Chapter V Woof! （Lena）
V
Woof!
(Lena)
I am not upset.
I will not get upset.
I definitely can’t afford to get upset, because that upsets Dr. Ezzie.
Just in case my body betrays me, I repeat the mantra two more times.
Doing it, that’s easier said than done, especially considering my hands are still shaking after that awful encounter with Harry every time I think of it.
Yes, even though it was a couple days ago.
Ugh.
Years have passed, and it still feels like a trauma response. My body’s still hardwired to reject him in the most visceral way possible.
Smarmy, soulless asshole.
It’s embarrassing that I ever thought I loved him. Me, Lena—the girlie who hands out tough love advice every time a friend panics over a guy.
God, the way I held Elle’s hand last year during her whole fake-engagement-turned-real with billionaire hottie August Marshall . . . Where would my bestie be without me?
I have a good head on my shoulders and a heart wrapped in barbed wire. I can forgive my younger self for a lack of judgment.
It’s going to be okay. I’m older and wiser and determined to never let a man like Harry walk all over me again.
Sighing, I suck in a deep breath and knock gently on Dr. Ezzie’s door.
“Come in.”
I am not upset.
I step inside her adorably cramped office, closing the door carefully behind me. Dr. Ezzie sits at her computer. The usual laser focus gleams in her eyes, but her shoulders are slumped.
Crap.
This doesn’t look good already.
“Hi, Lena. Is everything okay?” She gives me a tired smile.
“Um, mostly. I actually just wanted to talk to you about a man you met with a couple days ago. Harry Jay.”
“The investor, yes.” Her brows knit together. “You know about that? Do you know him?”
“I—” My mouth clamps shut. Where do I begin? “I knew him in college. He’s a big-time real estate investor now, right?”
I’ve done some googling, and I know the answer.
“Yes,” she says.
“I just—I have concerns. About whether or not he’s right for Pawsome Hearts. His local track record seems pretty cutthroat.” I looked into him the second I got home. It’s no surprise Harry made a splash in the years since he smashed my heart—and not in a good way.
Not if you have a moral compass in good working order. If you have no standards, then Harry’s record of pure rat fuckery in business probably seems like a good thing.
Cutthroat can be code for efficient.
With him, it proves his cruelty to the core.
That’s not just my personal experience talking. That’s every reason why I need to warn my boss before it’s too late.
“Look, I know it’s not my business. You can yell at me for that.
” I raise my hands defensively. “And I know things are crazy tight and you have a ton on your mind, but . . . I feel like getting him involved won’t end well for us.
Surely, there must be better options more aligned with our values, if you’re looking to inject some cash? ”
Dr. Ezzie’s face looks so sad my heart lurches.
“I hear you, Lena,” she whispers. All I can hear is But it’s not enough to convince me.
No, of course not.
If she’s at the point of bringing Harry in, doesn’t that mean she’s seen his reputation?
“Have a seat,” she says kindly. “I appreciate your concerns. Unfortunately, we’re at a crossroads where we can’t be too choosy.”
“. . . Is it that bad?” I whisper.
“Worse. Our position is dire, Lena. I don’t mean to scare you, but even if I didn’t have to take care of my parents, we’d still be in a tough place. With them, I’ve had to take out personal loans for their care, and the clinic counts as collateral.”
My heart spirals.
“The truth is, you know the boarding staff was downsized last year and kennel capacity reduced. We just don’t have the clients anymore, never mind the repairs coming up to keep everything in working order.
We can’t keep up with all the shiny corporate places that have exploded over the past ten years.
We certainly don’t have ball pits and pools for dogs to splash around in. ”
“But they’re not the same, Doc! We have people who care.” I have to bite back the words We’re better than them.
We are, though.
The big corporate places are understaffed and usually can’t keep up with individual dogs, even if they have better toys and entertainment. But Dr. Ezzie needs me to stay calm.
I can’t lose my shit, no matter how tempting.
“It’s a matter of style, perhaps. People want sleek and fun,” she continues.
“They also want the full package, groomers and special play options, but we just don’t have the funds to hire more staff or renovate.
It’s a pipe dream. Plus, we own a bigger piece of property than the other places around.
I’ve had this practice since before the real estate boom.
The property taxes on our land just keep ballooning, and without the clients to bring in enough bacon to make it financially viable .
. . You’re a smart girl. You can figure it out. ”
Oh, I know what she’s saying, but it still makes my heart implode.
My priority has always been animals and clients first. Making their experience as good as possible. Helping as many people as possible.
But I’m not stupid. Every word she says holds true in a shifting business where boarding can pad your revenue a lot.
Numbers are ugly things. They’re real, merciless, and they have teeth.
“And that’s not even getting into the roofing and insulation work due on the old building.” She sighs, looking down gravely. “Frankly, it makes me sweat just thinking about it. We’ll have to shut down for that, at least for a few weeks.”
Unfortunately, she’s right, and we know what that means.
Money dries up fast.
She rubs her face as she looks up, showing the exhaustion lining her eyes.
“So, to answer your concerns, yes. When I made a few queries in a small business group and Mr. Jay came calling with a very fair buyout offer, I had to hear him out. I had no choice. The moral high ground is a bigger luxury than it seems. Would you slam the door on opportunities when they knock?”
When it’s Harry Jay, hell yes.
Absolutely.
Without question.
Ideally, closing the door to trap him inside with a napalm fire raging.
“Dr. Ezzie, I get it. But he won’t be any good for Pawsome Hearts,” I say weakly. “You know he’s only after the land. The minute he thinks you’ll sell and close up shop, he’ll be on you like a hawk. Doesn’t keeping the clinic going mean anything?”
Too far.
Ezzie’s eyes start misting, and I instantly regret my words.
“Only the whole world.” Her voice cracks, and guilt drags me low. “But I’m just one woman, Lena. I’m so tired of swimming.”
“Let me help! Whatever you need.” So long as it’s not number crunching. She needs to keep her CPA for that.
“I appreciate that, really, but I’m afraid you can’t. Not with this. I’ve always loved how you’re so willing to fight, but sometimes hard decisions are inevitable. I suggest you brace yourself, and so will I.”
She slumps back in her chair, looking like any fight she ever had has drained from her already. I douse the feeble protests burning on my tongue.
She’s right that she’s only one woman stretched to her breaking point. You can practically see the boulder on her shoulders and her spirit buckling under it.
No, revealing the full horror of who and what Harry is won’t help today. Not when her mind is made up.
I just don’t have the heart to pile more guilt on her brittle shoulders.
“I should go.” I gesture to the door with my thumb. “Good night, Dr. Ezzie.”
“Good night, Lena.”
Time to get home, take a long soak in the tub, and figure out my next move.
Dr. Ezzie was right about one thing, though. I am a fighter, and I have no intention of giving up, even if I have to go it alone.
Sighing, I grab my bag and jacket and head out into the rainy evening.
At least, I try.
What actually happens is I face-plant into a massive wall of a chest.
When I look up, it’s Brady looking down at me.
His easy, disarming smile disappears when he gets a good look at the pain etched on my face.
Nice knowing I must look as grim as I feel.
“Lena,” he says, taking my shoulders and steadying me like I weigh nothing. “You look like you could use that drink today.”
Oh, this boy has a death wish.
“Holy shit, take a hint. I really don’t think—”
“Just one drink. Hear me out.” He holds up his hands. “No BS, no hookups, I promise. We can even just do coffee if you want.”
My first instinct is to smack him in the face. My second instinct is to smack him harder.
I’m so not in the mood for an awkward bar hangout with a stranger frenemy treating me like a piece of meat.
But he’s cute. I’ll give him that.
And I don’t know how truly bad he is inside.
I also don’t know what’s waiting for me at home besides another lonely evening where the highlight is ordering three days’ worth of Thai takeout to eat my feelings. Granny Lark, the old lady up the street, isn’t around to bother me this week because she’s hanging out with her granddaughter.
Would it really be so atrocious to just humor him? To get this persistent, grandstanding gold monkey off my back?
“You know what? Fine. You win.” My teeth clench with regret.
“You’re serious?” His eyebrows shoot up. “Damn, I thought I’d have to bribe you or something.”
“You do. When you buy me a cocktail, it better have the top-shelf stuff.”
“Noted.” His eyes flash like the winter sky.
“Also, I looked you up after our last—” Meeting isn’t the right word. More like disaster. “Our last interaction. Your channel’s kinda fun, and I appreciate you trying to rake in money for animals.”
“All the time,” he tells me, a whisper of a smile pulling at his lips. Not the spotlight charm he switches on when he wants something. This looks more real. “So you’re a new fan, huh?”
“Hardly. Wasting hours on YouTube isn’t my thing,” I say quickly, shifting my bag on my shoulder. “But I’m glad you give a damn sometimes. You only use your channel to puff yourself up about fifty percent of the time.”