11. Kara
11
Kara
Sunday
K ara dunked the mop into the bucket, the pungent smell of disinfectant rising with the splash of soapy water. Her muscles ached as she prompted the coarse bristles to scratch against the floor of another kennel.
Only eight more to go.
When she reached Benny’s door, she paused.
His cloudy eyes blinked slowly as she crouched and reached through the bars, scratching under his salt-and-pepper beard.
Kara smiled softly. “Good morning, beautiful boy.”
Standing back up, she rolled her shoulders to ease the stiffness. As she gripped the mop to continue, the door swung open, and Emma breezed in with a pink box of doughnuts in hand.
Kara blinked. “What are you doing here so early?”
“Checking in on you. Thought you could use a pick-me-up,” she said, raising her voice over the chorus of excited barks as she set the doughnuts on a nearby shelf. “After yesterday’s event, no adoptions, and then running into—”
“Ethan,” Kara finished, her voice barely above a whisper, drowned out by the barks.
Emma studied Kara’s face, waiting for the furry residents to calm back down. Finally, she asked, “How are you holding up?”
Kara leaned on her mop. “I—it’s hard to process, you know? Twenty-two years, and then bam! He’s right there in front of me.”
“I can only imagine. Here, let me help.” Emma gently pried the mop from Kara’s hands. “You look exhausted.”
“Been here since five,” Kara admitted, rubbing her forehead. As Emma started cleaning, Kara let out a long breath, the words catching in her throat. “Em, I’ve been thinking, maybe it’s time.”
Emma paused mid-mop. “Time for?”
“To tell Charlotte about—you know. Everything.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Whoa. You sure?”
Kara ran a hand through her hair. “Yesterday, seeing them together—and then her trying to get him to volunteer here. Em, she has no clue.”
Emma winced. “Yeah, I noticed. And Ada didn’t exactly help.”
“Exactly.” Kara sighed. “Besides, I can’t keep this secret forever. She deserves to know.”
Emma leaned on the mop. “Any idea how she might react?”
“No idea. To be honest, it scares me.” She met Emma’s eyes. “I’m just—” Kara shook her head. “I’m so grateful to have you, Em. Thanks for being my secret-keeper all this time.”
Emma smiled. “Hey, that’s what I’m here for.” She nodded toward the doughnuts. “Now go on, take a break. We can talk more about it after you have a doughnut. I may have sampled one ... or two on the drive over.” She shooed Kara away. “Go on, I’ll finish up here.”
“Okay, but only a quick one,” Kara conceded, heading for the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Kara picked up a doughnut before stepping out the side door of the kennels. The crisp morning air filled her lungs as she leaned on the wall, taking a moment to appreciate the quiet. She examined the doughnut in her hand—a classic glazed with a drizzle of chocolate. As she bit into it, the sweet, pillowy softness melted on her tongue.
Kara closed her eyes, savoring the simple pleasure.
As she was about to take another bite, the rumble of an approaching engine caught her attention. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw a familiar blue Chevy pulling into the parking lot. She nearly choked on her doughnut before dropping what remained of it.
Heart racing, Kara quickly stepped back inside. As the door slammed behind her, barks erupted from the kennels.
Emma paused her mopping, yelling above the startled barks and yips, “Well, that was fast. How was the—”
“Em,” Kara’s voice shook. “Ethan’s here. His truck just pulled up outside.”
“What? Are you sure?” Emma set the mop aside.
Kara’s gaze darted between Emma and the door. “Positive.” Her pulse pounded in her ears, every second feeling like a countdown to disaster. “What do I do?”
“Say hey? Maybe he’s signing up to volunteer.”
Kara squeezed her eyes shut, her breath quickening.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Do you really not want to see him?” asked Emma.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Kara sighed. “I wasn’t expecting him to come back so soon.”
“Well, I can go out there and greet him. And you can stay back here. But you have to face the fact, Kara, you need help, whoever can help.”
Emma’s words triggered a flood of memories, transporting her back through time. The surrounding kennels began to fade, replaced by a different scene from her past ...
The summer heat pressed against Kara, making her shirt stick to her back as she swept the sidewalk outside her dad’s pharmacy. Behind her, the door stood propped open, letting the cool air-conditioned breeze occasionally brush against her skin.
As she swept, she caught sight of Ethan walking down the opposite side of the street, his shoulders hunched and hands shoved deep in his pockets. A group of guys passed by him, and Kara heard their snickers carried on the breeze.
“Hey, Bennett! Your old man sleep it off yet?” one of them shouted.
Kara saw Ethan hesitate, his step faltering for a second. He glanced back toward the guys, then quickly dropped his gaze to the ground and kept walking.
Her heart ached for him.
She set her broom against a shelf as she stepped inside the pharmacy. Her dad was behind the counter, sorting through a stack of papers.
“Dad, have you looked at Ethan’s application yet?” Kara asked, trying to keep her voice casual.
Her dad sighed, pulling out a form from the stack. “Kara, we’ve been over this.”
“But look at his qualifications.” Kara insisted, pointing at the paper. “Honor roll, volunteer work at the hospital, and he even did that internship at the lab last summer. You’d hire anyone else with a resume like that in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not hiring old drunk Bennett’s son, Kara,” her dad said, his voice firm. “That family’s no good.”
“But Ethan is nothing like his dad.” Kara moved closer, grabbing her dad’s arm. “He graduated with me. He’s a really good guy, promise. Besides, we need the help. Whoever can help.”
“Kara ... Kara?” Emma’s voice snapped Kara back to the present.
“Sorry, Em. I just—remembered something.” Kara took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “You’re right. We do need help, and I’m not gonna turn it down.”
Emma smiled. “There’s the Kara I know.”
Kara then looked down at what she was wearing. “Great. Why did I think wearing Charlotte’s high school gym shorts was a good fashion choice this morning? And this t-shirt. It has stains on it!” She groaned. “Never mind, nope, I can’t let him see me like this.”
“Nonsense. You didn’t know he was going to be here,” Emma said. “And you’re working hard—it makes sense to wear comfortable clothes. Also, those shorts make your butt look great!”
Kara couldn’t help but laugh as a layer of blush painted her cheeks. “Thanks, Em. You always know what to say.”
Emma smirked, reaching out to pull her friend into a hug. “I do what I can.”
Kara returned the hug, then stepped back. “Okay, I think I’m ready. I’m gonna talk to him.” She paused, a new thought occurring to her. “Actually, Em, would you mind running into town to pick up a few supplies for the rescue?”
“Sure, I’ll give y’all some alone time.” Emma winked. “Anything specific you need?”
“You know, the usual—dog food, cat litter, and maybe some more cleaning supplies,” Kara replied, reaching into her back pocket. “Use this.” She pulled out the rescue’s credit card and handed it to Emma, her fingers brushing over the raised numbers before letting go.
Emma took the card, tucking it into her pocket with a knowing smile. “You got it. Be back soon.”
Kara watched as her friend slipped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
She glanced down at her clothes, grimacing at the stains on her shirt. She tried to smooth out the wrinkles and brush off some of the dog hair. A humorless chuckle escaped her lips.
What did it matter how she looked?
This was Ethan, after all.
Ethan, who had climbed through her window one night after a huge fight with her dad, just to bring her a pack of Oreos.
Ethan, who had covered for her at the pharmacy during that nightmarish inventory mix-up, shouldering the blame without hesitation when she’d accidentally flooded their stockroom with cough syrup instead of the much-needed allergy medication.
Ethan, who was Charlotte’s father, and neither of them knew.
With another deep breath, she turned around slowly and began to walk toward the doors to the lobby.