Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
I grin. “Not a chance.”
He nods, with a sad smile—sad because it doesn’t reach his eyes. There’s a sadness that clings to the man—as if he’s grieving.
“Good, you shouldn’t,” he murmurs. “Being a single mother is damn hard. Women who carry everything on their shoulders alone deserve a man willing to do anything in his power to lighten her load.”
“Speaking from experience?” I ask, and his face goes solemn.
“Let’s just say I tried, but I was the wrong man for the job. Still, my mother did the same for my brother and I, so I know it matters.”
I nod, understanding that darkness that clings to him now. If I lost Indy to another man, I’m not sure I’d still find the will to keep breathing.
“Hey, Breaker?” I hear Indy call from the front door. I look up with a big grin. Just the sound of her voice makes the day better. I don’t care if that makes me a lovesick fool.
“What’s up, honey?”
“Oh good, Jeff, you’re here too. Can you guys help? There’s a girl coming in with her German Shepherd. I need you guys to help me get him on a board and carry him in.”
“You got it,” Jeff calls out and I follow him.
“She said she was about five minutes out,” Indy murmurs. She’s got a stethoscope and a black bag with her. “I’ll climb up in the back first and check him out. You guys follow me,” she says while reaching behind the reception desk of her clinic, “and carry this. We’ll transfer him to it when we move.” She reaches the board over to me and I grab it quickly.
“What happened?”
“Some asshole ignored a cross-walking sign. Lee was crossing the street and Otto jumped in front to keep Lee from getting the brunt of the accident.”
“Shit,” I murmur.
“That’s a hell of a dog,” Jeff says.
“He is. Lee rescued him and his sister Luna. They were part of a puppy mill bust three years ago. She pulled them through, but she says they saved her. I think they kind of all saved one another,” she answers distractedly. “If he doesn’t make it, it will destroy her.”
“Hey, you’ll save him if it’s at all possible,” I try to reassure Indy. She looks up at me and stares into my eyes. I don’t know what my woman is looking for, but maybe she finds it because she surprises the fuck out of me by going up onto the tips of her toes, pressing her lips against mine. It’s a light kiss, but it’s meaningful just the same.
“Thank you, Breaker,” she murmurs, her eyes warm.
I smile at her. I couldn’t talk right now if I wanted to. I’m lost in the look on her face. I made her happy. It was something simple and done to try to calm her. Knowing it meant so much to her has me even more determined to make sure Indy knows just how truly amazing she is every single day.
Before either of us can say anything else, an old, beat up, eighty-something-model Ford pickup comes barreling into Indy’s drive, causing dirt and gravel to fly—not to mention the dust storm following in its wake. Before the truck barely comes to a stop, a woman with wavy, brunette hair, who looks like she might be five-and-a-half feet or so, jumps out. She’s wearing a pink thermal top and faded jeans. “Indy, please tell me you can save him,” she begs, tears running down her face.
While the woman is talking, she’s already at the back of her truck, pulling the tailgate down. Indy sprints over and I’m right behind her, carrying the board.
“I’m going to do my best,” Indy promises, jumping into the back. It’s the wrong time to notice, but the strength she shows in her legs and core muscles make me want to see how tight she could hold on to me as I pin her against the wall and fuck her raw. I shake myself from my daydream when the sound of growling and barking hit me. I look at the dog lying in the back of the truck. He’s breathing is harsh. It’s rapid and jarring his whole body with each exhale. His eyes are closed. One leg is at a weird angle, but it’s hard to tell because I’m pretty sure the hip is messed up, too. My gaze moves up to find the source of the sound, since there’s no way it’s the dog that’s hurt. There’s an almost identical German Shepherd, the coat a mixture of browns with black dominant around the face and back. The only difference between them is that the one inside the truck has a white spot on her forehead. It’s growling at Indy and the girl, its paws hitting the back glass.
“Luna, calm down,” the girl says, her hand against the glass as if she’s trying to reassure the other dog. I guess this is the sister of the dog that was hit.