In spite of herself, Alison felt sympathy well up. “Um—”

“And then maybe after this accident, you need to relearn things, like how to walk and eat without horrifying people. And on top of all that, when you’re finally released to go, the two most important people in your life are gone because your fiancé fell in love with someone else during your stay at the rehab center—your best friend. They’ve moved in together in the apartment you shared with said supposed best friend. They have noisy sex that sounds a helluva lot better than any sex you’ve ever had. So yeah, I did read each and every signature on that card. I kept it too. There are nights that those signatures are my only company.”

Hog climbed onto her legs and she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m okay,” she told him softly.

All while Alison stared at her, eyes burning with an emotion she didn’t want to name. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I didn’t sign it. I never thought you’d actually read it, because truth is, if I’d been you, I wouldn’t have. I’d have felt sorry for myself and angry at the world.” She hesitated. “And while I’m being honest, I wouldn’t have known how to sign it to you anyway.”

“Sure you would have,” Emma said. “‘Hope you rot in hell, forever, not yours, Ali Pratt.’”

“Alison.” She had to laugh though. “But okay, yeah. Fair, and possibly accurate.” She drew a deep breath. “Are you . . . doing better?”

“The cramp’s gone.”

“I mean . . .” She gestured at Emma’s body, which by all accounts had been badly broken.

“Sure,” Emma said. “I’m running in a half marathon next week, just like I’d been planning before I got hit.”

Alison’s eyes widened in surprise before she realized Emma was being sarcastic. “You . . . don’t want to talk about it.”

“I do not. So. The lease?”

“You have to qualify. Like I said, I didn’t get the application.”

“Working on it.” Emma got stiffly to her feet. She looked around with a barely there smile. “I work here. Did you know that?”

“No,” Alison said. “Because again, no application back from you.” She paused. “Is that why you want to buy Paw Pals?”

“I want to buy it because it’d be perfect for me. Plus no one else wants to hire me.” As she moved, Hog stayed at her side, but lagged a little, like he needed Emma as a shield from Killer, who was standing smack in the center of the room glaring at Hog.

Emma was still looking around with an expression Alison couldn’t quite read, but hell if she was going to ask another personal question after being shut down on the last one.

“What are the terms?” Emily asked.

“First, last, and a security deposit.”

Emma hesitated. “That’s a big chunk at once.”

Alison shrugged. Not her problem.

“Can you give me some time to come up with the money?”

“Until you put down a deposit, you risk losing it.” This probably wouldn’t happen. They had a lot of vacancies right now.

Emma met her gaze and called her bluff. “You just found out Gabby’s not renewing her lease. This won’t be an easy building to fill. So I don’t imagine it’ll suddenly be snapped up tomorrow.” She looked around again. “I want to negotiate the monthly rent.”

“It’s nonnegotiable,” Alison said automatically. Because the hell with this. She picked up Killer, who licked Alison on the chin, lowering her blood pressure. Stay calm. Don’t think about how you’d like to send her packing.

Emma gave Alison a smile. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll have to keep looking. Thanks, Ali. It’s been . . . interesting.”

“Alison.” But she grimaced, fought with herself, and lost. “Wait.”

Emma and Hog looked back in unison.

“How much were you thinking?” Alison asked.

“In this economy?” Emma smiled. “Ten percent off the top.”

“And why exactly should I give you a deal?”

“Because the art studio next door is closing, which means two open places on the same block.” Emma shook her head. “Not very good for your bottom line.”

Oh no she didn’t. “It’s on a good street, and this space is updated and has the huge glass front, and a dedicated parking lot in the back.”

Emma went behind the counter and grabbed a pad and pen. She scribbled a number down before holding it up to Alison.

Alison laughed. She set Killer down and snatched the pad and pen. She crossed out Emma’s number and wrote one of her own, halfway between the original offer and Emma’s counteroffer.

Emma looked at it, shook her head, and wrote another number.

Alison stared at it. “Are you kidding me? That’s only one dollar difference.”

“Do we have a deal or not?”

“It’s a dollar, Emmie.”

“It’s a dollar, Ali.”

Okay, let it go. “Fine, whatever. It’s just a dollar.” She held out her hand.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Emma said and then, having had the last word, shook Alison’s hand.

Alison opened her mouth to say something that no doubt would blow the whole deal, but Hog took that very moment to lean against Alison’s legs, looking up at her with . . . damn. Sweet adoration. It melted her black heart, and she stroked his soft, clearly well-taken-care-of fur, liking that she didn’t have to bend down like she did with Killer. “Aw. You’re just a big sweetie.”

“He’s trained to pick up when people are losing their shit.”

Alison looked up at Emma. “I’m not losing my shit, you’re losing your shit.”

Emma rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly at Hog, whose tail was now sweeping the floor.

Clearly proud of himself for changing the energy in the room, he panted up a smile at both of them as a line of drool made its way from his mouth to the floor in slow motion, and Alison felt her heart melt a little. Don’t you fall in love with the dog belonging to the devil herself. “You going to send me your app?”

“Yes.”

Alison nodded. “Are you going to keep Gabby’s other employees?”