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She arched a brow at him. “I’m surprised you didn’t either Mr. Bigshot Billionaire Businessman. I’m a little disappointed in you. Here I was thinking you would bring all the expertise to thispartnership, and I’m the one doing all the work.” She left out the part where she was doing research in preparation for him leaving so she could manage on her own.
He threw back his head, his laugh booming around the shelter, startling the dogs. When his laughter subsided he just stared at her with a big grin and she started to feel itchy at the expression on his face. Like he knew she couldn’t take much more, he tugged her into his arms and dropped a kiss on her lips.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered against her mouth and for a moment, a fraction of a second, she let herself believe him. “I mean it. You’ve battled and survived, grown and flourished and become this amazingly beautiful butterfly. The world needs more butterflies.”
His thumbs stroked her cheeks and her throat worked but no sound came out. His words stunned her and she didn’t know what to say. The whines and whistles of excitement from the canines peering over the tops of their kennels distracted her.
She swallowed, pulling herself away.
“Come on, let’s not keep them waiting.”
Will opened each kennel, letting the dogs all come out and play together and there was furious sniffing of each other’s butts and wagging of tails in joy. They left Daisy in her pen as she was still very shy. Rebelle handed out toys, feeling like Santa Claus as each one was snatched away by an excited pooch. She took out her phone, beginning to film it all.
“What are you doing?” Will asked as he was engulfed by dogs wanting attention.
“We’ve got to show the people what their donations meant to the animals, the joy they brought these little guys,” she replied.
“I’m torn between wanting to keep this moment private for us and you putting all the joy on social media,” he grumbled.
“I won’t put itallon social media. I’ll hold back some bits just for us,” she promised and that seemed to placate him.
The toys were handed out, gift wrap was shredded and cardboard boxes chewed with furious excitement. The shelter was filled with wagging tails and the sound of squeaking toys.
Bruiser and Beast fought over a bone, each of them with their jaw clamped around one end playing tug of war until Will introduced a second bone and they calmed, sitting their little butts side by side as they chewed.
Sasha enjoyed a meat-filled Jumbone, nibbling in bliss with her eyes closed. Doug The Pug was tearing into the gift wrap and thrashing his head happily.
In all the frantic excitement Rebelle thought she spotted Daisy poke her head out of the crate so she took a break from the carnage to step into her kennel and have some downtime with her. When Daisy spotted Rebelle had treats, her little gray tail started thumping gently and she looked at Rebelle with wide, hopeful eyes.
Rebelle fed her one treat at a time, speaking to her in soothing tones and stroking her softly while she ate. After a while she realized Will was leaning on the plexiglass front watching them and Daisy wasn’t at all worried by his presence.
Rebelle shook her head at him. “She’s so gentle, I don’t know how anyone could have done such horrible things to her.”
“It’s okay, Belle. She’s safe now, she has you and hopefully soon she’ll have a wonderful new family to give her the life she deserves.” He watched for a few more minutes before he went back to the chaos the dogs were causing although the noise was dwindling like they were worn out. Rebelle spent some more time with Daisy before she left her in peace, not wanting to over-stimulate her.
“The dogs are all either sleeping off their treats or exhausted from playing with new toys,” Will said with a smile once she joined him again and together they shut them all back in their kennels.
“Cats next,” Rebelle said, and Will practically ran into the new cattery. She laughed at the eager cat dad ready to play with them.
Parfait’s kittens played with the gift wrap, ignoring the catnip mice and scented fish that wiggled enticingly which the other cats gravitated towards. Betty and Veronica got high from their mice, which were dribbled on so much that the blue color of them had turned to a greeny gray.
Will trailed string along the ground for the kittens and they all pounced on it before climbing his leg and squeaking for attention. Rebelle dished out the gourmet mousses and wet food and before long the cats were all collapsed in fat happy heaps on their blankets, washing luxuriously after their feasts.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had at Christmas,” Will said, putting away some kittens who had fallen asleep on him. “Definitely a new tradition.”
Rebelle tried not to think about the fact that traditions were repeated and surely Will wasn’t sticking around or moving to Citrus Pines. She looked at her phone again, conscious of the time.
“Okay, seriously do you need to be somewhere?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
She watched as disappointment settled over his features. “Oh, sure. I didn’t mean to keep you.”
She tried not to smile. “We’vebothgot somewhere we need to be. Come on.”
*
Rebelle insisted on driving them, Will offered to let her drive his Bugatti but she declined. She liked her beat up old Ford truck. She’d had confirmation from theRebelle’s Angelschat that everything was set up and ready to go.
