Page 13 of A Much Younger Man
“C’mon. You don’t even see people unless they’re dragging around a pet,” said Cooper.
“I’ve got lots on my mind, okay?” I downed my drink. “Speaking of…I’ve got to hit the road. Nice seeing you.”
Shawn and Cooper hugged me. Jim waved from behind the bar.
I was on foot, so I took the long way home. It meant taking the boardwalk and possibly passing by Beck and Tug again. Was I already in too deep over a stranger?
Yes. Yes, I was.
They needed a roof over their heads. Nutritious meals. None of them were getting that. If money was as tight as I believed it to be, Tug had no business spending it on booze. I’d watched Beck with Callie. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her. Yet even though it made me distinctly uneasy, I couldn’t tell him he ought not to have a dog in his situation. He and Callie were obviously devoted to each other.
I believed it was wrong to take on pets—or people—to whom you couldn’t give one hundred percent. Who was I to judge?
Just someone who’d learned that lesson in every way possible.
