Chapter 34
Puppy Time
Present
“I can’t believe you made me drive this thing. We could have taken my car,” I complain as I round the front of Cruz’s Bronco after we pull up to Saving Paws.
“That would have been a waste of time. Your car is at your place. This was much faster,” he says, turning to look back at me as he opens the door to the shelter.
“You just wanted to see if I could handle it,” I say as we stop at the counter to check in. “Hey Simone. How’ve you been?” She greets him with a beaming smile when she looks up from the pile of adoption applications in front of her. After years of working with the rescue she’s developed a soft spot for Cruz.
“Hey guys! I gotta believe I’m better than you. How’s the head?”
“It looked a lot worse than it was.” He shrugs like the fact that he took a ninety-eight mile per hour ball to the head is no big deal.
“He was lucky. I’ve never seen someone so stir-crazy. Thankfully, dog walking is on the list of the doctor approved activities or there might’ve been a mutiny.”
“Glad we could avoid that. Want to take Han and Leia for another spin?” Simone asks, standing from the desk.
“They’re still here?” I ask around the tightness in my throat.
“We thought we had found a home for them last week, but they changed their minds. They decided they only wanted one dog and we just can’t separate them.”
“Poor babies! That makes me so sad that they’re still waiting to find someone to love them,” I say, leaning into Cruz as Simone goes to grab the two dogs.
“I’m sure they will find a family soon.” A big goofy grin takes up residence on Cruz’s face and his shoulders relax as he stands next to me, uncharacteristically serene.
“I hope so. They’re so sweet,” I say, as we each take a leash from Simone and head out the front door, turning down the sidewalk that leads to the park.
Cruz is giddy next to me as we walk, chattering with the dogs about how good they are. It’s the happiest I have seen him, aside from just earlier at the apartment in almost a week. “What are you thinking about over there? You have a big goofy grin on your face.”
“Do I?” He tilts his head as he looks over at me.
“Yeah, it’s a lot like the one you make when you catch me on my walk from the shower to your closet but with less—intensity.” We walk past our bench in the park and continue down the path.
His hand comes up to scratch the stubble that he’s let grow out on his jaw. “I was daydreaming about what it would be like if we could take them home with us.”
My feet come to a stop as I take in his words. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him:Yes, let’s do that. Now, please!But my mouth opens and then closes the words stuck. “You . . . you were?”
“Don’t you know by now? You’re my favorite daydream, with the four of us were hanging out in the living room. There were tall floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the huge backyard with a view of the Rockies.”
His piercing eyes look back at me as I slowly resume walking beside him. “That sounds pretty perfect.”
“I think so.” Cruz reaches out and takes my hand, completely enveloping it with his much larger one. “Someday I’m going to make it into a reality.” His voice is filled with sincere belief in our future.
“Is that so?” I want that future with him so badly but if it slipped through my fingers it would cause unimaginable pain. So I hold back that piece of me and don’t give voice to the part of me that’s screamingyes, begging to grasp on to this dream with both hands.
“You’re not going to make me wait too long, are you?” His phone vibrates in his pocket, saving me from a response. He hesitates, looking apologetic for interrupting our time together.
“Hey, Rich. How are you doing? It’s been a while since I heard from you. I’m hoping that means you have an update for me?”
My blood runs cold, and lancing pain pierces my heart as soon as I hear him say Rich’s name. I still haven’t told him about the missed calls or voicemail. It wasn’t my intention to keep it from him for this long. It all just got away from me.
He insisted that I go back to work right after we got home, and I did. When I haven’t been atBuns & Roses, I’ve been helping with everything from groceries and cooking to laundry. Anything I can do, so he focuses on resting.
“I don’t think I got any voicemails. Hold on. Delilah, did you take any calls for me while I was in the hospital?”
Bile rises in my throat and I have to force myself to swallow it down. My gaze darts to Cruz’s eyes as he stands there waiting for a response.
