man,” Croft said as he gestured to me to take the computer. “I’d do it myself, but I can barely lift either arm at this point without some considerable pain.”
“It’s fine. Karen’s last day is tomorrow,” Cal muttered. “I can’t fuckin’ wait. Tammy is going to shit a brick when she hears that she’s gone.”
“Same,” Croft grunted. “She’s been handy to have around with the case that we just finished, but seriously, swear to fuckin’ Christ, I can’t goddamn breathe when she’s around. And having her show at the hospital yesterday was the final straw.”
“She asked to keep her job,” Cal chuckled. “Came in this morning and straight-up asked Justin and me. I told her that unfortunately we already filled her position. If she wanted to reapply when we had another opening she could.”
Croft burst out laughing.
Something he immediately stopped doing and pressed his closed fist to his forehead and started to breathe deeply.
“Laughing makes him hurt,” I explained to Cal. “And, sadly, we need to go get some meds in him. I think he has about thirty minutes until he can take some more. He probably needs a nap, too.”
When Croft didn’t contradict me, I knew that he was already waning.
“Take care of my boy.” He paused. “You’re Carmichael, aren’t you?”
I looked at Croft.
Though I knew of Cal, he’d never met me. I hadn’t realized that he even knew of me.
Yet, there he was, proving me wrong.
“Yes, this is her,” Croft replied softly, his eyes closing as he leaned his head back against the headrest.
I wanted to ask a thousand questions, in the end, I chose to keep my mouth shut, though. For Croft’s sake.
I’d ask him about it later, though.
When he wasn’t hurting so bad.
“Take care of my boy, Carmichael,” Cal said softly. “When this is over, you and Croft can come to eat with my wife and me. My girl loves your boy.”
I opened my mouth to say ‘maybe’ when Croft’s eyes flashed open. “I’ll bring her.”
Cal tapped the roof of Croft’s truck and said, “Better go inside before Karen decides to come out and harass you.”
Croft shuddered. “That woman needs to learn to catch a clue.”
Nobody disagreed with him.
Saying his goodbyes a minute later, Cal headed back inside while I rounded the front of Croft’s truck with the computer in my hands.
When I got inside, it was to find him staring at me.
“What?” I wondered.
He gave the smallest of shrugs. “Just like looking at you.”
I felt my face heat.
To cover up my sudden embarrassment at his words, I put the truck into drive and drove to the gym where I ran in really quick and gathered all the things that I’d left behind last night in my haste to leave.
I thankfully got out without having to talk to a single person inside and headed back to the truck and to our final destination.
Danger.
When I got back inside, it was to find Croft asleep, his head resting against the window.
After texting the couple that adopted Danger, I headed to our pre-approved meeting spot and sat idling waiting for them to get there.
When they finally arrived, I felt my heart skip a beat at the way the dog looked out the window longingly.
Every time I saw her, it was as if she was daydreaming about running away.
Getting out of the car, I smiled sadly at the two that got out of their car to meet me.
When the woman opened the door, she reached quickly for Danger’s leash so she didn’t take off, and Danger flinched.
The woman frowned hard.
“This is so hard,” she whispered as she gently tugged the leash to urge Danger out of the car.
I knew what she meant.
Danger had been with me for almost four months and we’d never made any progress.
“I know,” I agreed softly.
I heard the click of the door being opened behind me and looked over my shoulder at the man and the vehicle.
“This the dog?” Croft asked, sounding rough.
I looked up and nearly swallowed my tongue.
He’d followed me outside, shirtless and shoeless and uncaring that he was standing in front of two complete strangers.
Danger’s adoptive parents both looked at Croft as if he was lunch. Well, the wife of the couple did. The man looked kind of pissed, to be honest.
“This is Danger,” I confirmed as I reached for the leash.
The man handed her over to me and I gently tugged on her leash, urging her to the truck.
The dog slinked with me, back hunched, head dropped, ears pulled back.
My stomach sank