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I give Marlene and Sawyer a smile, and they have a sparkle in their eyes.
This is quite the roller coaster ride, and I have a whole new respect for veterinarians and vet nurses. When my boy takes his first gasp, my heart fills with a joy I didn’t think was possible after what just happened. “Puppy four is breathing!” I announce.
Things are looking up.
I need help with Lucy Bell.” Dr. Lopez’s tone is dire. “Her pulse is dropping.”
Marlene hands me my sweet girl, saying, “I don’t think this one’s gonna make it, hon,” before rushing to the doctor.
I take her, resolving to do anything to make that not true.
Their conversation becomes a hum in the background while I work on this puppy, desperate. We’re approaching that half hour mark with her, and I don’t want to think about what happens after that. “Come on, little warrior, you’ve got this.” I speak to her in that calming way I’ve just learned by watching Sawyer. And I keep talking to her as I go.
I hear Dr. Lopez say, “Lucy Bell is stabilized,” but I don’t look up. I’m too focused on what I’m doing.
My little girl’s mouth moves.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I say, “There you go, Warrior. I knew you could do it.”
Her chest is moving in and out. Then she’s squeaking.
“Warrior is breathing!” I call out, tears of joy in my eyes. I look up to see everyone watching me with pride.
“Warrior, huh,” Sawyer says.
“Yes.” I sniffle, holding her to my face. “In every way.”
“Well, then. We’ve got six breathing puppies here.” Dr. Lopez smiles. “Great job, everyone.” His smile is glowing, but it falls away when he returns to Lucy Bell, saying nothing as he stitches her up before bringing her off anesthesia.
When the stress is over, Marlene bursts into tears before pulling each of us into a hug. There’s not a dry eye in the room, and I’m so glad this pressure cooker situation ended on a joyous note. When Lucy Bell’s awake and resting, we put the puppies on her teats so they can feed. Dr. Lopez says it won’t be until tomorrow before she’s awake enough to be a present mother, so Marlene is staying the night with the new family to make sure the babies are eating.
As we’re about to leave, Marlene holds out a folded note. “I was supposed to give you this after I collected donations, but you two went above and beyond. Here’s the code from Eleanor to open the next padlock. And thank you so much for your help. Truly.”
“Of course.” Sawyer takes the paper and stuffs it into his pocket. We know the drill by now. We’ll enter the code on the next lock she has on her box, hoping that this time, it will be the last challenge.
Sawyer and I are exhausted as we leave the clinic, but happy. Deeply, truly happy—something I wouldn’t trade for anything. Something that seems to happen here far more than it ever did in Atlanta.
Once we’re sitting in the car, Sawyer glances at me adoringly. “You were incredible in there.” Then he turns on the ignition.
“So were you.” He was, in every way.
“Thank you.” He sighs. “Rutherford’s is closed now. Actually, everywhere is closed now except the Cordial Diner.”
“Hmm. I’m not in the mood for diner food, and your mom has amazing leftovers in the refrigerator.”
“She does, doesn’t she?”
“Yup.”
I study him, my friend, my enemy, so stunning, but also thoughtful and caring. And much more mature than he was before. I never saw his heart, so raw, like I did tonight helping save the animals. I take in those eyes. That face. The light scar on his chin he got when he fell off his dirt bike when he was eleven. I want to touch it—touchhim. How can I not after what we just went through together?
With the motor running, he just sits there, staring at me. His eyes are glistening, and his voice is low, raspy when he mutters, “You’re beautiful, Dawson Wright.”
His words catch me off guard, knocking the wind from my chest. Sawyer Quinn thinks I’m beautiful. I could say that I would’ve never guessed, except that’s not entirely true. Over the years, we’ve had plenty of these moments where electricity crackles in the air between us, and I’ve yearned for more of him. But I’ve never thought to go there because Sawyer is lava, and when you get too close, you get incinerated.
I manage to say, “You’re not so bad yourself,” before turning my gaze straight ahead because having this kind of exchange with Sawyer is freaking me out.
ChapterSeven
