Skylar

Karma jumps on me as soon as I step inside my apartment. River meanders over and winds her way between my legs, but Karma’s so antsy I know she needs to go outside before bed.

I leash her and lead her out the front door in the direction where there’s the most light. I momentarily curse the fact that I didn’t ask Colton to walk Karma with me before he left. He would have been happy to do it, and I wouldn’t be out in the dark by myself, shaking like a leaf.

Taking a deep inhale of the L.A. night air that always seems to smell like sage and flowers in bloom, I tell myself to suck it up and stop acting like I’m still six years old and defenseless. I’m a grown woman who pays her own bills and lives on her own. I can defend myself just fine, thanks to the self-defense classes I took all through college, and I’m thousands of miles away from any trouble.

A man passing by is talking to me, but I can’t understand what he’s saying. I stare at him and brace myself, only to realize as we pass that he’s talking on his headset to somebody. He doesn’t even glance my way, and Karma and I continue down the sidewalk a few more blocks.

After she pees on every bush she can, I tug on her leash lightly.

“Let’s go home,” I say.

She turns around willingly, only to pull up short.

“Wha—?” I glance over my shoulder, just as a squirrel zips right in front of us and disappears behind a palm tree.

Squirrels are Karma’s jam. Nothing gets her more fired up than chasing one of those bushy-tailed rodents.

I hold firm to the leash. “No. Not tonight. Let’s go home.”

But when a squad car, lights flashing and siren blaring, zips around the corner and right by us, I temporarily loosen my grip on the leash.

Just for a second, but that’s all my jazzed-up Maltipoo needs to make a break. She whirls quickly, pulling so hard to the left that I drop the leash. I squat down to grab it, but Karma’s already taken off. She darts into a shadowy area not lit up by a street light, and just like that, she’s gone.

Shit, shit, shit.

I go tearing down the street and step directly into the stand of palm trees where I last saw the squirrel. Not seeing Karma anywhere, I cajole her, I call for her, but she doesn’t answer me. So I continue down the block, stopping in every bush and even the nearest alley.

Certain I hear her barking, I run in the direction of the sound.

Calling her name the entire time, I look down two more alleyways and behind a dozen more bushes.

No Karma.

She’s disappeared, and the dark is closing in on me like a suffocating blanket. When I turn the corner where the street lights are always burnt out, I officially hit the panic button.

And then it starts to rain. Not hard, but still.

Karma hates the rain. She’ll never come out of her hiding place now. She could stay hidden for hours, waiting it out.

I spin around in a circle. “Karma! I’m right here—come on and I’ll take you home!”

My phone beeps in my pocket, and I pull it out. The lighted display soothes me, but when I see “Jackass” flashing on the screen, I let it go to voicemail.

I don’t want to talk to Colton when I’m in a state of alarm. And I’m not used to turning to anyone for help,

But then I think better of it.

And I call him back.

“Hey,” he says, picking up on the second ring. “You left your Wild bear in my car.”

“I did?” My voice comes out unsteady.

“Yeah.” Pause. “Is everything okay?”

I clear my throat. “Um, not exactly. Karma’s run away. She was on a leash, and a police car drove by and I lost my grip…she could be anywhere, and it’s raining out. She hates water.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’m not at the apartment. I’m on…” I glance up at the street sign, and tell him the name. “I’m at the corner. And the street lights are out.”

I hear him let out a low curse. “Skylar, walk back to your apartment. Okay? I’ll be there soon and we can look for her together. Don’t keep walking further by yourself.”

“I’m heading back now,” I tell him as I start walking.

He keeps me on the phone while he drives, saying he wants to make sure I stay safe.

I assure him that’s not necessary, but I can’t keep the sound of relief out of my voice while we talk, and I’m sure Colton doesn’t miss it.

By the time he pulls up in front of my apartment, I’m waiting for him.

He exits his car, glancing around the area like he’s a bodyguard.

“This is like déjà-vu,” I say in a weak attempt to joke. “Just a few hours ago, we were in this exact same place.”

He wraps me up in a hug, and I lean into his solid chest. He’s wearing a Cougars hoodie, and the fabric is soft against my cheek.

“We’re going to find her,” he says into my hair.

I pull back and look into his determined blue gaze. In that moment, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Colton Wild’s team will win a football championship one day. Maybe not this year, but he won’t retire before he’s hoisting that trophy over his head.

“You’re shaking,” he says as he eyes my chattering teeth. “Are you cold?”

That’s far easier than the truth. “Yeah.”

He shrugs out of his hoodie and hands it to me. “Wear this. It will at least keep you dry for a bit.”

His sweatshirt smells like him—manly and safe. I do what he says.

He takes my hand. “Show me where you were when she took off.”

I lead him down the street, and show him the spot where I lost Karma. He turns on the huge flashlight he’d smartly brought with him, and shines it behind every single bush in the area.

Nothing. Not even a bark, or a whine.

I clench my teeth together tightly. “I found her on the streets. She could be traumatized, and afraid to come out from wherever she’s hiding. What if she got hit by a car and dragged herself into a nearby bush? We’d never know unless we come upon her.”

“Hey.” Colton squeezes my hand. “Let’s stay positive. Okay?”

“Sorry. You’re right.” I kiss his arm. “I appreciate so much you coming out to help me look for her. I’m nearly useless at night.”

He doesn’t ask me why; just gives me a curious look and nods.

We traipse through my neighborhood for the next two hours. The rain stops, but by the time it does, Colton and I are both soaked through. I’m about to say we might have to wait until dawn to keep looking, when—

Woof, woof!

The bark is faint, but I recognize it.

“That’s her.” I tug Colton’s hand, which hasn’t left its hold on mine this entire time. “It’s coming from the house up there.”

My neighborhood is a mix of apartment buildings and one-story homes. Colton and I jog up the driveway of the house where the barking is coming from.

“Oh, my God.” I point to the closed garage. “She’s inside.”

“The door must have been open and she slipped in,” Colton says. “And then they shut it without knowing she was in there.”

We walk up to the garage door and I call out, “Karma? Is that you, honey?”

Insistent, enthusiastic barking follows. I wipe the tears off my eyelashes and laugh. “That’s definitely her.”

While I wait, Colton goes to the front door and rings the doorbell.

An older gentleman answers. His tone is gruff at first, but as soon as Colton explains the issue, he relaxes.

“I’ll just open it up from inside here,” he says.

Within a minute, Karma’s in my arms. She’s shaking and terrified, but she’s perfectly healthy.

Meanwhile, the homeowner has come out to the driveway. Apparently, he’s recognized Colton, who offers to give him tickets to the opening game this fall.

“That would be absolutely wonderful.” The man beams. “My name’s Jim. My brother and I are big Cougars fans. You and your cousin are two of our favorites.”

Colton types Jim’s information into his phone, and promises he’ll have the tickets sent to him.

“Thank you for keeping my dog safe,” I say to Jim. “And again, I apologize for waking you up.”

“No trouble at all.” He waves good-bye, and wishes Colton good luck for the coming season.

We’re only a few blocks from my apartment, and within fifteen minutes, Karma’s greeting River like she’s been gone for a year. After getting them food and fresh water, I catch Colton’s eye.

He’s standing in my foyer, like he’s not sure he’s allowed inside. And I feel almost shy as I gesture him into the living room.

“Welcome to my apartment. It’s nothing like your place, obviously. But it’s where I live.”

“I like it.” Colton’s gaze shifts around my living room. His eyes light on the photo hanging over my couch. “God, your brothers look exactly the same as they did when I met them.”

I smile as I step closer to the photograph of my mom, brothers, and me. “I know. Ben and Nick both still live in the same town we moved to as teenagers. I’m the only one who left, which is ironic, because I’m probably the biggest wimp of the three of us.”

Colton’s hand touches my shoulder as he comes up behind me. “You must miss them.”

“I do. But you know, we drive each other crazy when we’re together too much. So a little separation isn’t such a bad thing.”

I turn around to face him, and bump into his chest by mistake.

“Sorry!” I laugh nervously. “I didn’t know you were so close.”

Colton puts his hand on my hair, which is soaked despite wearing his hoodie.

“You need a hot shower.” His eyes turn dark with heat. “We’re both wet through.”

Thoughts immediately swamp my brain—images of us both naked, and of Colton taking me in the shower, my hands pressed against the tile while he drives into me from behind, giving me the biggest orgasm of my life. But…

Without meaning to, I step back.

And Colton, because he doesn’t miss a single one of my signals, gives me an almost imperceptible nod before he turns for the door. The sexual tension in the room disappears as he walks away from me and into the foyer.

“Colt.” I hurry after him.

He stops walking and waits for me to reach him. I lift a hand to his cheek and hold it there.

“I can’t thank you enough for tonight. For being here for me.” With my sincerity, I try to convey how much I appreciate what he did, but I know I’m not doing it justice. “You can’t understand…” My throat closes up, and I force the rest of the sentence out, “what it means.”

He puts his hand over mine, and then brings my palm to his mouth. He kisses the soft skin lightly. “I do. Because I’ve felt alone, too, Sky. And ten years ago, when I felt like I had no tether at all and I was about to lose everything? You were my anchor.”

I wrap both arms around his neck, and he holds me close. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he says as he kisses me.

After he leaves, my mind flashes to the little store I spontaneously stopped into earlier in the week. Something I saw there reminded me of Colton, but I chickened out and didn’t buy it.

But right now, I decide to go there first thing in the morning and purchase it for him. I may not be able to let Colton into my bedroom yet, but hopefully I can show him I’d like him to be a part of my life.