“You adopted Waffles from The Sanctuary the day I was there with Doc, right?”
“Oh, yes. Um, my last dog died about twelve years ago, back when I was an undergrad.”
He stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Cameron never wanted a dog,” Evie explained with a shrug. “He didn’t want pets of any kind. Not even a goldfish. He said we saw enough animals at work; we shouldn’t need them in our home.”
“Talk about a fucking red flag,” Bryson muttered.
“I said the same thing after I kicked him out,” she exclaimed. “I’m not sure how I didn’t see it.”
“Does Cameron even like being a veterinarian?” Bryson asked. “Back when we were lab partners, I always got the sense that he was there because it’s what was expected of him. You know, because it was the family business. I’m not sure he ever really wanted to be there.”
Evie took a sip of her water. “It’s what I’ve suspected for a long time. But then, I went through something similar with my family, so I didn’t want to examine Cameron’s motivations too closely. He’s a good vet—I’m not defending him or anything, just stating a fact. He is good at his job—but he’s not a loving vet. Everything is always straightforward and no-nonsense for him.”
“I have different pet voices for different breeds, even though the pets are under anesthesia for ninety percent of the time we’re together,” Bryson said.
Why did that not surprise her?
“Because there is no question that you love your job,” Evie said. “I hope that surgical hospital knows how lucky they are to have you.”
He smiled that smile again, the one she wished she could see on a continual loop.
“Based on the way they’ve rolled out the red carpet, I would say they do. But if you ever feel the need to remind them, by all means, you’re welcome to come over and do just that.”
Heat spread through her as she connected with his quiet, amused gaze. How many times had their eyes met in this same way across the exam table at The Sanctuary, or while sharing lunch underneath the branches of one of the massive oak trees in Armstrong Park?
It was that soothing sense of familiarity that jarred her out of her daze. She could not allow herself to get sucked in by the hypnotic pull of old memories.
“I want to be up front with you,” Evie said. “I am not in a place where I can be anything more than a friend. But you were my friend, Bryson. Before you became anything else, you were areallygood friend.”
His Adam’s apple undulated as he swallowed and nodded.
“You were a good friend too, Ev.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry—”
She put up both hands.
“No. Nope. We already agreed that the past is in the past.” Evie sucked in a deep breath, giving herself the chance to rethink this. But she didn’t need to rethink it. She knew what she wanted to do.
“Let me propose something,” she continued. “New Orleans has undergone a lot of changes since that summer you spent here.” Another deep breath. “What do you say to me helping you get reacquainted with the city? No pressure. No expectations.”
Bryson blinked. “Uh… okay. I, uh, I would like that.”
“I mean, we’re already on this mission together to save The Sanctuary. It just makes sense. Unless you don’t—”
He cut her off. “I already said yes. You don’t have to convince me, Ev.”
She nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Okay, then,” Evie said. “Well, why don’t we start talking strategy? That’s why we’re here, right?”
“Yes,” Bryson said. “So, the no-brainer is to start a crowdfunding campaign. It takes the least amount of work, and you can grab all of those people who just want to throw twenty bucks to a good cause in order to feel good about themselves.”
“I agree,” Evie said. “Also, I’ll admit to being one of those people when life gets hectic. Often, it’s just easier to donate cash. As for The Sanctuary, I’ve already talked to a good friend about revamping the website. As soon as that’s up and running, we should start a GoFundMe. But that won’t be enough. We will need actual fundraisers.”
“No doubt,” Bryson said.
“What do you think about a 5K charity run?”
