Tobias’s lips quirk into a smile. "A menace. Still terrorizing anything that holds still, proving she's top dog."
"Good for her."
I should've been more of a menace. For most of my life I thought I was. At least in some sense. But it turns out I'm not at all who I believed I was.
Tobias tips his head toward the box sitting on the table. "What are you wrapping?"
My eyes go to the item I purchased using a little bit of the money Curtis and Lily paid me for my dress and engagement ring. "It's a set of candles for your parents. As a thank you for letting me stay here." It's not much, but since I don't know when my next paycheck is coming, I had to be a little careful.
Which is why I was attempting to sneak a little bit of tape and wrapping paper from Deidre's room, thinking no one would notice. One more failing to add to the list I’ve acquired.
Tobias studies me, and I fight the urge to squirm under his stare as I wait for the questions I know are coming. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it."
The fear that had been brewing in my belly over having to explain what happened dissipates just a little when he doesn’t ask why I felt the need to buy his parents a gift. "I hope so."
Tobias watches me for a second longer before jerking his chin the direction he came. "I should go. Make sure Copper hasn't innocenced any more of my throw pillows."
I nod, clutching the puppy in my arms a little tighter. "Thank you for taking her when I had to move." I lift the puppy. "And for this guy, I guess."
Tobias tucks his chin in a single nod. "You’ll have to let me know what you name him."
I start to tell him I will, but Tobias is already gone, his steps nearly silent as he leaves the house.
It’s a good thing. At least one of us was able to end theconversation. The less we interact, the better. Even if I thought there was a chance for us to reconnect, I have no business considering another relationship. I don't trust myself. Not now that I know what I'm capable of.
The puppy in my arms chooses this moment to lick at my chin, his tiny little tongue pulling me from the spiral I've fallen into countless times since my arrival. Tipping my head down, I can't help but smile as his big brown eyes meet mine. "I guess at least you trust me, huh?"
I may not be good at picking men—or making decisions involving those picked men—but I do know how to keep a dog alive.
To prove it, I carry the little ball of fur to the room where I’ve been staying, putting on my newly acquired hot pink shoes before heading to the garage housing the car I’m renting until I have enough money to buy one. Deidre offered to let me drive one of hers, but she’s already doing so much for me, and I don’t ever want to take advantage of her kindness.
Getting behind the wheel, I keep my new friend in my lap as I drive into town. Willow Bend is small, but it does have the basics, including a feed store. It's not quite as bougie as the pet stores around where I used to live in California, but it should have everything we need.
Carrying the puppy, I take him inside and start selecting items. I try to keep it to a minimum, but by the time I check out, he has more toys than he probably needs, a few different varieties of treats, a collar, leash, and a bag of food. Plus some puppy pads, because I really don't want to mess up Deidre’s house. Especially not after she's been so kind to me. Proving I do still have at least one person left on my side.
Driving back to the Bradshaw estate, I find myselfonce again fighting the thoughts trying to drag me down. The pit of self-doubt and deprecation I've been living in for way too long. And like before, the puppy Tobias gave me effectively stops the descent.
This time by peeing on my lap.
The warmth spreads across my thighs, traveling down the crease between my legs as I clench them together, hoping to keep the seat from the line of fire. There's nothing else I can do about it, so I just start to laugh.
And once I’ve started, I can't stop.
By the time I'm pulling back into the garage, I’m cackling like a maniac. Tears run down my face, and my stomach hurts from the constant clenching. But I’d rather my stomach hurt from that than from everything else, so I'm not going to complain.
As soon as I'm parked, I climb out, setting the puppy on the ground before checking out the mess he's made. Thankfully, he was situated closer to my knees, so it's just my pants that are soaked in cute little puppy pee. Deciding I'd rather walk around half naked than wearing pee pants, I kick off my shoes and wiggle out of my joggers.
After walking him to a small patch of grass right outside the door—making sure his tank is empty so I’m the only victim of his tiny bladder—I collect my soiled clothes, my sneakers, and as many items as I can carry in one load, before heading inside. Walking in through the garage door, I stop short when I discover the house isn’t empty.
But it’s not Deidre and Ted returning from her cookbook launch.
Titus is once again rifling through the fridge. He straightens from where he was crouched to retrieve a bag ofcarrots from the crisper drawer, eyes dropping to my bare legs, brows pinching together. “Where are your pants?”
For some reason his question sends me into a fit of semi-hysterical laughter again. The ridiculousness of it—ofeverything. The complete and total change my life has taken over the past two weeks. “The puppy peed on me.” I snort a little as I tip toward the edge of unhinged. “I forgot to make him go before we left the feed store.” Using the bag of food to block as much of my cheap granny panties as possible, I edge my way toward the back staircase. “I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for Titus to respond, I turn and rush up to the second floor of the mansion his parents own. The place is huge, so I’m out of breath by the time I reach my room. I don’t have many clothes—for the same reason I didn’t splurge on a gift for Deidre and Ted—so my only option is to pull on the pair of cheap sweats I bought to sleep in. Quickly tossing the soiled pants into the washer in the second-floor laundry room, I hurry back downstairs.
Titus has a pile of items stacked on the counter at this point, and is in the process of adding them to a bag. “My fiancée wants to make dog treats,” he explains, “but apparently we didn’t have enough carrots or sweet potatoes.” His eyes move to the puppy gnawing on a teal and purple octopus. “I’m guessing she’ll want to send some your way when she finds out you have a new little friend.”
