His posture left no room for argument as he looked down at Kenny. “I don’t know what happened out here, but you need to leave. Now.”
Kenny pushed himself to a sitting position, still clutching his jaw as he glared at Max. “You think you can just hit people and get away with it?”
Max didn’t respond. There wasn’t much point. He’d learned the hard way that people tended to see what they expected to see, especially once a narrative began forming in their minds.
Naomi paced closer, her attention shifting between Lyndee and the man. “Lyndee, are you okay?”
“I was untilheshowed up.” Lyndee glared at Max. “We were just leaving, and he . . . he came out here, and?—”
“That’s not how it happened,” a new voice said.
Max turned, and his stomach sank when he saw Hadley standing there.
Had she seen everything? Or had she only seen the part where he hit Kenny?
Regret filled him. It wasn’t that he wanted to impress her . . . though maybe part of him did. Part of him only wanted Hadley to see the good side of him. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in her gaze when she realized just how broken he really was.
Up until now, she’d looked at him with a touch of admiration. Still, he reminded himself, it would only be a matter of time before her opinion of him would change. It was probably better now rather than later.
Her seeing this confrontation had actually been a good thing.
“That man tried to punch Max first.” Hadley stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. “Max tried to hold him off. But when the man kept coming at him, Max had no choice but to stop him. I saw everything myself.”
“We appreciate that, Hadley,” Caleb said. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got to get back to Juno. Those babies should be coming any time now.” She pointed behind her. “But . . . let me know if you need anything else.”
Max nodded a silent thank you then watched as she disappeared back into the kennel.
Why did he feel so pleased at her words? Pleased that she hadn’t thought the worst of him? So many people made assumptions about him because of his past.
He didn’t have time to think about it as headlights swept across the drive. A familiar SUV pulled in, tires crunching over the snow. The engine cut, and a door slammed.
A moment later, Sheriff Micah Sutherland stepped toward them, his gaze sweeping the scene. “What’s going on here?”
Trepidation filled Max. He liked the man. Admired him even.
But he’d faced false accusations before. And last time it hadn’t turned out well. Even with Hadley as a witness to what had just happened, there were no guarantees justice would be done.
Hadley knelt beside the whelping box and stroked Juno’s back.
She’d wanted to stay outside, to defend Max more. But Juno needed her, so she’d excused herself. The dog deserved her full attention right now.
“Easy, mama,” she murmured. “You’re doing just fine.”
Juno paced again before finally settling, her body lowering to the blanket. Her breathing had changed—faster now, uneven—as the early contractions began to take hold.
Hadley stayed beside her, slipping on a pair of gloves from the small kit she’d set nearby. A stack of clean towels rested within reach, along with a few basic supplies she might need if things didn’t go smoothly.
Something about Juno made Hadley think of Latte, her husky she’d left back in Atlanta. She missed Latte every day, but seeking joint custody of a dog seemed like too much. Ethan loved Latte and would take good care of the dog.
Hadley hadn’t been able to bring herself to adopt another dog since then, however. Leaving Latte behind had hurt too badly.
“It’s okay, girl,” she murmured.
She rested one hand along Juno’s side, feeling the subtle tightening beneath her palm as another contraction built and released. The dog’s ribs rose and fell faster now, her body shifting as instinct took over.
Hadley focused on the familiar rhythm—the breathing, the tension, the timing. So far, everything looked normal.
