Free Rescue My Heart by Jean Joachim Page B

said…”
    Tears filled Rory’s eyes. “You call
yourself a vet, and yet, you’re going to let a pug die because you
don’t want to be inconvenienced?”
    “ You do pug
rescue?”
    “ I just started. I’m a
volunteer with Big Apple Pug Rescue. Please, Hack. You’re a vet,
you can’t let him die.”
    He stared at her as tears
cascaded down her face. “Shit. Let’s go. Don’t tell the
judge.”
    “ If he can’t walk, I need
you to carry him. We’ll take the train.”
    “ We’ll take a cab…on me.”
He held the door for her. She kissed Baxter’s sleeping head, and
they exited. Baxter started barking.
    “ He hates when I leave the
house without him.”
    “ He’s spoiled
rotten.”
    “ He’s a dog. Who’s it
gonna hurt?” They descended the stairs quickly. Hack hailed a taxi
on the corner of Amsterdam. “For a minute, I thought I’d pegged you
wrong,” she said, sitting back in the cab, drying her eyes on his
handkerchief.
    “ Pegged wrong? How did you
have me pegged?”
    Rory glanced out the window. “As a
nice guy. A guy who cared. Underneath all that arrogant,
self-satisfied crap might actually be a guy who gave a damn about
others. Otherwise, why would you be a vet?”
    Hack looked at his hands. She glanced
at him and saw color in his face. “Guess I forget that
sometimes.”
    “ Not today. Today you’re a
hero. Right here, driver,” Rory said, leaning forward.
    There wasn’t too much red tape because
Janice had called ahead, and they expected Rory. Hack picked up the
pug, and Rory found a cab.
    They were back in front of her
building within an hour. Hack paid the taxi then tucked Sammy, the
eleven-year-old pug, under his arm. Rory thanked him, opened the
door, and they went in. Baxter was off the sofa and barking at
Sammy as soon as they entered. He sniffed the senior pug then gave
him a lick.
    “ He stinks. I’ll need a
shower before I go to work,” Hack mumbled.
    Shower
with me. Rory clapped her hand over her
mouth, though she hadn’t uttered the words out loud. “He needs a
bath,” she said.
    “ I suppose you can’t do
that alone, either?” She shook her head. “I’m not staying after
three to make up what we didn’t get done.”
    “ It’s okay. Sammy has to
come first today. We’ll bathe him in the sink.” Rory washed the
breakfast dishes, and Hack dried. Then, they moved everything off
the counter.
    “ You’re cleaning the sink
to put a filthy dog in it?”
    “ Might be some chemicals
there that would harm him.”
    He laughed and shook his head. “That’s
doubtful. Now, you’re spoiling the rescue.”
    “ I use this sprayer on
Baxter.” She pointed to the nozzle next to the faucet.
    “ I’m not getting soaked.”
Hack ripped his T-shirt over his head and dumped it on the
sofa.
    Rory could hardly contain herself as
she stared at the half-naked man. His shoulders would have more
than filled the doorway. His chest was firm, covered in a
smattering of brown hair and seemed to stretch all the way to the
East Side. Hair on his abs formed a line that disappeared into the
waistband of his jeans.
    “ I’m not taking my tank
off,” she said.
    He laughed. “Too bad.” His gaze rested
on her chest.
    She
wanted to touch him, feel his muscles, rest her palm against his
flesh. His biceps were solid. Wrap those
arms around me once. Please. The yearning
to be held by him was almost more than she could
bear.
    At only
five foot four inches, Rory was small enough to lose herself in his
embrace. Being alone had made her self-reliant, but exhausted.
Desperate to lean on someone for a change, she almost succumbed.
Shyness fell away as she looked up into his eyes. Need flickered
there for a moment then was gone. He has
that beanpole, why would he need me? Nevertheless, she saw what she saw. A seed of hope was
planted in her heart.
    A whimper from Sammy broke the spell.
Rory turned on the water while Hack bent down to get a grip on the
pug and place him gently in the stainless