Page 34 of Devoted Enough

The next stop was my lawyer’s office. I needed to find out how to donate anonymously to the new dog park coming to town. If I couldn’t have Haven the way I wanted, I would make damn sure she wasn’t stressed about money.

Chapter Six

HAVEN

I stared down at my car and the new tires that replaced the ones that literally had zero tread on them. “Hank? Why does my car have all new tires on it?”

He looked at the car, nodded, and said, “It does seem to have new tires on it.”

My hands went to my waist. “Hank?”

He held up his hands. “It wasn’t me, Haven. Someone was, um…paying it forward. They said to take care of the next customer, and you happened to be that customer. Pure luck.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I said, “Did this someone have a name?”

Hank grinned. “Santa Claus was the name I believe he gave.”

I tilted my head and regarded him. “Is that so?”

“Yep, that is the way of it.”

Sighing, my hands dropped to my sides. “Was it Ted?”

Hank choked. “Ted?”

“Ted Reynolds?”

Hank laughed. “The farrier?”

“Yes.”

“Why would it be him?”

I could tell from his surprised response that it hadn’t been Ted who had done the good deed.

When I didn’t answer, he said, “Are you dating him?”

“Well, I mean, we’ve gone out a few times.”

Hank whistled and said, “Nate know?”

My heart felt like it dropped to my stomach. “Nate did this?”

“What makes you think that?”

I narrowed my eyes and pointed to Hank. “Hank, you never were a good liar. Was Nate Shaw playing Santa Claus today?”

He closed his eyes as he scrubbed his hand down his face. “Well, damn it. Please don’t tell him I told you.”

I blinked a few times, looked at my car, then back to Hank. “Nate bought my tires?”

He nodded. “He said if you wanted to pay him back, you could, but I think he wanted to do this for you, Haven.”

My mouth opened, and I quickly shut it. I didn’t even know what to say, but I shouldn’t be surprised. My mind drifted to the other night when he held me while I cried. He was so tender, and when he whispered he would be there for me, it had been the cause of more tears because I knew he would never be there for me the way I wanted.

“Nate did this,” I said again as I faced my car. “Why would he do that?”

“I’m guessing it’s because he cares for you and didn’t want to see you driving around with unsafe tires.”

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