“Thank you,” he said. “For helping Therese. I know you had no reason to, and I appreciate it.”

Aria smiled, and her eyes lit up. In the dim light, flecks of green danced around in the irises. The woman was magical.

“You’re welcome. I was glad to help.”

He couldn’t help but wonder at what price.

After Eli left, Aria released the breath she’d been holding. He was a big man, and she’d felt crowded by him. During those last few minutes, when they’d been alone, he’d positively overwhelmed her. It wasn’t all because of his size, though. He possessed an animal magnetism that, she was convinced, would exert a gravitational pull on any straight female, single or not.

She bought a bouquet of sunflowers for Hayley, and when the other woman didn’t answer her cell, she left the bouquet in the reception area at the shelter. Using her own key, she unlocked the kennels to walk the dogs. A couple of hours later, she’d taken all twenty-odd of them for a walk around the block. Afterwards, she visited the foster kittens. Hayley re-homed them as quickly as possible but sometimes had to ask friends to help out. So, every now and then, Aria housed foster kittens until a permanent home was found for them. Hugging a fluffy ginger kitten, she thought how special it was to have a pet. They were such characters and a never-ending source of cheer. That girl Teri could use a bit of cheer in her life. So could her handsome brother.

What a stroke of genius! How better to teach someone responsibility than by asking them to care for a helpless animal? She peered at the ginger kitten. It was adorable. Teri seemed like a lonely girl. Being forced to stay in a small town with her brother probably wasn’t her idea of an ideal vacation.

Aria looked into his cute kitten eyes and smiled. “I bet you would make her summer so much better.”

He mewed in response, and the impulse to take him with her grew. Teri Lockwood needed someone to love, and her brother sure as hell needed his world shaken up. Aria knew how to do both. After jotting a note for Hayley, she gathered a few things and stored them in a box along with the kitten.

“There now, baby,” she assured him. “You’re going to make some new friends.”