Last Chances
Page 9
“Nah, let him loose. He’s not showing signs of anxiety. He’ll be okay. He needs to have a little control, so he feels safe.” She unclipped the leash, and Jasper trotted away to explore.
Pressley’s heart took off in a sprint once the dog was out of sight. “Hayden, shouldn’t we watch him? He might, I don’t know, ruin something?” She thought of how the dog had peed on her carpet.
“Don’t be such a worrywart. I’ll be right back — just let me take these things upstairs.”
Pressley walked into the kitchen, looking for the dog, but he wasn’t there. She tried the family room: no dog. The main floor wasn’t large. There weren’t many places for him to get to but when she walked down the hallway, she not only saw him but heard him, too. Jasper was sitting at the front door whining.
“Ah, buddy,” she said in a high-pitched, friendly voice. “You still think the shelter’s your home, don’t you?” She scratched his neck, trying to get his attention, but his eyes were trained to the outside world.
Hayden came up behind her. “What’s wrong?”
“I have a feeling you’re going to have a tough time convincing him this is his home. He’s only known the shelter.”
“And that horrible place he was taken from before he got to Paws and Claws,” Hayden added. “But never mind that.” He produced a tennis ball. “Who’s up for a game of catch?”
Nineteen
Monday, May 24th
Pressley finally had to look away from the flash of cameras. Her face hurt from smiling for so long. It was the official opening day of the New Beginnings Animal Shelter she and Hayden started just a month ago. They’d wanted to hold the grand opening on a day that held significance, and today was it. May 24th was Pressley’s twenty-eighth birthday.
Two town councilors and the mayor showed up for the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with friends, family, and townsfolk. Pressley’s dad was at the front of the crowd along with one of his caretakers from the home.
The ceremony seemed to take forever as the reporters from the local paper covering the event, which was big news in their small town, hollered for Pressley and Hayden to look this way and that. Janet was in the crowd too, waving and smiling. She still ran Paws and Claws but was grateful to have another shelter in town to take on some of the pressure.
Pressley held a pair of oversized scissors, and they were heavy. Finally, with Hayden’s help, they cut through the large red ribbon, which ran across the front door of the shelter.
New Beginnings was a no-kill shelter like Paws and Claws, but Pressley and Hayden decided that not a single animal would be put down unless it was absolutely necessary, and that meant sick and nothing else. They had two of the finest animal trainers on staff and would rely on them to rehabilitate the cats and dogs other people saw as lost causes, and even if a forever home couldn’t be found, those animals would live out the rest of their days at the shelter.
After the pomp and ceremony, Pressley and Hayden said a few words, gave a quick interview and were relieved to finally be back at work. Just like at Paws and Claws, Pressley worked mainly in the office, but also helped take care of the animals. Hayden did all the maintenance and any heavy lifting that needed to be done. He was indispensable, building storage areas, setting up kennels, assessing the intake animals as well as giving them plenty of attention.
And there were volunteers, mostly teenagers from the community and a few older ladies who stopped by whenever they had time.
Pressley handled the social media and marketing duties, but the thing she loved best — besides running a business that she loved, with the man she loved — was that Jasper was there with them all day. He had the run of the place and would sometimes hang out with Hayden and at other times, curl up in the bed Pressley had for him beside her desk. He was nothing less than a miracle and a constant reminder that with love, affection, and attention, anything was possible.
He came home with them at the end of the day, too. When Hayden moved in with Pressley, the first thing he did was erect a tall wooden fence around the perimeter of the yard, even though it was doubtful Jasper would ever try to escape again. They’d bought the dog a large memory foam bed and placed it in their bedroom, though he more often than not, jumped up into their bed during the night and snuggled in between them.
Pressley surveyed the office. It was cozy and clean and felt like a home away from home. She took in a breath and let it out slowly. She smiled at how much her life had changed in a matter of months! She’d gone from a woman with no purpose, lost in herself, feeling awkward and alone, to a woman who had everything. She’d finally let down her guard and freed the powerful, confident woman inside her.
Hayden snuck up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. Her hair was a little shorter now, but she wore it down. No more prim and proper buns for Pressley. The scruff of his neatly trimmed beard tickled her cheek. She turned to kiss him.
“Let’s go out for a bit,” he suggested.
“But we’ve got work to do.”
“And, we’re the bosses around here. We can take a break whenever we want. I’ll get Charlene to come up to the office. Let’s go out for just a while. It’s a beautiful day. Come on, we’ll take Jasper for a walk.” His smile was big and his dimples irresistible.
She reminded herself that she was now the new and improved Pressley, no more fuddy-duddy stick-in-the-mud sensibilities. “Okay,” she acquiesced, kissing him again.
* * * * *
Cranbrook Park was peaceful and quiet on that day in May. The occasional jogger bobbed past and a few people inhabited the benches, feeding the pigeons. Pressley had to admit it was wonderful to be out in nature and to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. They’d found a secluded spot with a large grassy area. Hayden threw a ball for Jasper who eagerly played fetch until he was about to collapse. When he’d finally had enough, he drank endlessly from his water bowl and then found a spot to sun himself in.
“You know,” Hayden began, “look at us, all of us — you, me, and even Jasper. We’re a family.” He smiled brightly. “The three of us used to be singular puzzle pieces, all looking for the rest of the pieces, so we could fit together.” They were sitting side by side on the grass. Hayden moved over until he was directly in front of Pressley, and took her hand in his. “We’ve accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Imagine what we’ll be able to accomplish in a lifetime.” He dug into his pocket and produced a square-cut, yellow diamond ring in a platinum setting. He held it up in front of her between his thumb and pointer finger.
Pressley gasped, a hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears.
Hayden continued, “You know, I figured whatever chance at love that came my way after Shaun died would be a distant second to what I had with her, but you’ve proven that to be untrue. You’ve shown me that love doesn’t end, or just stop when you lose someone special. Life can be a wonder if you open your eyes and your heart enough to recognize the remarkable things that come your way. When I met you, I had a hole in me that I desperately tried to fill. I filled it with anger, I filled it with booze, I filled it with self-pity, and guilt, but when I met you, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I could fill that emptiness with love again. You and Jasper gave me back my life, and I want to spend the rest of it with you.” He levered himself up to a knee and poised the ring in front of her finger. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Yes!” Pressley practically yelled and when Hayden slid the ring onto her finger, she was instantly in his arms, kissing him. Jasper bounded over barking and jumping playfully, wanting to get in on the action.
Pressley and Hayden parted enough for Jasper to wriggle his way in between them. He doled out slobbery kisses and barked excitedly as if to proclaim that last chances were the sweetest of them all.
~ About the Author ~
Jeanne Bannon is a USA Today bestselling author. She has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty-five years, first
as a freelance journalist, then as an in-house editor for LexisNexis. She currently works as a freelance editor and writer.
When not reading or writing, Jeanne enjoys spending time with her daughters, Nina and Sara and her husband, David. She’s also the proud mother of two fur babies, a cuddly and affectionate Boston Terrier named Lila and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.
~ Discover more about Jeanne Bannon ~
Visit http://www.jeannebannon.com or sign up to receive her exclusive reader newsletter.
You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
~ Other Books by Jeanne Bannon ~
Invisible
Nowhere to Run
Lost and Found
Love Bites
Beautiful Monster – The Exchange (book one)
Beautiful Monster – The Hunt (book two)