Page 69 of Rip Ryder's Second Chance

She glanced over at Waffles. “I better take you to doggy daycare first.”

He gave a little whimper.

After she’d tried to call her cousin, Dorothy, twice but with no response, Sadie dropped her phone into the console and concentrated on the road into Dove Grey. The last three times she’d received similar urgent messages there had been no emergency at all. One time Dorothy needed a pack of cigarettes and another she’d run out of coffee.

Once she drove over the stone bridge into town, she turned onto a side street, dropped Waffles off at the daycare, then followed Chestnut to Dorothy and Ruby’s apartment. Parking in front of the complex and getting out, Sadie surveyed the unkempt lawn and felt a heaviness settle in her chest. This wasn’t the optimal place to raise a six-year-old, but hopefully, before Christmas, this all would change.

Making her way up the set of creaking steps to the second floor, she stepped over and walked around trash and broken beer bottles to get to apartment two-twenty-two. She knocked and the door swung open to a groggy-looking Dorothy who wore paint-spattered cut offs and a too-tight bra. Her double Ds nearly spilled out of the lace cups. Sadie and Dorothy had never been close. With five years dividing them in age, they never hung out and didn’t have anything in common…except for Ruby. Dorothy knew Sadie would do almost anything for the little girl and often used that kernel of information as leverage.

“It took you long enough.” Dorothy’s nostrils flared.

“I’ve told you before. I can’t just drop everything and come running,” Sadie said in a lowered voice, unsure if Ruby was awake yet. The child had been through enough.

Dorothy snorted and sashayed her way back into the living room.

Sadie followed and at once got a strong whiff of stale whiskey, cigarette smoke, and old pizza. Although the evidence was long gone, the stench clung to the yellowed curtains and peeling pleather couch that had seen better days—years.

After closing the door, Sadie opened one of the weather-warped, cracked windows to let air into the dinky, cluttered room.

“You’re not the only one who has a schedule to keep, princess.” Dorothy heaved a sigh as she picked up a cigarette pack, shook it greedily and realized it was empty. She crumpled the paper and tossed it onto the coffee table along with toys and old fashion magazines addressed to a doctor’s office.

“I didn’t think you had to be at Hillbilly Tom’s Dancing Queens until evening?”

“I’m not dancing at that dump any longer. I’m looking for something better.”

Sadie had never liked that her cousin worked as an exotic dancer because of the dangers, but at least it paid for groceries and part of the rent on the apartment. Sadie had been taking on extra clients so she could afford to help support Dorothy and Ruby. “Don’t you think you should have held out until you found something else?” Sadie started to sit but the sight of a mysterious white glob on the chair cushion put her off.

“I didn’t call you for a lecture.” Dorothy’s lip curled.

“Then why did you call me and where’s Ruby?” Sadie glanced at the clock on the wall. If the time was correct, she was running late for her meeting.

“She’s still sleeping. I swear that kid will sleep till noon if I let her.” Dorothy searched through a pile of trash in a basket. “Can’t a woman find a damn cigarette when she needs one?”

“Now about why you called me…” Sadie had to keep her on track.

“Ruby has a doctor’s appointment this morning.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could have switched my schedule around to take her.”

“I don’t needyouto take her,” Dorothy whined. “I’m a little short on cash and gas.” She planted on a smile that probably worked with a lot of the big tippers over at the dance club.

Sadie felt an internal tug-of-war. Giving Dorothy money only meant she’d keep asking, but when it came to Ruby, Sadie couldn’t let the little girl suffer. “I have a little money in my purse in the truck, but we need to talk about you signing over the guardianship rights for Ruby to me. It has been three months.”

“I thought I’m supposed to only speak about my rights to that uppity attorney you hired?”

“Leah has reached out to you a handful of times and you haven’t returned any of her calls.” Sadie kept her voice calm and collected. A slight rise in tone could send Dorothy headlong into an outburst.

“Let’s just say, you trying to take my kid isn’t top priority on my list these days.” She sent the ends of her long hair over one shoulder.

Sadie had to take a deep, calming breath before she responded. Her cousin hadn’t always been like this, demanding and ungrateful. At some point while she was living in New York pursuing an acting career, she’d gotten mixed up into heavy drugs and during one of those week-long binges, Ruby was conceived. “You make it sound like I’m kidnapping her, Dorothy. After the accident—”

“Oh, my Gawd! Do we have to relive the accident every time we see each other?”

“Fine. Six months ago, while you were sober and Ruby was still in the hospital, we decided you’d sign over parental rights before Christmas.”

“I was at a low point. You took advantage of me.” She sniffed dramatically, crocodile tears hovering behind her lashes.

“You askedmeto adopt Ruby.” Sadie knew she’d never win an argument when her cousin never saw her own fault—and if the money kept coming.

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