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“Second part.Brooklyn can take Wally.”

“Brooklyn…?”

“He’s just opened a doggie daycare in town.He’s still fixing the kennels and stuff, but he has space for one.He’d love to watch Wally for the day.You can give him a good reference.Well, that’s my suggestion.But we need to go now.”

“Don’t you have the emergency?”

“Yes, but I have enough time to run you to Brooklyn’s, then to Colin’s.”

“Let me grab Wally’s stuff.”Within just a moment, I had Wally’s necessities collected, and we were out the door.I made sure I had the key to my old rental as well as the empty duffel bag Anthony had given me when he helped me move in here with all new things.

I’d thought I had more time.

We loaded into Anthony’s SUV, Anthony passed me his phone so I could get Brooklyn’s number, and in no time, we pulled up to a lovely peach-stucco house with a slate-tiled roof.Very SoCal.

A tall man stepped from the front door, shut it, and headed our way.He had dark-blond hair.Just a shade darker than mine.His beard was neatly trimmed, and his smile was a mile wide.“Hey, Anthony.”

My social worker was already out of the SUV and grabbing Wally’s stuff.“Hey, Brooklyn.”

I was a bit slower slipping out, then hefting my baby to the ground.

He gazed up at me, clearly vibrating with excitement.

I gave him the command to heel, and he made his way around the SUV at my side.

My little guy had no fear of strangers.He just saw them as someone new to wrap around his little paw.He wasn’t wrong about that—he had an ability to make people fall in love with him.

“Did you get my text?”I held out my hand to Brooklyn.

He shook it with a strong grip.“I did.I promise that if anything comes up, I’ll text you.I promise he’ll be okay.”He crouched down, holding his hand out to Wally.

Who promptly sniffed, licked, and cuddled.

Yep, he was going to be fine.

I was a whole other matter.“I’ve never left him for this long…” Even as I said the words, I held out the leash.

Brooklyn took it with a wide smile that reached his hazel eyes.“I’ll keep him occupied.He’ll miss you, but I’ll make certain he has fun.”

Wally gazed up at me.Then he rubbed against my leg.

I crouched and scratched his ears in the way he loved.“A few hours.I love you.”

The little guy yipped.

Knowing he didn’t understand and believing it were two different things.Or…maybe he did.

I rose, waved to Brooklyn, and climbed back into Anthony’s SUV.

We were on our way within moments.

“Brooklyn’s helped me out a couple of times.”

I was pretty certain I understood.How someone might be in a situation where they needed a hand watching a beloved pet.

None of those scenarios were good.

I wasn’t facing anything that dire.