rise and fall of his chest.
“He’s too still.” She hurried back to Justin at the table.
“Set him down,” he ordered. “Grab that stethoscope.” She held it out to him, and he arched his brows, nodding at his hands, buried inside the anesthetized dog on the table. “You need to see if he has a heartbeat. I need to stop her bleeding.”
“I don’t know what I’m listening for,” she argued.
“Just put that on.” She slipped the earpieces in. “Good, now lay the end on his chest and tell me what you hear.”
“Nothing . . . wait, I hear something but it’s quiet.”
Justin reached for a piece of gauze and rubbed it over the puppy’s face a few times before it gasped, opening its mouth wide. “Okay, take him and put him right in front of the mask. I’ll come check on him as soon as I finish with the mom. Just stay with him.”
A LYSSA LAID HER head in the crook of her elbow, trying to stay awake. Justin was finishing with the female Lab as she watched the puppies. She was keeping a close eye on the littlest one, the one that had trouble breathing. They were all so small and weak, but he was even more so. Her hand instinctively curled around the side of her pregnant belly, where her child lay, nestled under her ribs. In less than six weeks, she’d be watching her own child sleep. Rather than comforting her, the thought made her panic.
She had no idea what she was going to do next. The last thing she’d expected when she went out to lunch with her best friend yesterday was to find out Lillian had been sleeping with her husband for the past four years. Elijah’s infidelity hadn’t come as a complete surprise. They’d been drifting apart for years; however, it didn’t lessen the pain of the betrayal, or the shock that it had been with her friend. The confrontation with Elijah that followed had been bad enough, but with his apathetic response when she had demanded he either remain faithful or give her a divorce, he shattered the last remnants of the illusion she’d clung to that their Hollywood marriage wasn’t as fake as everything else in the industry. He’d laughed at her, reminding her that she was nothing more than an out-of-work actress, and nothing without him, before agreeing to the divorce. He’d told her to leave the house before he returned from the office for dinner, as casually as if he was dismissing one of the house staff instead of throwing out his wife and child. In a daze, Alyssa had packed the car up with her clothing and jewelry, assuming she would find a way to sell what she didn’t need to support her and the baby.
But that would last only so long. Her mother suggested she come home for a short visit, which would at least give her a roof over her head and buy a little time before the baby was born, but she hadn’t told her parents about Elijah’s cheating, or the divorce. She wasn’t sure how long she could stay without telling them the truth. They both adored Elijah; he’d paid for their condo. What if they blamed her? She’d invested everything she’d had into Elijah’s agency, and he’d already warned her that she wouldn’t get anything from him. She didn’t even have a way to pay for doctor’s visits or the delivery now, she reminded herself. Worse, she didn’t even have a doctor any longer. Worries beat against her brain like the staccato beat of a drum, making her heart race in her chest as her child moved within her.
Two strong hands settled on her shoulders. “You did a good job.”
“Oh!” Alyssa jerked upright and slid the rolling chair to one side.
Justin’s lips curved into an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you were awake.”
He cocked his head to one side, and his dimple sank into his cheek, giving him a boyish charm. She brushed back the bangs that had fallen from her bun and tucked them behind her ear. “I was. I just thought you were still with the mom.” She realized she was staring at his perfect
“He’s too still.” She hurried back to Justin at the table.
“Set him down,” he ordered. “Grab that stethoscope.” She held it out to him, and he arched his brows, nodding at his hands, buried inside the anesthetized dog on the table. “You need to see if he has a heartbeat. I need to stop her bleeding.”
“I don’t know what I’m listening for,” she argued.
“Just put that on.” She slipped the earpieces in. “Good, now lay the end on his chest and tell me what you hear.”
“Nothing . . . wait, I hear something but it’s quiet.”
Justin reached for a piece of gauze and rubbed it over the puppy’s face a few times before it gasped, opening its mouth wide. “Okay, take him and put him right in front of the mask. I’ll come check on him as soon as I finish with the mom. Just stay with him.”
A LYSSA LAID HER head in the crook of her elbow, trying to stay awake. Justin was finishing with the female Lab as she watched the puppies. She was keeping a close eye on the littlest one, the one that had trouble breathing. They were all so small and weak, but he was even more so. Her hand instinctively curled around the side of her pregnant belly, where her child lay, nestled under her ribs. In less than six weeks, she’d be watching her own child sleep. Rather than comforting her, the thought made her panic.
She had no idea what she was going to do next. The last thing she’d expected when she went out to lunch with her best friend yesterday was to find out Lillian had been sleeping with her husband for the past four years. Elijah’s infidelity hadn’t come as a complete surprise. They’d been drifting apart for years; however, it didn’t lessen the pain of the betrayal, or the shock that it had been with her friend. The confrontation with Elijah that followed had been bad enough, but with his apathetic response when she had demanded he either remain faithful or give her a divorce, he shattered the last remnants of the illusion she’d clung to that their Hollywood marriage wasn’t as fake as everything else in the industry. He’d laughed at her, reminding her that she was nothing more than an out-of-work actress, and nothing without him, before agreeing to the divorce. He’d told her to leave the house before he returned from the office for dinner, as casually as if he was dismissing one of the house staff instead of throwing out his wife and child. In a daze, Alyssa had packed the car up with her clothing and jewelry, assuming she would find a way to sell what she didn’t need to support her and the baby.
But that would last only so long. Her mother suggested she come home for a short visit, which would at least give her a roof over her head and buy a little time before the baby was born, but she hadn’t told her parents about Elijah’s cheating, or the divorce. She wasn’t sure how long she could stay without telling them the truth. They both adored Elijah; he’d paid for their condo. What if they blamed her? She’d invested everything she’d had into Elijah’s agency, and he’d already warned her that she wouldn’t get anything from him. She didn’t even have a way to pay for doctor’s visits or the delivery now, she reminded herself. Worse, she didn’t even have a doctor any longer. Worries beat against her brain like the staccato beat of a drum, making her heart race in her chest as her child moved within her.
Two strong hands settled on her shoulders. “You did a good job.”
“Oh!” Alyssa jerked upright and slid the rolling chair to one side.
Justin’s lips curved into an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you were awake.”
He cocked his head to one side, and his dimple sank into his cheek, giving him a boyish charm. She brushed back the bangs that had fallen from her bun and tucked them behind her ear. “I was. I just thought you were still with the mom.” She realized she was staring at his perfect
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