“Hi, Jasper!” the woman called, hurrying toward him.“I didn’t expect to see you today. I’m so glad you came!”
Jasper smiled back, pulled his hands from his pockets, and dipped his head slightly, clearly happy to see her.
Something inside Nina shifted abruptly. The pleasant anticipation turned into a sharp, prickling jealousy.
Ridiculous.
Lynn seemed to notice the girl’s overly warm attention to her father too, but she didn’t react—just moved toward the open trunk.
“You brought a lot,” Lynn said, peering inside.“Looks like the dogs are going to live like royalty.”
Nina smiled despite herself, though her pulse still throbbed at her temples. Jasper stepped away from them, continuing his conversation with the girl. Her laughter rang a little too loudly—like she was trying to impress him.
And for some reason, that irritated Nina far more than it should have.
Jasper stepped back, gestured for Nina to come closer.
“Nina, this is Veronica, the shelter director,” he said, turning slightly toward the red-haired woman whose smile was still stretched wide.“Veronica, this is Nina. She’s with us today.”
Nina stepped forward and forced a smile, even though jealousy still churned in her chest. Veronica met her gaze—sharp, appraising. Her eyes swept over Nina’s face, then the car, and Nina caught the subtle tightening of her lips.
The politeness was there.
But the displeasure was unmistakable.
Nina greeted her and extended her hand.
Veronica’s gaze lingered on Nina’s fingers for a second longer than necessary. Then she shook her hand—but released it almost immediately, as if the touch had burned.
“Likewise,” she said, pulling the hair tie from her ponytail and shaking her head so the red strands fell in a soft wave.“I didn’t expect Jasper to bring guests today.”
Nina caught the way Veronica’s eyes flicked—briefly but pointedly—toward her car before returning to her face.
Like a reminder: You don’t belong here.
Like Nina had stepped onto someone else’s territory.
Jasper either didn’t notice or chose not to.
“I’ll grab a cart and unload everything,” he said.“In the meantime, why don’t you show Nina around? Maybe she’ll leave today with a kitten or a dog. We’ve got plenty of good-looking ones.”
Nina hesitated for a moment, caught off guard. She shot a quick glance at Veronica—who instantly lifted her chin, clearly offended. Lynn stood nearby, zipping up her jacket, then nodded at Nina, silently inviting her to follow.
“Here,” Nina said, pulling the keys from her pocket and handing them to Jasper.“Lock it afterward, okay?”
He nodded and took them. Their fingers brushed for just a second—and a faint jolt ran up Nina’s arm. Her breath hitched. Jasper looked… unreadable. Then he abruptly stepped back, putting space between them.
Veronica drew a deep breath, shot Nina a displeased look, and turned toward the gate.
“Come on,” she said curtly.“I’ll show you the animals.”
Nina followed automatically, Lynn walking beside her. A mischievous smile appeared on Lynn’s face, and Nina felt the tension ease just a little.
After they’d moved a few steps away from the car, Lynn leaned in close to Nina, lowering her voice so only she could hear.
“That Veronica,” Lynn whispered, squinting and glancing over her shoulder,“has a thing for my dad. And I really don’t like her. Can you believe she tricked him into going on a date with her?”
Nina turned sharply, her eyebrows shooting up.
