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But it was Lydia who had changed him the most. Every time he looked at her he felt contradictory emotions. He wanted to bundle her up and protect her, to make sure her sunny nature wasn’t taken advantage of, but like a bird he wanted her to fly free.
He couldn’t imagine her being anything but that wild, intrepid explorer who flew from country to country the same way other people commuted to work. And he couldn’t ask her to change. Not for him.
In another world, maybe he’d go with her. Give up his job and his house and follow the sun the same way she did. But in his heart, he knew he couldn’t do it. He had a business to run. Staff to take care of. And his dad needed him, too.
Not to mention Eddie.
The fact was, Lydia traveled alone and made friends as she went. He was just another friend. Yeah, one with benefits they both enjoyed, but in a few weeks she’d probably have moved on.
He gritted his teeth at the thought of her with somebody else. The thought of it made him want to curl up his fists and hit something.
There was another buzz, this time from his phone. He didn’t recognize the number that flashed across the screen, but he opened the message.
Hi, it’s Brooke. I just got into work and found out that Eddie has been sick. In case you’re worried, I checked on him and he’s sleeping happily. I think he’s dreaming of food, because he keeps chewing the air! Give the office a call when you’re awake and we’ll arrange for you to pick him up!
It was stupid how happy that message made him. He pushed down the dark thoughts that had been swirling around in his brain. He’d wake Lydia up and they’d go pick Eddie up, then spend the day spoiling him so he knew that they cared. And he’d persuade her to spend the night again, so he could wake up and see her beautiful face lying next to his.
That was enough. It had to be, because he w
asn’t getting any more than that.
21
“We have two pieces of good news,” Brooke told them as she led Jackson and Lydia into the kennels. Eddie was laying on a blanket in a pen. As soon as he saw Jackson, he scrambled to his feet, his tail wagging wildly as he pressed his wet nose to the Plexiglas door. “First of all, Eddie’s managed to eat something and keep it down. Just boiled rice, but it’s a great sign. We’d advise you to keep his diet bland for the rest of today and tomorrow, but after that you can start trying kibble again.”
“He’ll be better that quickly? I thought food poisoning could take weeks to get over,” Jackson said. There was a smile on his face that Lydia found infectious. She loved the way his face lit up as Brooke opened the door.
“Dogs tend to recover a lot faster than humans.” Brooke hooked Eddie’s leash on, and passed it to Jackson. “They’re like children. They want to be running around and having fun, so they tend to recuperate fast.”
“What’s the second piece of good news?” Lydia asked, as Jackson scooted to his haunches and ruffled Eddie’s fur. Eddie put his front paws on Jackson’s shoulders, and licked him all over his face. Jackson laughed, and tickled beneath his chin.
“We think we might have found his owner.”
Jackson looked up, his hands stilling. “You have?”
“Yeah. Doctor Grant has a friend who works in a veterinary office on Golden Ridge. We sent them a photo of Eddie, and they think they know the owners. They’re going to make a phone call today.” Brooke lifted her eyebrows. “So you may be free before you know it.”
Lydia sneaked another glance at Jackson. He was stroking Eddie again, but his expression was distracted. “How will we know if they’re the real owners?” he asked. “And not some people who want a free dog.”
Brooke laughed. “No dog is free. After you pay our bill you’ll know that. But the vet up in Golden Ridge should have details that match Eddie’s. And of course, Eddie’ll recognize his owners if he sees them.”
Jackson nodded, his expression impassive. “Okay. Keep us updated once you speak to them, please.”
“We will.” She patted Eddie’s head. “You’re good to go. If you stop at the front desk you can pick up Eddie’s medicines.”
When they’d signed Eddie out of the veterinary office, Jackson glanced at Lydia. “It looks like I’m going to be stuck in the house for the day with him. You should go spend some time with Autumn. I feel like I’ve taken up all your time while you’ve been here.”
Lydia pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I can come keep you company.”
He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I have a lot of work to catch up with anyway. I’ll get Eddie’s bed out and work on the deck. There is one thing you could do for me though.”
“Sure.” Lydia nodded. “Just say the word.”
“Could you dog sit for me tomorrow? I have to go into the office to meet a potential new employee and I can’t give Eddie my full attention while I’m there.”
She nodded. “Of course, I’ll be happy to.”
“That’s if his owners don’t pick him up in the meantime.” Jackson’s voice was low. She glanced up at him, but she couldn’t read his expression.
