Addy had to stop to consider. There was the occasional movie with a hot new star, but that wasn’t anything real. Nothing she felt in her chest, the weight that hit her when Rick walked in a room.
Had there ever been anyone at work? No. She’d been, maybe foolishly, quite happy in her marriage. Dealing with a crush was an entirely new problem.
When had this nonsense of a crush started? Was it when he’d sprinted off the dock and rescued Mia like a ninja? After he swooped in during Patty’s ill-arranged blind date? Or was it just hours ago, when she saw him watching Lottie and his eyes misted with tears?
Her heart leapt at the memory.
It didn’t matter. She was too old for crushes, and on top of that, Rick was too young for her to have a crush on!
After the hug, Addy managed to avoid Rick’s gaze, talking to strangers and gushing over the miracle of Lottie’s safe arrival. Sheila, Russell, and Mackenzie rushed off to talk to the team, and Hank volunteered to take them back to the tea shop for the afterparty. Addy gladly accepted.
Eliza and Patty had organized a beautiful spread, made for grazing people to come and go as they pleased. It was a joyous event. Addy talked to researchers, veterinarians and some of Russell’s Hollywood contacts about what a big project this had been.
“I’m impressed by everything,” Rick said, leaning in. He had a plate of finger sandwiches in his hand, and offered it to Addy.
Her stomach flipped and she shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.”
“I don’t mean any offense by this.” He popped a cucumber sandwich into his mouth. “But it’s a lot for a whale.”
“Don’t let anyone hear you say that!” Addy said, looking over her shoulder.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t worth it. It’s the most wholesome thing I’ve ever seen.”
His gaze was fixed on her. He smiled, dimple aglow.
Addy looked down. “I know what you mean. I think it’s about righting a wrong.”
“Oh, I know. Liam told me about it, and I get it now. I do.” He looked up, pausing, his lips slightly parted. “I tried talking to Russell, too, but he started rambling about wolves and I wasn’t able to follow.”
“Ha, yeah. Russell loves wolves. He’s fascinated by their personalities and their pack dynamics.”
“Every wolf matters to the pack, right?”
Addy nodded. She’d heard this more than once, and all about Russell’s love for Wolf 8. “They do.”
Who was Addy’s pack? Would she ever matter to anyone again? She mattered to Riley. Maybe that was all she needed – to realize this, to let the gratitude run through her.
“Righting a wrong, too,” Rick said. “Cody used to say something like that. He loved cats. He was always bringing home boxes of kittens people had abandoned. Feeding them every three hours around the clock.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“It was. He said you can’t change the world, but you can change the world for one kitten.”
Addy sighed. “He’s right.”
“He was a good guy. He had problems, but he had a good heart.”
“It sounds like it.” Before she could stop herself, Addy’s hand was on his arm. “He was very dear to you, wasn’t he?”
He patted her hand and nodded. “Yeah. It was frustrating at times, watching him do what he did. Drink himself into a stupor. Lose jobs. Lose girlfriends, people who really cared about him. But…” Rick looked up, eyes searching. “He was still Cody. He’d be flat broke, out of work, and he’d send me a picture of a new cat.”
Addy smiled. She wanted to say something poignant, something kind, but then the front door sprung open and Mackenzie walked in. “We did it!” she yelled.
The room erupted into cheers, and the moment was lost in the chaos.
Not one to spoil her first crush in centuries, Addy found a way to add to the awkwardness the next day.
It was a slow-moving accident she should’ve seen coming, but didn’t. She was too focused on cornering Sheila.
