Page 107 of Hey, Daddy

That wouldn’t work.

Not now.

I didn’t think that Haze had it in him to say goodbye a second time.

“What’s the other option?” I murmured quietly.

If I could save Desi and Haze any heartache at all, I would be happy.

God, today had been awful.

“Cremation,” he answered. “We have a facility that comes and picks up daily. From there you can get him cremated with all the other dogs, and no ashes returned. Or you can pay a little extra and those ashes will be returned to you with a small plaque.”

I swiped at my eyes. “Can you help me take care of that really quick so that they don’t have to?”

“Of course,” he agreed, gesturing for me to follow him.

“I usually have staff here to deal with this, but it being a holiday, I sent them all home, intending to take care of the animals all myself. I truly wish I had been able to help more.”

“I’m just glad that you waited for Haze to be here,” I admitted as he took me up to the front desk and gave me a pamphlet.

I took it, running my fingers over the “Rainbow Meadows” name.

“I don’t know what that woman’s problem was, but if there was a single person in this world that I would suggest didn’t need another pet, it’d be her,” he grumbled darkly.

I liked him.

“We’re on the same page, Doc,” I admitted. “Long story short, Finn stayed with that little girl in there after her parents divorced. Haze didn’t get to see his dog much after that, and they’d just won him back in a custody case.”

“I think there’s a special place in hell for people like her,” he grumbled. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I had to meet y’all like this.”

I grinned. “Did you just start this practice?”

He turned the credit card machine around as he answered, “Kind of. I took over from my grandfather. I was intending to work for a non-profit for a while, but that didn’t quite work out since my grandfather suffered a health scare. Now I’m doing this.”

He didn’t sound too happy about it.

But I didn’t press.

Instead, I signed the credit card receipt, put down my new address, and turned back to the room where Desi and Haze were still huddled on the floor.

“I’m going to head outside and make a phone call,” I said quietly. “Thank you again so much.”

He nodded and turned his head back toward the room where Desi was still sobbing her heart out.

“You’re welcome.”

I stepped outside and immediately put the phone to my ear.

Shasha answered on the first ring.

“What’s up?” he asked.

I explained the situation, and he grumbled something dark underneath his breath. “Looked into the ex a little bit after I found out about you and the detective.”

“Yeah?” I asked, unsurprised, really, to find out that he’d done that.

Shasha and his overprotective state.

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