Forever Home. Allyson Charles
playing. The rest of the space was filled with old, lumpy sofas and threadbare armchairs for the animals to snooze on. Dog beds were nestled in the corners, and crates lined the walls for the animals that preferred to sleep enclosed. Colorful, weatherproof, and drool-proof throw pillows had started on the couches but now were scattered about on the floor. Even the cages had old mattresses on the ground to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep for the dogs.
When they stepped in, he and Izzy were immediately surrounded by a horde of yapping dogs, each trying to wriggle as close as possible to get a little love.
Brad dropped to a squat and scratched a corgi under the chin. A yellow Lab stuck her tongue in Brad’s ear and whined. Laughing, Brad turned and gave the flirt a good chest rub. He wished he had enough hands to pet them all.
Izzy crowded close to him, holding her bag high against her chest. “Is this normal?” she shouted above the clamor. “Do they always swarm you?”
“Every single time I come in here.” That was the best part of his job. No matter if he was gone for five minutes or five hours, the dogs were always so excited to see him. How could anyone resist that?
Evidently Izzy could. She frowned and shooed a short-haired mixed breed away.
Brad gave a few more belly rubs and stood. “You’re not a dog person, huh?”
“I’m sure they’re fine.” She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “For someone who has the time to train and bathe them. That’s not me.”
“Don’t forget play with them.” Striding to a large basket full of dog toys, Brad pulled out a plush football with a turkey’s head and legs jutting out of it and tossed it across the room. Five dogs scrambled over each other to try to get to the toy first. “Playing with the dogs can take up a lot of time, but that’s the best part.”
Izzy didn’t look convinced. She walked around the room, three dogs trailing at her heels. “I didn’t expect all the furniture you have in here. I thought the dogs would just be sleeping on the ground.”
“Dogs like to be comfortable, just like humans. Besides, we try to create the type of normal environment most of these dogs will be going home to.” A young Great Dane pranced over to him holding the turkey ball, and Brad engaged in a tug-of-war with him to get it back. “When we can get volunteers, we have them play with the dogs and take them for walks. When we run out of room here, we get our dogs into foster care, get them accustomed to living in homes with people. And having human furniture in here helps the dogs transition to a forever home more easily.”
Izzy stopped walking and lowered the hand that held her phone. “A forever home,” she said wistfully.
He looked at the screen of her phone and scratched his chest. “Are you taking pictures?”
A flush crawled up her neck to her cheeks. “I thought my daughter, Ana, would want to see pictures of this. Unlike me, she’s a big animal lover.” She slid the phone into her trench pocket.
“You should bring her by. Show her the puppies her brave mom saved.”
Izzy shook her head. “Uh-uh. If she saw one of these dogs, she’d beg me to let her take it home. That’s not happening.”
“Why? There are six new dogs here now that need to find good homes. And we’re full up.”
“You don’t put them down if no one adopts them, do you?” She worried her bottom lip, her small teeth sinking into the plump flesh.
His mouth grew moist, and he swallowed. “Would you adopt the lot if I said I did?”
“No!”
Brad raised an eyebrow. He’d bet she would. She might not want the dogs, but Isabelle Lopez had a big heart. “Don’t worry. This is a no-kill shelter. But that doesn’t mean the dogs can stay here forever. They need homes. Are you sure you wouldn’t consider adopting?” He scooped up a dog that looked somewhere between a basset hound and a chihuahua and held it up to her face. “He’ll love you forever if you take him home with you.”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “Even if I had the inclination to have a pet, I couldn’t afford one. Not when Ana goes to college in nine years. I have to be responsible.”
“Responsible Izzy doesn’t sound very fun. And money isn’t everything.” He hid his face behind the dog’s head and waved the dog’s paw. “I promise I’ll be a good boy,” he said in a McGruff the Crime Dog bass voice. “I’ll bring you your slippers, lick your plate clean, and snuggle up with you anytime you want.” He peeked around the dog’s head and met Izzy’s eye roll. Sighing, he lowered the dog to his chest. “You’re a tough nut to crack.”
She shrugged, but then a smile spread across her face, lighting her eyes and stealing Brad’s breath. His chest expanded. Maybe she wasn’t that tough. Maybe—
Something wet and warm spread across his stomach. His chest deflated on a sigh. He had the bad feeling it hadn’t been his charm and wit that had lit Izzy up. Following her gaze, he looked down, and yep, the little guy had peed on him.
Not a great recommendation for a prospective dog owner. “House training doesn’t come standard.”
She laughed, a full-throated chuckle that reminded him of sultry nights dancing under the stars. Brad made it his mission right then and there to hear that laugh again.
“Well, if I can’t interest you in a dog, how about dinner?” He put the little pisser down and pulled his wet shirt from his stomach. “I promise to shower before I pick you up.”
Strolling for the door to the exam room, Izzy shook her head. “No, thanks.”
He trailed after her, careful not to close the door on a dog’s inquisitive nose. “You have to eat, don’t you? Your daughter is invited, too, of course.”
“Still no.” She paused, darted a quick glance at the boxer mix lying in the corner, and then pushed on into the hallway.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to,” she said breezily. “Thanks for the tour and for not calling the police. I appreciate it!” And with a little wave over her shoulder, she sauntered out to the back alley.
Brad watched the door close behind her.
“That was quite a crash and burn, man,” Gabe said from the exam room.
“Bite me,” he replied good-naturedly. Pulling his T-shirt over his head, he walked into his office and found another one in his desk drawer. Yes, Isabelle Lopez had shot him down. But what would be the fun if the chase ended too quickly? As he’d said, she was a tough nut to crack. But one thing Brad’s childhood had taught him was patience. Patience and perseverance. Izzy didn’t know it yet, but she had become a challenge.
And there was nothing Brad loved more than a challenge.
Chapter Three
Izzy held tight to Ana’s hand as her daughter tugged her across the street toward her school.
“I’m going to be late. Again.” Ana might only be nine, but she could turn on the attitude of a cocktail waitress ten minutes after last call when it suited her. This didn’t bode well for her teenage years.
“You’re not that late. Besides, I was talking to a client. I couldn’t just hang up on him.” The client hadn’t been happy with Izzy’s recommendation to drop the price on his house by ten thousand, but the small single-family residence wasn’t selling. It was the best option.
Izzy smiled at the crossing guard and checked her watch. She was going to be late for a meeting with her boss, too, if she wasn’t careful. At the gate to the school, she turned her daughter toward her and leaned in for a kiss. “Have a good day, baby. Mama loves you.” She tugged on her daughter’s ponytail and was rewarded with a faint smile.
“Love ya, too.” Ana threw her arms around Izzy’s neck.
Izzy