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She smiled at him quickly before returning her attention to the little dog. “He’s around here somewhere. He’s helping transport. The kids are at the beach with Mara and Zee.”
“I’m going to run out and grab something to eat. What can I get for you ladies?”
“Food doesn’t seem appetizing right now,” Willa admitted and Bex nodded.
He placed a steadying hand on Willa’s back. “Have you two been taking breaks?”
“Yes,” they both nodded, and Willa continued, “I didn’t plan to but it’s a lot.”
“It’s hard to eat but necessary. I’ll bring you both some bottles of water and sandwiches from Tim’s.”
He leaned over and kissed the top of Willa’s head and went to get supplies so that they could keep going. When he got back he found Rhys arguing with Bex about taking her home.
“You’re going to make yourself sick, sweetness,” he murmured, his head cocked to the side as he studied his wife. “I’ll tell you what,” he negotiated, “We’ll get the kids and pick up dinner, I’ll drop you guys at home and then I’ll come back and work beside Willa.”
Bex was satisfied with this arrangement. He marveled that Rhys knew his wife so well that he figured out it was Willa she was concerned about.
Completely in tune with her.
He wanted that, too, with Willa, more importantly, for Willa.
They kept going well into the evening. Several of the dogs, at least twelve, required hospital stays and monitoring, among them the maybe pregnant female. He wasn’t so sure anymore. He took Willa with him to check on her before they left, and watched as she ran her reddened, chapped hands over the little dog. He had to get some lotion on her hands, or they were going to be raw from the harsh soap used for the baths. It didn’t matter that she’d worn gloves, the water got in there, and after so many hours, there was a lot of water.
“I have feelings for this little girl,” she murmured.
His heart sank at her words. Why this one?
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Mm-hmm,” she confirmed. “I bathed her, and she loved it. Didn’t you, Muffin?”
She scratched behind her ears and the little dog leaned into Willa’s hand.
“She’s very sweet,” he agreed.
“Will she be okay? Do you think we could keep her?”
Willa said ‘we’. She was making plans for their future, plans to adopt a dog together. One step forward, and in this case, most likely, three steps back.
While Willa charmed Muffin, he checked the other animals that were spending the night in the surgery before leaving them in the capable hands of the night staff they hired occasionally for just these occasions. He drove them back to her place where they downed two glasses of water and fell into bed.
Chapter 33
When You’re Here
Willa
We got up early the next morning and headed back to the shelter in separate vehicles. Junie and Minty would look after the client meeting today and I’d touch base with the client tomorrow to soothe any ruffled feathers. Barrett had been quiet even for him last night, and this morning his focus was inward. It was out of character and illustrated for me how shaken he was by the hoarding situation.
He waited for me in the parking lot, we walked in together and headed straight for the clinic side to check on the little dog.
“Heartworm is positive,” one of his partners, Frances, greeted him, her mouth set in a grim line.
“How many?” Barrett snapped.
“All but the puppies.”
He nodded and looked to the floor, his hands on his hips. “And the older bitch we thought might be pregnant?”
