mouth and quickly looked back at the puppies, which were grunting softly and wiggling against one another. “I was just sort of lost in my own head, I guess.”
He turned to a cupboard nearby and withdrew two needleless syringes. “What are those for?”
“We need to give them colostrum so they have the antibodies they need and don’t get sick.” He walked back and handed her the syringe. “Just a little on the back of their tongues, and we’ll do it again in an hour. Like this.” He reached for the first puppy and put a few drops of the liquid into its mouth. “Later, she should be able to feed them all. If not, we’ll supplement them the same way.”
Justin glanced up at her through thick, dark lashes—lashes most of the women in her career field would kill for. “This is a nice litter. What do you think you’re going to do with them?”
“Me?” she squeaked, pausing as she reached for a puppy. “Doctor, I can’t take them with me.”
“I think we’re beyond that ‘Doctor’ business. Just Justin is fine.” He arched a brow and smiled at her, the dimple creasing his cheek before his brows dropped forward between his eyes, thoughtfully, and he set the puppy down, reaching for the next one. “You won’t be going anywhere for a while, at least not until your car gets fixed. But I guess you probably won’t be able to keep them in a hotel either. I guess they could stay here until you head out.” His brows lifted again, as if he was certain his explanation was sufficient.
Crap, how am I going to pay for a hotel, or to fix the car? Is he really expecting me to pay to keep these puppies, or for the surgery?
“Um . . . I can’t pay for any of this.” She tucked the strand of hair behind her ear again and saw his eyes flick to the massive diamond solitaire settled on her left hand under the latex glove.
Alyssa couldn’t meet his gaze for fear of the recrimination she expected to see there. She wanted to tell him it was none of his business, remind him that appearances could be misleading, but knew she wouldn’t. She used to have a backbone, but over the past six years of her marriage, she had caved as Elijah pressured her to spend less time on set and more time helping him build his agency. She’d given him control of her already successful career, allowing him to make higher demands in her contracts, until producers could no longer meet them. She had believed him when he convinced her that it was time to “retire” in order to focus more attention on his agency and starting a family.
Her hand trailed over the baby, quiet within her. Now that fantasy lay in rubble at her feet. Her husband had kicked her out, said he didn’t love her, didn’t want her or their child, and left her pregnant and alone. She should have been devastated. Instead, she felt hollow.
Her eyes slid over the man seated in front of her, his still-wet hair standing at odd angles at the top of his head as he fed the puppies, and guilt swept in. The least she could do was offer him some sort of explanation. He had come to her rescue and stayed outside in the sleet to find the dog she hit.
Alyssa cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen. “The truth is that expensive things are all I have right now. I don’t have any money or any way to get any until I sell a few things. I’m not even sure I still have insurance on the car to fix it.” She looked down at the puppies, praying he wouldn’t force her to admit anything more.
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself in a real mess, Alyssa.” He ducked his head to meet her gaze. “Give me some time to see if I can’t figure out something to help you.”
“Why . . . I can’t ask you to . . . ”
Justin arched a brow and cocked his head at her. “I don’t recall you asking. Besides, my father would skin my hide if I was anything less than a gentleman for a damsel in distress.”
She wanted to believe he could be her white knight, but Elijah had
He turned to a cupboard nearby and withdrew two needleless syringes. “What are those for?”
“We need to give them colostrum so they have the antibodies they need and don’t get sick.” He walked back and handed her the syringe. “Just a little on the back of their tongues, and we’ll do it again in an hour. Like this.” He reached for the first puppy and put a few drops of the liquid into its mouth. “Later, she should be able to feed them all. If not, we’ll supplement them the same way.”
Justin glanced up at her through thick, dark lashes—lashes most of the women in her career field would kill for. “This is a nice litter. What do you think you’re going to do with them?”
“Me?” she squeaked, pausing as she reached for a puppy. “Doctor, I can’t take them with me.”
“I think we’re beyond that ‘Doctor’ business. Just Justin is fine.” He arched a brow and smiled at her, the dimple creasing his cheek before his brows dropped forward between his eyes, thoughtfully, and he set the puppy down, reaching for the next one. “You won’t be going anywhere for a while, at least not until your car gets fixed. But I guess you probably won’t be able to keep them in a hotel either. I guess they could stay here until you head out.” His brows lifted again, as if he was certain his explanation was sufficient.
Crap, how am I going to pay for a hotel, or to fix the car? Is he really expecting me to pay to keep these puppies, or for the surgery?
“Um . . . I can’t pay for any of this.” She tucked the strand of hair behind her ear again and saw his eyes flick to the massive diamond solitaire settled on her left hand under the latex glove.
Alyssa couldn’t meet his gaze for fear of the recrimination she expected to see there. She wanted to tell him it was none of his business, remind him that appearances could be misleading, but knew she wouldn’t. She used to have a backbone, but over the past six years of her marriage, she had caved as Elijah pressured her to spend less time on set and more time helping him build his agency. She’d given him control of her already successful career, allowing him to make higher demands in her contracts, until producers could no longer meet them. She had believed him when he convinced her that it was time to “retire” in order to focus more attention on his agency and starting a family.
Her hand trailed over the baby, quiet within her. Now that fantasy lay in rubble at her feet. Her husband had kicked her out, said he didn’t love her, didn’t want her or their child, and left her pregnant and alone. She should have been devastated. Instead, she felt hollow.
Her eyes slid over the man seated in front of her, his still-wet hair standing at odd angles at the top of his head as he fed the puppies, and guilt swept in. The least she could do was offer him some sort of explanation. He had come to her rescue and stayed outside in the sleet to find the dog she hit.
Alyssa cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen. “The truth is that expensive things are all I have right now. I don’t have any money or any way to get any until I sell a few things. I’m not even sure I still have insurance on the car to fix it.” She looked down at the puppies, praying he wouldn’t force her to admit anything more.
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself in a real mess, Alyssa.” He ducked his head to meet her gaze. “Give me some time to see if I can’t figure out something to help you.”
“Why . . . I can’t ask you to . . . ”
Justin arched a brow and cocked his head at her. “I don’t recall you asking. Besides, my father would skin my hide if I was anything less than a gentleman for a damsel in distress.”
She wanted to believe he could be her white knight, but Elijah had
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