“That song ‘Hear My Name’ sounds more like your original stuff.”
“I wrote it during the blizzard, while I was waiting for Dawsonto come home.” No, not home. “Back. Anyway, yeah, I guess it is more like me.”
“Honest. Real. And the way you sang it—a little rough-edged but soul-true.”
Soul-true. She smiled. “Thanks.”
“It’s going to be okay, you know. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be happy. You just have to look for the happy in the middle of all the darkness and keep your eyes on hope.” She pulled off the highway. “Something I learned while I searched for my missing sister a few years ago.”
“Missing sister?”
“Kennedy. Sully’s wife. Long story. But I eventually found her.”
Funny, it seemed that maybe she’d been on a search too. And had eventually found herself.
They pulled into the lot, and lights pushed out into the darkness from a vet clinic. She spotted Zoey sitting inside on Axel’s lap, him reading to her.
Flynn turned off the car. “I really need to marry that man.”
Zoey looked up when Keely walked into the vet clinic, and for a moment, the past hour, maybe more, played on her face.
Then, as Keely froze, the little girl squirmed off Axel’s lap, landed on the floor, and ran for her.
Oh—oh!Keely crouched and caught Zoey, whose small arms clamped around her, her body shaking.
And Keely couldn’t stop herself. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s here. I’m here.” She picked her up, held her against herself, rocking her. Oh well, the name was bound to spill out from her heart at some point.
Flynn came in and took Axel’s hand. He rose, blew out a breath.
Zoey wrapped her legs around Keely, clinging to her.
“How’s Caspian?”
Axel shook his head, drew in a breath.
No.
Just then, the door to the back opened. Dawson came out, his eyes reddened.
“Dawson—”
“He’s okay.” Then he walked right up to Keely and wrapped her in his arms. Her and Zoey, and they stood, a clump, together.
A family, maybe. Or the beginnings of one.
She closed her eyes and sank into the abundance.
Finally, he stepped back.
“Griffin said he was shot.”
“He was. But it was a glancing shot—more blood than damage. Scary though.”
“To be clear, it sounded a lot worse,” Axel said. “Mr. Drama howled the entire time to the vet.”
“You try getting shot in the chest and see how you feel,” Flynn said, whacking him on the shoulder.
“Is he going to be okay?” Keely asked.
