“She bought all this for you.” Tane shook his head. “Holy hell, I didn’t see that coming.”
“She thought I was a dog,” Cade pointed out. “And she didn’t have any dog stuff.”
“So, she bought the damn store, apparently.” He chuckled, motioning to the pile of dog paraphernalia.
Cade had to admit it was a lot, but it was also completely endearing the lengths she’d gone to to help him feel comfortable. He’d laid on two of those big pillows, after all.
“What are we going to do with all this?” Grey frowned. “She must think we’re we veterinary clinic, not a hospital.”
“We’ll figure it out later.” Tane replied, lifting his chin toward the door and putting on a grin.
“This is the last thing.” Lucy had a folded blanket in her arms. The one from her bed that Cade had slept on. “Atlas,” she shook her head. “The dog really liked this blanket.” She handed it to Cade. “It seemed to be where he was most comfortable, so I thought he might like to have it while he’s healing.” She turned to Grey. “Can I see him? You know, before he goes.”
“I’m sorry, Lucy.” Grey shook his head. “That’s not possible.”
“Did he… Did he ever wake up?”
Cade sensed Lucy’s fear, scented her sorrow, and he wanted to drop that blanket and wrap her in his arms. He barely knew this woman, and yet, she’d done everything she could to look after him when he’d been vulnerable. The urge to comfort her warred with the reality that she had no fucking clue who he was. What he was. Or that she was already his.
At least, he wanted her to be.
“He did wake up.” Grey said softly. “But you can’t see him, Lucy. I’m sorry.”
Though she looked crestfallen, Cade appreciated that Grey hadn’t lied to her. Glad he hadn’t told her some story about a family in Iowa or some shit, whatever crazy tale Maddox had been trying to come up with yesterday to get Cade out of her life.
But why the fuck did he have to be out of her life? He could absolutely stay in it, just not as a dog.
Or a wolf, as the case may be.
Lucy was lovely, talking with his friends, nodding at something Grey was saying. While Cade nodded along, he wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation. He was too busy appreciating the way the light coming through the clinic’s windows played across Lucy’s dark hair. And then she was looking at him expectantly and he grinned like a loon. He loved the way she tilted her head up toward him, loved that soft smile on her lips, the gentle question on that beautiful face.
“What was that?” Maybe he should have been paying better attention to his pack mates, but he only had eyes for Lucy right now.
“We were talking about the coffee shop?” Lucy glanced at his friends, who smiled and nodded encouragingly. “Apparently there’s one down the street…”
“Yes.” Cade nodded. “Hummingbird Cafe. It’s just down the street.”
Could he get any lamer?
While he was normally smooth with the ladies, for whatever reason, he was having a hard time talking right now.
Lucy observed him for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay. Thanks.”
She turned back to Tane and Grey, shaking hands and thanking them, and Cade fought back the urge to growl again. Not so much because his friends were touching her, but because he was a fucking moron. Fate had given him a chance to see Lucy again, and he’d blown it by being up in his head and talking out of his ass.
Shit, maybe those drugs were still fucking with him somehow. He was normally more with it.
“Cade,” Lucy held her hand out to him. “Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it.”
“You too.” He smiled, shifting the blanket and shaking her hand.
Heat rushed through his body at the contact and he took in everything about her, from the silk of Lucy’s skin to her little smile and the light in those gorgeous eyes. God, he didn’t want to let her go, especially not when she was looking at him like that, her delectable scent making him want to do more than hold her hand. But after a moment of silence, he had no choice.
Lucy blinked when he released her, as though she’d been in a trance. She didn’t move though, and the shy smile and blush she gave him made him feel like pounding his fucking chest.
Gorgeous.
