Isabelle

My heart had yet to slow from those mind-blowing kisses. Yet those very kisses had also made one thing abundantly clear. Not only was I way out of my league with Slater—I was also woefully inexperienced. Which would only make sense given that I must be Seattle’s oldest virgin.

Before I could panic, he grabbed my hand and led the way to the shelter, bringing my hand to his lips, the gesture sweet and unexpected. I didn’t know why, but in my mind, Slater came across as a bit of a badass, despite the suit he often wore—though I liked him even more when he was dressed down, like he was at the moment: jeans, a t-shirt that kissed every muscle but didn’t hide the ink on his arms, a loose flannel shirt left hanging open, and a worn leather jacket to protect against the chill in the air.

“I’m not sure if my mom will be here, but figured I’d give you a heads-up.” He pulled open the door and maneuvered his way through the lobby, the women behind the front desk all greeting him with warm smiles, and letting him know that his mother was in the back.

It was clear he not only knew his way around the shelter, but that everyone knew him, and seemed to like him. Not that I would’ve expected anything different. There wasn’t anything not to like, as far as I was concerned.

We entered the rear of the shelter and headed over to a woman who was organizing a pile of towels and blankets that had just come out of the dryer. The moment she spotted us, her face lit up, and I knew that it had to be his mother—though I hadn’t been expecting the Irish lilt to her voice. “Slater…what a surprise. I hadn’t been expecting you, love.”

Love. He used the word just like his mother did. Which made me like it all the more, almost as if it was an endearment reserved for people they were fond of or close to.

“Hey, Ma.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, before turning to me with a smile, still holding onto my hand, which clearly didn’t escape his mother’s notice, her gaze flicking down to our joined hands before returning to our faces. “I’d like to introduce you to Isabelle Rutherford. Izzy, this is my ma, Deirdre.”

“Isabelle… It’s so nice to meet you.” Deirdre pulled me into a warm hug, the gesture so kind and sincere that it played havoc with my emotions, especially when I’d never gotten a hug like that from my own mother. She pulled away, though she held onto my shoulders a moment more, her eyes soft with sympathy. “I was so sorry to hear of your tragic loss, my dear. And the threats to your life… No one should have to deal with so much.”

Tears stung my eyes as I swallowed down the lump in my throat and nodded, knowing that if I attempted to speak I would lose what little control I had over my emotions. Slater pulled me into his arms, and when he spoke, it was to his mother. “We figured we could help with the new animals that were coming in today.”

“Och, dear… They were delayed due to weather, and won’t be here until this evening. But we’re always looking for volunteers to socialize and play with the dogs and cats, if you’re still looking for something to do.” She tilted her head toward a side door. “Slater, you know where everything is. Why don’t you show Isabelle around and see what she might like to do. Just make sure you stop by and see me before you go.”

“Will do, Ma.” Slater kissed her cheek, and then took my hand and led the way, giving me a smile that warmed my ragged soul. “Dogs or cats?”

“I like them both. You?” It still felt like I didn’t know a whole lot about Slater, even though he’d spent nearly every waking moment with me these last few weeks.

“Both, but these days, I’m not really home enough, and it wouldn’t be fair if I had a pet. Luckily, if I ever need a fix, I can always come here—or go to my mother’s, since she’s taken home far too many animals.” At the end of the hall, Slater pulled open the door and we were hit with the sound of dogs barking and the smell of cleaning products, though we quickly stopped so he could grab a leash. “This way… I always have to check in on my favorites, to see if they’ve been adopted.”

I thought that was the sweetest thing ever. It would be so easy to misjudge Slater, given that he carried himself with a bit of a sexy, bad boy vibe and certainly looked like he had some edge to him, almost as if he had a way of getting himself into a fair bit of trouble. And yet, he was so sweet and caring on so many levels that it really caught me off guard.

“This here is Lola. Don’t let her size fool you, though. She’s as sweet as can be—aren’t you, girl?” Slater pet the massive dog through the bars of her cage, clearly recognizing him, her tail wagging furiously. “Unfortunately, she’s been with the shelter almost six months.”

“That’s heartbreaking—and she’s so gorgeous.” I’d never seen a dog like her. She was massive and shaggy, her fur the color of espresso and her eyes a golden brown. “Can we take her out?”

“I’m sure she’d love that.” He carefully opened her door and clipped the leash to Lola’s collar before letting her out of her large kennel. Lola immediately trotted over to me and pushed her body against mine, looking for some attention. “She clearly likes you.”

“How is it that no one has adopted her yet?” It was hard not to want to take her home, especially knowing that she’d been here so long. And if I could help the shelter with a sizeable donation, I’d do just that.

“She’s a few years old, she’s huge, and she’s shaggy, which means she sheds like crazy. And people? They want puppies that won’t shed and won’t eat them out of house or home, or knock over little children with a swipe of the tail.” Slater scratched Lola behind her ears. “But there’s one more thing. She’s bonded to Winston, which means the shelter would like to see them get adopted together, if at all possible.”

“Winston?” I looked around at all the cages, wondering which one he might be.

“He’s a cat, so he’s in a different part of the building. We can pay him a visit later.” With Lola’s leash in hand, Slater brought us outside to a fenced-in play area, securing the door before letting her off the leash.

The moment she was set free, she jogged over to one of the balls and started chomping on it, while happily tossing her head back and forth, and trotting around on the artificial grass. When Slater called her, she ran over and dropped the ball at our feet, before backing up, her eyes glued to the ball, her body tense in anticipation. He grabbed the ball and tossed it, sending Lola running.

And just like that, with Slater at my side, and Lola running around, I took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air and felt the weight of my grief start to lift.