Diggs shrugged, but kept his arms raised. “Drunk. Dirty reddish-grey hair. Like he hadn’t had a bath in amonth.”
Her face drained of color and her expression shifted from fury to shellshock.
“You know him?” Seeing her break, Diggs eased his hands to hissides.
She jerked her head to the side, robbing him of her face and lifted her arm to place the back of her hand against her forehead. Her pepper spray dangled from her fingers. “I tried to get here.” Her voicewobbled.
“Hey, it’s okay. I was here.” Diggs dipped his head, trying to see around her arm. She’d shielded herself from him, but he could feel herdespair.
“I failedhim.”
The dog? “Lady, the dog is stillalive.”
She threw her head back and said, “I’msorry.”
Oh great, of course she would be crazy.Or maybe dramatic would be better. Talking to the sky wasn’t exactly sane, but he didn’t like to think she wascertifiable.
Then she turned back to him, tears streaking down her cheeks and he realized she wasn’t any of those. She was truly fearful for theanimal.
Not understanding why he needed to make her feel better, he said, “I live less than a half mile away and have the supplies to treat hisinjuries.”
“You do?” She rubbed her face dry with herpalms.
He had years of field medical training and a doctor on staff. If he couldn’t fix the dog, Dr. Averton could. “Absolutely.”
