Page 14 of Bond Strength

“Holy shit, I’m hungry,” Ray said as he launched into his cheesesteak like he’d never eaten a meal in his life. Granted, my stomach rumbled pretty hard too. I’d been working like a beast today, and even with the cooler autumn temps, I’d still sweated like a fiend. And my boss, Brandon, kept adding extra tasks to my workload. I was supposed to hit Declan’s house last, and that was the sole thing energizing me.

Because the time with him at Rory’s party last weekend was the closest I’d come to him in years.

The closest I’d gotten to reaching across the divide that had built between us.

I bit into my cheesesteak. Sal’s made decent ones, though my favorite steak shops were still the old mom-and-pop shops that had been around for fifty-plus years. The flavors of meat, cheese, and grease exploded on my tongue, and I bit back the moan. Yeah, fucking worth the stop.

“Thanks again for covering for me the other day,” Ray said around a mouthful of cheesesteak. “Brandon and I had our concert to get to, and we would never have made it otherwise.”

Irritation prickled through me fast and fierce. While I was happy I’d gotten the job at Declan’s house, this wasn’t the first time Brandon pulled strings. I’d missed a volunteer shift with Petie the other week just to accommodate and probably for some trivial bullshit. I was getting so damn sick of having a boss who abused the fact that I pitched in. I needed to start looking somewhere else, something I’d been meaning to do for a long while. But I ended up paralyzed by not wanting to disappoint people, over and over. And it didn’t help that Brandon and I had graduated together.

Instead of responding, I took another bite of my cheesesteak, and the delicious taste did lift my mood a little bit. Honestly, until the last few months, I’d been content coasting. I loved my family, and I had enough social invites to keep me distracted.

However, this past year, I’d started to feel scraped away at the edges. Like if someone peeled back my mask, they’d find…nothing. As if I’d given pieces and pieces of myself but never replaced them.

Very grimdark thoughts while eating a cheesesteak in the middle of the fucking day at Sal’s.

“Right, I better get to my next house,” Ray said. “I’ll give the quote and clear the fuck out. Those storm clouds don’t look promising.”

“Psh, storm clouds.” I shook my head. “I’ll deal with it if an actual storm shows up.”

“You say that now…” Ray hopped from his seat, clapped me on the shoulder, and strode toward the door. I stared at my cheesesteak. As much as I could eat more, I’d save it for later. Finding out Brandon had used me again soured my stomach.

Luckily for me, with a little time to spare before the next job, I knew the best place to go.

I ditched Sal’s, tossed my wrapped-up cheesesteak in the passenger’s seat, and peeled onto the highway. A few minutes later, I slowed and pulled into an all-too-familiar parking lot. Pets and More had been around for an eternity, the red lettering on the sign a bit faded by the sun. They’d painted a goldfish on the window, and while the types of animals they had varied weekly, I knew they had the endorphin boost I needed right now.

When I entered, the scent of pine shaving tickled my nose. I made a beeline to where the rotating rescue animals were kept. The barks and meows beckoned me. I loved cats, but dogs had held a special place in my heart since I was a kid. We’d had a few growing up, but once my sisters and I moved out, my parents hadn’t adopted more.

And I severely missed having a pet in my life.

Fuck getting a guy. I needed a dog.

I rounded the shelving, and a thrill shot through me at the sight of the pups. Little fumbling husky pups, tiny furry friends.

I dropped to the ground and put my hand near the crate. The little black-eared ball of fluff I’d had my eye on came rushing over.

“You wanted to see Petie again, didn’t you?” a familiar voice asked. I glanced up. Carmen, one of the other volunteers for Furever Homes, which was the place I volunteered at once in a while. Taking the dogs for adoption on walks or playing in the park with them was no hardship. The owner, Bette, had been trying to get me to take home a dog for ages, and fuck, I wished I spent enough time around my house to swing it.

“Guilty,” I said, pushing up to stand. Carmen leaned forward and unlatched the cage. Fuck yes.

She lifted out Petie, who gave a happy little yap. The second she lowered the wriggling ball of fluff into my arms, sheer joy shot through me. Petie looked up at me with those pretty blue eyes, and then he licked my chin. I was pretty sure I’d fallen in love at first sight, and if only my dating life, or lack thereof, could work so smoothly.

Granted, it had, in a way.

I’d been smitten with Declan since high school, and for years, I’d tried to find someone who matched that level of chemistry. So far, I was batting zero.

“So, when are you going to take him home?” she teased, even though she knew my answer.

“Let me stow him in my car. He can work the next job with me. Get his tiny little paw prints on the masonry I’ve got to repair.” Petie licked my face again, and I let him scramble onto my shoulder, where he gnawed at my hair, even though my hands still circled him in a firm grip. This little fucker was mischievous, and I liked the hell out of that.

“Can that be a thing? Pups with Contractors?” A grin curved her lips. “The lot of you can take them for rides in trucks all day. They’d be thrilled.”

“I’ll pitch it around,” I said. A slight twinge of anxiousness at the thought of bringing up the idea at work rippled through me. Brandon sure as fuck wouldn’t be solid with it. Yet so many dogs loved riding in trucks with the windows rolled down, and if I headed to a quote or short job where they wouldn’t interfere…damn, I liked the concept too much.

Petie licked my face again as if he could tell I dwelled on work. Goodest boy ever. Clearly, I needed to smuggle him home and rearrange my life to make sure I could keep him.

My phone buzzed, and I juggled Petie so I held him with the one arm as he squirmed all over me. My nose wrinkled on automatic at theweather alert. Severe thunderstorm warning. Ugh. I’d have to hold off on pouring the concrete today, but if I got to Declan’s soon, I could at least get the basics sorted out.

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