Maybe it’s better to rip the band-aid off?
Adam is quiet. Too quiet. Then he says, “What?”
I wince. “Um. Yeah. He’s my scent match, like you two. I’d planned to tell you and Jasper and have everyone meet, but, honestly, Ezra isn’t really acknowledging our connection. Not yet. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him.”
Adam’s quiet again, then hums contemplatively. “Well, thanks for the warning. I’d still like to come by, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”
I can hear his smile in his reply. “See you in ten.”
Phone back in my pocket, I head back to the trailer where I hear a rumble of voices, low and careful, blocked out now and then by loud shuffling and items falling over onto the rotting wood below. The flashlight is propped up on an empty plastic bin on top of an empty plastic bucket, and both Ezra and Jasperare working on dislodging a large wooden object at the back of the trailer.
Since I’m obviously not needed—and embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of resting the light on something instead of standing there like an idiot all this time—I busy myself going through all the stuff on the grass that they’ve already pulled out of there, tossing empty containers and other items I have no use for into the dumpsters.
When Jasper leads the way out of the trailer, walking backward, he’s balancing the weight of what looks like a very heavy wooden desk. He and Ezra put it down gently on the lawn, and I breathe out a “Wow” at the sight of it.
Sturdy oak, engraved filigree vines and leaves, drawers seemingly intact with brass knobs. The finish is worn and scuffed, leaving the piece in need of sanding and refinishing.
But still, I love it.
“I think we’re going to keep this one,” Jasper says, looking right at me with a grin.
I’m already nodding in agreement. “I’ll have a project once everything settles down.”
“Where do you want to store it until then?”
“There’s space in the garage,” I tell Ezra. “Surprisingly, it’s pretty empty in there.”
It’s when I’ve opened the garage, and the guys are hauling the desk inside, that Adam pulls up in the driveway and leaps from his gray sedan, rushing over to Jasper’s side and picking up some of the desk’s weight. The two of them have a heated discussion, quiet enough that I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I can take a guess.
Guilt settles in my chest. I shouldn’t have let Jasper lug that thing around with his obvious injury. He may have appeared okay, but Adam is obviously worried about him.
Adam’s smile seems a bit forced when he approaches me after. I take in his pink cheeks on porcelain skin, his angular jaw, and the two perfect dimples in his cheeks. His black hair is damp, like he came here right after a shower, and his icy blue eyes are steady on me. “Hey. I’m late to the party, as usual.”
“You didn’t miss too much.” My voice is smaller than usual, guilt still constricting my throat, which I clear. “So, what did you want to show me?”
“Follow me.”
From his sedan, Adam pulls a tablet and a laptop from the passenger seat and places them gently on the trunk. He opens the laptop and begins typing and tapping the mouse pad, then steps aside, gesturing to the screen. When I peer at what’s on there, a gasp escapes my lips.
It’s a website. Or, the start of one. There’s a logo at the top of the page with an illustration of a dog and a cat, and text that readsSpringer's Sanctuary: A Pet Sanctuary of Love.
My lips part, eyes water, and when I turn to Adam, he’s looking bashful. “I looked up your business license to get the name. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted it to be a surprise.” He comes closer and starts navigating the site for me. “This isn’t the real logo, it’s just a generic placeholder. I thought you’d want to help decide what the logo should be.” He scrolls down the page, showing me a boxed-off layout. “We can change anything you want, or even everything, if you don’t like it. It’s just a mockup. But I wanted people to have a place to go to donate. And I brought my camera to photograph the pets and put them on there.” He looks at me, and his face is blurred by my tears. “It would be good to get a picture of you and a bio. People like to know who’s running a non-profit.”
I can’t take this kindness anymore. I leap at Adam, throw my arms around him and squeeze the daylights out of him. “Thankyou,” I breathe and hiccup. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I can’t believe you did all of this last night.”
He’s a statue in my embrace at first, then his arms gently encircle my shoulders and back, holding me against his chest where I bury my nose, breathe in his eucalyptus and lemon scent, hold it in my lungs, and savor it.
“What’s up with this love fest?”
I lean back to peer at Jasper from within Adam’s arms. “Adam made a website for the sanctuary.”
Jasper smirks and looks at his pack brother. “Oh, that’s not all he made.”
I look up at Adam then, into pale blue eyes, and he lets out a wary laugh. “I may have something else to show you. Another prototype.”
I reluctantly release him, and he heads for his tablet on top of the trunk, bringing it over to me. At first, I think he’s showing me the website again, only in mobile format, but I quickly realize I’m wrong.
