Chapter Twenty-Three
Letty wasn’t unhappy. She was absolutely miserable. When she’d agreed to date Riley until New Year’s she’d never imagined she’d become so caught up in him that she’d be miserable without him.
She kept going over her talk with Cici. Was she being totally selfish and not taking his feelings into account? And if she was, what did she plan to do about it?
When Riley walked into the library two days after New Year’s, she thought her heart would burst. But he wasn’t there to see her.
He went to the nonfiction stacks without even glancing at her or the desk.
She wondered what he was searching for. A while later he came to the checkout desk with a stack of books. “Hi, Letty.”
So, they were pretending everything was fine.
“Hi, Riley.” She sorted through the books getting them ready to check out.
So this was what it was going to be like?
They were acquaintances. As though they’d never had a mad, passionate affair.
Well, if he could do it so could she. She was puzzled looking at Riley’s choice of books.
“Old dogs? Why are you checking out books on old dogs? I didn’t think any of yours were that old.”
“He’s a new addition. I found him the other day when I was riding.”
“How old is he?”
“I’m not sure. The vet thinks he’s eleven or twelve.”
“Someone dumped an old dog? That’s awful.”
“Yeah, some people are hard to believe. But he’s with me now. He’s a sweetheart. Some kind of Lab or golden mix. In fact, my mother fell for him and has decided she needs an inside dog. She’s named him Sergeant.”
“Your dad is okay with that?” Jasper had always been against inside dogs when Letty lived with them. Of course, Val had snuck her dog Murphy inside when Jasper wasn’t around to veto it.
He smiled. “Ever since she had pneumonia my father has done anything she wanted. He was pissy about the help for her at first, but after Mom talked to him he got better. I have to say it’s weird. He’s never acted this way before, but her illness must have scared the crap out of him.”
“I guess it did. I hope the books help.”
“They’re mostly for my mother. I tried to tell her we’ve had dogs all our lives and he isn’t any different but she insists he is. She’s worried about him since he’s older. She’s even talked to the vet about putting him on supplements. My dad just shakes his head and buys whatever she wants.”
“You’ve had old dogs in the past.”
“Yes, but usually they grow old with us. They don’t come that way.”
“I’m glad he’s making your mom happy.” She didn’t want him to leave. It hurt to see him but it was worse not to see him. “I keep thinking I’ll get a dog one day, but I haven’t done it yet.”
“You should do it. Your apartment complex allows pets, doesn’t it? I’ve seen dogs there.”
“They’re fine with it. I think you have to pay a deposit but it’s no big deal.”
Riley picked up the stack of books. “I’d say see you around but I probably won’t.”
“Riley, I—Don’t hate me.”
“I could never hate you. But we’re over and I have to move on.”
Move on? He was moving on? Already? When she couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching her? The idea of Riley being with someone else, making love to another woman literally made her sick. “You’re dating someone?”
He shrugged in answer, took his books and left.
Damn it! Who Riley dated was none of her business. Not anymore. No matter how much it hurt or how much she berated herself, she’d made her bed.
*
“That is one fine-looking man,” Bonnie Driver said, watching Riley leave. “I hear you broke up with him.”
Letty didn’t ask how Bonnie knew. She knew everything that went on in Marietta.
Though Bonnie was at least eighty she didn’t look it.
Her hair was gray but stylishly cut and her skin was remarkably smooth for a woman her age.
She also wore stylish clothes, not little old lady clothes.
But nothing so young as to look foolish.
She simply looked put together and fashionable. “He is and I did.”
“You’re still in love with him.”
“I—Yes. Unfortunately. How did you know?”
“Sweetie, it’s written all over your face. Does he know?”
“No, he doesn’t know. I’ve never told him.”
“If you love him, why did you break up with him?”
“It’s a long story.”
“And you don’t want to talk about it with a nosy old lady.”
“I would never say that.”
“Did he do something wrong? Like cheat on you or try to boss you around?”
She wished Bonnie would shut up. Every question she asked made Letty feel stupid. “Riley wouldn’t cheat. And he never bossed me around.”
Bonnie gave her a surprisingly shrewd look. “He wasn’t abusive, was he?”
“Riley? Abusive? God, no. He never raised a hand to me, and he never would.”
“Well, that’s good. I suppose you must have a reason for breaking up with him, although I’ll be darned if I can figure out what it is.” She muttered something that sounded like ‘girls these days.’
She’d hurt him. And she’d gone on hurting him even though he didn’t deserve it. Because she was scared. Which wasn’t fair to Riley.
“Can I help you with something, Bonnie?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I need a new book for Norm and me to read. We just finished one of his choices.”
“What did he choose?”
“It was historical fiction about Genghis Khan. I thought I’d hate it since it’s totally not my style. But I really liked it.”
“You two are reading awfully fast.”
Bonnie laughed. “We’re a little competitive. So what can we read?”
“Hmm. I know you read romance. Have you ever read any romantasy?”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a combination of romance and fantasy. Try Fourth Wing. It’s long and complicated and wonderful. And I know men like it too. I’ll find a couple of copies for you. You’ll have to tell me what you think. There are more books in the series.”
“Sounds perfect! Thanks, Letty.”
Luckily she had two copies plus a number of electronic copies, since it had been very popular a few months ago.
Still was, in fact. There had been a huge uptick in popularity of romantasy.
She knew Bonnie was eclectic in her reading but she wasn’t sure about Norm.
She’d hear from Bonnie, though, whether it was a success or not.
She liked helping people find books. Liked recommending books. It was part of her job but it always made her feel good. Which was nice since that was about the only thing she’d felt good about lately.
*
Riley’s discussion with Letty about dogs had started him thinking. She needed a dog. Not a large dog but a small to medium one who’d be happy in an apartment. He considered—very briefly—giving her one of his dogs, but he was too attached to them to do it. So the animal shelter it was.
He wasn’t sure why he was doing this. It was none of his business, not anymore, whether Letty had a dog.
But once he thought of it the idea wouldn’t leave him alone.
It was dangerous for him to go to the shelter.
He was a sucker. He knew that about himself.
He reminded himself that he had seven dogs of his own.
No, eight now, counting the latest, but Sergeant was now his mom’s dog so Riley figured he didn’t have to count him.
He asked to see smaller dogs. There weren’t as many of them as they tended to get adopted first. They passed several large dogs on the way to see the smaller ones.
There was an absolutely gorgeous German shepherd who he made the mistake of making eye contact with.
He could tell from the dog’s gaze that he was intelligent.
He seemed to be saying, “I’ll be so good if you take me home with you. I’ll love you forever.”
“How long has that dog been here?” he asked the worker, pointing to the big shepherd.
“Rex? I’m not sure. Since I started working here. At least a year.”
Damn it. A year or more in a dog run. Sure, it was a no-kill shelter, and he knew they did the best they could with the animals under their care, but it was not the same as having a home and an owner who loved you. A ranch to run free on. “Is he good with other dogs?”
“I’ll have to ask. I really don’t know.”
“Okay, show me the smaller dogs and you can ask about Rex while I’m looking. And find out his age too.”
“He’s a big dog.”
“I know. I live on a ranch. With a lot of other dogs. He’d be for me. The smaller one would be for my friend.” He barely stopped himself from saying his girlfriend. She wasn’t. Not anymore.
He spent some time with a small dog named Babette, who was a pug mix.
She was a cute caramel-colored little thing.
She was sweet and got along with other dogs, which wasn’t important now but might be later on.
Letty might want another dog or date someone with a dog.
He veered away from that thought as soon as he had it.
The worker came back and said Rex was good with other dogs and they thought he was around three, and Riley knew he was sunk.
He couldn’t leave that dog in a kennel any longer.
They said he’d belonged to someone who had died unexpectedly.
While the previous owner’s family couldn’t keep Rex, they wouldn’t give him to a kill shelter either.
So the local no-kill shelter wound up with him.
Rex proved to be obedient and smart, and he figured out quickly that Riley was a sucker.
Riley sat on a bench in a small pen where people could get to know prospective pets a little before they adopted.
Rex played fetch happily but was also content to sit quietly beside Riley and let him pet him.
Riley stopped petting at one point and Rex gently nudged him.
“Yes, I know you want me to pet you. You’re a smart boy, aren’t you?
” Rex panted happily, as if to say, “Of course.”
“What do you think?” the worker asked.
“I want both of them. Can we make sure they get along so I can take both at once?”
They got along fine so after paying the fee, Riley drove off with two new-to-him dogs. If Letty didn’t want the small dog, he’d adopt her too. What was one more small dog when he had so many?