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The closer he got, the harder she pulled. I couldn’t believe she had the strength. She nearly jerked me off the bench.
When he was on park grounds, I freed her.
She rocketed toward Teague and jumped when she reached him. He caught her paws and placed them on his stomach so he could rub down her sides.
She squealed and squeaked. He squatted, and she peppered his face with kisses.
I took in the scene with a full heart, the cold forgotten. The moment was bittersweet. We couldn’t stay out here forever. What would we do tomorrow and the next day and the day after that when she couldn’t see him?
I’d have to worry about that later.
He rose to his full height. She jumped again but followed happily as he strode toward me. With every step, my heart drummed in my chest in a pounding rhythm.
The last time I’d seen him hadn’t gone well. I was more hurt than angry over it, but in a lot of ways I was as thrilled to see him as Ash.
The brim of his baseball cap was low over his eyes so I couldn’t read his expression. When he reached the bench, I stopped breathing.
We stared at one another. A crackling snapped between us. He continued petting Ash, but his sharp gaze was locked on me.
“Pepper.” My name was a hoarse plea on his lips.
“Teague,” I replied softly.
Ash licked my knee in thanks, which jolted me back to reality. I scooted over to make room for him on the bench but put my bag so it would be between us.
I was afraid to be any closer to him than I had to be. Because like Ash, I’d missed him too.
He sat wordlessly. I pulled out the bowl, baggie of food, and a bottle of water.
“Thank you,” I said as I emptied the food into the bowl.
He held it in his lap. Ash gobbled it down in three point five seconds. Relief coursed through me at the same time worry did. Maybe we’d figured out why she wasn’t eating, and I might be able to get something in her in the morning, but what happened after that? Teague wouldn’t be able to do this every day.
I couldn’t ask him to foster her. She needed a forever home, not a temporary place she became attached to and then lost. That wouldn’t be fair to her. We’d just have to work through her separation issues until she was happy.
“I’m sorry.” He turned his head to me. The apology was in every line of his face.
“It’s—” I didn’t want to say okay because that was a lie. He’d been rude to me at the fire station, just like he had the first day we met. Even though I knew the root of the issue, I didn’t appreciate it.
“I don’t get scared,” he said before I decided how to finish my sentence. “But when he threatened you? I was terrified.”
My heart cracked at his concern.
“I can’t be the one to screw up your life.”
I put a hand on his knee, my bag barrier be damned. He stiffened and looked around in every direction as if paranoid. That set me on edge, but I took comfort that he didn’t dismiss my touch.
“I hated to put you in this position, but I was desperate. She wouldn’t eat.” I pressed my lips together when Ash pawed at his hand. “Now we know why.”
He leaned forward and touched his nose to her head. “I missed you too.”
Whatever anger and hurt I held onto shattered. This was the real Teague. I didn’t know how many people got to see this stripped down, authentic version of him. Heck,Ididn’t even know him all that well. But I was certain. The sensitive man who met me in a freezing park on the chance he could get a dog to eat was the true version of himself.
She swiped at his chin and anywhere she could reach with her tongue. He didn’t seem to mind she had dog food breath.
He sat back straight but kept petting her.
“Mind seeing if you can get some water in her?” I poured a little into the bowl.
