Page 15 of Moore to Love

Ellie bent down to pick up her daughter and settled her on her hip. “I’m glad we weren’t in the way.”

“Definitely not. You’re welcome back whenever you’d like,” I offered, hoping that she’d make this a regular thing. And not just because today had been so successful—I liked that I didn’t have to wait until Monday to see her again.

“Oooh, can we come back tomorrow, Mommy?” Benjamin pleaded.

Ellie shook her head. “Sorry, but they only do this on Saturdays, kiddo.”

“Next Saturday?” he asked.

Ellie pressed her lips together as she took a slow, deep breath through her nose. Then she answered, “You might be with your daddy next weekend, but maybe the Saturday after that. Okay?”

“Uh-huh,” Benjamin muttered.

“I better get these two home.” Madison rested her cheek against Ellie’s shoulder, sleepy eyes so much like her mom’s slowly blinking. “It’s been such a fun afternoon, they might even N-A-P after the excitement wears off.”

“I know how to spell that word,” Benjamin grumbled, glaring up at his mom.

“But your sister doesn’t.” She winked at him. “So it’s our little secret.”

His lips curved up, and he walked onto the sidewalk as I held the door open. “Thanks for coming.”

Ellie flashed me a smile over her shoulder. “See you on Monday.”

“Don’t be surprised if Joshua leaves a bunch of adoption paperwork for you to finish up,” I warned.

“I look forward to playing my part in their forever homes.”

I watched them cross the parking lot to her crappy car and waited until she’d pulled out of the parking lot to let the door close. Feeling Meghan’s stare, I turned to find her standing with arms crossed against her chest and her brows drawn together. “What?”

She shook her head. “I’ve helped with a lot of the adoption days here, and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you talk someone out of taking an animal home with them. Normally, you’re pushing our strays on anyone and everyone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m a mom.” She jerked her chin toward the puppy playpen. “You’d have to be a lot farther away than that for me not to be able to hear what you said to Benjamin when he asked about taking a puppy home.

“Okay, but I don’tpush,” I denied.

“If you think they’ll take good care of an animal, you absolutely do,” she disagreed with a laugh. “That’s how Waverly ended up with Wiggles just last month.”

“Fine,” I huffed. “Maybe I push a little, but only when someone is a perfect match for one of our rescues. And as much as Benjamin and Madison would love on one of those puppies, it’s Ellie’s call if she wants to take on another responsibility right now. She’s already got a lot going on.”

“You’re not going to get any arguments from me there.” Meghan held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m lucky enough to have Roger around to help me with Tony and Luna, and I still won’t let you talk me into taking another cat home because my plate is pretty full.”

“Even though Tony won’t help you with the litter box,” I teased.

She shrugged with a grin. “That’s what I have Roger for.”

Her husband would do just about anything for her, and she was head over heels for him. Which made him the perfect distraction from her asking any more questions about Ellie. Meghan was a great vet assistant, but she was also nosy as hell. I needed to be more careful around her…before she realized how attracted I was to her new coworker.

8

ELLIE

It was only my second week at the first job I’d had in years, and I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if my boss’s beard would leave marks on my face if we kissed. Or my inner thighs.

Stray thoughts like that made it hard to concentrate, especially when he leaned his perfect butt against the side of my desk and stared down at me with his gorgeous dark eyes.

Heat filled my cheeks as I cleared my throat and asked, “Sorry, my mind wandered. Could you repeat that?”

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