Back in the van, as Cooper sorted things out in the back, Brittany once again crawled into her lap. Felicity stared down at the bundle of fur and her comforting warmth. She made no move to touch. No point getting attached. Brittany and Cooper would be gone soon enough, after all.
“This is getting habit-forming,” Cooper noted with amusement as she climbed in beside them. “Brit. Back seat!”
Brittany obeyed with some reluctance, resuming her position behind Felicity’s shoulder.
“You know, I remember when she was my dog,” Cooper said with a hearty sigh, “not that you seem to appreciate her undying loyalty. Have you even petted her once?”
Felicity pinched her lips. “She’s a slobberer. I don’t want her to get the idea that my outfits and her saliva should mix.”
“I…see.” Cooper eyed her. “How…mercenary.”
Felicity shrugged. “She’ll live.”
“Mm.” Cooper started the van.
“Can’t something be done to help Kristie?” Felicity asked. “Get her back on her feet? Has anyone tried to help her?”
“So you finally cracked.”
“What do you mean?”
“The thing about this job is, you always meet someone you wish you could help more. I did wonder if Kristie might be the one.”
“Why?”
“Ever heard of Bacon Branding?”
“Of course.” Felicity nodded. “It was one of the hottest new publicity companies in Manhattan a few years ago.”
“That used to be Kristie’s company. She was ambitious, young, career focused. Had so much attitude.” Cooper’s eyes crinkled. “Remind you of anyone?”
“You think I only care about Kristie because she reminds me of me?”
“She doesn’t remind you of you?” Cooper lifted an eyebrow.
“Okay, sure. A little.” A lot.
“Look, it’s simple: You worry that if it happened to her, it could happen to you. So the human brain goes one of two ways. Either you find ways to blame everything that happened to her on some action she did, not the randomness of the universe, so you feel less afraid. Or you rush around and try to find a way to help remove her from her situation so you can stop worrying about her.”
Felicity frowned, not liking how close to the truth that felt. “It’s…unsettling. None of what happened to her was her fault.” At the flash of irritation on Cooper’s face, Felicity added, “Not that I think anyone deserves to be homeless.”
“How reassuring,” Cooper drawled. “Do you know most people avoid interacting with the homeless because it’s terrifying to think ‘There but for the grace of God go I’? It’s funny, though. You know what else is terrifying?” Cooper slapped the dashboard. “Driving. Going at speed and knowing you’re relying on other motorists to obey the laws and not be too drunk or high or dangerous so you get to point B. And your chances of dying in a car crash are higher than ending up on the street. But we push that fear from our mind and carry on daily. It’d be nice if people would deal with their own discomfort about the homeless the same way.”
Felicity mulled that over. “But dealing with cars is a necessity. You can avoid the homeless for years, if you want.”
“And that’s why nothing ever changes. Out of sight, out of mind. And in answer to your question, many people have tried to help Kristie. That’s the problem with addiction. It gets its teeth in you, and it doesn’t matter how rich and successful you were before, you’re still a victim to it. She struggles reintegrating back into society because of her addiction. She doesn’t trust shelters after being robbed in one. But mainly she stays on the street because of Ruby.”
“Why?”
“She tried to check into rehab once but was told it was her or Ruby. They had no facility to house animals, too. She has no friends who could mind her pet. And we’re not set up at Living Ruff to take in a dog for weeks and weeks while she gets clean.”
“So she’s just…stuck?” How awful must it feel for someone who was at the top of her game to find no other solution than staying where she was—at the bottom.
“For now. She’s looking at her options. The Pets in the Park event might help. It brings a whole lot of government and charity services together to assist the homeless who have pets. She might find something that works for her.”
“That’s good.” But Felicity still felt unsettled.
Cooper smiled. “I can hear your brain churning over. Don’t you remember the first rule I gave you?”
“Politeness and respect.”
“Yes, but also don’t try and work out how to fix their lives for them. Kristie’s not a child. She’s smart and knows her own mind. It’s not for you to fix anything. She’s getting there slowly. The main thing is, she has Ruby. That dog has kept Kristie alive. And not just physically. Kristie’s mental health is much better since Ruby came along. And I’m happy to say I was the proud matchmaker. I rescued Ruby from a bad situation and thought they’d make a good match. I was right.”
“That must be a nice feeling, seeing them so bonded,” Felicity observed.
“It is. It makes me very happy.”
That must be nice, too, Felicity thought. Being very happy. She didn’t feel that emotion often.
Cooper yawned, hiding it behind her hand. “Long day. I better get back to the office. Get a bit of a nap in before round two. The boss’ll be in by now so you can check with him that we’re legit when we get back.” She gave a small smile. “I mean, assuming you’re now satisfied we’re not running our charity as a front for a secret drug operation or something.”
“I don’t think anyone would put their hands up dogs’ bottoms as a front for anything. No one’s that dedicated.”
Cooper chuckled. “I’d have to agree with that.”
Before long, they pulled up outside the charity’s office. There was a knock on the driver’s side window, which set off Brittany into an excited series of barks.
Cooper wound her window down. “Shush, Brit. Down, girl!”
