe more.”
I glanced at Merci, who looked seconds away from bursting into tears. “That’s fine.”
“I’ll pay you back,” Merci promised.
“So you’re keeping her?” the vet asked.
Merci shook her head. “I don’t even have my own place. Or the time for a puppy.”
The vet grimaced. “If you’re planning to drop her at the shelter,you might as well euthanize her right now. They’re overcrowded. She’ll be put on a kill list almost immediately.”
The expression on Merci’s face nearly shattered me. “I’ll keep her.”
Merci’s tear-filled eyes flew to mine. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I gruffed. “We can split custody.”
She broke into a wide smile.
Mentally, I calculated the hit to my bank account. “Let’s do the surgery.”
The vet nodded. “She’ll need to stay overnight. Check in with reception on the way out. I’ll call you with an update afterward.”
Chapter Seven
