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“It’s perfect,” I argued. “You know I’m a sucker for these things. I always have been.”
“You have,” he agreed. “That’s why I thought of it in the first place.”
“What’s all the insecurity about?” I questioned. “You’ve always been so confident.”
“I think I lost a bit of that when I lost Everett. Maybe because he was so quiet, I always felt like I had to be the loud one.”
“I never thought you were loud. Just funny and outspoken—that was your personality. I love that about you.”
“I’m working on finding that guy again,” he promised. “I miss him.”
“We’ll get there. It takes time,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze.
My reassurances fell away as I spotted a little corral set up where the local animal shelter had puppies waiting to be adopted.
“Oh my god, Lake,” I gasped, pulling him with me and crouching down by the wire fencing of the kennel. They must have staked it down because it shouldn’t have been able to hold up to the little puppies jumping against it.
“Look, there’s one you won’t be able to resist,” he teased. I followed where he pointed and stood up, circling the corral to get closer to the small beagle.
She must have been the runt of the litter, she was much smaller than the others. Though, she made up for it with her howl. She was adorable. One little bark my way and I felt my entire soul melt for this little girl.
“Are you looking to add a pup to your pack?” an eager shelter worker asked as he approached, his smile wide and excited.
“Maybe,” I mused, genuinely considering it.
“You can hold her,” he urged. The man knew damn well what he was doing. The moment I held her, this was over. “Her name is Mia.”
“Hi, Mia,” I cooed. The puppy perked up at her name, and she let out a little bark as I lifted her. She licked my face a few times, and I was a goner.
I turned to Lake and gave him my best puppy dog eyes, holding her up so he could see her, too.
“Tell me no one is allergic,” I pleaded.
He held up his phone and took the picture before laughing. “That might even bring Riven to his knees. That face is dangerous,” he said. “No allergies that I know of.”
“Did you hear that, Mia? You’re mine,” I said, laughing as she barked excitedly.
“We have nothing for a puppy and we’re meeting my parents for dinner tonight,” he reminded me.
“Don’t bring your logic into this,” I grumbled with a frown. If I had to put her back down in that corral I knew my heart would break. She was mine.
The shelter worker wasn’t giving up on us either.
“We can hold onto her for you if you can’t take her home right now,” the worker promised, but the thought of her spending another night in the shelter had me shaking my head.
“Call your mom. She won’t mind,” I demanded. Lake smirked at me and clicked his tongue.
“So bossy,” he teased as he pulled his phone out and made the call. I could hear Linda’s voice the moment she answered.
“Are you both okay?”
“Mom, I found a puppy,” I said as I stepped closer, not giving him a chance to talk. “Is she allowed to come for dinner, too?”
“Honey, as long as you’re coming, you could bring a mountain lion cub for all I care,” she laughed.
“See, she’s on my side,” I said as I danced Mia around in victory. The worker was laughing at us as he gathered the paperwork.
Now that I had everyone on board I was ready to sign anything he asked.
