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girlfriend’s family instead.
    Evan had immediately driven to the grocery store, where he nearly resorted to hand-to-hand combat to secure the last frozen turkey, spent the next twelve hours cooking, and never again suggested that she call her father.
    She left the vacuum in the box, staring down at the label. Evan came up behind her, put his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. He didn’t say anything at first, just held her.
    Lara leaned back against him and said, “It’s exactly what I wanted—I just don’t want it from him.”
    “I know.” Evan kissed her temple. “But it’s your birthday and I’m feeling generous. Tell me what else you want, and you might get lucky.”
    Lara nibbled her lower lip. “Well, the vet says that Linus may need surgery if he has valley fever.”
    There was a long pause before Evan said, “Dog surgery. That’s what you want for your birthday.”
    “Yes.”
    “You know, most women would prefer jewelry and a candlelight dinner.”
    “I’m not most women.”
    Evan sighed and pulled away. “I’m starting to realize that.”

Chapter 5
    Lara woke up the next morning to the low rumble of snoring. She turned over and reached for Evan, but her hand connected with fur. Maverick, the huge black Rottweiler mix, was sacked out beside her, his blocky head resting on the pillow. Maverick usually slept on the carpet by the foot of the bed, but Evan must have gotten up early for work.
    She pushed herself up to a sitting position, which incited Rufus and Raggs, the brown and white spaniels, and Zsa Zsa, the deeply neurotic white standard poodle, to leap up on the mattress and swarm around in a frenzy of anticipation.
    “Okay, okay,” she mumbled. “Breakfast is coming, you tyrants.”
    Linus was still sleeping in his crate in the office, but there was an empty bowl just inside the doorway. Evan must have fed him and let him out earlier this morning.
    She closed the office door and let him nap. The last thing she needed was a Rhodesian ridgeback and a Rottweiler battling it out for dominance before she’d had her coffee.
    As she stumbled down the hall, she yawned and tried to rub the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. The dogs finished breakfast in approximately 2.8 seconds, then looked at her expectantly for more.
    “Forget it.” She opened the sliding glass door and shooed them out. Then she herded everybody back into the bedroom and returned to the office to wake up Linus. After much coaxing, he finally got to his feet, followed her to the kitchen, and lumbered out onto the patio.
    Lara leaned against the wall and observed him. The big red dog refused to venture past the border where the concrete ended and the grass began. Apparently the lawn freaked him out—either he wasn’t used to the feel of grass on his paws or he assumed that venturing into the yard would mean another stake and chain to confine him.
    Yes, Linus was going to need a lot of work. Training and surgery and plenty of affection.
    Dog rescue could burn you out—and drain your bank account. But Lara always felt she was at her best when she was working with animals. It was the one thing she truly excelled at, much to her mother’s dismay.
    After putting Lara through one of Scottsdale’s most prestigious prep schools, Justine had urged her to enroll in Pepperdine University, a pricey private college in California. The master plan called for Lara to major in business or accounting, then spend a few years sharpening her teeth in the corporate shark tank before pursuing an MBA at Stanford. After that she would return to apprentice under Justine at her chain of salons, which Lara would inherit and expand into a global beauty brand like Redken or Aveda.
    Every summer, while Lara’s college classmates took off for monthlong trips to Europe or signed on for cushy corporate internships, Lara reported for duty at the Coterie spa and salon. She dusted off the display bottles of hair product, made