Chapter 32 Hayden
HAYDEN
“Get him get him get him GET HIM!!”
I threw my head back in frustration, as the cat leapt from the floor, onto the bar. It scurried down the bar’s entire length, causing patrons to leap back from their stools in surprise.
“Gizmo, NO!”
The old tabby’s swaying tail and steady gait didn’t miss a single beat as it fled from the sound of my voice. If it heard me, which I’m sure it probably did, it was choosing to ignore my orders. Just like a cat.
“Hayden!”
I whirled, not ready for whatever crisis came next. The petting pen Jason had set up in one corner of the refuge was woefully undersized, and the cat had escaped easily. It was supposed to be leashed. It was supposed to be—
“Quick, grab Maverick!”
I gasped before twisting back in Jason’s direction. All the while knowing exactly what I’d find when I finished turning around.
“Holy shit, the dog too?”
Maverick hadn’t just escaped, he’d wreaked near total havoc on his side of the bar. He’d knocked down three chairs that were stacked on empty tables, and had dragged his leash across the legs of two people just trying to order drinks.
“Sorry!” I mumbled hastily. “Sorry, he’s just—”
“Hayden, get over here!”
Monica’s voice reverberated loudly, rising above the chaotic din. She was sitting with a young, smiling couple who were already petting a German Shepherd puppy. The animal must’ve come in recently, because I didn’t know its name.
“Did you bring the second part of this form?” Monica demanded, holding up some adoption paperwork.
“I… I thought I did.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “You either did or you didn’t. But if you forgot—”
“I’ll run back to the shelter and pick some up,” I countered her quickly. “Just… give me a minute.”
I turned my attention back to Maverick, who was licking someone’s hand. When I looked closer, I could see it was because they were feeding him peanuts from the bar.
“Can you please not do that?” I groaned.
The couple that were petting him looked crestfallen. “Why not?”
“Because… well…”
Shit, I didn’t even know why not. This was an adoption event, and any connection we could make between a stray animal and a potential client was probably a good idea.
“Having fun yet?”
Sawyer’s distinct laugh spun me around again. His mischievous smile was somehow calming, as if he’d dragged me into the eye of the storm. He was holding the other end of Maverick’s leash, thankfully.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Sawyer grinned. “And if you need a ride to the shelter to grab that paperwork…”
“Yes! Please!”
I grabbed his face and kissed him square on the lips in gratitude, without even thinking. The move drew looks from just about everyone in the bar.
Shit.
It wasn’t something I’d thought about, it just happened. That’s how natural it felt, and how happy I was to have help.
“Meet me outside,” he said, without missing a beat. “I’ll bring the bike around.”
“Got it.”
I’d ridden on the back of Sawyer’s motorcycle twice already, and both times it was thrilling. But the best part about it was leaning into that smooth, leather-clad body, and wrapping my arms around his waist.
I returned Maverick to the adoption area, and handed his leash off to Monica. After apologizing again, I headed for the front door. But not before stopping off at the bar.
Carter was there, busier than I’d seen him in days. He refilled some drinks and took a couple of food orders, before finally gliding over to me.
“Be honest,” I said, a little fearfully. “Are you mad?”
He laughed. “At what?”
I jerked my chin at the rest of the bar. “C’mon. Take your pick.”
There were people, pets, and noise coming from every direction. A little earlier, one of the dogs had lifted its leg on the way in, and done its business right on some biker’s boot. Thankfully he was one of the regulars. Carter promised him free drinks for the night, and all was right again.
Still, as chaotic as things were, the adoption event was going exceedingly well. People had shown up in droves, and many animals had already found homes. I’d gone a little overboard, advertising the event. It definitely showed.
“Nah,” Carter said dismissively. “It’s a little crazy, sure. But the whole thing is cute.”
His ensuing smile reassured me even more than Sawyer’s, and I wanted to kiss him too. I figured I’d done enough damage, though. At least for now.
“There was a line outside earlier,” Carter observed. “That hasn’t happened in, well, decades.”
I beamed happily. “Told ya I’d take care of the marketing.”
“You sure did,” he agreed. “Almost everyone coming in here today is someone I’ve never seen before. If even a handful of them come back, you did great.”
I gasped as I suddenly remembered something. My eyes quickly scanned the bar, looking for Gizmo. I found him at very end, sitting in Grizz’s lap. The old veteran was feeding him sardines, straight out of a can. Carter caught me looking and chuckled.
“Do I even want to know where he got those from?” I asked, trepidatiously.
“No, probably not.”
“I won’t ask then.” I smiled back at him. “Listen, I have to run to the shelter. We’re running out of forms.”
“Nice.”
“I thought so too,” I agreed. “But if you ask Monica, she’d tell you the world is ending.”
“Sounds like some alarmist bullshit if you ask me,” said Carter. “She does know you work for free, right?”
“It’s been mentioned.”
“Then she needs to shut the hell up and trust you,” Carter declared. “I mean, look at the way you’re multitasking right now. You can’t buy that kind of help.”
“You of all people should know,” my smile twisted into something wicked. “I’ve had a lot of practice lately.”
“Practice?”
“Multitasking,” I winked, then pushed off the bar.