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She moved the mouse down, bringing up a new image.
Oh, now she’s beautiful.
The picture showed a golden retriever, her long hair shiny and her brown eyes bright. Ainsley read the description provided by the shelter, falling more in love with every word.
Four years old. Owner surrender due to new baby. Good with pets and people.
She was perfect.
Ainsley jotted down her identification number. As soon as she got off work, she was going to the animal shelter to check out the dogs. She’d decided adopting a pet was the best cure for her loneliness in the evenings, and this pretty girl looked like she’d be a wonderful companion.
She continued to scroll through the images, but none of the other dogs captured her attention the way the golden had. Hopefully she’d still be there this evening. Maybe she should call, just to make sure...
She reached for her phone, eyes on the screen as she searched for the number to the animal shelter. A knock sounded on her door, but she didn’t look up.
“Come in,” she said absently.
She found the number and punched it into her phone as the door opened. She took one last look at the golden, then glanced over to see who had come into her office.
“Mustang Valley Animal Shelter.” A receptionist answered the shelter phone.
Ainsley couldn’t speak. Santiago stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Hello? Hello?”
Ainsley shook her head and tried to focus on the call. “Ah, yes. Hello. I’m calling about one of the dogs on your website. Is she still available?” She provided the ID number and waited while the woman checked her system.
“Yes,” she said after a few seconds. “That dog is still up for adoption. Are you interested?”
“I am,” Ainsley said. Her eyes never left Santiago’s face. “I’m going to stop by after work.”
“Wonderful,” the woman replied. “You can take her for a walk if you like.”
“That sounds great,” Ainsley said. “Thanks.” She hung up the phone and nodded at Santiago. “You’re back.”
“I am,” he said. He walked forward and placed the flowers on her desk. “For you.”
She glanced at them. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” What was he playing at? He’d never brought her flowers, not even when they’d been dating.
“They’re from my sister,” he said. “She wanted to thank you for your help with The Marriage Institute.”
Ah, that explained it. Ainsley reached for the bouquet and brought it to her nose. “That’s very kind of her,” she said, inhaling the fragrant blooms. The potent scent was enough to make her head spin, so she placed the flowers back on her desk. She needed a clear mind to deal with Santiago.
“What brings you here?” she asked. “I’m sure you have better things to do than act as a courier for your sister.”
He shrugged. “I was hoping to talk to you.”
“All right.” She took a deep breath. “I have time.” Hopefully he’d made a break in Ace’s case. She was ready for this to be over, ready to go back to her normal life.
“I owe you an apology.”
Ainsley blinked. “What?” That was...not what she’d expected him to say.
“I made a mistake. Lots of mistakes, actually.”
“I see,” she said carefully.
He offered her a lopsided smile. “See, that’s the thing. You do see me. Like no one ever has, really.”
