Page 44 of Blind Luck

“I grew up on a farm. The winters were for hockey, and in spring through fall, I mostly helped my parents with planting and the harvest. Double shifts so my little sister could go to her dance classes.”

“Does she still dance?”

“She’s a cheerleader at the University of Alabama.” Rusty pumped his fist. “Roll Tide.”

“Is that a football thing?”

He almost said “What else would it be?” but he wasn’t about to tease Erin for her lack of life experience.

“Yeah, it’s football. The team came fourth in the Southeastern Conference last season.”

“That’s good, right? I didn’t even know what footballwas until I turned sixteen. One of my roommates had a boyfriend who gave me a spare ticket, so I figured I’d watch a game. The clock said sixty minutes, but it went on for, like, four hours.”

“That’s normal.”

“Really? Yikes. Does that happen in hockey?”

“Not to the same extent, but play stops for intermissions, commercial breaks, penalties, fights…”

“Fights? What fights?”

“Lotta testosterone flying around on the ice.”

“Isn’t the sport dangerous enough without punching people?”

“Probably, but that’s hockey for you.”

Erin crinkled her nose. “I don’t think I like the idea of you getting punched.”

Things were looking up. Five minutes ago, she’d been threatening to do him bodily harm herself. Rusty heard a door open, then another, and the veterinarian returned.

“Dog has perked up nicely now that we’ve gotten fluids in him. The break in his leg looks fresh, and I’d hazard a guess it was a result of him falling into the canyon. I’d estimate it’s no more than two days old. He was a very lucky little fellow.”

“So what happens now? Will he stay here overnight?”

“Yes, and if his recovery continues as we hope, we’ll operate to pin his leg tomorrow. Would you like to see him? A familiar face might cheer him up.”

“Not that familiar. I only sat with him for a couple of hours.”

“Astrid will need to find him a home soon. Maybe you’d be interested?”

“I figured she’d keep him. She seemed pretty determined to save his life.”

To the extent of leaving Rusty in a canyon for two sweltering hours. Even in the shadows, the heat had beenoppressive. And he couldn’t lie—there’d been moments when he feared she might give up and leave him there. Irrational thoughts, but the mind wandered in stressful situations.

“That’s what Astrid does—she picks up the old, the runts, the injured, the strays, and she fixes them. She has quite the saviour complex. Which isn’t surprising given her job at the hospital, but few are so dedicated.”

“Her job at the hospital?”

Erin looked as puzzled as Rusty felt. Admittedly, he hadn’t known Sin for long, but she hadn’t struck him as the benevolent type, not when it came to humans anyway. Her bedside manner probably involved yelling at patients to “stop whining and feel better.”

“It takes a special kind of person to become a transplant scientist. I understand she spends most of her life on call.”

A transplant scientist? Rusty didn’t even know what one of those was, but Sin’s business was Sin’s business, and he wasn’t about to interrogate the vet. Dr. Howlett led them through to the kennel area, where the dog’s fur was still dirty and matted, but his eyes looked much brighter than they had earlier. Rusty stroked his cheek, and instead of shying away, the dog leaned into his touch.

“Good boy,” he murmured. “You’re safe now, I promise.”

It was only a minute later that he realised Sin had materialised behind them. How did she move so quietly?

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