“I am,” Evie said.
“I’m so happy I found you,” the woman said with a relieved smile. “Every time someone pointed me in your direction, you left before I could reach you.”
“I’m so sorry for that,” Evie said. “I’ve been so busy this evening.”
“I understand. This event is lovely. I wish my baby was still here to enjoy it, but she recently joined her brother on the other side of the rainbow bridge.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Evie said. “I’ve been there. I think we all have. It’s one of the hardest parts of being a pet owner. You know they can’t live forever, so you enjoy them while they’re here and just keep a place in your heart for them once they’re gone.”
“Well, I want to do more than just keep a place in my heart for my sweet girl,” the woman said. “I was told theanimal rescue that tonight’s gala is supporting is in need of a new home.”
“Um, yes, it is,” Evie said.
The woman smiled. “I own a warehouse in Irish Channel. You know where that is, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Evie said. The neighborhood, known for its rich Irish heritage, was only a few miles downriver from where they were now.
“Well, my building has been sitting there unused since the last tenant vacated it during the COVID shutdown. I would like to donate it to the rescue on behalf of my Pinky,” she said. “If the rescue can be renamed in her honor.”
Evie’s mouth dropped open. Did she just hear what she thought she heard?
“Um, Ms.—”
“Cane. Evelina Cane,” she said.
“Evelina!” Evie perked up. “That’s my name.”
The woman’s face brightened. “I wondered if that Evie stood for something else. Well, Dr. Evelina, I will have my people call your people on Monday.” She leaned forward and, in a softer voice, said, “My people is just my son, Ryan. He handles my finances. I told him what I wanted to do.”
“And he’s okay with it?”
Mrs. Cane looked at Evie as if she had just hurled the nastiest insult known to man at her. “It ismybuilding and my money, dear. He doesn’t have a say in how I spend it; his job is to invest it so that it continues to grow.” She tapped Evie on the arm. “We’ll be in touch.”
Evie was too shocked to move. She could barely breathe.
Excitement, disbelief, and the suspicious feeling that shewas in the middle of a dream and would soon wake up rolled around in her head.
She needed to find Ashanti and Ridley! She had to tell them what had just happened. She needed to call Bry—
Her excitement deflated, along with her shoulders.
Dammit!
She wanted to enjoy this. Shedeservedto enjoy it. She’d worked hard to save The Sanctuary.
But she had not done it alone. Celebrating without the man who’d been by her side through most of this fight just didn’t feel right.
“Ma’am?”
Evie turned to find one of the servers holding a folded piece of paper.
“This is for you,” the server said.
“What is it?” Evie asked, taking the note.
He hunched his shoulder. “I was told to give it to the woman in green.”
She flipped it open and read it.
