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I forgot about how my face and feet hurt, determined to help this sweet creature. It took him a minute and a struggle to get up, but once he did and we were in the alley light, what little heart I had shattered.
He was a pretty good size mutt with long lanky legs and floppy ears. But he was so skinny, I wasn’t sure if he’d eaten in a week.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure if that was more for me than him.
I stroked his head, and he looked up at me with all the hope and love I didn’t deserve. How could he trust a human when we’d let him suffer so? I didn’t. The only one I could and would ever rely on was myself. This wasn’t how I saw my life turning out, but there I was.
We trudged slowly to the street. When I moved, he moved. When I stopped, he stopped. He stuck close by my side. Even though it was obvious it took all his effort, he tried so hard, as though he knew if he could just make it wherever we were going, he’d be okay.
But he was tired.
I hailed a passing cab, which skidded to a stop. When I opened the back door, my companion looked at me like he didn’t know what to do. Carefully, I hefted him inside.
“No dog,” the driver said.
I ignored him and climbed in the back seat, rattling off an address. He caught sight of my black eye, clamped his mouth shut, and took off.
“Your charity will come backto you tenfold.”
I slammed the car door. The dog stared at me as I stared at the brick building in front of us. Tree-lined sidewalks and a quiet that was difficult to find in this city settled over us. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but this wasn’t it.
A bronze plaque indicated we were at the right address.
“They’ll help us.”
I tried the doorknob, uncertain what the protocol was, but found it locked. So I rang the doorbell. The dog sat on my feet while we waited for someone to answer.
I was about to press it again when the door flung open.
The woman who answered had an elegant gray bob and wore a pantsuit that looked expensive. A strand of pearls circled her neck. And she smiled as if she’d been expecting me.
“Hello. I’m Mrs. Quinn. Come in.” She stepped aside and ushered us into the foyer, which felt homey, comforting. “And who do we have here?” She patted the dog’s head, and he nuzzled her palm.
“I’m Sonya.” I snapped my mouth shut. Why had I given her my real name? “And this is . . . Sam.”
My new friend looked up at me when I spoke his new name, and relief coursed through me. Although this woman probably thought I was an asshole who didn’t feed her own dog.
“Why don’t we get you two something to eat?” Mrs. Quinn led us to an opulent office and didn’t seem to mind when we tracked dirt onto her cream carpet.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t even flinched at the pair we made. Black eye. Barefoot. Dress in tatters. No coat. Dirty. She didn’t seem to see any of it.
She offered me a blanket draped on the arm of the sofa and indicated for me to sit. I opened it and huddled underneath the soft cashmere. Sam placed a paw on the cushion, those brown eyes pleading for help. He didn’t have the strength to jump up.
If Mrs. Quinn minded when I helped him up, she didn’t say a word. He laid his head in my lap. My hand shook as I stretched the blanket to cover his chilly fur. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until we’d reached the warmth of the building.
“I’ll return in a moment.”
My teeth chattered, and I snuggled deeper into the blanket. Sam heaved out a long sigh and closed his eyes. In seconds, he was snoring.
As I stroked his head, I realized I hadn’t checked to see if he was actually a he. Good thing Sam could go either way.
Before I could peek, Mrs. Quinn returned with a tray of food. She set it on the end table and passed me a steaming mug. I blew on the hot tea. It burned my throat when I took a sip, but it instantly warmed my stomach.
“We didn’t have any dog food, so I had to improvise,” she said when she revealed a bowl of rice, steak, and . . . carrots? “I couldn’t separate them out. Perhaps they’re good for a dog’s vision too.”
I found myself snickering. “Maybe.”
Gently, I shook Sam. He stirred, and I held the bowl under his mouth. With barely a sniff, he inhaled half the contents like it was about to get away.
