“Actually, I was thinking of heading home now,” Cullen says. “Ed’s already here to do the evening shift. I’ll walk home with you… if you like. Feel free to say if you’d rather not.”
“Of course, that would be lovely.” I feel a little glow at the thought that he wants to spend some time with me, although I check it as I remind myself that he’s leaving soon. And of course this is temporary for me, too.
Nevertheless, it’s nice to have a good-looking guy at my side as we go out into the bright afternoon. Max puts on his hat and walks in front, chatting away to Ghost, who lets the boy put his hand on his neck, and Cullen and I walk behind, nottouching, but just a few inches apart. Cullen pulls on a baseball cap, and we both don sunglasses, shading our eyes from the bright sun.
“It’s a lovely place to work,” I say as we cross in front of the large sign and head down the drive. “Such a nice atmosphere.”
“Yeah, it’s very relaxed.”
“Rescue. Recover. Rehome.” I quote the sign, glancing over my shoulder at it. “Hal said that Noah thinks of it as a sanctuary for people, as well as animals.”
Cullen shrugs. “We’re all broken somehow.”
“Mmm.” I certainly am, and I know he is, too.
We go out through the main gate, and head down the hill toward Sunrise Bay, talking about our day and the animals we’ve treated.
“I can tell you were a police officer,” I say at one point.
“How?” he asks, amused.
“Your matter-of-fact attitude. No-nonsense and practical, and you bring that approach to the rest of your life. I like that. Rob is a musician and works at a studio, and while that attracted me at the beginning, I’ve found his dreaming and fantasizing exhausting over the years. He’d always rather think about something than actually do it.”
“How long have you been married?”
I lift my face, enjoying the warm summer breeze that carries with it a hint of the sea. “Eight years.”
“Long time.”
“Yeah.” I look across at him. “So… you’re not married?”
He shakes his head. “I lived with someone for a couple of years, but it didn’t work out.”
“You haven’t dated while you’ve been at the Ark?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
He shrugs. “Haven’t met the right girl.” His eyes meet mine briefly before he looks away.
He stops then and leans on the fence, and I lean next to him, while Max and Ghost stop on the grass verge. In front of us is the property he talked about earlier today.
“Have you and Archer spoken to Noah about your idea?” I ask.
“Not yet.”
“Would you want it to be part of the Ark?”
“Not sure. It’s Archer’s baby really. He just bounces ideas off me.”
“Oh… I think you’re putting yourself down a bit there. It sounds as if he’s hoping for more than flag waving from you.”
He doesn’t say anything. Helping out with setting up the center would mean staying, and he’s already said today that he’ll be leaving soon.
“Cullen,” I say softly, “I’ve got something I need to tell you. I should have told you as soon as I arrived, but the moment wasn’t quite right. I am sorry, it wasn’t as if I meant to keep it from you.”
He frowns. “Keep what from me?”
