Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys)(26)

Kalista gasped. “That’s awful! Who would do such a thing?”

Madeline shook her head and her lips tightened in anger. “It happens more than you would expect.”

Evie nodded. “Pit bulls are one of the most misunderstood types of breeds in the world, if not the most. People are afraid of them, but they are really one of the most loyal and friendly breeds you could own.”

“I don’t know much about them,” Kalista admitted. “I’ve heard about those dog fighting rings and stuff, but even the pit bulls you have out in the main area don’t seem scary or anything like what I’ve heard about.”

“It’s a common misconception that is perpetuated by sick individuals who raise these dogs and abuse them to bring out aggressive behavior,” Evie said furiously. “We’ve had dozens of pit bulls we have rescued and re-trained, and they are the sweetest dogs that have been adopted by loving owners.”

“We’re hoping we can find these little ones good homes at the adoption event,” Madeline added as she handed out a few more treats. “But we are more careful about who we let take one of the pit bulls.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we like to do home checks whenever we can for all of our adoptions before we release the dogs to their new owners, but we are more diligent when it comes to pit bulls because of the stigma on them,” Evie explained. “We usually make sure there is a fenced off area in the backyard so the dog won’t be able to get out. We also ensure that it is a safe environment for the dog, and we make sure that any existing pet will get along with the dog so there won’t be any aggressive situations.”

“I like to think of it like doggie dating,” Madeline said with a smile. “Just like some people don’t mix, sometimes dogs just don’t get along. For example, two female dogs can get especially feisty with each other.”

A little gray puppy with snowy white paws and hopeful eyes stood staring up at Kalista with its little tail swishing tentatively. She smiled at him as she reached out to stroke his floppy ears. He slowly crawled forward into her lap, then curled up with a sigh. Her heart melted as she stroked her hand over his soft fur and felt herself slide into love as his tail wagged and he licked her hand when she fed him a treat. “Oh, aren’t you a little sweetheart…”

“It figures it would be that little demon.”

Kalista looked up in confusion at Hunter when he spoke, his deep voice a low rumble of sound. She noticed Evie and Madeline exchanging a smile before both women turned to look at her.

“We’ve seen that look before,” Madeline explained, pleased with what she saw in Kali. She’d heard Jared mention the little bakery owner before, and knew from her own experience of visiting the shop that Kali was a smart business owner, but there was a gentle kindness in the young woman that she could see now. It was something her son needed in his life, and it gave her hope that she would finally see him settled soon. “That one there is named Ranger. He is very careful about who he trusts.”

Kalista felt the weight of the woman’s words, knowing instinctively that she was speaking about more than just the puppy curled in her lap. She fought the urge to squirm under the older woman’s gaze. She was Jared’s mother, of course she would want to scrutinize any woman her son was seeing.

She just hoped she would come out of this interrogation unscathed.

Madeline smiled at her again. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kali. I’m so happy to see my boy finally found a nice girl. When Jared was a fighter he had all of those skanky girls hanging on him all the time, but he never gave into them. Or at least he didn’t that often, and he definitely didn’t keep them around for long. Still, I always taught my boy to practice safe sex, so I didn’t worry…much.”

“Jesus Christ,” Hunter muttered as he set the sleeping puppy down on a pillow.

“What?” Madeline said innocently. She batted her eyelashes at him as she struggled to hold back a grin. Glancing back at Kali, she couldn’t help but add, “It’s about time my boy settled down. I assume you’re being safe with my son, but if not, I’d love some grandkids around here.”

Oh my God!

Kalista felt shock set in and all she could do was blink. Did Jared’s mother really just say she wouldn’t mind if Jared got her pregnant?

“Oh, Maddy…” Evie said with a sigh.

“Well, it’s true. It’s not like any of you are helping out. You and Francesca need to find a man who will sweep you off your feet before you start popping out kids, and Beckett and Hunter should—”