Page 128 of Sit, Stay, Love
‘With twenty minutes to spare,’ Carol said with judgement in her tone.
‘I had a rescue dog emergency. I had to take it to Toby’s.’
‘Who was in the middle of a shower,’ he said as he stepped into the reception area. ‘Hey, Carol.’ He flashed the woman a smile.
‘Hi, Dr McManus,’ Carol said, a hint of pink flushing her cheeks.
Sera’s brow creased. Had everyone always blushed around him?
‘You were quick,’ she said to Toby.
‘So were you,’ he answered. ‘You look… uh, beautiful.’
‘Thanks.’ She allowed her eyes to drift up and down the long, tall drink of water that was her best friend. His jeans and black shirt hugged him like a second skin, the Converse sneakers made the whole thing so him. She sighed. ‘You do too.’
‘I went shopping. See how far I’ll go for you?’ He flicked an eyebrow and held her gaze, deep and silent and lingering, the air sizzling between them.
Why couldn’t she breathe? Why couldn’t she move? Her face warmed and her pulse thundered in her ears, so loud that Carol had to say her name twice before she heard her.
‘Sorry, Carol. What did you say?’
The woman beamed at them, her cheeks like two rosy apples. ‘I said, do you need me to do anything?’
Sera shook her head. ‘I think we’re ready. Are we ready?’
Toby stepped forward. ‘I’m ready.’ He slid his arm through hers. ‘Why don’t you show me what you’ve been cooking up outside?’
She smiled up at him, her heart leaping then sinking, leaping then sinking, until it finally settled near the lump in her throat.
‘The place looks amazing,’ he said as they looked up at the house from halfway down the paddock.
Fairy lights twinkled along the line of the roof, spreading out to the marquee. It was perfect; magical.
‘I had nothing to do with it,’ she said. ‘You did more than me. And Ethan’s team did the rest.’
‘I think you should keep the lights, then you don’t have to worry about putting them up for Christmas. Or rather, I don’t.’
He nudged her with his shoulder, and she laughed lightly and nudged him back.
Then he cleared his throat. ‘Though I guess you might not be home for Christmas, if you go to Los Angeles with James. How’s the big decision going? Are you still thinking it through?’
She sighed. ‘I don’t think I’m going to go. I know I probably should. It seems as if I should. It seems as if I should be jumping at it, you know?’
She gazed up at him. His brow was furrowed.
‘But,’ she went on, ‘I just keep wondering how I could leave everything I have here. Even if only temporarily.’
A smile spread tentatively across his face. ‘So… you’re not going?’
‘I guess not. But please don’t say anything to anyone, and promise you won’t say anything to Ethan. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet.’
He gave a nod and crossed his heart. ‘I promise.’
The fundraiser was humming. The marquee was full and waitstaff drifted through the crowd with elegant canapes and glasses of champagne as a local guitarist played soft tunes. Everyone was holding a gift bag containing a Rose’s Rescue t-shirt, a photo of some of the homed dogs, a brochure with testimonials and the all-important donation information. Harry and Barkley were groomed and dressed in bowties, wagging happily as the Rose’s Rescue crew took them around to meet the guests, and Buffy was in her element, getting pats from every hand that was anywhere near the height of her head.
Sera took it all in. She couldn’t believe it was for the shelter. Her shelter. Her tiny, struggling shelter. All these people she didn’t know were there for her animals. It gave her the faith in humanity that she usually struggled to find. She hated to think how much it was all costing. She was in Ethan’s debt, and that made what she’d decided to tell him even more complicated. But like he’d always said, he’d be back in a few months. And in themeantime, there were phone calls and emails and Zooms. Just because she wasn’t going to Los Angeles, didn’t mean they couldn’t try to make it work, if they still wanted to. And when he got home, maybe they could pick up where they left off. Wherever that was.
Ethan arrived around thirty minutes late, making a grand entrance and causing a flutter of activity. He stopped for some photos and a few selfies, did a couple of quick interviews with the press in attendance, and then beelined it straight for Sera.
