Page 78 of The Love Shack

“Oh, it got worse,” she admitted. “In the middle of screaming that I was trash and should just die and do the world a favor, Baby got too close to her.” Heart aching, Berkley whispered, “She kicked him.”

Outrage widened his eyes. “That sweetlittledog?”

“My mother cried out as if she’d been kicked. Baby squealed over and over again, cowering in the corner...”

“Was he okay?”

She nodded. “Mostly scared, upset, but no lasting injury. It didn’t matter, though.” Still bemused over her own reaction, she confessed, “I lost it. One minute I’d been shrinking with shame, and then bam, I saw red. I was in her face, backing her up to the door with terrible threats. Apparently, I was convincing, because she ran out.”

Lawson made a strangled sound, and when she met his gaze, she realized he was trying not to laugh. Humor pulled at the corners of her lips, and she shoved his shoulder. “It isn’t funny.”

“Funny, no, except that I’m cheering you. Damn, Berkley, I wish I could have seen it.” He grinned. “And right after you chewed her a new one, she met up with me on the sidewalk. At least she had the good sense never to return.”

“I still feel bad for not knowing Chad was married.”

“That’s on Chad, not you. And it had nothing to do with that poor little dog. Anyone who mistreats an animal won’t get sympathy from me.”

“That’s what my mom said. Baby had already limped over to her and she was cuddling the dog, reassuring him while also praising me.”

“Poor dog.”

“Baby had never heard anyone shouting like that, and no one had ever struck him.” Even now, it enraged her to remember it. Sabrina had deserved to be blasted, but the dog had been entirely innocent; his only fault had been trying to defend Berkley. “Mom claimed I’d just met my calling.” Smile going crooked, Berkley said, “At first I thought she meant shouting—because I got really loud and mean. Then she explained that I was meant to protect animals. Turns out, she was right.”

“Yes, she was. So maybe when you remember that twisted tale, you can find something positive in it.”

“True. Because of that conflict, I found my way. After I lost Mom, I sold everything as quickly as I could. It was enough money for me to get a used car and get set up on my own, with money in the bank. Baby and I relocated to a small, pet-friendly apartment, and I got a job with a shelter.” She had poured herself into that job. During the day, the different dogs and cats had kept her preoccupied and given her purpose. They’d also entertained her and made her feel loved. At home, she’d had Baby for company to help get her through the first, most painful year. “I was at that shelter a long time, and I was content, but it didn’t pay much. I was starting to worry about the future, thinking of things I couldn’t afford.”

“Like a house?”

She nodded. “After Baby passed away and I got Hero, I knew he needed a yard. I worried endlessly about Cheese sneaking out and maybe getting into the road. Then I met Betty, and she told me she wanted to build a shelter here in Cemetery.” Holding out her arms, Berkley said, “Now I’m here, and I feel so lucky getting to run my own place, still with minimal pay but an adorable little house that I love.”And you, she wanted to say, because he was definitely a big perk. But she didn’t want Lawson to think she was pinning him down, so she kept that part to herself.

Being here with him, tonight, making plans for a relationship, it was enough.

“Unlike me,” he said, “you didn’t have to go halfway around the world to figure it out.”

“But how exciting to get to visit so many different places.”

“It gave me a healthy perspective on life, that’s for sure. After seeing so many disasters, I decided to settle down in one place.”

“What made you decide on Cemetery, Indiana?”

He looked off as if recalling something amusing. “I knew I wanted the Midwest. Familiar territory, you know? But I didn’t want to deal with a lot of crime, and I wanted that old-time vibe, where people pulled together and cared about each other. I saw that a lot in the more depressed areas of other countries. Community was big and people relied on each other.”

“Friends instead of adversaries.”

“I saw the ads for the lake, came to spend a few days to check it out and didn’t want to leave.” His gaze traced over her face. “I thought it would be entirely different from where I grew up, with more opportunity than the ravaged areas I helped rebuild.”

“You didn’t expect a blast from the past.”

“Or involvement. With you, both are nice surprises.”

It really was late, and Hero would start to worry, but she couldn’t resist. “Do you have another condom?”

“I have a whole box.”

“Think you could manage a quickie?”

Interest, and confidence, gave him a sexy smile. “Yeah, I can handle that. But then I’m walking you home, and I want your promise that we’ll get together again soon.”

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