Page 7 of Rufus

“Maybe I’ll take him,” he murmured as he watched the little guy bouncing happily around the exercise area.

“Oh, but?—”

“What?” Rufus encouraged when Molly didn’t finish the sentence.

She gave him a beaming smile. “Nothing. I’m sure you and Angus will be a great fit.”

There was something in her tone and that overbright smile that made him question?—

Rufus froze as his cell phone vibrated in the front pocket of his jeans.

Hopefully with news of Mia and the baby!

CHAPTER THREE

Molly watched Rufus as he took the call, knowing by the sudden smile of pure pleasure and the tears of joy gleaming in his eyes, along with the thumbs-up sign he turned to give her, that Mia had definitely had the baby.

Which was Molly’s cue to go to the front desk and give Rufus a few minutes of privacy. In all probability, the call was from his son-in-law, Darius.

To be honest, she was grateful for the few minutes’ respite after almost giving away the fact that Angus was a particular favorite of hers. So much so that she usually took the Westie up to her apartment with her in the evenings after everyone else had gone home. He also slept at the bottom of her bed at night. But she always made sure he was back in his kennel in the morning before anyone else came in to work.

There was absolutely no point in her attempting to permanently adopt the little dog. None of her previous jobs had lasted longer than a few months, and she couldn’t drag Angus around the country with her. That wouldn’t be fair to him. No, far better that Rufus adopted him.

It would be damned ungrateful of her to ever let Mia guess how lonely Molly often felt here in the evenings. She found it puzzling that she even felt that way when she’d been alone for most of her life. But the creaking of the building and the occasional barking of the dogs, possibly when they saw an urban fox go past or heard an owl hoot, could sometimes be a little unnerving.

“Mia is well, it’s a girl, they’ve named her Elizabeth Anoushah Kingston, and she weighs exactly six pounds!”

Molly turned just in time for her hands to be able to grip an excited Rufus’s shoulders as he swept off her feet and spun her around several times in the empty reception area. His face was still alight with the same joy as earlier, his smile so wide it spread from ear to ear.

Molly had happy tears in her own eyes when Rufus finally put her down.

Except he didn’t release her immediately. Instead, his arms remained about her waist as they both stilled and their gazes met and held, the air between them suddenly feeling charged with…something.

Molly was loath to put a name to it. She did know Rufus’s proximity was making it difficult for her to breathe. Along with the fact that his boyish happiness and casual clothing made him look more approachable and ten years younger than he did in his formal three-piece suits.

It really should be illegal for a man his age to look this good in a simple black T-shirt and faded blue jeans!

Molly certainly hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him since he’d changed into the more casual clothing. She especially liked the way the T-shirt clung to his wide shoulders and muscular chest, and how the jeans molded to his taut glutes and long legs.

“I have to shower and change my clothes first, but would you like to come to the hospital with me?”

Molly instantly woke from the spell she’d been under. Her eyes were wide as she licked the sudden dryness of her lips. “Won’t I be in the way?”

“Why the hell would you think that?” Rufus rasped, his arms dropping to his sides as he took a step back.

Molly instantly felt bereft without the warmth of his body so close to her own.

And she’d thought that because she wasn’t part of Mia’s family.

Because although she had never had a friend who was a new mother before, she knew, from watching numerous TV shows, that usually it was only family who were allowed in to visit a mother and her new baby. And Mia and Darius’s baby was very new.

“You’ll need to shower and change your clothes too before we leave, after working with the animals all morning. Mia particularly asked that I bring you with me,” he added in a softer voice when Molly didn’t answer.

Immediately crushing Molly’s hope that he had wanted her to accompany him.

That disappointment was quickly replaced by the excitement of knowing Mia had asked for her.

Molly knew Rufus had done a security check on her before she began working in the shelter, so he must know how enticing that request was to someone who had been put into care at the age of ten.

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