“The shower’s all yours,” she said.
“I guess I wasn’t quick enough,” he said as he shucked off his pants and added them to the trash bag at his feet. He winked as he walked past her on his way to the en suite bathroom. “Next time, I’m joining you in the shower.”
“You’re always invited,” she called to him before he closed the door.
Evie spotted the jogger set folded on the edge of the bed. Sitting on top of it was the panties that Bryson’s house cleaner had found and added to his laundry. She slipped on the panties and the joggers, and heard the bathroom door opening as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head.
“That is so unfair,” Evie said to Bryson.
“What?”
“That you can shower in three minutes.”
“If you had been in there with me it would have taken me longer,” he said.
“I would hope so,” she said, unable to stop her smile. Evie blew out a sigh. “But now that I’m clean, I need to hug my dog.”
She went back into the living room and sat on the floor next to Waffles and Bella.
“How are they?” Bryson called from the bedroom.
“Still resting,” Evie called back. She rubbed Waffles on the head, not wanting to disturb Bella, who was still using her dog as a pillow.
“And looking as spoiled as ever,” Bryson said as he came into the room.
“In a way, I feel both grateful and guilty. I was able to rescue this one, but it just seems so unfair to all the other dogs I left at the rescue.”
Bryson sat opposite her. He lifted Bella from Waffles’s back and sat her in his lap.
“You can’t adopt them all, Ev,” Bryson said. “I know today was hard, but look at all the dogs we saved. We didn’t lose a single one. That counts for something.”
She sighed. “I know. I just wish I could have done more. Iwish I could save their home. What’s the good in saving them this morning if they have to be shipped out to a kill shelter in a few days?”
“That won’t happen. I will personally knock on strangers’ doors and beg them to take the dogs first.”
“Oh, that’s a feasible plan,” she said with a sardonic laugh.
“I’ll offer free vet care for the first year of their lives. House calls.”
“Oh, really? World-renowned veterinary surgeon Dr. Bryson Mitchell turned mobile vet. You can ask Sally’s for the name of the guy who built their food truck.”
“That’s not a bad idea. The world needs more mobile vets,” Bryson said, leaning forward and kissing her.
“If that’s the case, maybeIshould go talk to Sally’s,” Evie said. “Operation Rescue the Rescue was my excuse for not looking for a new job.”
“I have no doubt that someone will scoop you up as soon as word gets out that you’re looking to join a new practice,” Bryson said. “I knew you were going to be a great veterinarian back when we volunteered together, but seeing you in action today confirmed it. You are damn good at your job. Whatever you decide to do once this business with The Sanctuary is done, you’re going to be amazing at it, Ev.”
A fresh set of tears trailed down her face. Evie didn’t realize how much she needed to hear those words. She didn’t realize how long it had been since she’d received praise from someone other than Ashanti for the work she did.
Bryson leaned forward and used his thumbs to wipe at the tears on her cheeks.
“Will everything make you cry today?” he asked.
“Not everything, but when you say something like that, what do you expect?”
He grinned. “It’ll all be okay, Ev.”
She gave Waffles a kiss on the head, then stood. “It’ll be even better once I’ve changed into clothes that actually fit me. Not that I don’t appreciate yours, but…”
