Page 15 of Wanted

“All right, let’s get you moving into a room, Mrs. Rossi.” Whitney moves to assist before this lady really has her baby in the entrance to the hospital. Pregnant dogs don’t scare me, but this pregnant woman absolutely does.

I walk up behind a fretting Mr. Rossi and hold out my hand. “I can park your car for you.”

The man looks between me and his wailing wife, torn by his distrust.

“I’m Jude Powell. Run the Powell Sanctuary dog rescue. That woman is my sister-in-law, Whitney Powell.” I gesture to her with a dip of my head.

“Thanks.” His hesitance melts away, and he drops his keys in my hand. “That’d actually be great.”

“Congrats on the baby.” I spin around and stalk outside.

The first thing I do is suck in a breath of fresh air to clear the past five minutes from my head. Hell, the past hour. Then I move Mr. Rossi’s car.

On my walk back to return the keys, I notice my van parked at the edge of the sidewalk. Technically, this area is a drop-off zone, but this town is so small, it’d be rare the folks here would need the entire lane clear.

Even so, I hop into my—what did Frankie call it?—serial killer van, and move it into a designated parking spot.

“Here.” I drop the keys on the front desk.

“Thanks. That was really nice of you,” Whitney says as she collects them.

My chest expands as I drudge up a rumble in response. I fight against looking at curtain three.

“You out of here?” Whitney gives me a curious scan. Her question sounds more like a prompt to hit the road.

“Yep. I have to prepare space for a transport coming in this weekend. We’re taking in eight dogs that were on a euthanasia list at their previous shelter.”

“Jack was telling me about that. I’m so glad you guys are able to help them.”

“Me too.” I lose the battle and my gaze flicks over to bay three.

“She isn’t in there right now.”

Busted.

“Want me to give her a message for you?”

“No.”

“If you say so.”

“Goodbye, Whitney.”

She laughs lightly. “Bye, Jude. See you Sunday.”

I nearly turn back around to ask if Jack told her to say that. Everyone in this damn family is hell-bent on making sure I show up for dinner this week.

Leaving the hospital feels wrong for some reason. Not unlike when I forget my cell phone at home. Something in my gut disagrees with walking out that door without knowing if Frankie has the means to take care of herself despite her no longer being my problem.

“Hey, Jude!”

I roll my eyes to the ceiling. I’m never making it out of this fucking hospital.

“Sutton. How’s it going?”

Fairview Valley’s beloved cop tucks his hands in his vest and rocks back on his heels. The Stone brothers have always been close with us Powell siblings, having grown up together, but after what he and his brother Silas did for Whitney’s kids last year, they’ve become as close as brothers to us.

“Can’t complain. Surprised to see you around here. Everything okay?”

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