Page 5 of Lucky Mother Pucker

I cross my arms as a cold burst of wind whips around me. It’s early autumn, which means the frigid temperatures and snow are just around the corner.

I zip my jacket all the way up to my chin, but the thin, worn fabric does little to keep me warm. In my head, I add “heavy coat” to the endless list of things I need.

My tear-soaked cheeks turn cold from the wind. I make my way to the beat-up Honda sedan a few blocks away, unlock it, and fall into the front seat.

I grab one of the scones from my purse and devour it. Tears fill my eyes again when I think about how I should have eaten only half of it to make it last, but I’m just so hungry.

That familiar wave of helplessness washes over me once more. It feels like I’m swimming against a riptide and getting pulled under constantly. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I paddle or fight, I’m drowning.

I think about that guy whose coffee order I screwed up—what he said to Craig.

You should really hire better people. People who know how to throw away rotten milk instead of serving it to customers.

Frustration brims inside of me. But then, a second later, I stop myself. He had every right to be mad. Because of me, he choked on rotten milk.

I let out a sigh, my head still pounding. I close my eyes and rest my head back against the seat, aching for a nap. But I don’t have time to rest or sleep. I need to start job hunting.

I open my eyes and start the car. I’ll look for a new job later. First, I need to make a stop.

Chapter 3

Lucy

Iwalk into the entrance of Alpine Animal Rescue. I give a small smile and wave to Liz, the receptionist, before making my way to the back, where the dogs are.

When I make it to Wally’s kennel, my heart breaks. He’s curled up in a ball in the corner, staring at the wall with the saddest eyes.

My throat tightens. I open up the gate and step in. When he sees me, his head pops up, and he jumps to his feet. His tail wags as he runs up to me. I drop to the floor and grab his face, showering him in kisses.

“Hey, buddy,” I say softly. “It’s so good to see you.”

He’s making that happy panting noise he always makes when I visit him. When he licks my face, I can’t help but chuckle. God, it feels good to laugh after how awful this morning was.

I close my eyes and nuzzle my face into his soft, long, floppy ears. He makes that happy whining noise he always makes when I greet him. He knocks me to the ground out of sheer excitement. I wrap my arms around him and hug him tight. He’s a bloodhound mixed with some smaller dog breed, so he’s half the size of a purebred bloodhound, but when he’s excited, he’s just as strong.

“I missed you so, so much,” I say as I kiss his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see you yesterday. I was working. But I’ll stay longer today. I promise.”

We cuddle on the ground for a while before I stand up and grab his leash out of my jacket pocket. I hook it onto his collar and lead him out back to the outdoor play area. Then I take him on our usual walk.

My chest aches as I watch him happily trot along the sidewalk, stopping to sniff the grass every few seconds. I wish I could walk him every day. I wish I could have him with me.

But I can’t because I live in my car, and the Humane Society won’t let you adopt an animal unless you have a verifiable address.

Even though Wally has always belonged to me.

I think about that day six years ago—my fifteenth birthday—when my dad surprised me with Wally as a puppy. Best gift ever.

And then I think about that day, two years later, when he died of pancreatic cancer. How it happened so fast, just three months after his diagnosis.

That’s when my whole world fell apart.

Mom was paralyzed by grief. She didn’t get out of bed for weeks after he did. And when she did, she couldn’t speak.

I tried to take care of her. I fed her and helped her get dressed. I talked to her even when she didn’t talk back. For months, she was completely shut down. Numb. Shattered.

But then, slowly, she started coming out of her grief. Started working again. Started laughing and smiling and joking.

I thought she was going to be okay. But then she met Richard.