The moment Ivy saw her, she turned into a different little human. Gone was the jumping and screaming and in its place was a soft spoken girl in love. “She’s so small,” she whispered.
“She is.” The puppy squirmed in my arms at seeing more people. “She’s just a baby who probably misses her mom and dad and brothers and sisters.”
Ivy nodded, a frown on her face. “I’ll be your sister if you want…” Her gray eyes turned up to me. “What’s her name?”
“Right now we call her Moonshine. When a family adopts her, they might change it.”
“That’s not ideal,” Bastian blurted out.
“Seems confusing for the little girl.” Cade waved his hand at me, looking at the pup. “Give her here.”
I held her little pot belly while she perked up and whined. “She’s really hyper and wiggly, okay?”
Cade nodded, but he took the dog like a pro, his tattooed hands gentle on the tiny animal. He petted her and cooed at Moonshine like they were best friends already.
“She likes you, Uncle Cade.” Ivy patted her uncle’s back like she was really proud of him.
I bit my lip. This was the part I loved and hated most about the visitation room. People falling in love with animals I was already in love with, them becoming a part of someone else’s family permanently. I knew this wasn’t the case here, that Ivy and Cade were just playing, but the idea was the same.
I took two steps back. “I’ll just go run through my tasks real quick. You guys enjoy Moonshine.”
My heart hurt too much to look at any of them. Moonshine would go to a great family. She’d be just fine. That dog, though, when I held her, I felt more connected to her than the others. She always calmed in my hands and licked my face way more than anyone else’s.
Dr. Nathan had said, “I think this one might be yours.” But I’d just shook my head. I didn’t need any pets.
“I’ll go with you.” Bastian stood, his suit somehow not at all wrinkled. He undid his jacket and placed it on the back of a chair. Eyes on me, he undid his cuffs and rolled them up his forearms. “An extra set of hands for help, right?”
I cleared my throat, unable to look away from the tattoos on his forearms. He hid his markings from the world so well, I forgot he had tattoos there. The way they snaked up his skin, weaving around the veins that popped up had my mouth dry.
Jesus. I needed to get laid. I grabbed two plastic boxes of equipment, trying to clear my head.
He followed me out of the room.
“It’s really fine to stay with your brother. It’s nice they’re here to visit and I do this by myself all the time.”
He hummed. “Well, tonight, you have me.”
“I feel like this is a 180 from how much time we’ve been spending together,” I grumbled more to myself than him. I couldn’t help that my heart was beating too fast and how hyperaware I was of him walking behind me, probably assessing how I looked from that angle.
I stepped to the side and pointed to the kennels. “Some of the dogs aren’t as friendly.”
“I’ll be fine.” He slid his hands in his pockets and eyed the boxes in my arms. “Can I carry something for you?”
“It’s fine.” I sped forward but he still beat me to the door and opened it for me. The barking drowned out most of my crazy thoughts, and the way the pups leaped onto their wire cage doors had me rolling my eyes. “Oh, don’t act like you’re deprived, you guys. I’ve only been gone for a week.”
There were about 10 dogs that needed my extra care tonight. I pointed to a little white dog. “Tito needs a warm blanket and petting while he eats. Otherwise he won’t touch his food. Can you do that?”
“Is that what’s most helpful?” Bastian asked, completely accommodating.
I didn’t get his newfound desire to help or be a part of my day. I tallied my pups. Most would be a pat on the head and quick fix. “Yes, I have to clip nails, let out Darcy one last time, give a few pups some pills with food. Tito is the most time consuming.”
“I’ll sit with Tito then.”
I pulled keys from my pocket and opened the kennel door, eyeing his suit pants. “Maybe, um, I can get you a chair.”
He tsked and plopped down right on the cement floor next to Tito. “Don’t be ridiculous, Morina.”
I gasped. “Those pants will be ruined.”