“What are you doing here? You do realize you aren’t on the schedule to volunteer tonight, right?” Mo says, swirling in her seat when I blow by her.

“I know.” I disappear into the back room where Mo keeps the animal supplies she gives away with an adoption. Doggie bed. Check. Food bowl. Check. Adoption blanket. Check. Treats. Check.

“Would you like a box for all of that?” Mo asks.

“That would be great. Thank you.”

She looks at me strangely and then disappears, returning a couple of seconds later with a cardboard box. I dump everything in my arms into the box and take it from her.

“Um…Claire?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing with all of that?”

“I’ve decided to adopt Milo.”

Mo furrows her brow, but I don’t have time to stop and explain because I have a million things to do today, and I still need to go buy a collar and a leash.

“Who’s Milo again?” she asks, following me out to my car.

I put the box in the back seat. “The blind Pomeranian.”

I’ve thought about Milo several times over the last week. Trevor’s encouraging words about getting her have been ringing in my head, and I think maybe he’s right. Maybe I need to start with something small like adopting a dog—which I’ve always wanted to do—before I go rearranging all of my well-laid plans about life and love and who I’ll date. I finally figured, why not? What am I waiting for? My life to get on track? Because it’s about as on track as it’s going to get.

Sure, Trevor derailed me a little bit with those sinful lips of his, but ever since that encounter, I’ve felt rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

“Wait a minute. You want to adopt the blind Pomeranian?”

I nod.

“And you named her Milo?” Mo asks.

What about this is so hard to understand? I nod again.

“You do realize Milo is a boy’s name, right? And she’s a girl.”

“Yes, Mo, I know. Trevor made a big spectacle of pointing that out.” I step around her, intent on getting Milo and taking her to her new home. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a million things to do today.”

I can hear Mo’s footsteps behind me as I walk into the kennel, but they’re quickly drowned out by the ear-piercing sound of a dog’s cry.

“Is that Milo?” I ask, rushing toward her cage.

“She’s been crying for days, and nothing I do makes her better. I’ve changed her bedding, tried different foods, taken her to the vet…I have no idea what’s wrong with her.”

I flick the lock and fling the door open. Milo is sitting in the corner, her little body shaking as she howls blindly at the ceiling. It’s as though she trying to get someone’s attention, and I think I know who that someone is.

Squatting down, I call out to her. “Milo, come here, girl.”

Milo stops howling at the sound of her name. With her nose in the air, she angles her face toward my voice.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Mo looks at me. “That’s the first time she’s stopped crying in a week.”

“Because she missed me.” Milo inches toward me, veering off to the side, but rather than pick her up, I let her find her way to me, and she does. Her tongue darts out, tasting the tip of my finger, and then she spins in a circle and barks.

“That’s right. You remember me,” I say, picking her up. She nuzzles her wet nose to the side of my neck. “You missed me, didn’t you, girl?”

“Arf.”

“That’s what I thought.” With Milo against my chest, I step out of the cage. “We bonded last Monday.”

Mo is smiling. “I can see that.”

“I want her, Mo.”

Mo’s smile wanes. “Are you sure? Because I’ve tried to get you to adopt a dog before, and you’ve always resisted. I just don’t want you to get her home and change your mind; that would break her little heart.”

“I’m positive, and I won’t change my mind.”

“Then I guess she’s yours.”

“Did you hear that?” I coo. “You’re officially mine. Milo Daniels. Has a nice ring to it.”

“It’s not official yet. I still need you to sign some paperwork.”

“Absolutely. And I’ll pay the adoption fee.”

Mo waves me off. “You help me out so much around here, I could never take your money. Consider Milo an early birthday gift.”

My birthday isn’t for months, but I’ll take it. “Thank you, Mo.”

Mo gathers all of the appropriate paperwork, which I fill out and sign, and then we redo the paperwork for Milo’s chip, assigning me as her owner and contact if it ever gets scanned.

“That’s it.” Mo shuts the manila envelope. “Milo is officially yours.”

I look down at Milo, who is sleeping comfortably in my lap, and scratch the top of her head. “I think we’re going to do great together.”

“I think you will too. Is there anything else you need before you go? Any supplies to get you started?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve got what I stole from your supply cabinet, and that should get me going until we get settled.”

Milo doesn’t move a muscle when I stand. She’s limp in my arms as I carry her to the car, but when my step falters at the big truck parked next to mine, her head pops up.

Trevor climbs out of his truck, tucks his hands in his pockets, and leans a hip against the driver’s door. “Whatcha got there?”

“I took your advice. As of sixty seconds ago, Milo is mine.”

A knowing smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. Pushing away from his truck, Trevor walks over to me and pets Milo. She licks frantically at his hand but can’t quite catch a finger before he pulls back.

“Good choice.” His eyes sweep the length of my body. “Lookin’ good, Red.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

I hear Mo gasp beside me as Trevor does one of those sexy nods that men do. He walks away, and I can’t help but call out to him, needing to see that sexy smirk one more time.

“Hey, Trevor?”

He turns around and grins but keeps walking backward.

“I got my tetanus shot.”

His grin stretches across his face. “Good girl. Would you like some sort of prize?”

I shrug, feeling bold and beautiful in his presence. “You could do us all a favor and take your shirt off.”

“You first, sweetheart.”

“In your dreams.”

“Don’t I know it.” He laughs and steps into the barn.

I look at Mo, and her jaw is practically dragging the ground.

“Umm…what was that?” she asks, putting her hand on my forehead.

I swat her hand away. “What?”

“First the dog and then whatever that was between you and Trevor. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, and that was nothing.”

“Mmm-hmm. Try again.”

Laughing, I open my car door and climb in. “Goodbye, Mo.”

“You’re really not going to tell me? Come on, Claire, we’re best friends. You can tell me if there’s something going on between you and Trevor.”

“There’s nothing to tell. I’ll call you later.”

I shut the door, set Milo in the front seat, and check my rearview mirror as I pull out of Animal Haven. Sure enough, Mo is still standing there, hands on her hips, but it’s Trevor’s eyes I catch a glimpse of, and they hold mine as I drive away.