An Unlikely Alliance by Toni Shiloh
Author:Toni Shiloh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-03-26T14:09:47+00:00
* * *
âThank you very much.â Rider smiled at the woman who added a twenty to the donation jar.
She declined the tax write-off slip and thanked them for working to save Bluebonnet programs like SAFE. Her daughter was a member of the mentorship program and had begged for a pet when she heard about the adoption event. They were walking away with an Old English sheepdog.
Jalissa walked up and sighed. âIâm so glad Rover got a new home.â
âDo you name all the pets?â
She shook her head. âMost of them come with names. The ones that used to belong to another owner. We just name the abandoned ones that come without tags or any form of identification.â
Rider couldnât imagine anyone abandoning a pet, but he knew that was a common tale. He looked at all the happy smiles, the eager looks on kidsâ faces as they gazed up at their parents in hope. He could see why people would feel endeared toward pets, but he wasnât sure why Jalissa was.
âWhy the shelter? Why is it so special to you?â
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. âThis was my first volunteer position. I started coming here as...â She waved a hand in the air. âDoesnât matter the reason. Once I fell in love with the pets, I sought a job here. Then I got a degree in business to make myself more appealing for promotions.â She shrugged. âIâve never left. Never loved anything more than soaking in the affection the animals are so willing to give.â
Rider could understand that. It was one reason he always liked hanging with his uncle and aunt. Theyâd always greeted him with a hugâmore like a pat on the back, in his uncleâs caseâand were eager to hear, and truly listen, about his day. But staying at their house wouldnât have garnered him a job. It made sense why Jalissa wanted to save the shelter.
âThanks for sharing that.â
âSure.â She nodded as if unsure what else to say or do. âUm, Iâll go help the others.â
âRight.â Couldnât have her hanging around and being friendly, could he?
Stop it. No judgment. I donât see you trying to be kind first. Which was true. His feelings still warred with the hurt of the past. He could forgive her for the barbs she threw at him in the present dayâespecially since sheâd divulged the info about her dadâbut what was her excuse for high school?
Ask her.
Rider ran a hand through his hair, then smiled as a man stopped at the register.
âIâm interested in adopting one of the cats for my little girl.â He pointed to a young kid holding a kitten.
Val smiled and immediately jumped into the spiel sheâd repeated for every potential adopter. Once the gentleman and his daughter walked away with the cat, Rider turned to Val.
âHow long have you been with the shelter?â
âAbout five years. Jalissa is wonderful to work with.â
Who would have imagined? Be nice, Rider. âThatâs good.â He offered a stiff smile. âShe seems to really care about the animals.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
A Bride for Clay: (The Proxy Brides Book 2) by Marianne Spitzer(665)
Untraceable Evidence by Sharee Stover(382)
Gone Outlaw by Madison Thames(370)
High-Stakes Blizzard by Rebecca Hopewell(339)
Libra Princesses by C. N. Phillips(338)
The Story of Love by Beth Wiseman(332)
A Mother for His Son by Betty Woods(330)
Falling for the Amish Bad Boy by Emma Miller(322)
Second Time Around by Melody Carlson(316)
Crossfire (Extreme Measures Book #2) by Lynette Eason(312)
The Rock Harbor Mystery Collection by Colleen Coble(311)
The Husband Dilemma by Jessica Nelson(306)
Escape from Amsterdam by Lauralee Bliss(299)
An Amish Marriage by Emma Miller(299)
The Duke's Redemption ; The Captain's Lady by Carla Capshaw(297)
A Christmas Courtship by Shelley Shepard Gray(295)
The Engagement Bargain and Cowboy Seeks a Bride by Sherri Shackelford(295)
The Gift of Hope by Kristen McKanagh(289)
Deadly Christmas Memories by Laura Scott(289)
