As they left the apartment, he held the door open for her, as usual. He was always gallant that way, making her feel cherished and cared for.
When she was younger, and even now that she was twenty-four, boys her age always seemed to want quick, meaningless hookups, without bothering with old-fashioned niceties like opening doors, bringing flowers, giving compliments or even showing up on time. No wonder Daisy had been a virgin when she met Leo. Ten years older, powerful, and handsome like a Greek god, no wonder she’d fallen into bed with him the first night!
Now, as they left the co-op building, going out into the fresh October morning, Daisy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She should have been thrilled he was taking her to his apartment. Instead, she had a weird sense of foreboding. What did Leo want to talk about? And which of her own secrets might tumble from her mouth—her love for him, her possible pregnancy or even the fact that she was the daughter of a convicted felon?
As they walked, sunshine sparkled across the East River with the enormous bridge and Manhattan skyline beyond. She started to head for the nearest subway entrance, two blocks away, when he stopped her.
“Let’s take a car.”
He seemed strangely tense. Smiling, she shook her head. “You can’t seriously want to get a rideshare, after all the expense of that fancy dinner last night. The subway is fine. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself trying to impress me.” She couldn’t help thinking how much she loved him for trying. “You’re already perfect.”
“I didn’t mean a rideshare.”
She heard a noise behind him. Frowning, she tilted her head. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
She looked around. “Sounds like a baby crying.”
“I’m sure there are children everywhere here. Its mother will take care of it.”
A baby was an it? Daisy’s forehead furrowed. Then she heard the soft cry again. Weak. More like a whine, or a snuffle. She turned toward the alley behind the gleaming waterfront co-op.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I just need to make sure...”
“Daisy, it’s not your problem—”
But she was already hurrying toward the alley, following the sound. There had been a newspaper story just the month before about a baby abandoned in an alley in New Jersey. Thankfully that child had been found safely, but Daisy couldn’t get the story out of her mind. If she didn’t investigate this, and something bad happened...
She followed the sound down the alley and was only vaguely aware of Leo behind her. She saw a burlap bag resting on the top of a dumpster. The sound seemed to come from that. It was wiggling. She heard a weak whine. Then a whimper.
“Daisy, don’t,” Leo said sharply behind her. “You don’t know what it is.”
But she was already reaching for the bag. It weighed almost nothing. Setting the burlap bag gently on the asphalt, she undid the tie and opened it.
It was a tiny puppy, a fuzzy golden-colored mutt, maybe two months old, wiggling and crying. She stroked it tenderly. “It’s a dog!” Sudden rage filled Daisy. “Who would leave a puppy in a dumpster?”
“People can be monsters,” Leo said flatly. She looked back at him, bemused. Then the puppy whined, weakly licking her hand, taking all her attention.
“She seems all right,” Daisy said anxiously, petting the animal. “But I’d better take her to the vet to make sure.” She looked up at Leo. “Do you want to come?”
He looked grim. “To the vet? No.”
“I’m so sorry. Could we maybe get together later? You could show me your apartment tonight?”
“Tonight?” His jaw set. “I’m having a party.”
She brightened. “How fun! I’d love to meet your friends.”
“Fine,” he said shortly. “I’ll send a car to pick you up at seven.”
“I told you, a car’s not necessary—”
“Wear a cocktail dress,” he cut her off.
“All right.” Daisy tried to remember if she even owned a cocktail dress. Carrying the puppy carefully in her arms, she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed Leo’s scratchy cheek. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll see you at your party.”