Page 34 of Safe With Me

“These will be ready by Nov. 1.” Pax again.

“We should have both a paper and an online version,” Jon suggested. “I can set up both on my computer and run some off.”

On the way out, Jon and Alice got a second donut. All the while, Pax put up a front. They’d never know he was about to lose his best friend.

When they were alone, Pax deflated. He dropped down behind the receptionist’s table and sighed heavily.

She sat across from him.

“You know, I knew better than to let this happen.”

“Getting attached to Mutt?”

He nodded.

Just then the dog meandered out of the office and went directly to Pax and nuzzled him.

“Yeah.” He scratched Mutt’s ears. “I wonder what your real name is, buddy.”

Steph didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he should be prepared. “I wanted to talk to you about that. Why didn’t he have a collar with a name and phone number on him?”

“I don’t know. People around here don’t have the money to register a dog, maybe.”

“Or take care of it, apparently. He was scrawny. You said you’d been feeding him for days.”

“Yeah.” He sipped his coffee. “I—”

There was a knock on the front door. Steph bolted up. “I’ll get it. Be wary of her, Pax.”

Pax and Mutt started around the desk while she opened the door. Man, the girl wasn’t what she expected. Instead of a lonely teenager, there stood a tattooed and pierced young person, wearing camouflage and army boots. The guy behind her was similarly dressed. “I’m Marci Slick. This is Spike. I came for my dog.”

“Come in.” She looked past Steph’s shoulder. “There he is. Ciao, Buck.”

The dog stayed by Pax. And began to whine.

The girl started toward him. “What’s a matter, doggie? Don’t you remember me?”

Mutt whined louder then bolted into the office.

Pax closed that door. “We have some questions for you.”

“I ain’t got to answer any.”

“Yes, you do. Or I’ll call the Humane Society and report you for leaving him out in the rain and not feeding him for days.”

“Okay, shoot.”

Pax crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s been two weeks since he came to me. Why didn’t you answer my ad sooner?

“Been busy, doc.”

“He was mangy. He hadn’t eaten or had a bath in a long time.”

“He ran away.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. He can’t talk to tell us.”

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