“Come on, Cedar,” Linx said as she put on her boots and grabbed a small baby carrier she’d picked up at the thrift shop. Newborn puppies were born blind and toothless, and they couldn’t regulate their body temperature. She wondered about the condition of the puppy, its size and breed, but the most important thing was to bring it back and hope it wasn’t toolate.
While she and Cedar hiked the mile or so up the mountainside to the campground, Linx went through the available space in the kennel. The puppy, of course, would sleep at her bedside with a hot water bottle, but the kennel was at full capacity. She even had a few dogs doublingup.
She needed to run a big promotion in the days leading up to the Gold Rush Festival ending with a Fourth of July Rescue Auction, and that meant spending money she didn’t have on advertising and socialmedia.
She checked her cell phone for emails andfrowned.
The devil always had perfecttiming.
Grady Hart emailed her with his list of dog requests. He ran a charity matching dogs with veterans, and it was the perfect place for some of her more elderly guests to findhomes.
But to do that meant getting reacquainted with Grady, and an acquaintance with him meant one thingonly.
Bedfirst.
Talkinglater.
She’d kept him at bay by pretending she didn’t know him from before. She’d even had his family fooled. She’d flirted with him at his sister’s wedding, and she’d used up the last of her inheritance as seed money to start his charity—yep, the proceeds of that ill-fated wedding dress went to Dogs for Vets. Very reckless, but at least she’d gotten a reaction out ofhim.
He still hated her, ofcourse.
And he obviously didn’t trusther.
But he’d hinted at hooking up, and she’d teased him to the hilt. They both knew what came next should they ever meetup.
Cedar let out a sharp bark as she stopped in front a giant sequoia stump. Her nose twitched, and she looked back at Linx, wagging hertail.
“You found it?” Linx stuffed her phone back in her pocket and knelt in front of the hollow in thetree.
She removed the tangle of grass and weeds and gasped at the reddish ball of wet fur. The puppy, a female, squealed and wiggled when she picked her up. Her mouth suckled on air and her eyes were closed. Her umbilical cord was still protruding from her bellybutton.
“Oh, you sweet little thing.” Linx tucked the cold and wet puppy into the baby carrier while Cedar sniffed and licked her. “You’re going to have a good life. You’llsee.”
The puppy snuggled close to Linx’s heart, and even though she already had a dog, and she had a rescue center full of dogs, Linx fell in loveagain.
“Should I call you Sasha? Or would that confuseCedar?”
Cedar barked and gave her a quizzical look, as if saying those were bothhernames.
“Not Sasha.” Linx stroked the puppy’s back, cuddling it as she walked. “How about Ginger? Cedar, you likeGinger?”
“Woof. Woof.” Cedar bounced happily and headed towardhome.
