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He put the shelter out of his mind until one mile later when he passed the sign for the turning. It took a second for his brain to register it, then he slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop, clouds of road dust pluming around the car.
He sat there, riddled with indecision before he put the car in reverse and backed up to just before the turn off, leaving the engine running.
It was the same sign as before, a barely there, run down, hardly noticeable sign. How was it supposed to attract attention and potential adopters when it was so small? The shelter really needed to work on their presence and marketing but that wasn’t what had caught his attention. It was the fact that this sign had been amended to read:Take A Chance Animal Shelter. Help wanted/volunteer needed.
His breathing quickened. It was a sign. It had to be. Well, other than it being a literal sign that is. He’d been looking for anexcuse to derail his journey back to his real life and he’d found it. The signiest of all signs.
He spun the steering wheel and turned the car down the dirt track, the sensible part of his brain screaming at him to turn back, to go back to L.A., back to his responsibilities and all those people counting on him; he couldn’t let them down.
He ignored it all.
There was a reason he had seen this at the best and worst possible time.
He needed this; he could feel it. Call it kismet, fate, dumb fucking luck, whatever, he just knew he was meant to be here. He continued up the road, excitement had him bouncing his knee up and down, looking eagerly through the windshield until a rundown, brick outhousecame into view.
Is this it? It’s a mess.
Will killed the engine, wondering if he was even in the right place. He opened the car door and immediately heard the barking. He laughed, full of joy as he saw the mutts come barrelling out of the building towards him before they stopped in their tracks and were herded back inside. Then everything in him became rooted to the spot as he took in the owner.
Her dark brown hair tickled her face with delicate wisps caught in the wind, thick dark brows puckered as she shielded her eyes from the sun. Her rosebud mouth pulled tight, and the sharp jut of her chin lifted defiantly. Gently sunkissed skin enhanced by a white tank top that looked like the straps were tied together on her shoulders. Her jeans were holey and Will spotted a couple of missing belt loops, the tennis shoes that looked like they had once been white but were now a browny gray but it didn’t matter. His heart pounded in his chest and he suddenly knew exactly why he’d felt the pull to this place.
He was exactly where he was supposed to be.
He rolled up his shirtsleeves, suddenly sweating but he didn’t know if it was from the sun, the hot wave of desire that flooded him at seeing her again or the flames shooting from her eyes.
He pulled off his sunglasses and smiled wide. “Well, hello there beautiful, fancy seeing you here.” He was smiling his most charming smile, hisSexiest Smile 2019according toCosmopolitan. He knew exactly how it looked, but even his very best smile had zero impact on this woman.
“What do you want?” Her words shot from her, sharp and demanding. The breeze carried her floral scent to him and he inhaled greedily, his mouth watering. The sweet, softly enticing scent completely at odds with thefuck offstamped across her puckered forehead.
He took a step towards her, trying to close the huge gap between them but she immediately stepped back, creating more space.
“I’m here about the help wanted sign.” He kept his smile wide, cataloging her. Her whiskey eyes darted back and forth from him to the building. She worried at her lip and her knees were bent ever so slightly, like she was prepped to run.
“No thank you,” she replied.
He blinked.What?“No?”
“That’s what I said, no.” Her tone was steely.
He can’t have heard her right. “But, why not?”
“Lots of reasons.”
He plugged his hands on his hips. “Name one.”
“You’re a man.”
He scoffed. “And?”
“I’m looking for a woman.”
“That’s not what your sign says.”
She shrugged. “Then I’ll change it.”
He chuckled. “You know that’s illegal, right?”
“To change my own sign?”
