I opened the front door and led Zina up the stairs to the bedroom I’d been using. I herded her toward the bed. She fell onto it, already asleep. I set the basket down and slipped her shoes off her feet. Then slid her lower half under the covers.
By the time I plugged the heating pad in and made sure the pups were settled, it was time for another feeding. This had to be worse than handling a newborn. It was like a newborn times six. I did kind of like it though. Three girls and three little boys. While I held the smallest one in my arms and dropped the formula into its mouth, it let out a contented sigh.
Maybe I could get used to caring for something else. If I wasn’t ready to deal with people yet, I could find enough space in my heart for an animal.
I settled the last pup back in the basket, changed out the towel for a clean one, and then wondered whether or not I should go downstairs to try to catch a few winks on the antique sofa. As I leaned over to turn off the bedside lamp, Zina cleared her throat.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
CHAPTER 16
ZINA
I pattedthe bed next to me. “You look like you’re about to drop. Why don’t you lie down for a little while?”
“Here?” His eyebrows shot up.
“No. In the warehouse.” The corner of my mouth ticked up. “Of course here.”
“I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful.” He leaned against the bed.
“You’re not disturbing me. The only thing I’m disturbed about is figuring out where those pups came from. Now sit.” I patted the bed again.
“Fine. But the next feeding is in an hour.” He washed his hands in the bathroom sink, then sat down on top of the comforter.
I flipped over to face him. “I’ll take that one. You need to rest.”
He yawned as he leaned back onto the pile of pillows. “I don’t mind. It’s been . . .”
“What?” I propped my head up on my hand, eager to hear his take on caring for the pups. “It’s been what?”
His eyes closed and he clasped his hands over his abs. “Kind of fun. They’re so helpless and needy. I’ve never held an animal’s life in my hands like that. They’re so dependent on us.”
I nodded. “You’re going to be taking care of the penguins though.”
“That’s different. The penguins I worked with weren’t babies. Those puppies are just a few days old. It’s thrilling and terrifying, all at once.”
I felt like that every day about the dogs I cared for. It was a constant ache inside that only softened when I was able to find one of my dogs a new home. I wondered if Alex would still feel that way after he lost a pup. I’d learned over the years that I couldn’t save them all.
A hint of a smile played across his lips as his breathing regulated. I wouldn’t ruin it for him. He might find out soon enough that loss played a big part in my chosen line of work. I set my alarm for an hour and closed my eyes. Visions of Alex and puppies played through my head. I opened my eyes again. He wasn’t going to stick around long enough to see them grow. Why was I so hung up on the guy?
The bedside lamp cast a warm glow around us, making me feel like it was just the two of us. Being nestled away in this corner of the Phillips House, where no one knew where I was, gave me a certain sense of boldness. That had to be the reason I reached out and ran my finger along his arm. He sighed in his sleep and turned onto his side to face me.
I watched his chest move with his breath, imagining what it might feel like to snuggle up against him. How the sexy five-o’clock shadow might scratch across my skin. How his arms might wrap around me like they did earlier. As I lay there, my fantasies playing out in my mind, he cracked an eyelid.
“What are you doing?”
Caught off guard, I felt a wave of heat flush my cheeks. “Nothing. I couldn’t sleep. Did I wake you?”
“Nah.” He rolled onto his back and tossed his arm over his head.
He’d taken off his shirt again while he was feeding the pups, and I let my gaze roam over his defined abs, the bulge of his biceps. A prickly sensation started in my gut and moved downward as I took in the sight of him.
“You should get some rest. You haven’t slept at all yet,” I said.
“That’s true. But I can’t sleep.”
“Why not?”
