36
Ashanti couldn’t stop shivering.
In the five minutes since they’d left the commissary kitchen on their way to the daycare, five million scenarios had played out in her head, all ending with her sweet baby bloody and in pain.
Thad tried to calm her, rubbing his thumb across her hand as he held it and telling her that everything would be okay, but the awfulness crowding her brain wouldn’t allow his words to seep in. She needed to see her Duchess for herself.
“Let me out right here,” Ashanti said the moment they arrived at the daycare.
He didn’t even make a case for parking; just stopped the car in the middle of the street so she could exit.
Ashanti shot up the stairs and into the lobby. Once inside, she shouted, “Where is she? Where’s Duchess?”
Leslie was standing just off to the right of the door, as if she had been waiting for her.
“In back. Evie’s with her,” she said.
Ashanti took off for the intake room, her heart slamming into her chest when she got there.
“We’re okay, Mama,” Evie said, not looking up from where Duchess was stretched out on the table. “No need to panic. She’s going to be fine.”
“Oh, baby,” Ashanti said. Duchess’s stubby tail started wagging and Ashanti burst into tears.
“You’re going to upset her,” Evie said. “Either stop the crying or get out of here.”
She was right. Ashanti sucked in a breath and pulled herself together. She walked up to the table and gently rubbed Duchess’s head while Evie tended to her wounds.
“I’m going to bring her to the clinic for X-rays and stitches, but it isn’t as bad as it could have been,” Evie said. She looked up at Ashanti. “I am saying this with all the love in the world, please stay your ass here until I call for you.”
“No way.” Ashanti shook her head.
“I mean it, Shanti. I don’t need you losing your shit all over my waiting room. She’ll be sedated and won’t be ready to come home for at least four hours. There’s no reason for you to be there. I’ll call when I’m done.” She hitched her chin toward the door. “Now, go get her travel crate so we can get to the clinic.”
“It’s right here,” Colleen said, coming into the room. “I’m going to take Mark to urgent care. He’ll probably need a few stitches.”
“Mark’s hurt too?” Ashanti asked.
It hadn’t even crossed her mind to inquire about anyone else. What had happened here?
“Yeah, he wrestled Duchess away from Sano,” Colleen said, answering her unvoiced question.
Sano.
Ashanti’s stomach dropped.
“Duchess shouldn’t have been near Sano,” she said. “No dog should have. Sano is supposed to be kept separate. I made—”
She stopped.
She hadn’t made a note. She was supposed to. She’d grabbed a Post-it to jot it down, but she hadn’t because she had been preoccupied with that email from the grocery chain.
Ashanti covered her face with her hands and began to sob.
“Oh, shit,” she heard Evie say.
Thad came into the already crowded room and quickly wrapped her up in a hug, cradling her head against his chest and running his hand up and down her arm.
“How is Duchess?” he asked.
The complete silence following his question caused Ashanti to look up.
Evie, Colleen, and now Leslie, who’d walked in behind Thad, all stared at them.
“Uh, hello,” Colleen said.
“Duchess?” Thad asked again. “How is she?”
“She’s going to be fine,” Evie said. “A few stitches, but that’s likely the extent of it.”
Thad looked down at Ashanti and drew his finger along her cheek. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
Ashanti heard Leslie’s swift intake of breath. She started to step away from Thad, but it felt too good nestled here in his arms. There was no walking this back at this point, so why should she even bother.
“I’ll get Duchess to the clinic,” Evie said, lifting the crate. “And then we are talking. Oh, bitch, we are talking, do you hear me? I’ll tell Rid to join us.”
“Can I join too?” Leslie asked. “I’ll bring wine.”
“Me too,” Colleen said. “I’ve got snacks. I make a mean roasted beet hummus.”
“You get Mark to urgent care,” Evie said. She looked at Thad and Ashanti. “You get her to her office. Who has an extra Xanax she can take?”
“I do,” Leslie and Colleen said at the same time.
“Me,” Mark called from just outside the door to the exam room.
“I’m fine. I don’t need Xanax,” Ashanti said. “I just need a few minutes to calm down. And I need you to get my dog to the clinic,” she said to Evie.
Evie held up her free hand. “We’re going.”
They all filed out of the exam room. Ashanti ignored Evie’s protest as she followed her out to her van. Then she stood in the middle of the sidewalk and watched, heart in her throat, as they drove away.
“She’s going to be okay,” Thad said, cupping her elbow in his palm.
“I know Evie will take care of her. She’s one of the best.” Ashanti bit her trembling lip. “But I hate this. She could have been killed.”
“But she wasn’t,” Thad said. He gently tugged her arm. “Come on. Let’s go to your office.”
She wordlessly followed him back inside. Mark and Colleen were getting ready to head to urgent care.
“Oh, Mark,” Ashanti said when she noticed the six-inch gash on his forearm. Guilt had her unable to look him in the eye. “Should I come with you?”
“That’s okay,” Mark said.
“I’ve got him,” Colleen said at the same time.
“Boss Lady, you need to get to your office and settle down for a minute,” Deja said. “If you don’t want a Xanax, at least have yourself a drink.”
Thad arched his eyebrows. “That’s not a bad idea,” he said.
Ashanti blew out an exhausted breath. “I’ll be in my office.” She looked to Thad. “I know you have to get back to the—”
“No, I don’t,” he said before she could even finish. He started for her and Ashanti’s chest expanded with gratitude. Not caring that her staff was staring at them like guppies in a fishbowl, she took the hand Thad offered and guided him to her office.
Ashanti went straight for her chair and plopped down in it.
“It’s not even a Monday,” she said.
“Shitty days aren’t limited to Mondays,” Thad said. “Ask me how I know.” He walked over to her desk and perched himself against it. “Duchess is going to be okay, Ashanti. I need you to be okay.”
“I am.”
“You’re shaking.”
Ashanti tried to still her hands, but they continued to tremble.
“Maybe I should have that drink,” she said.
“You can still have it,” Thad said. “We can get delivery. One of the best things about New Orleans is go-cups. You can have any drink you want, just say the word.”
“Thank you,” she said, trying her best to smile. She shook her head. “I won’t be able to eat until I know for sure Duchess is okay. And no one wants me to drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Happened once in undergrad. It wasn’t pretty.”
“First of all, Duchess is okay. I thought we already established that. She was smiling when she left. I didn’t even know dogs could smile.”
Ashanti laughed, for real this time. “She’s a happy dog,” she said. “She smiles all the time.” She put a hand to her stomach as her eyes filled with tears “It’s my fault this happened. That dog could have killed her.”
“Why are you taking the blame for this?” Thad asked. He hunched down and cradled her face in his hands. “You weren’t even here, Ashanti. How is it your fault?”
“Because I never wrote that damn note about the Akita not tolerating other dogs. His owner specifically asked me to do it, she even paid for private play time to protect the other dogs from him. And I forgot to make the notation in the file. I was too busy worrying about that big order for the dog treats.”
She shook her head. The emotion welling up in her throat made it hard to swallow.
“I knew something like this would eventually happen,” Ashanti said. “This is what happens when you have a million things going on all at once. Balls get dropped. I’ve been so afraid that I would mess things up with Kendra or Kara. I didn’t even consider causing my dog to get maimed.”
“Stop blaming yourself,” Thad said.
She looked up at him. “I can’t help but think about how much worse it will be if Duchess Delights continues to grow. It’s all been too fast. I can’t handle it. What happened today proves it. I should just call and tell the grocery store that I’ll have to pass on that order.”
“Don’t,” Thad said. “You’re too agitated to make decisions about this at the moment. In fact, I don’t want you to think about any of this stuff right now, just concentrate on relaxing.”
Ashanti knew he was only trying to save her from suffering further anguish, but that wasn’t going to happen.
How could she not think about the potential tragedy they had so narrowly avoided? Her dog could have been killed because Ashanti was stretched too thin and couldn’t keep her focus. Someone else’s dog could have been killed.
Ashanti’s breath caught in her throat.
What if another of the dogs had been attacked?
Sure, she had liability insurance to cover financial damages, but nothing would cover the damage to Barkingham Palace’s reputation. Never mind her own guilt. She wouldn’t trust herself to run this business were something like this to happen again. She barely trusted herself now.
She leaned forward and rested her head against Thad’s shoulder. She had some hard decisions to make.