Searching for Always (Page 42)
He glanced back over his shoulder and winked. “I still don’t like you either.”
Then he left.
Arilyn turned to look at the dog, who still hadn’t moved. Just stared into space, looking at something else.
A premonition washed over her. If she allowed her body to weaken, she’d ask him to take her to bed. And he’d destroy her in ways even her ex hadn’t touched. She couldn’t risk her heart being broken a second time so soon.
She might never recover.
Arilyn knelt beside Pinky, gently stroking her head. She didn’t respond. She’d clean the wounds, maybe feed her through a dropper to get some water in her system. Anthony would know the best plan to undertake. In the meantime, she’d keep her head down and get to goal.
The end of anger management and the end of seeing Stone Petty.
nine
A FEW DAYS LATER, Stone realized he should’ve just thrown her in jail.
It would’ve been a hell of a lot easier.
The motley crew of the anger management class gathered around the outdoor kennels at the Animals Alive shelter. At first, he’d looked forward to a field trip. Spending hours locked in a room with her, trying to do yoga or meditate or talk in the circle, was painful. For his mental state and his body. Besides a constant state of blue balls, they’d formed another type of connection.
They shared a secret. Stone knew there was a level of intimacy in sharing something no one knew about. Every time their gazes touched, energy shimmered between them, a reminder of the favor that hung ripe and beat through every undercurrent of conversation.
He figured a little air was good for the soul, and they’d visit some crazy ashram or help children or serve food to the homeless. But this he refused to do.
He hated dogs.
Stone tried to focus on her lecture.
“Animals are statistically proven to help lower stress and ease anger issues in humans,” she said. Today she wore jeans, scuffed brown boots, a snug tank, and some sort of crochet cape thing in bright red. Her hair, caught in a high ponytail, was shimmering red-gold under the weak rays of sun. The leaves, which had fully turned in a stunning display of orange, amber, and yellow, crunched beneath their feet. Acres of woods spread out behind them, with a small building as the welcome center, horse stalls, and different types of gates holding various types of animals. “Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering how volunteering our time with rescues can possibly help control anger management. First, serving the community helps us get out of our worlds and reminds us of what we do have. Though anger is a trigger and caused by a multitude of stresses, it is also part of ego. It’s selfish. Getting in touch with less fortunate creatures, big and small, ground us in the reality of what we do have. If you’re driving to work, get caught in horrific traffic, and start to lose it, reminding yourself of the dog who was abused with no home or the child struggling with cancer can actually help ground us in the bigger reality.”
Luther and Eli looked fascinated. Stone grudgingly admitted she was a good speaker. Spending years around lies and bullshit and criminals made it harder to be empathetic or believe in something bigger. She did. The pure energy of her spirit practically rolled around her in waves. She drew people in with the urge just to be around her, listen to her speak, maybe touch her. She had a gift, and Stone bet she had no idea how she affected people.
“I’ll be handing the training over to Anthony, our director. He’s going to show you the procedures, and then we’ll spend the next hour working with the animals on a one-to-one basis.”
No way.
Stone studied the guy who stepped up and thanked her. He had those moony eyes Stone knew too well. The director had a crush on Arilyn big-time. As he took them through the greeting center and showed them how to put on a leash, how the dogs they walked or spent time with were coded, and how to follow the rules, Stone wondered how Arilyn felt about him. She’d told him in the car he was in the friend zone, but could that change? No. She kissed him like a woman who was starving and not actively dating or interested in another man. Stone was trying to be her transitional. But Anthony seemed to be a better fit for her lifestyle over the long term.
Stone brooded. They were similar. Both shared a passion for animals. He worked for charity. Good-looking guy, too. Looked Italian, so the guy probably knew how to cook. If she were smart, she’d date this guy and stay away from him. Stone couldn’t promise her anything but the best night of her life. Oh, and hanging out with a workaholic, anger-ridden divorcé who wanted no children.
Yeah, it was a real win-win.
His mood soured. He trotted behind Anthony, learned the rules, and then was handed back to his teacher. They both smiled so brightly at each other, Stone wondered if he’d be blinded for life. He got a fucking cavity looking at them. Weren’t they just perfect together?
Anthony squeezed her hand, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. She laughed, swatted his arm playfully, and turned back to the group. “Okay, guys, we’re going to focus on the dogs today. Listen to Anthony’s instructions and go by the color-coded tags. Green is acceptable to take for a walk. Blue is no touch. Yellow is needs social interaction.”
She led them to the long, narrow aisle of gates. The smell of earth, rotting leaves, and dog poop rose in the air. The whines and barks grew to a shrieking level as the dogs recognized company and tried to get noticed. He watched Luther and Eli choose their dogs, clipping on the leashes and leading crazy bundles of energy out the squeaky gate door. Luther seemed delighted with the large black Lab rushing toward freedom, and Eli had a small smile with the medium-sized mutt with the long snout.