The CEO, the Puppy and Me

“Do you see it?” the woman asked.

He shushed her as he backtracked a bit. And then he followed the scratching sound to the back corner of the garden. There were shrubs and other overgrown vegetation blocking his view.

He worked his way through the vines, ignoring how the thorns dug at his arms. As the dog whimpered, Ric grew more determined to help it, even if he ruined his clothes during the rescue.

And then at last, he spotted a little puppy all caught up in some old wire. Its big brown eyes turned to him. They showed its panicked state.

“It’s okay.” Ric spoke in a calm, soothing tone. Every time the puppy got worked up and yanked to get loose, the wire dug farther into its flesh. Ric knelt in front of it. “I’m going to help you.”

The puppy stopped wiggling for a moment and studied Ric. The animal watched his every movement but didn’t react. It was either so relieved to finally have help or it was too exhausted to put up much of a fight. Either way, it took a bit but Ric was able to untangle the dog. He made a mental note to call a gardener ASAP. This place not only looked bad, but it was also dangerous to anything that meandered in here. He didn’t want any other creature getting hurt.

But the deepening red stain on the dog’s ginger fur had him concerned. Heedless of the blood and dirt, Ric scooped the pup up and held it against his chest.

“It’s okay,” he said in a gentle voice. “You’re safe now.”

He made his way back along the overgrown path to where the woman was standing. He stopped in front of her. “Here’s your dog.”

All her attention was focused on the animal. However, she made no motion to take it from him. That was strange.

“It’s not mine.” And then her eyes widened with concern. “It’s hurt.”

“I know. It got caught up in some wiring. Looked like some old fencing or something.” He glanced at the dog wiggling in his arms. It was still bleeding, and it was getting all over his shirt. “Could you hold him?”

“Sure.” They moved carefully, trying to avoid aggravating its injury.

Ric pulled off his ruined shirt. In any other context, the surprised look on the woman’s pretty face would make him laugh but not now—not under these circumstances. “It’s for the puppy, to help stop the bleeding. I have another shirt in my car.”

The woman’s glossy lips formed an O.

Once the shirt was securely tied around the dog’s midsection, it settled in her arms. “Does he belong to one of your neighbors?” she asked.

“I don’t know. It’s not my...” He was going to say it wasn’t his house, but that was no longer true. It was his house—his great big house. That he had absolutely no idea what to do with.

It was far too big for just him, but he didn’t have the heart to get rid of the place where he’d spent so much time with his aunt and uncle when he was little. It was the only real home he’d ever known. The short time he’d lived with his mother, they’d moved from one house to the next. His jaw tightened as he slammed the door on the unhappy memories.

Ric turned his attention back to the villa. He supposed he’d have to work up the nerve to cut the emotional ties and sell it sooner rather than later. There was no point of letting it turn to rubble because he couldn’t bear to part with it. After all, he was a businessman. He made tough decisions every day. Why was this one so much harder than the rest?

That he couldn’t answer. Maybe it’s what he was waiting for—the answer. And then he could move on.

“Your shirt will help for now,” she said, drawing him from his thoughts. “But we have to get him to a vet. The cut looks bad. It might need stitches.”

We? When had they become a we?

When Ric finished adjusting the makeshift bandage, his gaze met the woman’s. She was no longer frowning at him. “I take it you approve?”

Her gaze lowered to his chest before her eyes quickly rose to meet his. Color bloomed in her cheeks. “I... I do. Now, where’s the closest vet?”

“I have no idea. I don’t have a pet.” For a man used to having all the answers, he felt totally out of his depth here. And he didn’t like the feeling—not at all.

“If you hold him again, I can look on my phone.”

Noticing that the puppy looked content in her arms, Ric shook his head as he pulled out his own phone. “I’ll do it.”

In no time, he had the address of the first listed vet. It was across town. He thought of calling for an appointment, but that would just waste time, and by the way the blood was soaking the makeshift bandage, they didn’t have time to wait. The puppy needed help now.

He read off the address to her. “I would just show up. I’m sure they’ll help you.”

“Help me?” Her gaze searched his.