She sighed and rolled her eyes. “You either did or you didn’t. But if you forgot—”
“I’ll run back to the shelter and pick some up,” I countered her quickly. “Just… give me a minute.”
I turned my attention back to Maverick, who was licking someone’s hand. When I looked closer, I could see it was because they were feeding him peanuts from the bar.
“Can you please not do that?” I groaned.
The couple that were petting him looked crestfallen. “Why not?”
“Because… well…”
Shit, I didn’t even know why not. This was an adoption event, and any connection we could make between a stray animal and a potential client was probably a good idea.
“Having fun yet?”
Sawyer’s distinct laugh spun me around again. His mischievous smile was somehow calming, as if he’d dragged meinto the eye of the storm. He was holding the other end of Maverick’s leash, thankfully.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Sawyer grinned. “And if you need a ride to the shelter to grab that paperwork…”
“Yes! Please!”
I grabbed his face and kissed him square on the lips in gratitude, without even thinking. The move drew looks from just about everyone in the bar.
Shit.
It wasn’t something I’d thought about, it just happened. That’s how natural it felt, and how happy I was to have help.
“Meet me outside,” he said, without missing a beat. “I’ll bring the bike around.”
“Got it.”
I’d ridden on the back of Sawyer’s motorcycle twice already, and both times it was thrilling. But the best part about it was leaning into that smooth, leather-clad body, and wrapping my arms around his waist.
I returned Maverick to the adoption area, and handed his leash off to Monica. After apologizing again, I headed for the front door. But not before stopping off at the bar.
Carter was there, busier than I’d seen him in days. He refilled some drinks and took a couple of food orders, before finally gliding over to me.
“Be honest,” I said, a little fearfully. “Are you mad?”
He laughed. “At what?”
I jerked my chin at the rest of the bar. “C’mon. Take your pick.”
There were people, pets, and noise coming from every direction. A little earlier, one of the dogs had lifted its leg on the way in, and done its business right on some biker’s boot. Thankfully he was one of the regulars. Carter promised him free drinks for the night, and all was right again.
Still, as chaotic as things were, the adoption event was going exceedingly well. People had shown up in droves, and many animals had already found homes. I’d gone a little overboard, advertising the event. It definitely showed.
“Nah,” Carter said dismissively. “It’s a little crazy, sure. But the whole thing is cute.”
His ensuing smile reassured me even more than Sawyer’s, and I wanted to kiss him too. I figured I’d done enough damage, though. At least for now.
“There was a line outside earlier,” Carter observed. “That hasn’t happened in, well, decades.”
I beamed happily. “Told ya I’d take care of the marketing.”
“You sure did,” he agreed. “Almost everyone coming in here today is someone I’ve never seen before. If even a handful of them come back, you did great.”
