She wanted to know so much more.
“Arilyn?”
She refocused. Her students were all gazing at her, waiting for an answer when she hadn’t heard Anthony’s question. “Sorry?”
Stone gave her a slow, smug smile, as if he knew she’d been caught staring at his ass. She fought a blush. “Everyone’s ready. Luther wants to go to the horse stalls today, so I’ll oversee him if you’d like.”
“Great. Stone, you can follow them. Eli, why don’t you go ahead and check which dogs need working.”
Anthony motioned Stone and Luther toward the door. “I’ll catch up with you two in a minute. Can I talk to you for a minute, A?”
“Sure.” She turned her back on Stone’s ferocious frown, wondering what had suddenly pissed him off, and grabbed some dog treats. “What’s up?”
“Pinky.”
Her stomach tightened. She’d been hoping the dog would be better, but it was a slow process. Her breakdowns around the other dogs in the kennel made it difficult to rehabilitate her, especially with so little space. Anthony pushed his fingers through his hair with frustration. “I gotta be honest. I have the word out to other shelters to take her in, but so far, no offers. I lost my behaviorist, and we’re looking to rehire. I can’t keep her too much longer. Can you foster her until things calm down?”
Arilyn bit her lip. “I can’t. I’m watching my friend’s dog for the next two weeks and my place is too small to keep them separated. What about the Trumans? Can they take her?”
Anthony shook his head. “Nope, they already took three in. My fosters are filled up, and I’m out of room. I can squeeze a few more days, but then I have to put her somewhere.”
She dug her fingers into her neck to try to ease away the muscle ache. What was she going to do? They couldn’t advertise too publicly because she’d literally stolen her. She racked her brain for candidates, but not one came up. “Let me work on this. Maybe I can find someone to get her off the grid for a while until we come up with a solution.”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I know you took a risk saving her. Look, even if I have to ship her out of state, we’ll make sure she stays safe.”
Arilyn knew that with dogs this severely traumatized, sometimes the journey didn’t go well. Time was ticking, and she needed to learn to trust someone. Her world begged for stabilization and a shred of kindness so she could reset and decide if she wanted to fight.
Arilyn sensed Pinky was a fighter.
Shoulders slumped, she headed out to the horse barn with Anthony to help. Luther was checking out the two horses in the stall, one blindfolded from eye surgery, the other sporting a bum leg because his owner had thrown him out after proclaiming him a useless racehorse. “Where’s Stone?”
Luther shrugged. “He took off. Said he was heading somewhere else.”
Anthony cocked his head. “Probably with Pinky. He’s been showing up here on a daily basis—his name is always on the sign-in sheet.”
Shock cut through her. “What? He’s been coming on his own?”
“Yep. Our volunteer, Natalie, saw him in Pinky’s cage. It’s too bad he couldn’t foster her—he seems to be the only one making progress with her.”
“Yeah, too bad. I’ll be back.”
Her boots crunched on the gravel. She walked down the path, past the woods, and headed down the private road where Pinky’s kennel was located. Sure enough, Stone was in the same position as last week. On the ground, back against the cage. She heard a low murmur as he spoke. Holding her breath, she moved silently over the grass until she got close.
The scene slammed in her vision.
Pinky sat in the middle of her kennel. Head cocked. There was a safe distance still between them, but she was definitely listening to his ramblings. Those dark, soulful eyes held a spark of interest, fighting to blossom.
“I told you the hamburger was better. I’ll keep bringing them if you keep eating them. But you can’t tell anyone or I’ll get in trouble. I was supposed to be with the horses today, but I knew you’d be pissed if I missed my visit. Trust me, a female with a temper is nothing I want to deal with. I already got your mistress to handle, and she’s enough for anyone.”
He paused. Pinky waited. Her ears pricked.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday Devine and I finally saw some action. Sweet heaven. Found a hijacked car and got to go on a real car chase. Reminded me of the good old days in the Bronx. Man, some of that shit was fun. Ended up being some teen who stole it for a joyride, nothing serious, but damned if that didn’t liven up a weeknight. Feel bad for the kid, though—he’s going through a rough time, and he’s got no one to look out for him. No parents, and in foster care. Like you. I know a shelter isn’t the best place, but at least you’re warm, safe, and fed, right? No one’s gonna hurt you anymore. But it’s not gonna be easy. You gotta fight. I can’t do it for you. Up to you. Just hope you make the right decision. Hope the kid does the same.”
Arilyn eased back, not making a sound, and turned the corner. Her body shook. Her throat seized up with such raw emotion, she didn’t know what to do. Stone was a liar. She may have rescued Pinky, but Stone was the one who could save her. He took his precious time to come and visit. He pretended not to care about anyone or anything other than his job, but it was a façade. He cared, deeply, but he hated to show or admit it.
The possibility he could grow to care about her shook her foundation.
What was happening to her? When had their relationship turned from dislike, to passion, to a powerful liking with the hope of more?
Arilyn made her plan and waited.
STONE CHECKED TO MAKE sure the coast was clear and then snuck out of Pinky’s cage. She was getting better, but like any girl, she was stubborn. Wasn’t gonna come around easy. Still, he didn’t mind hanging out talking for an hour. It was even better than seeing a shrink, because he was able to say whatever he wanted without judgment or being given a plan to fix him.
Pinky didn’t give a shit.
He muttered under his breath about the stupid name she’d been stuck with, but at least Arilyn had had good intentions. He’d head to the horse barn, pick up a few tips, and go home for his shift.
He turned the corner and almost bumped into her.
Stone stopped short. God, she was beautiful. With her hair snagged in a casual ponytail, she wore jeans, boots, a loose jersey, and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck. Ever since their dinner that turned into pizza and a rousing game of Pictionary, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He should be obsessed with the prospect of sex, which he was, no doubt, but the fact that he had actually enjoyed himself on a date with her grandfather and senior neighbor bothered him. It screamed of an intimacy he hadn’t experienced in years.
“Hi,” he finally said, keeping cool. Better off to twist the truth with fiction. “Just wanted to check on Pinky. How’s she doing?”
Her brow lifted. “That’s nice of you. Actually, we have a big problem. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“About what?”
“She can’t stay here much longer. They lost the behaviorist and ran out of foster homes. She’s not good with other dogs, so most other shelters are out because of the overcrowding issue.”
“You can take her in, right? You said you always foster dogs.”
“Usually I could, but I’m watching my friend Kate’s dog for the next two weeks. She’s going on her honeymoon and she needs me. His back legs are paralyzed, so he needs careful watching.”
Concern hit him. “So, what happens?”
“Anthony may need to send Pinky away to a shelter out of state. It could be traumatic, but we may not have any choice. Maybe you can ask around? See if there’s someone you know who could take her in?” Her voice softened and she moved closer. Her body heat shimmered and pulled him in like a wicked spell. “I can take her back after Kate returns. I need your help, Stone. Pinky deserves a shot, but she won’t have it unless someone amazing steps up and helps her.”