Page 9 of Safe With Me

“You want to?”

“Yeah, I’m on the clock at Will’s. He suggested I find some things to do around here.”

Pax looked down at the dog. “He needs to go out.”

“Okay I’ll take him under my umbrella. I hope he doesn’t run away.”

“When you get back, would you mind going to the pet store for a leash and things I’ll need for him immediately.”

“And a new name.”

He laughed.

“That’s good to hear.”

“What?”

“You didn’t laugh once this morning.”

Not much in my life to laugh about.He looked around the clinic, at Stephanie and at Mutt. Hmm. Maybe that wasn’t true anymore.

He handed her the credit card.

“What will you do?”

“There are a million things to accomplish here before we open. I’ll start on one of them.”

* * *

Noreen Shannon stood in front of the building. Windows flanked the sign which simply readWestwood Clinic. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but she’d been compelled to come down. The place wasn’t in business yet, but the door was unlocked.

She turned the knob. It opened. “Hello. Is anyone here?”

“Be right out.”

She recognized his voice.

While she waited, she stared out the window as the sad inhabitants in this part of town walked by. They were poorly dressed and unkempt.

“Can I help you?”

She turned. He clutched the file he held.

“Hello, Paxton.”

“Reenie?” That ridiculous nickname. “What are you doing here?”

She stepped closer and he got a whiff of expensive perfume, her signature scent. “I probably wouldn’t have known you on the street. You’ve changed.” Gone was the three-hundred-dollar haircut. In its place was a simple one a barber could do. And he’d never had this much facial hair, only sexy scruff.

He watched her with those deep blue eyes. “Failure and booze will do that to you.”

“Word had it you became a drunk.”

“For a while. After a year, when I got sober, with the help of strangers, I did some work in a clinic In Syracuse but we lost our funding.”

“Hence this one.”

He gestured to the table and chairs the painter group had pulled into the waiting area. “Let’s sit and you can tell me why you’re here. I’ve heard nothing from you since our meeting after the surgery.”

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