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Chapter One

David

What was I thinking, telling my daughter we could finally get the dog she’s been begging me for since her sixth birthday?

Duncan and Ava are never going to let me live this down.

“Emmy can be a bit of a handful,” Jade Davis, the coordinator for Mile High Mutts Rescue says, as I finish scribbling my name under owner on the adoption papers.

Emmy, a fawn colored greyhound ‘mix’, is proving her right by barking for all she’s worth.

Scarlett, my eight-year-old daughter, is yelling the dog’s name and trying to give her treats.

“But she is very sweet and will be great with your little girl.”

Shutting my eyes, I breathe deeply and force the corner of my lips to lift. “Greyhounds are couch potatoes, right?”

Jade huffs out a laugh, and I whip my gaze to her, panic gripping me. “Yes, they’re supposed to be couch potatoes.”

As I watch Scarlett with the pup, her joy washes away any doubt I’m making a mistake.

Her face is glowing, and Emmy is staring up at her with her tongue hanging out. My cheeks pull up for real and warmth radiates from my chest. Scarlett’s excitement makes all of this worth it, even if I am in over my head.

“I want you to know that you’re never alone,” Jade continues, smiling kindly. “We offer all forms of help for families to adjust to their new circumstances. Adding a dog to your life can turn your entire world upside down for a short time while everyone gets adjusted.”

She slides a paper across the desk, listing the rescue’s support programs. “Sign up for Tuesday’s training session,” she says, circling one. “It’ll help.”

A groan spills out. “Is this necessary?” I grumble.

“If you want to survive, it is.” An amused glint dances in her eyes as she chuckles softly. “No, it’s not really necessary.”

The tightness in my shoulders eases. Thank goodness. I have no idea how I’d handle all of this on top of everything else with the season just around the corner.

My brother Duncan will have some time to help, but hockey is in full swing now, too. And even though Ava, my best friend, will be around, I’m not sure what her schedule will look like once she starts auditioning again.

I don’t even know if they’ve figured out their new situation, or where they’ll be living.

I have no doubt they’ll make it work. But they only got married yesterday.

I’m pretty sure they haven’t spent much time talking about what their living arrangements will look like.

In fact, I’m positive that conversation didn’t make it anywhere near the top of the list of things to do.

A longing so deep leaves an ache in my chest, I wish Fiona were here for this. She always wanted Scarlett to have a dog. The two of us could have made this work without a hitch. But me? By myself?

“I know this will be hard without me, David.” Fiona squeezed my hand weakly. “But remember you’re stronger than you think, and I believe in you. You’re the best father I know.”

Tears stung the back of my eyes, my heart breaking. “How am I going to live without you?”

Crystal blue eyes had shone back at me as she lifted a hand to my cheek. “The only way you know how. One step at a time and lots of practice.”

Covering her hand with mine, I turned and kissed her palm, savoring the warmth of her touch—a touch that would soon be gone.

“Oh, and remember to get Scarlett a dog.” My groan came out as a rumble against her hand making her chuckle. “For me? It will change both of your lives in the best of ways, I promise.”

“Fiona…” Grumbling, I gazed into her eyes knowing there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. Even trade places. She should—

“David,” Jade reaches out and touches my forearm, bringing me back to the present, “if you don’t think this is a good idea—”

At that exact moment, Scarlett’s laughter lights up the room and the worry gripping me disappears, washing away any lingering doubt. “No,” I say, shaking off the doom and gloom surrounding me and remembering Fiona’s request. “We can make this work.”

I turn toward my daughter. Her arms are wrapped around Emmy while the dog’s snout is tucked in the crook of Scarlett’s neck. A slew of emotions squeeze my chest.

We will make this work. Whatever it takes.

Twenty minutes later, and one loose dog, my confidence in handling my new life circumstances is fading like the afternoon sun.

“Emmy!” I scream in a futile attempt to get my greyhound to come back to me. “Scarlett, can you please stop chasing her? It’s not helping.”

This dog is fast! I mean ridiculously fast. The times she’s raced past me, I swear I’ve heard paws thundering on the ground.

The pup has been sprinting around the open field outside of Mile High Mutts Rescue since she yanked the leash from my hand. Thank goodness the area is secured. But when the property is a few acres, does that make a difference?

“She likes it, Daddy!” Scarlett yells, her laughter ringing through the unseasonably warm air. “Go Emmy, go!”

Dumbest. Idea. Ever!

From what little I know about the greyhound breed, they have big bursts of energy, and then they crash. Well, this pretty little girl, just like my daughter, doesn’t seem to have an off button. Nor does she seem to be fatigued at all.

By the time we get out of here, Duncan and Ava will be back in Maple Ridge, and they’ll need to send a search party out to find us.

A car door slams, and I turn toward the parking lot.

A poised, slender woman steps out, her dark brown hair swept back in a long ponytail that shines when the sunlight catches it.

There’s a quiet confidence in her stride, like she’s unfazed by the chaos unfolding.

Perfect! Exactly what I need. Someone to witness my ultimate humiliation. Two girls who don’t listen to me.

“Emmmmm-mmeee,” the feminine voice calls out.

“Don’t you think I tried that?” I grumble quietly to myself. But to my complete amazement, I watch my nemesis make a large arc and head toward the woman walking through the gate. In the process, she darts right past me like I don’t even exist. “Are you kidding me?”

The woman pulls a rope from her pocket, does some quick maneuvers and turns it into something that now resembles a dog leash.

She sticks her hand through the loop and Emmy, like she didn’t just spend the last twenty-minutes avoiding me like I had the plague, shoves her head through it.

Then she gives the woman’s hand a gentle lick, her big eyes gleaming with trust.

My jaw drops, my humiliation complete.

“My hero!” Scarlett excitedly claps her hands, pouring salt on my open wound. “How did you do that? It was magical!”

I watch as she and Emmy stroll—not drag, but stroll—toward me and Scarlett. Despite myself, I can’t help but wonder if maybe she does have a few magic tricks up her sleeve. Because what I’m watching feels supernatural.

“You just need to know what Emmy’s favorite thing is!” She lets out a laugh, and I feel a stirring in my gut.

“Running?” Scarlett giggles, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“Okay, maybe her second favorite thing!” She snickers, then holds out her hand, revealing her secret weapon. “Treats.”

Something tickles the back of my memory as I watch this person moving toward me. She seems familiar, yet I’m certain I haven’t met her.

“Those are the treats Uncle Dunk—”

“Scarlett,” I say sternly, pulling my brows together. Her gaze sparkles when it meets mine, but she heeds my warning and uses Duncan’s name instead of her nickname for him.

“Duncan makes.”

“Well, Emmy loves them. Lucky for her, she’ll be going to a home where she can always have them.” Radiant blue eyes lift to mine, and my gut pitches. “I’m Cat. One of the volunteers. Is it safe to say you’re this pup’s new family?”

The feeling that I’ve met this person before nags at me, but I shake it off. For some reason, though, the thought won’t leave that easily. There’s something irrefutably familiar about her.

“Yes,” Scarlett giggles. “But I think Daddy may need some help when it comes to getting Emmy to listen.”

“Need some help with your dog wrangling skills, do you?” She directs toward me, but winks at Scarlett, making her laugh.

“I didn’t know dog wrangling was a thing,” I mutter, drawing her blue gaze back to mine. The humor dancing there makes my breath hitch. “But apparently it’s just one other thing I’ll have to learn.”

“The rescue offers an incredible support system and some training classes. It’s where I learned everything I know.” She beams at me, and a dimple pops on her left cheek. “Hopefully Jade had you sign up for a few.”

My mind is ticking down a list of people I’ve known throughout my life. Those blue eyes, that dimple. I know I’ve seen it before. A question runs across her face as we stare at each other.

“Jade had Daddy sign up for all of them.” Scarlett bends down and kisses Emmy on the head. “She said we would need them.”

I feel heat creep up my neck and silently curse my daughter’s lack of filter.

“Jade’s right.” Cat laughs, still staring at me, humor twinkling in her eyes. “This pup is unique and special. Definitely one of a kind.”

Looking at Cat’s dimple, a memory tugs somewhere deep inside. A recollection of a young girl walking up the steps to my neighbor’s house, turning a sad smile my way, slams into me, and I gasp.

Scarlett’s hazel brown eyes snap to my face, while Cat’s blue ones, still glued to mine, grow wide.

There was only one person that memory belongs to, and her name was Cat too. Catherine ‘Cat’ Bailey.

My first crush. And my first heartbreak.