Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
That sounds like a dark, ugly, painful truth of Maggie’s rescue and likely, so many others. It’s also true for people, in a lot of ways. Not everyone is worth the effort, but the ones who are deserve everything you have to give.
Like Kyle.
“I feel like we’re not talking about dogs,” I tell Maggie, seeing right through her rescue talk.
“I’m protective of my pack, and Kyle’s pack as much as any of them are. That boy’s been hurt, maybe not by something obvious like abuse, but his heart’s taken some hits. And somehow, he’s still such a sweetie and keeps offering that heart of gold to the people who hurt him again and again, hoping for a different response. Don’t do that to him. He can take it, and he’ll laugh it off, but it’ll be another scar on his tender spirit.”
Maggie knows about his family. That much is apparent.
“I won’t,” I vow, taking her words seriously. “I met some of his family. I’m not sure they got the best impression of me.” I’m still horrified and embarrassed at the scene I made. They probably think I’m a stage-five clinger with jealousy issues and a hothead temper. I’m not sure they’re wrong.
“You met his family?” Maggie asks, her shock obvious in her voice. “I don’t think Kyle’s ever introduced anyone to his family. Ever. Hell, they think I’m some woman he sees for… what do you kids call it? Friends with benefits? Which I can assure you I’m not, but he keeps everything close to his vest and doesn’t let anyone too deep. So if he’s brought you here and you met them, he’s in it with you. Don’t hurt him,” she says again.
“I don’t know if ‘introduced’ is the way I’d phrase it, but I met them when I sort of threw a pack of tortillas at him in Costco,” I correct, not wanting to give unwarranted weight to something that sounds really important. Her eyes flare sharply, and I rush to add, “But I won’t hurt him. Not really.”
Her gaze settles, and after a moment, there’s laughter dancing in her eyes and a tiny, sly grin on one side of her mouth. “Did he deserve it?”
I don’t get to answer because Kyle steps back into the garage, glancing back and forth between Maggie and me like we might’ve been conspiring against him in the few minutes he was gone.
“You hear all that?” Maggie asks him. “I had to tell Dani while you were eavesdropping, because we both know that if I tried to tell you to your face that I give a rat’s ass about you, you’d shut me down.” She gives him a motherly look, daring him to argue with her.
Maggie is shrewd, and I guess, was actually conspiring… though not against Kyle, but rather for him because I can’t help but see him in a different light after what she said.
And I realize she was running us both through laps so we’d be open to her lesson of the day. She’s a clever woman, which makes me like her even more.
“Light’s good. Let me grab the wire and I’ll fix the fence too,” Kyle tells Maggie. To me, he offers, “Wanna meet the rest of the dogs?”
Maggie takes the two puppies from me, throwing Kyle a quick nod, which feels like a stamp of approval. As much as I tested Kyle, I recognize him doing it right back. As we walk to the yard, I ask, “So, did I pass the test?”
He ducks his head, looking up at me through a flop of his hair. “I didn’t consciously mean for this to be a test. I needed to get the pups and wanted to spend more time with you. And who wouldn’t want to spend the day with puppies?” He spreads his arms out innocently but admits, “But yeah, it most definitely was a test. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize for that. Maggie’s important to you, and you value her judgment. But you’re making me nervous by not answering the question. Did I pass or fail?” I grin, already knowing the answer but wanting him to say it. Not because I need head pats and reassurance, but because it feels like a big deal for us both.
He pauses at the gate, his eyes steady on mine. “You’re getting closer and deeper to the ugly stuff inside me, and I’m scared shitless you’re gonna come to your senses and realize I’m not one of the strays worth your time and effort. After all, nobody else has ever thought I was. Until Maggie.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond, instead leaving me shocked with my jaw hanging wide as he opens the gate. I let him pull me inside, and he closes it behind us with a clang of metal as we’re immediately swarmed by dogs of all sizes. They greet us with sniffs and licks for a second, and I hold my hands out, letting them get used to me, but also blocking them from getting too close because Peanut Butter’s not the only one with an affinity for crotch sniffing.