Page 225 of Vegas Heat

She doesn’t say it, but I get the feeling I’m a lock because they think it will be good for my father if I travel with the team. Maybe it’s just my own insecurities showing again, but part of me hates the idea that I’m potentially getting a job like this just because of my genetics.

“And lest you think your father has anything at all to do with this, I want you to think about what an asset you’ve become to the marketing department. Not just to me, but to the entire team. Your talent and your attitude are what got you here.”

I’m using the team’s social media accounts to mitigate the damage the new players might’ve caused today. I’m using social media to showcase the good in this team, to show the excitement and the optimism.

None of the other interns today were taking footage all day. None of the others were posting TikToks from the float. They were waving and throwing out candy and laughing and having fun while I was working.

I feel like I’m always working lately, and that’s the kind of dedication the Heat is looking for in their next social media manager.

Maybe Iamdeserving of the position, and maybe it’s time I start believing in myself.

I hope that sentiment continues to grow stronger as time marches forward.

My dad is released from the hospital a week after he entered it, and he’s been resting at home, which has made it harder to have secret rendezvous with Cooper.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, my dad calls me into the family room, where he’s resting on the couch with Joanie sitting on the cushion beside him.

“Can we talk?” he asks.

I nod, and I perch on the edge of the recliner nearby.

“Joanie and I were talking about what comes next for us, and with the wedding in our future and the fact that she’s practically been living here anyway…well, we think it’s time for her to sell her place and move in here, but we wanted to run it by you first,” he says.

“By me?” I ask, my hand moving to my chest in surprise.

“Of course. You live here, too, and you deserve to have a say in it,” Joanie says.

“I’d love it if you moved in here,” I say with a wide grin. I’m just happy my dad has found happiness with someone who is so dedicated to caring for him. I can see how much she loves him, and it’s the kind of love we all deserve.

I finally dial up Joanie’s niece, Nicole the veterinarian, later that day.

“I have a client who has a litter of eight-week-old Golden Retriever puppies if you’re interested. She’s here at my clinic right now if you want to swing by and take a look,” she offers. “They’re all vaccinated and microchipped, and we’ve also been working on potty training and leash training. I have everything you’d need to care for the pup right here in the office.”

It feels serendipitous—like I finally called her, and she has a puppy ready for me. I hop in the car and head over to the address she gave me, and I spot a little puppy play area fenced off in the middle of the clinic’s lobby.

Two puppies are racing around playing with each other. Another is chasing its own tail. And a fourth is lying off to the side, apparently resting after a busy morning with the other three.

A woman walks up beside me. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Gabby,” I say. “I called and spoke with Nicole a little while ago.”

She gives me a broad smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Nicole.”

I shake her hand and echo how it’s nice to meet her, too, and we turn our attention back to the dogs.

“The three playing are male, and the cutie resting over there is the lone female. There were eight total in the litter, and these four are all Darlene has left.”

I head over toward the female. “May I?” I ask, indicating that I want to pick her up.

Nicole nods. “Go right ahead while you can. That little cutie could get all the way up to seventy pounds when she’s fully grown.”

I can picture Cooper and myself hiking up a mountain with a sweet seventy-pound Golden Retriever…and then I remember that this dog isn’t for me.

She’s a gift for my dad.

Still…I live with my dad, so I’ll get the chance to fall in love with her, too. And she’ll still need walks when my dad isn’t home.

Okay, fine. Maybe I’msort ofgetting the dog for me, too.

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