The Life You Stole (Life Duet 2)

“Yeah. I’m fine. My wrist is wrapped and my shoulder is in a sling. I have a few stitches in my head from it catching the corner of the bathroom cabinet, but … I’ll be fine. Do you need anything?”

Yes. I needed to see her. I needed to touch her. I needed the pain to subside.

“Lila …” I grunted a partial laugh. “I’m not going to let you do anything for me while you’re healing.”

“It’s not just for you.”

I touched Lila. Lila felt good. When Lila felt good. I felt good.

“Lights on. Daytime. Sofa instead of a bed. Maybe you read me a book. Or we work on a crossword together. Do you like crossword puzzles?”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“If it doesn’t rain Saturday, Graham’s planning on golfing with his dad since snow is predicted next week. Can you come to Denver?”

Another Saturday away from Evie and the kids. She wouldn’t like it. But she didn’t like me at the moment, and a few hours with Lila would change that. I’d be my old self again, even if it didn’t last.

“Maybe. I’ll call you.”

I sent off a message to Evie to let her know I was going to a meeting. She replied with a simple OK.

“Hey.” Adrianne caught sight of me the second I walked through the door. “You look unusually distraught.”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t a usual day.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

I shook my head again. “The meeting will suffice.”

“Thanks again for helping me put together my new bed.”

I shouldn’t have helped her do that, but she asked me in front of three other people from the group. And she asked me after I’d already confessed to having no plans that night beyond playing with the kids. While I fumbled for excuses, she jumped to the assumption that the answer was yes and gave me an unwelcome hug. To make matters worse, her car had slashed tires that night, so I gave her a ride to her apartment, but not before calling the police to let them know they should patrol that area a little more.

After the meeting, I tried to be the first one out of the building, but Mark stopped me to chat. Adrianne exited without as much as a look or wave. I breathed a sigh of relief, very willing to chat with Mark at that point if it meant Adrianne would be gone by the time I walked out to my car.

Ten minutes later, I wormed my way out of the conversation and the building.

“Fuck,” I whispered to myself.

“Mark sure knows how to talk your ear off, huh?” Adrianne smirked, sitting on the hood of my car.

“He’s fine. If I were you, I’d hop off before I drive off.” I unlocked my door.

“I have a surprise for you.” Adrianne slid off the hood and crooked a finger at me.

I tried to hide my annoyance and pain, but I couldn’t. Not with her, not with my coworkers, not with my wife.

“Don’t look like such a grump. You’re going to thank me.” Adrianne unlocked her car and opened the back door. “Meet your new family member.” She pulled a puppy out of a crate and hugged it as it licked her face. “You’ve been incredibly kind and helpful to me when so many people see me like the plague. I know it’s just a dog, but I hope your wife and kids love her and that she’ll bring as much joy to all of you as what you’ve brought to me.”

A dog.

She got me a dog.

You didn’t gift people things like dogs that required care, training, vet bills, food, toys, time …

“I haven’t named her yet, but if I’m honest, I think she looks like a Bella.” Adrianne handed her to me.

“I’ll set the kennel in your backseat, and I have a sack of toys and food to get you started. I really wish I could see the look on your kids’ faces when you take her home.” She rolled her lips between her teeth and wrinkled her nose. “But I suppose that might be crossing a line, huh?”

Crossing a line? I felt certain she’d crossed a line by gifting me a dog, asking me to put her bed together, and knowing my address.

“We’re not ready for a dog.” I tried to give back the wiggling puppy, but Adrianne held up her hands like no take-backs.

“Nonsense. Your darling little ones are the perfect age for a dog. And you have the perfect location, big yard, lots of sticks and trees …”

“I can’t.”

She shook her head. “Just take her home. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll take her back to my breeder friend.”

Take her back? Sure. There would be no taking her back after I showed her to the kids. And I would never have sex with my wife again if she found out Adrianne Craig gifted us the dog.