Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Finn licked my nose and cheek, taking away half of my tears.
“Are you ready?” the doctor asked, startling me.
I looked up to find some syringes in his hand. One clear, one blue, and another milky white.
I wondered which one of those would be responsible for taking my Finn away from me.
He gave half the clear, then the full milky white one.
Finn’s head dropped, and he started to snore, making my heart ache.
God, I’d miss that sound.
I used to sit on the front porch after getting home from a long day at work, watching Desi in the yard playing in the dirt. Finn, passed out beside me cold, because Desi had made him run around with her for an hour.
He’d snore and snore.
Every once in a while, I’d reach down and run my bare foot over his big, bulky body, and that snore would turn startled before his tail would start a steady beat against the deck.
There was no more tail wagging, though.
On my knees, with Finn’s head in my lap, I knew he was finally at peace.
My Finn.
The hand was back in mine as the doctor connected the blue syringe, and Finn was no more.
NASTYA
“What now?” I asked the vet.
He was standing behind the glass walls of his office, and at first, he didn’t act like he heard me.
But then he turned and gave me his full attention.
His eyes were red-rimmed.
He wasn’t crying, per se, but I knew that he was seconds away from it.
“Two things,” he said softly as he turned his back on Desi and Haze that were finishing up their goodbyes. “The first option is to take him home and bury him somewhere of y’all’s choosing.”
That wouldn’t work.
Not now.
I didn’t think that Haze had it in him to say goodbye a second time.
“What’s the other option?” I murmured quietly.
If I could save Desi and Haze any heartache at all, I would be happy.
God, today had been awful.
“Cremation,” he answered. “We have a facility that comes and picks up daily. From there you can get him cremated with all the other dogs, and no ashes returned. Or you can pay a little extra and those ashes will be returned to you with a small plaque.”
I swiped at my eyes. “Can you help me take care of that really quick so that they don’t have to?”
“Of course,” he agreed, gesturing for me to follow him.
“I usually have staff here to deal with this, but it being a holiday, I sent them all home, intending to take care of the animals all myself. I truly wish I had been able to help more.”
“I’m just glad that you waited for Haze to be here,” I admitted as he took me up to the front desk and gave me a pamphlet.
I took it, running my fingers over the “Rainbow Meadows” name.
“I don’t know what that woman’s problem was, but if there was a single person in this world that I would suggest didn’t need another pet, it’d be her,” he grumbled darkly.
I liked him.
“We’re on the same page, Doc,” I admitted. “Long story short, Finn stayed with that little girl in there after her parents divorced. Haze didn’t get to see his dog much after that, and they’d just won him back in a custody case.”
“I think there’s a special place in hell for people like her,” he grumbled. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I had to meet y’all like this.”
I grinned. “Did you just start this practice?”
He turned the credit card machine around as he answered, “Kind of. I took over from my grandfather. I was intending to work for a non-profit for a while, but that didn’t quite work out since my grandfather suffered a health scare. Now I’m doing this.”
He didn’t sound too happy about it.
But I didn’t press.
Instead, I signed the credit card receipt, put down my new address, and turned back to the room where Desi and Haze were still huddled on the floor.
“I’m going to head outside and make a phone call,” I said quietly. “Thank you again so much.”
He nodded and turned his head back toward the room where Desi was still sobbing her heart out.
“You’re welcome.”
I stepped outside and immediately put the phone to my ear.
Shasha answered on the first ring.
“What’s up?” he asked.
I explained the situation, and he grumbled something dark underneath his breath. “Looked into the ex a little bit after I found out about you and the detective.”
“Yeah?” I asked, unsurprised, really, to find out that he’d done that.
Shasha and his overprotective state.
My phone started to vibrate like crazy, and I pulled it away from my face to see a notification from my glucose monitor.
Low.
Dammit.
I pulled a Snickers out of my purse and ripped it open.
I took a bite as Shasha started talking.
“I’m guessing you’re calling me because you want me to ruin her life.” He chuckled.