Gone.
Hog leaned on her, eyes warm with love and worry. “I know, big guy,” she murmured. “We’ll figure it out.”
She heard the bell on the front door ping as it opened, and then came the click-click-clicking of heels on the concrete floor that made her groan. Sure enough, she went to the front to face Alison. Did the woman wear heels every single day as her armor? Not that Emma was one to judge. She had her own armor of self-deprecating humor—which was a lot cheaper than great shoes. “Morning,” she said in automatic professional greeting.
“Name one good thing about it,” Alison said.
Ha. Okay, so Emma wasn’t the only one with a bad attitude today. If Alison hadn’t been the bane of her existence all those years ago now, she might’ve liked her for that alone. “You here to book Killer for the day?”
“No, she’s with her dad today.”
“That must be hard.”
Alison shrugged. “Life’s hard, right?”
“Believe it or not, I actually agree with you there.”
Alison snorted. “Heard Simon came home not too long after I left.”
“Yes.”
“Simon has nanny cams in his dad’s apartment. It’s to keep Dale safe. But Dale’s a smart guy, even if he can’t always access all those smarts. He likes to watch the feeds.”
Emma stilled, pretty sure she knew where this was going. “And?”
“And he caught you two kissing.” Alison grinned. “Then he interrupted because he can’t help himself. He’s a nosy busybody when he’s bored.”
“You’re a scary family.”
Alison laughed, sounding pleased. “Yeah.” She picked up a bedazzled pink collar from a display. “Don’t be surprised if you end up infamous for this.”
“The collar?”
Alison snorted. “The kissing.” She cocked her head at Emma’s look of horror. “Have you forgotten what it’s like to live in Wildstone?”
“Yes.”
“Seriously?”
“I’ve forgotten lots of the little things, yeah.”
“Right. The coma.” Alison’s smirk faded. “Sorry. Well, to remind you, you can’t sneeze and fart at the same time in this town without making it on the stupid Facebook page that everyone pretends to be too cool for but follows religiously anyway.” Alison paused and looked her over. “You know if you hurt him, everyone will know and you’ll answer to me.”
Emma laughed.
Alison didn’t.
“He’s my PT,” Emma said. “And my friend.” Maybe . . .
“You fired him. And friends don’t kiss with tongues.”
Emma shook her head. She really had forgotten what Wildstone could be like. One of those little details her brain had filed away somewhere during her coma, along with a lot of other things that might be helpful about now, leaving her feeling deeply out of her league.
“I just don’t want his head messed with again,” Alison said.
“Again?”
Ignoring that, Alison turned in a slow circle, looking around. “I talked to Gabby about you. She said you’re a natural, that she can’t see anyone else taking over this place. You make her customers feel like family, and she feels her repeat business is almost exclusively thanks to you.” She faced Emma. “So. About your lease.” She pulled an iPad from her shoulder bag. “You’re approved. Ready to sign and write me a big fat check?”
“I got rejected for a business loan.”
Alison paused, clearly surprised. “Did you fill the applications out correctly?”
“Yes!” Emma took a deep breath. “I’m going to have to pass on buying Paw Pals.” It took everything she had to keep the emotion out of her voice.
Alison was just staring at her. “Or . . .”
Emma shook her head. “Or what?”
“Just how short are you?”
Emma had half of her estimated costs to take over the business, and that was only if she used the bulk of her insurance settlement.
Eyebrows raised, Alison was waiting for an answer.
“Half,” Emma said. “I have half of what I need.”
“Huh.” Alison walked the length of the place and then back again, standing in the center of the room to turn in a slow circle. “Huh,” she said again.
Emma and Hog looked at each other.
“I could get the other half,” Alison said.
“The other half of what?”
“The business costs.”
Emma gaped at her. “What does that even mean?”
“I’ve got business skills, good ones. And you, for whatever reason, have the intangible ability to make people like you. You always have. You inspire loyalty. You bring people and their pets into this business like flies to honey.”
Emma was boggled. “Did you hit your head or something?”
“We have opposite strengths that would actually complement each other. Plus, I make decent money. I’ve socked a bunch of it away because . . . well, no husband or kids, so what am I going to spend it on, you know?”
Emma shook her head in bafflement. “Are you saying you want to go into business with me?”
“Historically Paw Pals has done well and you have a solid business plan.”
“A second compliment in a row,” Emma said, truly stunned. “Are you morning drinking?”
“I just know a smart investment when I see one. Even if I don’t like you.”
“You have a job,” Emma pointed out.
“I do, and I love it. But I got into Armstrong Properties because I’m the CEO’s niece. And great as that is, I want to invest in something on my own as well.”
Emma laughed without mirth. “You do realize that this would never work between us.”
“You’d let pride come before the business of your heart?”
Emma looked at Hog, who’d gotten bored and slid to the floor and was already snoring. He was depending on her. If she couldn’t get a job, and she couldn’t get a business loan, what was next for them? Driving across the country to live on her retired parents’ sofa . . . She looked at Alison. “You’re serious about this.”
“Very.” Alison still stood in the middle of the room, hair perfect, makeup perfect, outfit perfect, looking every bit as sure of herself as she’d been in high school.
“Even if we set aside all the logical reasons why this wouldn’t work,” Emma said, “there’s also the emotional reason. My armor is humor. Your armor is to look perfect. That’s a lot for me to try to beat with only my wits.”
“You think I’m perfect?”
“I think you want everyone to believe it.”
Alison laughed. “You want to know just how not perfect I am? Everything I have right now is thanks to my uncle. Everything. Without him and Simon, I’d be nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly grateful to them, but like I said, this place . . .” She looked around. “This place would be mine alone.”
“Well, and mine,” Emma said dryly.
Alison waved that off as inconsequential and Emma had to laugh as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She held up a finger to Alison and pulled her cell out, answering it without looking at the screen. “Hello?”