Chapter 8
Glad he had to keep his gaze mostly on the road, Parker couldn’t resist occasionally glancing over at Genna, crooning sweet nothings to her new pet.
The little dog appeared to be eating it up, tail constantly wagging, eyes bright and alert.
If he didn’t know better, Parker would have sworn June Bug was smiling.
At first glance, the dog wasn’t much to look at.
Scruffy and in need of a bath, she looked more like a gremlin-type creature than a pet.
But despite her lack of conventional cuteness, the tiny animal had a sweet vulnerability to her.
Parker felt certain she’d blossom with a little love and TLC.
And he knew Genna would be just the person to give that to her.
As he drove, with the beautiful woman radiating happiness sitting in the seat next to him, he realized he’d never been happier.
Sure, he loved his job and the house he’d renovated until it completely suited him.
But he’d never realized that something had been missing, the difference between simply living a good life and living one that actually felt complete.
Damn. Hell of a revelation to have about a woman who’d made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything serious.
When they finally turned onto his street, he realized he’d been so lost in his thoughts that he had very little memory of most of the drive home. Once or twice, Genna had caught him looking over at her and her tremulous smile had made it difficult to breathe.
“What was your life like living in Anchorage,” he asked, partly to pass the time but also because he genuinely wanted to know.
She grimaced. “Do you mean while Chad and I were married? Or after?”
“After,” he replied. Since he couldn’t bear the thought of her married to another man, especially one who had abused her, he wanted to hear how she’d rebuilt her life.
“I rented an apartment,” she said. “It was new and modern and close to the center of town. It didn’t take long to realize Chad and my former best friend Ann intended to make my life hell.”
“Why?” This made no sense to him. “You gave him his divorce. Your so-called friend got what she wanted, your former husband. I don’t understand why they’d feel the need to bother you.”
When she spoke, her voice sounded level and matter-of-fact. “I can talk about this now,” she said. “Because the time I spent in therapy helped me deal with it and dispel any lingering darkness. Chad lied to Ann. He told her I wanted to win him back, that I still considered him mine.”
She sighed, glancing down at her sleeping dog before looking back at him.
“Ann believed him to the point that she started harassing me. This gave Chad a kick, so he encouraged it. He even called me several times to gloat. Getting away from them was my only recourse, especially when Ann broke into my apartment and destroyed most of my belongings.”
“Then you came back home,” he said.
“Yes. I came home. Evidently, this made Ann realize I truly wasn’t after my ex, because neither of them has attempted to contact me again.”
“Did you change your phone number?” he asked.
“No. But I did block both of them. If they’d gone on to get disposable phones or something, then I would have changed my number. But as it turned out, I didn’t have to.”
If he hadn’t been driving, Parker would have kissed her. She’d been through so much. And yet she’d managed to continue making a new life for herself and grow stronger.
“To be honest,” Genna continued. “When I saw the broken door to my house, my first thought was Ann. But then I realized she would have had to drive all this way, or fly, and find a place to stay overnight, just to harass me—when I’ve made it as clear as I can that I have no interest in getting Chad back. It doesn’t make sense.”
He agreed and said so. “But then we have to figure out who actually did try to break into your place. Twice.”
Stroking her little dog’s fur, she nodded. “It’s like choosing the best of two evils. I have to say I’d rather deal with Ann than the Fiancée Killer.”
This made him chuckle. He decided not to tell her what he’d like to do to the man to whom she’d once been married. Like it hadn’t been enough to cheat on Genna with a woman she’d considered her best friend, but then to taunt and badger her after she’d given him the divorce he’d wanted?
He managed to bring his anger under control after focusing on driving and taking several deep breaths. Genna didn’t need to know how her words had gutted him.
As he pulled up into his driveway, he realized little June Bug had fallen asleep. Genna gazed down at the dog, her eyes shining with love.
“Isn’t she just perfect?” she asked, clearly not really expecting an answer.
Nodding, he went around and opened her door, ready to help her out. Instead, she waved him off, moving carefully so as not to disturb June Bug.
He grabbed the bags with the food, bowls, toys and the fluffy round dog bed she’d purchased and hurried ahead of her to unlock the front door.
“Thank you,” Genna murmured. As she moved past him, the little dog raised her head and looked around with interest. “I want to give her a spa day first thing.”
A little mystified, he locked up behind them before asking her what she meant.
“You know, a bath, brushing her down, making her look beautiful. I bought some scented dog shampoo. Would you mind bringing it to me?” Without waiting for an answer, she headed into the bathroom.
A moment later, he heard the sound of her filling the tub, all the while keeping up a steady conversation with June Bug.
He unpacked the supplies, located the bottle of coconut and passion fruit dog shampoo, and took it to the bathroom.
She thanked him and he retreated, thinking of all the other dogs he’d seen in the shelter.
They’d been all kinds, big and small, young and old.
The one thing they’d all had in common was their desperate need for attention.
Many still had remnants of hope shining in their eyes, though others appeared to have long ago given up.
In one way or another, people had failed them. They all needed homes.
Parker had been drawn to an elderly Lab mix in the very last run.
Silver decorated the dog’s black muzzle and when Parker had opened the run to go inside, the dog had been slightly unsteady on his feet, no doubt from lack of exercise.
He’d still wagged his tail though, the entire time he sniffed Parker from head to toe.
Reading the kennel card been posted on the outside of the cage, Parker saw that his name was Revis and he was eleven years old.
His owners had surrendered him because they’d no longer had time to devote to a dog they’d had since he’d been a puppy.
While Parker felt sure that each of the other dogs had their own sad stories, for the life of him, he’d never understand how people could treat a canine family member that way. Never.
By the time Genna emerged with her clean and completely transformed pup, Parker had reached his decision.
“I’m going back to the animal shelter,” he told her, glancing at his watch. “Since they’re open until four, I have time.”
“Why?” she asked, clearly not understanding. “What did we forget?”
“My dog,” he replied, smiling. “He’s an older black Lab whose owners no longer had time for him.”
Genna’s eyes widened. Both she and her new pet looked at him. Then she slowly nodded. “Go get him. June Bug and I can’t wait to meet him.”
Truck keys in hand, he dipped his chin. “I’ll be back.”
The drive seemed to take longer when he made it alone. Either that, or time stretched out because he was in a rush to get back to the shelter.
Halfway there, his phone rang. “Hey, Lakin. How are you?”
His sister chuckled. “I’ve never been better. What about you? How is Genna working out?”
He took a few minutes to tell her all about the multiple break-ins at Genna’s place. “We still don’t know who it is or why they’re targeting her. She even had an alarm system installed, which helped alert the police.”
“Wow.” Lakin exhaled. “I wouldn’t feel safe being in the house.”
“She doesn’t. That’s why she’s staying at my place.”
“Say what?” Lakin sounded incredulous. “Whose idea was that?”
He felt slightly defensive, but had no idea why. “Mine. It’s all aboveboard. She’s using the guest room.”
“The one that looks like a cheap hotel room?” Lakin asked, laughing.
He decided to ignore the dig. “Look, I’m just about to Valdez. I’m going to have to let you go.”
“Valdez? Why are you doing there?”
Since he and his sister had very few secrets, he told her. “I’m adopting a dog.”
And then, while she sputtered and demanded more details, he told her he’d pulled into the shelter parking lot and ended the call.
The same shelter worker sat at the front desk when he entered. Her brows rose. “I’m surprised to see you so soon,” she said. “Is everything all right with little June Bug?”
“Yes, she’s living the life. I’m not here about her. I came for Revis.”
The woman’s entire face lit up. “Seriously? He’s the best dog.”
Parker nodded. He thought of Genna’s little pup. “I do need to know if Revis gets along with other dogs.”
“He loves other dogs,” the woman said. “Revis loves everything and everyone. He’s one of the friendliest dogs I’ve ever seen. He couldn’t be more perfect. People keep overlooking him because he’s black and because he’s older.”
“Because he’s black?”
“Yes. It’s well known in rescue, though we’re not exactly sure why. Some people associate the color with evil, like black cats and bad luck. Often it’s because they’re difficult to photograph. Either way, people pass black animals up.”
“Not this time,” Parker replied. “I want to adopt him.”
“You’ve just made my day. First little June Bug, who also is good with other dogs, and now Revis.” Glowing, she went to her computer and printed off the paperwork. “I just need your signature. His adoption fee is reduced since he’s a senior.”