Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Things moved both slowly and fast after that. Once Puddles took care of the cord, I began handing the puppies to Riley who’d managed to squeeze into the crawl space just behind me. Puddles was on the move as soon as her puppies were, so by the time I turned to crawl out of the space, it was just me and Nacho. The black dog seemed reluctant to follow me despite my calls to him.
My eyes connected with Nacho’s. “I get it,” I said softly. “Take your time, big guy. None of us are going anywhere.”
I barely managed to remember to grab Lincoln’s phone as I crawled past it. As I reached the hole leading out of the crawlspace, I gave Nacho one more look. He hadn’t moved. He whined anxiously and thumped his tail but didn’t crawl toward me. As much as it broke my heart to leave him where he was, I knew better than anyone that some scars ran deeper than others, and only Nacho would know when he was ready to risk gifting his trust to all humans again.
Strong hands pulled me through the opening. The second I was on my feet, I threw my arms around Lincoln’s neck at the same time that his wrapped around my waist. “You did good, baby,” he murmured.
I knew I was probably being ridiculous for sobbing like a child in his arms over the life of a single puppy, but I didn’t care. A life was a life and truthfully, as I’d watched that puppy take his first breath, I’d felt like for the first time in a really long time, I’d finally done the same.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
LINCOLN
I couldn’t seem to wipe the perpetual grin off my face, and the reason for that was only a few aisles away, searching for books that included everything from puppy care basics to advanced obedience training. I had no doubt he was also on the hunt for some books related to dog behavior because my Theo’s heart was too big to just be focused on the singular puppy he’d saved. The same puppy that Walter had already heralded as officially being Theo’s because he’d saved Walter’s beloved Puddles and her brood.
I was sure that Theo would make use of every borrowed library book to not only learn how to properly raise the new addition that would officially turn our family of two into three in just two short months, but to also figure out how to save a certain four-legged lost soul as well.
To say that Theo had been a mess when he’d emerged from the crawlspace was more than just an understatement. Yes, he’d been filthy from head to toe, but it was his emotions that had taken the hardest hit.
In the best way possible.
Breathing life into that tiny puppy’s body had changed something in Theo. Something profound. Something I could understand but that I’d experienced in a different way. When my brother had taken his last breath, it was like I’d taken mine too. A part of me had never left Rabbit’s side after his heart had stopped. I’d never really realized that until I’d held Theo in my arms and listened to his tears of relief that he’d been able to save the puppy. Once the commotion had died down and Theo and I had gone to bed, things had started to click for me.
A lot of things.
Someday I’d share those things with Theo but for the moment, I was happy to follow my man’s instructions to find as many baby name books as I could so we could pick a name for our new puppy. I’d reminded him that it would be just as easy to look up all the information he wanted on the internet, but he’d frowned and proceeded to lecture me on why physical books were better. I still had no clue what he’d been talking about but when he’d repeated his request to take him to the library, I’d jumped to it.
I’d die a happy man if I spent the rest of my life giving Theo anything and everything he wanted.
I could already feel that tightening in my chest as I made my way to the back of the library where the pet-related books were kept. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d feel so closely connected to another person, but that was what it was like with Theo. When he wasn’t nearby, it felt like part of me was missing, and the prospect of being with him again always had my heart rate ticking up. I doubted that feeling would ever go away.
It hadn’t for Lenny and Walter despite decades spent apart.
I almost laughed out loud as I realized I was comparing my life with Walter’s. I wondered if I would be as hot for my man’s bod as Walter was for his Lenny’s. The men might have needed little blue pills to make things happen but that was just the physical stuff. The rest of it all came from the heart.