When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,27

to tell me the dog didn’t make it. “I wanted to let you know that the surgery was successful and your dog will be fine. She’s going to need to rest for a while, and be watched carefully, but she’s doing well.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

Thea stirs in my lap and sits up, rubbing at her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“She came to tell me the dog’s going to be okay.”

“Oh.” Thea brightens. “That’s great.”

The woman nods. “Does she have a name yet? I’m aware you only put in the adoption papers last night.” She laughs lightly. “So if you haven’t picked one yet, that’s fine, but we’d prefer to call her by her name if you’ve decided.”

I look at Thea and she looks at me. “Prue?”

I grin. “Prue,” I repeat. “It’s perfect.”

The woman smiles and stands. “Prue it is. She won’t be able to go home with you for at least a day—we typically monitor them for twenty-four hours following surgery. So I suggest you guys get on out of here and prepare for your new addition to come home with you.”

“Thank you,” I tell the woman. “And can you tell the vet and nurses thank you too?”

She nods with a warm smile. “Absolutely.” She rounds the receptionist table. “We can finish your payment and then when you pick her up you won’t have to do anything but get her.”

“Perfect,” I say, pulling my wallet out of the pocket of my sweatpants. I hand Thea the keys. “You wanna go on out to the car?”

She nods and takes them from my hands, heading for the automatic glass doors. I can’t help but stare at her slender legs and the way her shorts hug her curves just right.

I step up the desk and make the payment, sign the receipt, and hand it back.

“You look familiar,” the woman says, staring up at me.

I shrug. “Must have one of those faces.”

She shakes her head. “Do you play football?”

My shoulders tighten. “Yes,” I admit reluctantly.

She smiles widely. “I knew it. You’re new to the Broncos this year.”

I nod once and grit my teeth. I don’t want to say anything but I have to. I look out the doors and then to her. “If you don’t mind, could you keep that information to yourself. Thea—my wife … She doesn’t know yet.”

“Doesn’t know?” She looks perplexed as another receipt prints out and she hands this one over for me to keep.

“It’s complicated,” I grind out.

“Yes, well, I won’t say anything,” she promises.

“Thanks.” I nod. “You guys have my phone number and you’ll call if anything happens to Prue, right?”

“Of course.” I start to walk toward the doors when she calls me back. “Sir?”

“Yes?” I stop and turn around, crumbling the receipt in my fist.

“I know it’s none of my business, but you should tell her. That’s the kind of secret that you don’t keep from your spouse.”

I flinch. She’s right. “Thanks,” I mumble, and then I’m gone.

I slide into the driver’s seat of my truck and glance at Thea. She’s pulled her hair back in a sloppy ponytail and her face is free of makeup, but like always, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

“You hungry?” I ask.

She nods. “Starving.”

I don’t even ask her where she wants to go: I already know. That’s the beauty of knowing someone better than you know yourself.

We arrive at the local restaurant a few minutes later. It’s a favorite of all of ours and under normal circumstances, I would’ve called the whole gang to join us, Jace and Nova included, but I selfishly want Thea all to myself.

I park and we head inside, and when she smiles over her shoulder at me as we’re guided to our table I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I have my dream job and my dream girl, life can’t get any better. Except for the fact that I’m keeping said dream job from my dream girl. I don’t know how she’ll react when I tell her, but I know now that it’s not something I can keep a secret from her for much longer. She deserves to know more than anyone else. Not because she’s my wife, but because she’s always been there cheering me on, my biggest support system. I don’t think she ever missed a game that we played. She was always there in the stands, rain or shine, screaming her lungs out.

We take our seats and both immediately slide our menus to the