Page 54 of The Billionaire's Pawfect Match

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

“We’ll find him, sir,” the guard assures me. “I’m so sorry. I tried to stop him, but he slipped right past me. He’s fast.”

“It’s all right. It’s not your fault. Anyway, he can’t have gone far.”

But even as I say it, I know it’s a lie. Baxter is curious, adventurous. The city is an endless labyrinth of sights and smells for a dog like him. He could be anywhere.

I walk on, my eyes never ceasing their search. Every honk, every shout sends a jolt of fear through me. Is it Baxter? Has someone found him? Or worse — has something happened to him?

“Please,” I pray to no one in particular, “let him be safe.”

“Isaac!”

I turn at the sound of my name, my heart leaping in my chest. It’s Carol, finally back from her errands, her face flushed from running.

“Carol, thank God,” I breathe out. “Have you?—”

“No,” she cuts me off, her voice tight. “I just heard. I’m so sorry, Isaac.”

“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, though part of me wants to blame someone, anyone, other than myself.

“Let’s go in opposite directions and circle back around,” she suggests. “We can cover more ground that way.”

“Good idea,” I agree, though I feel anything but good. We part ways, and I’m alone again in my search for Baxter.

As I search, asking people if they’ve seen a golden retriever anywhere, I think about how different things could have been if I’d only paid attention, if I hadn’t let the distractions of business and romance overshadow the simple task of caring for my dog. My father’s words echo in my mind, a reminder that responsibility is about more than just showing up — it’s about being present, being mindful.

“Please,” I say again, my voice breaking with the strain of holding back emotions that threaten to consume me. “Come home, Baxter.”

I should’ve been better. My father entrusted me with one simple task — to care for Baxter — and I couldn’t even manage that. The weight of his disappointment feels heavier than ever, even with him not here.

I’ve done it. I failed the test, just after starting to think I had aced it. There’s no coming back from this, I know. This will be the nail in the coffin both for my job and my self-worth.

And all because of a dog.

CHAPTER 26

ISAAC

My lungs burn, feet pounding against the concrete, each step taken in desperation. I have to find Baxter before Emily knows he’s gone. If she finds out, she’ll be so worried, so stressed… and maybe — selfishly, I think — angry with me.

Sweat beads on my forehead, not just from exertion but also from the awful sense of guilt pressing down on me. I know this was all my fault, and because I didn’t pay attention this morning, something horrible might have happened to Baxter. With all the traffic in this city…

The poor dog. He trusts me to care for me, to keep him safe, and in the end I’ve just let him down.

“Here, Baxter,” I call out, voice cracking, hoping for a miracle.

I scour alleyways and parks, anywhere he might have wandered off to. The city feels vast, overwhelming — each person I pass oblivious to the urgency that tightens my chest.

A leaf flutters to the sidewalk, landing in front of my feet. It reminds me of when Emily and I walked through the park,laughing as Baxter chased the dandelion puffs, his tail wagging like a metronome keeping time with our happiness. Now, every second without him stings with the sharpness of lost moments.

I check my phone for the twentieth time. No messages, no missed calls. My thumb hovers over Emily’s contact, but I can’t face her yet — not without Baxter by my side. I can’t let her see this failure; after all, she entrusted me with something precious.

The sun climbs higher, each minute that passes a reminder that time is running out. Panic seethes under my skin, a living thing desperate to escape. I remind myself to breathe, slow and deep, but it does no good.

My phone rings in my pocket, making me jump, and I quickly pull it out. Maybe someone has found Baxter.

It’s Emily, though.

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