Page 60 of Southern Comfort
I understand why he was loved by a woman like Victoria. They speak about her in such glowing terms. She was loved in return by both husband and children. That’s enough information for me. I say a little prayer for the woman I will never know.
“I had to make another pass on my nails,” Landon says, coming from the bathroom.
“Are you always naked when you do it?”
He smiles and chuckles a bit.
“I’m starting a new trend. Naked manicures. It’s going to be a hit.”
“I want to book an appointment! All your appointments, actually.”
Exhausted, and happy it’s time for bed, he climbs in and pulls me against him.
“Wait! Let me get naked too. Then we can do each other’s nails.”
I peel off his white shirt and throw it on the bedside chair.
“There.”
Tangling legs, I snuggle against his chest. A kiss brushes my head.
“How did Hunter do?”
“Great. He’s a good kid. He didn’t mess around. Got to the work.”
“It makes me happy to think he did his share.”
“He did. Definitely. You’re doing a good job with Dad. Thank you, Kim,” he says in soft tones.
“Have you noticed he is reading again? It just started a few days ago.”
“That’s a good sign. I was afraid he was going to stop everything that he took pleasure in.”
“I was thinking about another little tweak we could make.”
“What?”
“He needs a purpose. He and I are alike that way.”
I reach for my cell and bring up Holly’s last text.
“Look at this poor little thing.”
I turn the screen and watch him take in the picture.
“She was a stray. The clinic has been taking care of her for at least a month now. Getting her back to health as much as possible. Dominique and Holly think unethical breeders had her. After the last litter she was too old. So they must have dumped her.”
“I know all about what people do to animals. We had a dog fighting issue in the city. When I was young.”
“That’s so disturbing. See the scar on her face? Who knows what horrors she has gone through. Read what Holly says.”
He takes the phone and scrolls through the text. His expression changes from anger at the lack of compassionate owners to sadness for the beat down dog.
“She hides her face? That’s heartbreaking.”
“Holly says they haven’t made too much progress with that. The dog wants to be invisible. Do you think your dad could foster her?”
When he pauses, I go all in.
