“You’re funny.”
“I know, right?”
Her fingers found the snooze button of her alarm clock faintly playing the chorus of Scars by Papa Roach before reaching for Jase. Her eyes flew open when her hand moved across the cool, empty sheets.
“Jase,” she called out softly. Why was she the only one who had to get creative? She turned off her alarm before it could go off again. She snagged her sleep shorts from the floor where Jase had thrown them the previous night. The camisole had landed on the dresser. She grabbed it and pulled it over her head as she walked down the hall.
She smiled, sure her heart squeezed a little at the sight before her. Jase lay stretched out on the longest part of her sectional, Charlie and Polly sprawled out on the floor beside him, and the new foster pup wedged between him and the back of the couch. His eyes opened as she drew close. She stepped over Charlie and Polly and braced her hands on the couch.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey.”
“Whatcha doin’?”
“I got up to go to the bathroom and the dogs apparently had the same thought. I let Charlie and Polly out and then came back for her.” He titled his head to indicate the dog curled against him. “She was trembling and cowering so I thought maybe this would calm her down and help her relax.”
A slow smile spread across Bree’s face as she leaned even closer.
“Fail.” She kissed Jase softly, barely sweeping her lips against his, before raising her head back up.
Jase smiled back and scratched the dog behind the ears. “What’s your schedule like today? Got time to work in lunch?”
“I have appointments all day until three o’clock.”
“Wanna swing by on your way home?”
“Sure. I need to get ready for work. Want to hang out until I leave or do you need to go now?”
“I’ll hang out.”
“’Kay.” Bree brushed another soft kiss against Jase’s lips. “Want coffee?”
“Sure.”
Jase was asleep again when Bree walked back in the living room. She got the small travel alarm from the guest room and set it for seven-thirty. Placing it next to his untouched coffee, she scribbled a note asking him to put the new dog in the kennel before he left.
Bree dropped her head back and rested it on the back of the chair. Seven hours of back-to-back appointments was killer. She was exhausted. Sighing, she checked her calendar for tomorrow. At least she’d have time for a proper lunch rather than eating on the run. She logged off and grabbed her bag out from under her desk.
“Dr. Marks…” Cindy called out as Bree passed the front desk.
“Yes?” Bree turned back.
“I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner tonight.”
“Thank you, Cindy, but I have plans tonight,” she said. “I’m free this weekend if you’d like to do something then.”
“Oh. Um, sure.” She looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We can talk about it tomorrow. I don’t want to keep you.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Carol’s beaming smile greeted Bree when she walked through the doors of V.E.T. Adventures. “Hi, honey! I was hoping I would see you again. I had a pretty good feeling when Jase brought Ruby in with him.”
“Ruby?” Bree asked.
“The little dog he said you’re fostering. She’s under my desk right now, as a matter of fact.” She leaned back and to the side, peeking under her desk. “Just curled right up at my feet and hasn’t made a peep all day.” She straightened in her chair. “I wanted to talk to you about what I need to do to adopt her. I’ve been thinking about getting a dog for a while and she is just the sweetest thing ever.”
Bree blinked a couple of times. “Jase brought the dog into the office?”
