“Hey, girl.” She reached through the gate to scratch behind Juno’s ears.
Juno leaned into the touch like she’d been waiting for it.
Max watched, something in his chest easing. “You’ve got a fan.”
Hadley glanced back at him, her smile lingering. “I think she’s coming home with me.”
“Is that right?”
“She tried to warn me,” Hadley said. “I just didn’t understand her. But she knew Kendra was hiding out in here.”
“She’s a smart girl. I think you adopting her is a great idea.”
Juno wagged her tail harder, as if she’d understood every word.
The moment stretched, easy and unforced, until Max’s smile faded just slightly. The weight of everything that had happened edged back in—not overwhelming this time, but present.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Hadley looked up at him, her brow furrowing. “For what?”
“For Kendra. For not seeing it sooner. For?—”
She cut him off with a small shake of her head. “Max, no. That’s not your fault.”
“It feels like it should be.”
“It’s not. You didn’t make her choices. She did.”
Max held her gaze, wanting to believe that.Tryingto believe that.
He paused before saying, “There are things I’ve never told you.”
Hadley’s expression softened. “Okay.”
Max exhaled and glanced down before meeting her eyes again. “About my arrest.”
Hadley didn’t interrupt. “Go on.”
“My mom had this boyfriend. A long time ago. Things were . . . bad. Worse than she ever admitted.” His jaw tightened. “I came home one night and found him beating her.”
The memory hit harder than he expected, but he pushed through it.
“When I saw that, I didn’t think,” he continued. “I just reacted. I got him off her.”
Hadley’s breath caught.
“The police showed up,” Max said. “And I was the one they arrested. My mom refused to press charges against him. She said she was afraid of being alone.”
“So she let her son go to jail instead?” Hadley shook her head in disbelief.
“She never even apologized. While I was in prison, she overdosed. I never saw her again. And I’m sure her overdose had something to do with Tom, her boyfriend. He made her feel so bad about herself. It was like he erased her ability to think, even.”
“I imagine that’s typical in situations like that—but it’s still so tragic.”
“When I met Sarah, I saw something similar in her. She wasn’t nearly as bad as my mom. She was stronger. But I sensed a kindness in her and only wanted to help.”
“It’s noble that you want to protect women, even if it cost you your freedom.”
