Page 257 of Beautiful Collide

“Look.” Josie waves at me like she hasn’t seen me in years. “Isn’t he cute?”

I blink, taking in the scene.

She points at the dog, and I shake my head, but then I hear the distinct sound of a second dog and I pivot to find the source. That’s when I see a smaller dog sitting on the couch, and lo and behold, Molly sits next to it. Her hand rests gently on its head like the puppy is already hers.

“Nope.” I run a hand through my hair. This is bad.

Molly looks up, and I can tell she’s trying not to laugh. “Hi, Hudson.”

Damn her and her innocent smile.

“Hi, Hudson?” I move closer to her. “No, absolutely not.”

“What?” She acts like she has no clue what I’m saying no to.

“You don’t get to act casual about this. There are dogs in my house. Plural. Explain.”

Josie jumps up, scoops up her squirming puppy, and holds it against her chest. “We adopted them. Aren’t they adorable?”

I blink at her, then look back at Molly, who suddenly finds the dog sitting with her very interesting.

“You what?” This is not happening.

“We adopted them.” Molly finally meets my gaze. “You remember the adoption event? Well, they were still looking for homes, so . . .”

“You went behind my back and brought a dog into the house?”

“It’s not behind your back.” Molly raises an eyebrow. “You’re standing right here.”

Josie bursts out laughing, and I shoot her a glare. “You’re not helping.”

“Don’t be mad,” Josie says, and I return my attention to her. She’s currently flashing me her most innocent smile.Don’t fall for it.“Look at this face.” She tilts her puppy toward me.

Molly stands with her puppy in hand and walks up to me. She places a kiss on my lips, which is followed by the white fluff ball in her hands licking me too.

“Dammit.” I wipe my face. “That’s cheating.”

“Well, that’s my cue to leave. Have fun with your new pup,” Josie says as she moves to leave the room.

Molly waves as Josie heads out the door. Once we’re alone, I look over at Molly. Both she and the dog are giving me puppy eyes.

This is cruel torture.

How can I say no to this?

I cross my arms. “All right, Hex. Spill.”

Molly sighs, patting the dog’s head as she looks up at me. “It’s not a big deal, Hudson. I’ve wanted a dog for a while, and this one needed a home. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” I narrow my eyes. “Molly, you don’t just adopt a dog. So what’s going on?”

She hesitates, her fingers stilling against the dog’s fur.

“Molly,” I say, my voice softer now. “Talk to me.”

She lets out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging slightly. “I told Dane about your injury.”

The words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I just stare at her, trying to process what she said. “You what?”

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