Page 64 of Knot A Chance

“I’ll stay here,” Sam said, sitting down beside me. He put a hand on my shoulder and I turned to him. He lifted his arm, allowing me to rest on his chest, softly shaking his head while I sobbed all over a perfect stranger.

Chapter Eighteen

Felix

May: One Month Ago

“Why does your truck still smell like piss?” I asked, crinkling my nose. “It’s been over a week since Calvin detailed it.”

“I honestly don’t know. He charges four hundred dollars for a full detail, and his customers are always coming back. He has regulars who are like clockwork every quarter. His detailing makes a ton of money for the garage and is the main reason I keep him, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s any good at this job,” Bennett said. “Though to be honest, it smells like you, so it isn’t bothering me.”

“Well, I don’t like it, so let’s drop it at the full-service car wash place in Crescent River. It’s a front for drugs, which nearly everyone in town knows, but they do a decent job.”

Bennett looked at me curiously as he pulled up to a stop sign two blocks from my sister’s house. We were on our way to visit Clara and it was my first time in Crescent River since I’d left for rehab. When I’d told Bennett I wanted to try to visit my sister, he’d insisted on being with me in case it became overwhelming. And I wonder why I’m falling hopelessly in love with this man.

Part of me was worried about how fast Bennett had swept me off my feet, but for the most part I was unapologetically in love.

I mean, falling in love.

No, definitely in love.

Shit.

“The car detailing place in your town is a front for drugs?” Bennett asked, pulling me out of my spiral. I’d been in my head about how quickly I was falling in love for the last two weeks and the truth was, I needed to get over it and accept it.

There’s no right length of time to fall in love with someone, and Bennett is everything I could ever want in a partner—and then some.

“Yeah. This guy Victor has run it for years. He sells the drugs himself; the whole thing is a front.”

“Huh,” Bennett said. “Well, if Calvin’s doing that shit at my garage, I hope he’s a better drug dealer than he is detailer.”

I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder. “You should definitely look into it if he really sucks like you said, but I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”

Bennett turned onto Main Street, and I bolted upright as something on the sidewalk caught my eye. I smacked his shoulder. “Wait! Stop!”

He slammed on the breaks and looked in his rearview mirror before turning to face me. “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

I slid across the seat, already reaching for the passenger side door. “Just park the truck and come find me,” I said, swinging the door open.

“How the hell am I going to find you? Where are you going?” Bennett called after me as I shut the door. I ran around the back of his truck and across the street toward the cardboard box sitting on the ground next to the trash can.

Inside the box, a dark brown, fluffy puppy sat shaking. His stocky frame and big paws gave me the impression he was a Newfoundland. He peered up at me with sad eyes as I squatted down and reached my hand out for him to sniff.

“How did you end up here, little guy?” I asked. He sniffed my hand and I took that as an invitation to pet him, slowly stroking the top of his head. “You’re all alone?”

He rubbed against my hand as I moved to scratch behind his ears, looking him over for a collar before checking inside the box. A piece of paper under the puppy’s feet read, Our dog had puppies, but we can’t keep them. Please give them a good life.

My heart broke as I picked up the heavy puppy. He must have been about eight weeks old. Maybe they kept him just long enough to be weaned from his mother safely. At least they did that much.

He rubbed his head against my chest, and I wrapped both arms around him as he snuggled against me. It’s barely fifty degrees out and who knows how long this guy has been here.

“Did your siblings already get picked up, or did they take off?” I asked. “What kind of monster would leave you behind?”

I scratched his ears and looked up at the sound of feet approaching.

“I see,” Bennett said, towering over me. “Did we just get a puppy?”

I picked up the paper from the box and handed it to him.