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She rolls her eyes. “Yes or no, Mo. Can I foster Simon?”
“Simon says, yes,” the bird yells.
Tess smiles. “See, Simon says. You have to do what Simon says.”
“Fine, but we have to get him checked out by the vet first.”
“Speaking of the vet, he called why you were out back. He can’t stop by, his schedule is too packed, but he’d be happy to squeeze us in if we can bring the bird to him.”
“Oh, okay.” I look around, unsure of when I’ll have time to take him.
“I’ll take him,” Tess offers. “And then if everything turns out okay, I’ll just bring him hom
e with me. We’ll even stop by the pet store on the way and grab a few more things.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tess this excited, and who am I tell her no? “Fine. If you’re sure.”
“Did you hear that, Simon?” she asks. “You get to come home with me.”
“Shut up!”
Monroe
“Two days in a row? I don’t remember you being such an early bird.”
I came in to work early this morning to get a head start so I could leave a little sooner and have some downtime before my shift at Dirty Dicks tonight. Like every other day, I went around back to start with the dogs, and imagine my surprise when I saw they’d already been watered and fed for the morning.
There’s a fenced-in three-acre patch of land behind Animal Haven that gives the dogs a place to run and burn off some energy. Right now it’s occupied by six mutts and one very sexy cowboy.
Oh boy.
Rhett is leaning against the fence, his foot propped up on a rung, and when a lazy smile spreads across his face, I feel a rush of heat settle between my thighs.
“Couldn’t sleep worth shit again last night.”
“Dreaming of me, huh?” I tease.
I don’t mean to flirt—it’s not something I’m generally good at—but when I’m around him, I can’t help it. Things just come out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop them.
“Well, there’s that.” Rhett smirks, igniting a fire in my belly, and I have to look away before I combust.
Rascal, a Chihuahua mix I’ve been trying to home for the last year runs by, and I scoop him up—anything other than Rhett’s blinding smile to focus on.
“But it’s also my shoulder,” he says, rubbing at the offending body part.
“The doctor didn’t give you any pain pills?”
“He did, but I don’t want to take them.”
“Why not? There’s nothing wrong with taking them if you need them.”
“I know.” He pushes away from the fence and walks toward me. Rascal lets out a growl but makes no attempt to nip at Rhett when he runs a hand along his back. “Pain pills fuck me up, and if I take them, I can’t drive. If I can’t drive, I won’t be able to come help you.”
“Rhett,” I admonish. “I don’t want you to be in pain just so you can come out here and help me. I’ll manage on my own; I always do. You should go home and try to get some rest.”
“I know you can manage on your own, but I wanted to see you.”
Oh shit, there goes my stomach again.
