I’ve actually never seen him so calm.”
He was sitting on Connor’s feet, his tiny body curled up as he slept. “I figured out what his issue was.”
“What? Do you have some veterinary experience? Because he has a ton of issues. He doesn’t sleep well. He never sleeps for more than an hour or two at a time. I think he has PTSD. Dogs can get that, you know.”
“He was hungry.” Connor’s lips pulled up in a grin and he tipped his Scotch toward her. “Just a hungry mongrel, like the rest of us.”
“He can’t be.” She stared down at him. About halfway through the impromptu gathering, he’d stopped growling. Usually she had to put him in her bedroom, but tonight she’d actually forgotten he was there. Not so great for a pet mother, but Connor had kind of taken over. “I keep his bowl full all the time.”
“Yes, I saw that. What’s vegan dog food besides torturous for the poor animal?”
“It’s a compassionate way for an animal to eat. I try to live my life with as much kindness and compassion as I can, so I put Lincoln on a vegan diet, too.”
“Let me tell you something, princess. Your dog likes burgers.”
Anger flashed through her system. “You fed him meat?”
“The little fucker wouldn’t leave me alone. I gave him a taste just to shut him up but then he whined so I gave him more. Your friend Tomwas a little like the dog. He wouldn’t shut up until I gave him a burger, too. I only got two. I’m actually still hungry.”
She couldn’t believe he’d done that. “He’s my dog. I make the choices for him. You just ruined his diet. He won’t go back.”
He regarded her with all the seriousness of a lazy but hungry lion, as though he was deciding if tearing her up was worth the effort. “He never was there, Lara. He’s a dog. He was born a carnivore. He’ll die one. It’s his nature.”
“He was fine.”
“He was hungry and that made him angry. You say you’re all about compassion, but your dog was hungry.”
She knew some vets who said it could be done. Plenty of animals lived on a vegan diet, though once meat was introduced it was very hard to get them to go back. “You have all the answers, don’t you?”
His face softened, but only slightly. “Not at all, but I do know that trying to change a creature’s nature will only bring heartbreak for you and him. The world isn’t a pretty place, and you can’t change it by feeding your dog a bunch of vegetables.”
“So I shouldn’t try. Yeah, I’ve heard this one before.” There was no point in talking to her bodyguard. They wouldn’t be friends. She knew his type. He probably thought she was stupid and naive, that she caused more problems than she solved. Whatever. He wouldn’t fit in her world and she didn’t want to fit into his. “I’m going to work for a while.”
She headed for her office. Until this guy was caught, she would spend as little time around Connor as possible. The last thing she needed in her life was another man who thought she was an idiot. Even though her dad loved her, he didn’t understand, either. No one seemed to.
Connor caught her hand as she started past the couch. He fixed his stare on her. “They all liked you. That whole group of people. They were each different, but they got together because they like you. What do you do for them?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I share meals with some of them. Iwatch Barb’s kids from time to time. I help some of the college kids with their essays. I’m really good at that.”
He let go of her hand and nodded as though satisfied. “So they use you. That’s why they were here. They wanted to make sure you didn’t get hurt so they could continue to use you.”
What the hell had happened to him? “No, I’m a part of their community. Our friendships aren’t one-sided. Those same old women whose prescriptions I pick up taught me how to knit. And Barb always checks in on me. She sometimes does my laundry when I’m too busy. The
He was sitting on Connor’s feet, his tiny body curled up as he slept. “I figured out what his issue was.”
“What? Do you have some veterinary experience? Because he has a ton of issues. He doesn’t sleep well. He never sleeps for more than an hour or two at a time. I think he has PTSD. Dogs can get that, you know.”
“He was hungry.” Connor’s lips pulled up in a grin and he tipped his Scotch toward her. “Just a hungry mongrel, like the rest of us.”
“He can’t be.” She stared down at him. About halfway through the impromptu gathering, he’d stopped growling. Usually she had to put him in her bedroom, but tonight she’d actually forgotten he was there. Not so great for a pet mother, but Connor had kind of taken over. “I keep his bowl full all the time.”
“Yes, I saw that. What’s vegan dog food besides torturous for the poor animal?”
“It’s a compassionate way for an animal to eat. I try to live my life with as much kindness and compassion as I can, so I put Lincoln on a vegan diet, too.”
“Let me tell you something, princess. Your dog likes burgers.”
Anger flashed through her system. “You fed him meat?”
“The little fucker wouldn’t leave me alone. I gave him a taste just to shut him up but then he whined so I gave him more. Your friend Tomwas a little like the dog. He wouldn’t shut up until I gave him a burger, too. I only got two. I’m actually still hungry.”
She couldn’t believe he’d done that. “He’s my dog. I make the choices for him. You just ruined his diet. He won’t go back.”
He regarded her with all the seriousness of a lazy but hungry lion, as though he was deciding if tearing her up was worth the effort. “He never was there, Lara. He’s a dog. He was born a carnivore. He’ll die one. It’s his nature.”
“He was fine.”
“He was hungry and that made him angry. You say you’re all about compassion, but your dog was hungry.”
She knew some vets who said it could be done. Plenty of animals lived on a vegan diet, though once meat was introduced it was very hard to get them to go back. “You have all the answers, don’t you?”
His face softened, but only slightly. “Not at all, but I do know that trying to change a creature’s nature will only bring heartbreak for you and him. The world isn’t a pretty place, and you can’t change it by feeding your dog a bunch of vegetables.”
“So I shouldn’t try. Yeah, I’ve heard this one before.” There was no point in talking to her bodyguard. They wouldn’t be friends. She knew his type. He probably thought she was stupid and naive, that she caused more problems than she solved. Whatever. He wouldn’t fit in her world and she didn’t want to fit into his. “I’m going to work for a while.”
She headed for her office. Until this guy was caught, she would spend as little time around Connor as possible. The last thing she needed in her life was another man who thought she was an idiot. Even though her dad loved her, he didn’t understand, either. No one seemed to.
Connor caught her hand as she started past the couch. He fixed his stare on her. “They all liked you. That whole group of people. They were each different, but they got together because they like you. What do you do for them?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I share meals with some of them. Iwatch Barb’s kids from time to time. I help some of the college kids with their essays. I’m really good at that.”
He let go of her hand and nodded as though satisfied. “So they use you. That’s why they were here. They wanted to make sure you didn’t get hurt so they could continue to use you.”
What the hell had happened to him? “No, I’m a part of their community. Our friendships aren’t one-sided. Those same old women whose prescriptions I pick up taught me how to knit. And Barb always checks in on me. She sometimes does my laundry when I’m too busy. The
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