Chapter 31
Catarina brushed the momma dog in long, gentle strokes while the tiny puppies nursed.
Their little tails wiggled with every swallow, until one by one they rolled onto their backs in a warm, squirmy heap, their bellies round and full.
Catarina melted, biting her lip against the ridiculous urge to scoop all four of them into her lap and never let go.
“You okay, sweetie?” she whispered to the momma, who gave a soft, throaty groan and pressed her nose into Catarina’s palm like she was asking, More please.
Catarina giggled and scratched behind her silky ears. “I need to get you into the house for a bath,” she teased. The dog’s only reply was another sigh, nuzzling deeper into her hand. “I even got flea shampoo. Very glamorous, I promise.”
The dog blinked slowly at her, clearly unimpressed.
Catarina laughed, her heart swelling. “Fine, fine—we’ll skip the spa day.
But winter’s coming, and I can’t keep sneaking down here forever.
You and your babies will need warmth.” She tucked the blanket snug around the momma’s body, brushing a fingertip across one of the pups’ tiny paws.
“One day soon, I’m going to find the courage to ask Sal if you can move into the main house. ”
Her cheeks warmed, though this time not from embarrassment, but from the simple joy of it all. Every day she came here, she felt braver. And every night in Sal’s arms, she felt… cherished. Loved, in a way she hadn’t dared to dream.
Weeks ago, she would have laughed if someone told her she’d marry a man like Salvatore Romano.
Hard. Commanding. A man the world feared.
And yet, she’d begged him to marry her. Not out of drunken impulse, not out of desperation.
Something inside her had recognized him—even through the walls he built around himself.
A man who could be ruthless with enemies, but tender with her.
Her smile softened as she thought of his secret kindnesses she’d discovered recently: the children’s camps he funded, the shelters he supported, the donations he quietly made to causes that mattered.
He might wrap himself in steel and shadows, but she was starting to see the warmth that burned beneath.
The ping of her phone alarm broke the spell, reminding her of the time she’d set for herself. “I have to go,” she whispered, tucking the fleece blanket tighter around the momma. “But I’ll be back.”
The dog didn’t move, wise enough not to disturb her sleeping pups. Catarina understood that look in her dark eyes—every mother knew the danger of waking babies too soon.
Carefully, she filled the bowl again, checked the water, and dropped a few treats on top like sprinkles on a cake. “See you tomorrow, my loves,” she whispered, giving one last affectionate stroke down the momma’s back.
Tiptoeing out of the little shelter, Catarina ducked into the shrubs on her way back up to the main house. Only when she reached the stone patio did she straighten, smoothing her sweatshirt and pretending as if she’d just been strolling.
Barbara looked up from the kitchen when Catarina walked in.
“Need any help?” Catarina asked, trying to sound casual.
But inside, her heart was still full of puppies, soft noses, and the kind of love she hadn’t realized she’d been starved for until now.