9
“Nolan!” Finn stopped dead on the way to his car, grinning broadly. “I wasn’t sure if you were planning on showing up today.”
“Fridays.” Nolan shrugged. “I promised. But I was held back at work a little, which is why I’m so late.”
“Well…” Finn jiggled his keys in his hand, glancing between Nolan and the car. “I uh… I just got a call about an otter tangled in a fishing net, so I might send you around back to help Oscar? Or I guess you could come with, but it might keep us out a while. I just finished packing the car.”
“I’d like to come with you, if that’s okay? I mean, I get it if you wanna be the hero all by yourself…” Nolan offered him a shy, teasing grin.
“Company would be amazing, actually. It’s a long drive back with only an otter to talk to.”
“Then I’m all yours,” Nolan beamed.
Damnit was good to see him happy. In just a few weeks of coming here, Finn could see the difference in Nolan. He’d gone from tired and sad to…
Well, he still seemed a little tired, but he always seemed excited to be here. Even at his company Halloween party, he hadn’t seemedmiserable.
That was nice. It was nice to feel like he’d made a difference, even if it was mostly the magic of spending time with wildlife that was making the difference.
If Nolan had been one of their rescues, Finn would have been thrilled with his progress.
“Great. Uh. I think we oughta take my car.” Finn scratched the back of his neck. “I just wanna apologize in advance for it.”
“Have youseenmy car?” Nolan asked. “There’s nothing more embarrassing.”
“It’s environmentally friendly.” Finn shrugged. Honestly, Nolan’s car was the kind of thing he would have driven himself if he didn’t frequently need something bigger for work—and if he was willing to give up the car hedidown. “I didn’t think it was embarrassing at all.”
Nolan snorted, but followed Finn to the battered station wagon he drove. It was old enough to vote and it’d been on more than a few misadventures that’d left a mark, but it washis.
It was the car he’d driven away from home in, never to look back. It was the car he’d slept in when he’d been between apartments.
He’d been through alotwith this car, and he got a little touchy when people judged it.
Ryan had suggested once that there might have been room in the sanctuary budget to lease something more reliable. Finn’s reaction had stopped him from ever offering again.
Finn had apologized for it later, with cheesecake. Ryan was anyone’s for a slice of cheesecake.
“Looks like you love her,” Nolan said as they approached. “You wouldn’t have kept her otherwise.”
Finn chuckled. The way Nolan said it wasn’t an insult, it was just a statement of fact. Hell, it was almostfond.
“Yeah,” Finn agreed. “Yeah, I’ve been through a lot with this car. And she’s… obviously been through a lot with me.”
“I bet she loves you, too,” Nolan said, heading for the passenger-side door and stroking the dented, chipped body along the way.
A soft, satisfied sigh escaped Finn as he watched that, though he wasn’t entirely sure why.
Probably, he was just relieved that Nolan didn’t hate his car. That would’ve hurt.
He climbed into the car as well, turning the engine over and flicking on the heating, knowing it’d take a while to warm up and wanting to head off the chill in the air. Winter was starting to creep up on them, and there were only another couple of hours of sunlight left. They’d probably end up driving back in the dark.
“Last chance to back out,” Finn said, wanting to be sure that Nolan was okay with coming along for the ride.
“Nope,” Nolan responded brightly. “You’re stuck with me.”
“I’ve been stuck with worse,” Finn teased, pulling out of the sanctuary parking lot and heading for the road.
“So you wanna tell me about work?” he asked as they passed under the newly-painted sign.
