"You're such a gentleman." She sounded pleased and surprised.
"Well, you’re welcome, anytime." I noticed the tilt of her head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
"Nothing at all. Just trying to piece you together, Mr. Gallagher."
"What do you have so far? Besides unbelievably handsome, cunning, and tenacious,” I teased.
“Hmmm, let’s see.... You have a soft spot for your siblings and are very protective of women in predicaments. Even if that plight is rain.”
"Not every woman, Mel, just you."
Her eyes widened. "Now, see, I don't know what to do with that piece of information."
I didn't either. But it was true, and I wanted her to know it.
The tension between us was even more intense now. I could barely hold back from acting on it. Despite what I told my sister, despite knowing Mel and I wanted different things in life.
“So, what kind of shelter is this?”
“It’s for abandoned pets. My friend Charlotte opened it. She’s very good at finding homes for them. I met her at NYU, and we’ve been best friends ever since. She always loved animals. When Dad needed a companion, she helped him find the perfect one for him.”
Her voice always changed when she spoke about her father—it became even warmer.
"How are you helping?" I asked.
“It depends on what she needs. Mostly admin stuff like buying supplies or feeding the dogs. Sometimes I spend time with the dogs and the visitors, and I try to pair them or convince them to take one. Sometimes I go to soak in all the puppy love."
"Her shelter has puppies? I would've thought she’d have mostly abandoned older dogs."
"We have those too, but a lot of people also abandon puppies. Their dog accidentally gets pregnant, and they don't want to deal with the puppies, so they’ll drop all of them at the shelter."
"That's harsh."
"Yes, it is. Some are young and should have stayed with the mother to wean a while longer because they can’t even eat solid foods properly. But we nurse them back to health and then eventually find them a home."
Her eyes lit up. The more she shared with me, the more I wanted to know about her. There was no way my curiosity would be satisfied in the few minutes it would take to reach the intersection of Madison and Montgomery Street, where my meeting was. She was a puzzle for me. One I couldn’t wait to piece together.
"How long are you staying at the shelter?" I asked.
“I don't know. Two or three hours, I guess. It depends how long it takes me to do everything I have on my list."
“My meeting will be over by then. I’ll pick you up.”
“What? Why?”
"You made me curious about this place. Besides, it’ll probably still be raining.”
“I’m sure I’ll find an umbrella at the shelter.”
“Don’t make me pull the secrets card again,” I said with a grin.
She laughed, running a hand through her thick hair. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want that.”
“So? What do you say?”
“If you insist.”
“I do.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“My pleasure entirely.”
She swallowed hard, fiddling in her seat.
We arrived in front of the building a few seconds later. I walked quickly from the car to the entrance but still got my suit jacket wet.
The meeting was on the fourth floor. It was with a smaller firm that we’d recently acquired. The team consisted of five people, and they’d developed a kick-ass airdrop software. We were in the process of integrating it into one of the core products we offered to our longtime customers.
We met three times a week so they could update me on their work. Usually I couldn’t wait to meet with these guys. I liked their energy and the way their minds worked.
But for the first time since we’d acquired them, I couldn't wait for a meeting to be over. My mind was on Melanie. I could imagine her with that cute smile and positive attitude, convincing people to take dogs home with them. She could convince anyone of anything.
All these details we were debating today were important, but we could discuss them another time. The team had enough to do anyway.
Nearly two hours later, I was itching to get out of here. I was looking at the clock more often than was polite. My host, Dean, took the hint—he was also the boss of the team.
"Dylan, I think we have enough details pinned down. I'll discuss it with the team, and we'll come back to you with more ideas another time," he said.
Perfect. I got up, shaking their hands before leaving. I loved working with people who could take a hint and interpret nonverbal cues and act on them. Not having to explain myself saved time. I’d asked Jeffrey to leave the car in the nearest parking space and share the location on Google Maps. He’d left the key with the doorman of the building.
While I searched for the car, Isabelle’s warning rang in my ears.
“She wants a relationship and everything that comes with it.”
I ignored it, just as I had all the other times it popped in my mind. The desire to see Melanie won over logic and reason.
There was a lot of traffic, but even so, I arrived at the shelter in forty minutes. There was a small parking lot with only one other vehicle, a minibus. I parked in the spot nearest to the shelter and went to look around. The shelter was small and required a thorough renovation. The white paint was chipped off, and a window was cracked.
I immediately noticed Mel in front of a pen at the side of the house, taking some kids into it. A dozen or so puppies were running around. A kid left the door of the pen open, and one of the puppies ran out. He was black and plump and made a beeline for me, jumping right on my leg. His tiny paws were full of mud, and no matter how much he jumped, he could only reach up to my knee, but that didn't seem to discourage him. It was obvious he wanted me to hold him, so I bent at the waist and picked him up, not just to stop him from ruining my suit but because he wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted.
Mel came over to us with a huge smile. Her dress was full of mud.
“I’m not dressed for this, I know, but Charlotte texted me when I was at Genesis, and I didn’t have anything else to change into. When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
"Someone likes you," she said softly. "And let me tell you, he's shy. He usually hides when we have visitors."
"I think that's what he was trying to do. He wanted to escape the crowd of kids."
"Exactly. And he picked you. See? Even the puppy knows you're a savior."
Chapter Six
Dylan
“He does look happier with you than with the crowd,” Mel said. “I should get back to them.”
“Are they here to adopt dogs?”
“No, it’s a visit from a nearby kindergarten. The kids learn not to abandon animals, and the dogs are happy they have company.” She came closer, petting the puppy I was holding. "You made someone happy. The kids are leaving in a few minutes, but I still have to feed the dogs and close this place up for the evening. Are you okay with that?”
“Sure. I’ll look around.”