He turned the key, the engine rumbling to life, and steered toward home. His condo would be dark and quiet, just him and the puppy waiting inside. Maybe that was all he deserved.
But the moment his door swung open, that heaviness cracked.
A blur of golden fur barreled toward him, tail wagging hard enough to rattle the floor lamp.
“Hey, Finn,” Murphy breathed, dropping to his knees. The dog wiggled against his chest, licking rain from his cheeks, as if the world wasn’t crumbling outside this apartment.
“Miss me, huh?” Murphy asked, scratching behind Finn’s ears. His grin came easier than it had all night. “Yeah, I missed you too.”
Maybe he was nursing a broken heart. Maybe Hillary had slammed her walls shut again. But at least he had this. This ridiculous, joyful puppy who didn’t care about PR strategies or internet comments or whether he was “too good” for anyone.
Finn yipped, nose nudging toward the leash hanging by the door.
Murphy sighed, grabbing it with a laugh. “Alright, buddy. Let’s go.”
—
The next morning Murphy woke to the smalling whine and scratching at his door.
Pulling a hoodie over his head, he clipped the harness onto Finn and grabbed the leash. The air carried a hint of spring, even though it was still technically winter, and Murphy breathed it in like medicine.
By the time they reached the dog park, Finn was vibrating with excitement. The second Murphy unhooked the leash, the pup bolted toward the grassy space, ears flopping.
“Finn! Take it easy!” Murphy called, though he was grinning.
A familiar laugh carried across the park. Murphy turned to see Ethan Yellowtail leaning against the fence, Ernie stretched out at his feet like he owned the place.
“Well, well,” Ethan said, shading his eyes with one hand. “Looks like you finally got yourself a dog.”
Murphy walked over, still grinning. “Yeah. Meet Finn.”
The puppies wasted no time, Finn bounding up and Ernie immediately tackling him in a happy, clumsy heap. The two of them rolled in the grass, tails wagging furiously.
“They’re gonna be trouble together,” Ethan said.
“Good kind of trouble,” Murphy said, watching Finn dart after Ernie with pure joy.
They stood there for a while, talking about the dogs, about training, even about the schedule ahead. The sun warmed his shoulders, the laughter came easy, and the tightness that had wrapped around his chest last night began to loosen.
It wasn’t everything. Hillary was still a ghost in the back of his mind. But with Finn tumbling across the grass and Ethan’s steady presence beside him, it was something. A little light in the middle of all the dark.
Murphy woke the next morning with Finn’s warm weight pressed against his side, the little puppy snoring softly. He scratched behind Finn’s ears, letting himself breathe into the simple joy of it for a few extra minutes before getting ready.
He decided he was going to try to put Hillary out of his head. If she didn’t want him in the way he wanted her, he had to respect that. She’d made her choice.
Still, when he walked into the coffee shop, his chest tightened. His feet carried him to the counter out of habit.
“Vanilla latte with an extra shot,” he ordered, sliding a bill across, before quickly adding, “and a lemon blueberry muffin.”
After making his way to the center, Murphy nudged Hillary’s office door open with his elbow, balancing the coffee and muffin in his hands. She looked up from her laptop, all business as always.
“Morning, Boss.” He set them down carefully in front of her.
She gave him a polite smile. “Thank you.”
That smile used to light him up inside. Now it felt measured. Like she was holding something back.
He shoved a hand into his pocket, nerves chewing at him. “So, uh. Just wanted to let you know . . . Natalie’s not interested. Looks like she’s got a thing going with Sven.” He forced a little laugh, but it came out flat. “Anyway, it’s fine. I got the message.”
