Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
“Where do you want this?” Ada asks, holding up a cake decorated with paw prints. Decorative ones—the dogs haven’t gotten to it, at least, not yet.
With Ryan’s arm still healing, she’s been helping me pull everything together, along with securing this space. The concrete floors make it dog-friendly, and the floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the city views for the two-legged guests to enjoy.
I point to the dessert table in the far corner of the room. “Over there, thank you. Did I mention you’re a lifesaver?”
“Only about a hundred times today,” she teases, making her way to the table.
I head to the foyer and test the QR code one last time. It’s set up to direct guests to our Kickstarter page for donations. If all goes well, we could hit our fundraising goal today. That would be an immense relief, knowing we’d have enough funding to operate for the next six months or more.
I greet my foster volunteers and their dogs, who arrived this week and have been adjusting to their temporary homes. Then I fiddle with the décor and adjust the centerpieces—each featuring a ‘social media profile’ for our adoptable pups. I take a deep breath. Everything looks perfect, but I can’t stop tweaking minor details as nervous energy buzzes inside me.
“All right, go get ready.” Ada hands me my garment bag and gestures toward the loft.
“What, you don’t like my outfit?” I ask, running my hands over my hips, clad in an old pair of Ryan’s sweatpants.
“Funny. Go!” She herds me toward the stairs.
The loft space reminds me of a high-end hotel suite, complete with a cozy sitting area and a massive king bed. Collapsing onto it is tempting, but I’ve given myself a thirty-minute time limit to get ready, so I don’t have time to waste. I make my way into the spacious bathroom and quickly hop into the shower.
I wipe the fog from the mirror, and a smile tugs at my lips. It’s all happening . The dream I’ve had since I was a kid is finally becoming reality. Who knew that the first turtle I saved from being run over when I was seven would lead me here?
I can still hear the horror in my mom’s voice when she yelled at me for bringing a snapping turtle into the house. In hindsight, she was right, and I’m lucky I still have all my fingers and toes. But saving that little guy sparked my love for animals and rescue, and now here I am with my very own.
The memory comes with a pang of disappointment that she’s not here today. As much as I hate to admit it, I’d been holding on to a sliver of hope that she might at least reach out to wish me luck, but my phone screen resting on the counter remains blank.
I shake off the thoughts before they can cast a shadow over a day that deserves to shine.
I let my hair down, apply light makeup, and slip into my cocktail dress, smoothing out the fabric. Probably not the most practical choice for dealing with slobbery dogs, but I feel fabulous, and that’s all that matters.
There’s a knock at the door before it slowly creaks open. “Sunshine?” Ryan’s deep voice carries through the small space.
“Come in,” I say, though he’s already stepping into the bathroom.
He pauses a few feet away, taking me in with a slow and deliberate look. “Wow.”
“You like?” I turn toward him.
“I love .” His lips curve into a shy grin. One I want to kiss right off his face.
He finally steps closer, his hands settling on my waist, and answers my unspoken request with a soft kiss. His familiar woodsy scent grounds me. When he pulls back, it’s only far enough to rest his forehead against mine.
The moment is interrupted when my phone dances across the counter. I cut my eyes to the device, and Ryan reads my mind: I’m hoping it’s from my parents. His expression shifts to one of understanding, and he gently caresses my hip as I reach for the phone.
What I find waiting is more surprising than a text from my parents.
Jace:
I know this doesn’t come close to showing you how sorry I am for everything I’ve put you through, but I hope it’s a start. Congrats on your launch.
I pull up my Kickstarter and freeze. The number on my screen is much too large; it doubles my initial goal, leaving me momentarily stunned.
Ryan gently closes my mouth, which had apparently fallen open. “What is it?”
I hand him my phone, still open on the donation details.
His brows pull together. “Jace?”
I nod. “I don’t even know what to think. Maybe he’s serious about turning over a new leaf? If you’re going to be playing on the same team, it’s a good start, right?”
Ryan sighs. “Yeah, hopefully.”
The uncertainty of where he’ll play next season still hangs over us, unspoken but ever-present.
“Let’s not think about that now,” he says, squeezing my hands. “It’s your big day. Let’s celebrate.”
We head downstairs, and it’s not long before the ding of the elevator signals the first group of guests arriving. I glance over my shoulder, recognizing the contacts I made at the Paws Chicago fundraiser. When my gaze returns to Ryan, a proud smile stretches across his handsome face. “Go do your thing.”
The party passes in a blur of connections made, words of support exchanged, and a steady stream of donation notifications pinging on my phone. There’s even talk of potential adopters for two of our pups. A raging success on all fronts. But by the time the last guest leaves and we start cleaning up, exhaustion weighs heavy on me.
Ryan and I say goodbye to his teammates, and then it’s just us and Ada.
“Ada, we’ve got the cleanup covered. You’ve done more than enough. Thank you for everything,” I say, pulling her into a hug.
“We’ve got it,” Ryan calls across the space, pushing a trash bin and filling it with abandoned plates and half-empty drinks.
Ada relents with a small smile. “All right. I’m proud of you. You kicked ass today. Call me tomorrow.”
I walk her to the elevator, and then it’s just Ryan and me.
I let out a yelp of surprise as his strong arm wraps around my waist. He buries his face in my hair, pressing a kiss to my ear, then my neck, trailing down to my shoulder. “You did it,” he whispers against my skin.
Careful of the arm still in a sling, I turn in his embrace and loop my arms around his neck. “I did, didn’t I?”
We hold each other’s gaze for a few silent beats. “I’m proud of you,” he murmurs.
Though I’ve lost count of how many people said those exact words today, they mean so much more coming from him.
“Not just for tonight, which was incredible, but for everything you’ve accomplished these past few months.” The awe in his voice makes a tight knot form in my throat.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” I’ve never meant anything more. I moved here believing I needed independence, that relying on someone else would make me weak. That I’d lose myself in someone else again. But I was wrong.
“Yeah, you could’ve, baby.” He brushes his lips over mine. I realize he’s right about that too. I could have done it alone, but I don’t want to have to. Not with Ryan by my side.
When you’re with the right person, you don’t have to choose between freedom and security.
You have wings to fly and a safe place to land.
And for me, that’s Ryan.