Page 18 of Shootout Daddies
She nods. “That’s awesome.”
“What about you? Are you close with your family?”
“No siblings either. My parents are still together, but they’re kind of…” She trails off.
“Kind of?”
“High-powered. Both lawyers. They love me. They just… don’t understand me. I didn’t go to civil law like they did. I went into entertainment law, and they didn’t really get it. Still don’t.”
I nod slowly. “You said you were going back to New York. When?”
“I just got a job that I’ll be starting right after summer.”
I don’t know why my heart sinks a little at that. “Happy about it?”
“I’m supposed to be. I don’t know. My last job didn’t end up being great, but this is a chance for something new.” She shrugs. “I’m figuring it out.”
The city melts past us, early morning light glinting off glass towers. Without warning, a small blur shoots across the street.
I slam the brakes hard.
The car jerks. Ivy gasps, hands bracing against the dash as the tires screech and the car veers slightly left.
We lurch to a stop.
Silence.
“Are you okay?” I ask immediately, heart hammering.
She nods, eyes wide. “Yeah. Just… what the hell was that?”
We climb out.
There on the sidewalk, panting and wild-eyed, is a puppy.
A Doberman, by the looks of it. Small. Maybe four months old. Skinny. Dirty. His ribs show under his sleek black coat, and there’s something off about the way he holds one paw.
Ivy crouches instantly, cooing softly. “Where the hell didyoucome from?”
She checks for a collar. Nothing.
“He might bite,” I warn, watching as she reaches for him anyway.
“He’s scared. Look at him.”
She scoops him into her arms like he weighs nothing. The dog doesn’t growl, doesn’t even flinch. Just nestles his head under her chin like he belongs there.
I stare at the image—her cradling a trembling puppy to her chest in my hoodie and sweatpants, barefoot on the street. Something about it knocks the air out of me.
“We should get him to a vet,” she says, her voice gentle but firm. “He needs to be checked out. I can call Brooke and ask about Buddy’s vet.”
“It’s not even eight a.m. Finding a place open now is gonna be tough.”
She turns those deep blue eyes on me. “What do we do? If we leave him here, he’ll die…”
I hesitate. Then sigh. “I know a guy.”
“Really?”
