Page 108 of Stay With Me

And Trina… snorts. “Are you kidding? Neither of these old guys”—she points to Jack and Charlie—“are limber and agile enough to climb through a tiny rear window like you did. Thank God, you were there. I think I’m gonna tell Chief that they all need to start doing yoga.”

Everyone chuckles and Charlie feigns offense, “Hey, I’m limber.”

“Yeah, and I’m agile as fuck,” Jack teases.

“He most definitely is,” Annie chimes in as she walks out with cake. “What are we talking about?”

“Ew,” Trina and Ben say at the same time.

Annie and Shayna take seats at the table with the rest of us so we can all have our cake together.

“Oh, Emily, I meant to ask. Did you stay off your phone and your e-reader for the three days the doctor said you had to because of your concussion?”

I dart my eyes up to Charlie and he’s frozen, hand poised in the air holding a fork with a piece of cake on it, his eyes wide. He sets the fork down.

“Three days? Is that so, Annie? She was supposed to stay off them for three days?”

“Yeah. Let me guess, she didn’t last twenty-four-hours,” Annie says.

Charlie narrows his eyes at me, and I grin, batting my eyelashes innocently.

“Oh, she lasted”—Charlie pierces me with his eyes—“But I’m wondering why she’s been making me read to her from that smut book you all are reading for book club. And not just for three days, but all week.” He doesn’t take his eyes off me.

I shrug. “It’s more fun when you read it. Especially the spicy scenes. Sorry, not sorry.”

Just like we didn’t all go through one of the most harrowing times of our lives a week and a half ago, we’re all smiling and laughing.

And it feels so damn normal it’s amazing.

CHAPTER40

CHARLIE

Excited yapping fills the air as Emily and I stand at the edge of the pen watching ten chunky puppies playing, tails wagging.

“That one there. With the purple ribbon on her collar. She’s our Molly,” Emily says.

I smile as the black lab pup runs around with another puppy, a chocolate lab who seems larger than all the other dogs in the enclosure. The two chase each other around the pen, occasionally tumbling over each other when their clumsy bodies cause them to trip on their oversized paws.

When the breeder finishes sending another one of the pups home with their new family, she strolls over to us.

“Are you ready for your little girl?”

“Yes, oh my gosh, this is so exciting!” Emily is practically bouncing with joy. The lady enters the pen and picks up Molly, then brings her over and hands her to Emily. Emily’s face lights up the minute the puppy is in her arms, and she draws Molly close to her chest, then leans down and kisses her on the nose.

“She’s perfect.”

A soft whining distracts me, and I glance down to see the puppy Molly was playing with at the edge of the pen. His soft whimpers are heart breaking as he looks up at Emily holding his buddy.

“May I pick up this one for a second?” I ask the lady.

“Sure. He’s gonna miss her. They’re two peas in a pod.”

I reach down into the pen and pick up the little fellow. He nuzzles up to my neck and plants a puppy kiss on my jaw as if to say, ‘Thanks for picking me up, Mister.’

“When’s this little guy going to his new home?’

The corners of the breeder’s mouth turn downward. “He’s got a while yet. He’s the last from a different litter, a month older than your Molly. The couple that was supposed to adopt him just emailed this morning to cancel. He’ll be back up on the website for adoption as soon as possible. You don’t want another, do you?” she jokes.

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