Page 4 of Since the Day We Kissed

She tried to push down the nagging feeling that this moment of bliss was the calm before the storm. But even as she lost herself in Ethan’s embrace, the niggling sense of unease remained, like a splinter lodged beneath her skin.

Then, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head, her muscles tensed, her body went rigid, and her eyes snapped open. The dreamy haze of passion evaporated in an instant.

Her dad.

She needed to go inside.

Now.

As she broke the kiss, Ethan cupped Kara’s chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His touch was featherlight, yet it seemed to burn against her flushed skin, igniting a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. The intensity of his piercing blue eyes left her breathless.

“I love you. You know that, right? I’ll love you forever, Kara,” he whispered.

He spoke with a fierce conviction that she felt reverberating in every bone of her body. It filled her up, consuming her wholly and completely in a way she had never experienced before.

All she could do was nod while overcome and unable to find her voice.

“I know,” she finally whispered back, her voice catching with the swell of feelings. “I love you too, but I really have to go.”

Reluctantly, she slid back over to her side of the truck and reached for the door handle, already missing his touch and closeness. “You better call me.”

Before she could jump out, he stretched across and grasped her small hand in his, entwining their fingers together. “You know I will.”

1

Kara

Present Day

Friday

Everythinghadfinallycaughtup to her.

Kara Walker’s fingers trembled over the keyboard.

She refreshed the page three times, hoping for a different result.

But the numbers didn’t lie.

They only confirmed her worst fears.

Second Chance Animal Rescue was at full capacity.

She stared at the screen, heart sinking as she scrolled down the lengthy list of recent intakes. Outside her window, May flowers bloomed, oblivious to the crisis unfolding within these walls. For nearly two decades, she’dneverturned away a single stray, but now they were arriving faster than she could find them new homes.

The harsh reality settled in her gut: The next abandoned soul to land on her doorstep would be the first she’d have to turn away.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Kara minimized the spreadsheet with a shaky breath. The old office chair groaned as she pushed it back, its mismatched wheels snagging on the uneven floor. She rose, stretching her back as her stiff joints popped. Then with practiced ease, she navigated the obstacle course of her office-turned-storeroom. Towers of dog food bags and cleaning supplies loomed over her as she wove between them, their presence a constant reminder of the countless lives depending on her care.

As Kara reached for the door, a stack of folders began to topple. Kara’s reflexes kicked in, and she lunged, catching them midair. With a sigh, she placed them back on the shelf, then wondered for the hundredth time if she’d ever get proper storage.

The lobby air enveloped her the moment she stepped inside—astringent disinfectant warring with the earthy musk of kibble. It was the rescue’s signature scent, one that often clung to her clothes long after her workday had ended. Kara’s shoes scuffed against linoleum that had seen better days, each step releasing a faint whiff of pine-scented floor cleaner.

As she arrived at the door to the kennel area, Kara paused, gathering her thoughts before plunging into the heart of the rescue. With a determined push, she opened the door. A chorus of barks, whines, and a lone shrill yap welcomed her as she entered the cavernous room lined with rows of fenced-in enclosures, each housing dogs of every imaginable size and breed. She walked down the first row of kennels, peering in each one.

How had it come to this?

Kara stopped at the fourth kennel and kneeled.

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