Page 63 of A Furever Home
Cheyenne can come get you in my SUV. She just can’t do paperwork. Where are you staying?
Shane’s place
I texted him the address.
After a pause, my phone rang for a voice call. Brooklyn again.
I answered, “Yeah? Problem?”
“No, God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even ask if you were okay or how your head is doing or if you have to work or anything. I just leaned on you.”
The sound of his flustered tones made me feel warm inside. “Seems like I leaned on you a lot last week. I don’t mind. Happy to help. My head’s okay and as long as Cheyenne’s driving, in case the vertigo hits, I don’t mind seeing Dr. Louisa one bit.” The vet was one of my favorite people. She’d often cut me a break with rescue pets and still gave the shelter a big discount.
“Good. Great. Thank you.” He blew out a long breath. “It’s been a long day and a half, I tell you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Other than the dog? Well, not wrong so much as stressful. More for Cheyenne than me, so I’m glad Sadie’s keeping her distracted. But life’s making me a bit nuts.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“So much.” His tone warmed. “You have no idea. But we need to get moving on Sadie.”
“Afterward,” I offered. “I can come by your place and we can chat.”
“Do you have time? That’d be…You know, that would be awesome.”
The idea that he wanted me there, that the thought of talking to me made him sound so happy, filled an empty space inside me. “Absolutely. Count on it. See you later.”
I realized after I hung up that I didn’t know how fast Cheyenne would show up, but I was dressed for work so that was fine. I called the shelter and let Neil know I’d be taking a personal day. I apologized again, but he assured me they’d be fine. He’d cover the front desk, which had been my main job while my leg healed. He laughed at my apologies and told me I had vacation time coming, which wasn’t true, because I set my own schedule. Plus even if I did, the month Shane was away would be the wrong time to take it. But he was trying to make me feel better for ditching my work again, so I thanked him.
When Brooklyn’s old SUV pulled up out front, I said a final goodbye to the pups, and to Xandra who turned her back on me and gazed out the window.
Cheyenne looked somehow older when I eased into the passenger seat and glanced her way. The expression on her face, maybe, some strain in her eyes I didn’t remember. Not that I’d spent a lot of time looking at her. But I had to ask, “Are you okay?”
She flicked a glance my way. “Brooklyn made me put Sadie in a crate in the second row. I wanted her beside me. She doesn’t like the crate.”
“It’s safer, though,” I told her. “Ask Dr. Louisa about the dogs she sees thrown through the windshield or hit by an airbag.”
“Oh.” She backed out of the driveway. “I guess.”
I didn’t add that a dog standing in the driver’s lap could end up dead and smooshed into her chest by the airbag. I was maybe a bit obsessed with car safety, but I didn’t have to gross out the teenager. I turned to look over my shoulder and murmured to Sadie, “Hey, girl. Doing okay?”
“Her owner never came last night. She didn’t want her. It’s not fair she still has fourteen days to take Sadie back.” Cheyenne glowered harder.
“It’s the law,” I said mildly. “But Brooklyn could charge her a thousand dollars a night for unscheduled boarding fees. Good bet the owner would rather sign her over than pay.”
“Really?” A slow smile crept over Cheyenne’s face. “Yeah. I like that. You’re okay.”
“You didn’t think so yesterday.” I wanted to bite my tongue when her smile vanished, but she sighed.
“Sorry. I was kind of a bitch. Things are weird and scar—strange right now.”
“That’s okay. I can’t imagine hitching all the way across the country at seventeen. Finally getting to a safe haven and then finding your brother busy with someone else.”
She shot me a fast glance. “Yeah. Something like that.” The GPS directed her through a left turn.
“Are you going to be able to stay with Brooklyn? I know he hopes you will.” I figured knowing that she was wanted would be important right now.
