Tomorrow.
“Compatibility. Like how Justin the counselor has to be compatible with his husband, Stanley. Or, like, Stanley’s ex-boyfriend has to be compatible with his husband Ravi.” Another giggle. “And they all live on the same street, so apparently staying friends with your ex is a good thing as well.”
“Do I want to know?”
“It’s a cute story.” She rustled something then let out a contented sigh. “You ready for the gossip?”
I leaned back. “Sure. Why not?”
Chapter Ten
Finn
Hearts and Paws Animal Shelter was both my favorite place in the world and the one that brought the most heartache.
Selah greeted me with a huge smile, though. “Finn! A rare Saturday off. So glad you could make it.”
The adoption area of the shelter gleamed bright white while the concrete floors shone. The wood accents around the windows matched the counter and gave the place a homier feel. “I thought I’d walk the dogs today.” I shrugged. “And then maybe spend an hour in the cat enclosure.”
“Sure. The animals will love that. We got a surrender this week. A pittie mix. She’s adorable.”
“And might be harder to find a home for.” Plenty of landlords and condo associations didn’t allow bully breeds.
“True. But I’m certain she’ll charm someone’s socks off. Her name is Thelma. Want to come and meet her?”
“Sure.”
When I’d first come here, I’d worried that I wouldn’t be able to part with the animals at the end of my visit. Knowing I couldn’t have a dog helped, though. My shifts at the station were too damn long, and I couldn’t afford to either kennel the dog while I worked or pay to have someone come out and walk them. An alternative might’ve been building a doggie door and an enclosure for a dog, but I didn’t like the idea of the animal being alone—even if protected by a strong fence.
Selah handed me the key to the kennels. “You know the routine. We haven’t had any warnings, and there haven’t been any issues, but you know—”
“I know. I’ll be careful.” Not just because I didn’t want a dog bite—I didn’t, of course—but because I wouldn’t want to be the cause of a dog having to be put down.
I waved goodbye and headed to the dog area. As I passed each kennel, I said the dog’s name. Some woofed. Some clawed at the glass. Some stayed at the far wall and didn’t approach. Since I had the entire day free, I planned to walk everyone and then, of course, hang out with the cats. Generally, they appreciated my efforts less—but a couple of them liked scritches.
Thelma sat on her bed and, when she caught sight of me, made a beeline for her door.
The exact moment she realized I wasn’t whoever she was expecting broke my heart as her smile literally vanished. “Oh, baby girl.” I swallowed. “We’re going to find a good home for you. I promise.” I hadn’t asked for the details of the surrender. Those stories often hit me in the gut as well. Especially when the issue was money. I had some. Not a ton, but Mom gifted me the cabin without a mortgage, and I made a good salary as a career firefighter. I donated both time and money—but I couldn’t save everyone. Much as I wanted to—I justcouldn’t.
I took Thelma through the process of becoming acclimated to me so I could take her for a walk along the fence line of the shelter.
She was a bright dog who immediately settled beside me and walked without pulling. She kept glancing up at me as if to make certain I was still here. For fun, I took her through a series of tricks, each time giving her a piece of her kibble as a reward. She knew enough to show someone had worked with her in the past. When we’d made our way around twice, I guided her back to her kennel. “I’m so sorry, baby girl. I don’t know why you’re here—and I’m sure you think you’ve done something wrong. Well, you haven’t. And we’ll find you a new home. As soon as we can.” I wanted to promise something better, but—judging by her behavior—she’d had a really good home.
Over the next two hours, I walked all the dogs. Some were older, and we took it slow. Some were energetic, and we ran to get the zoomies out. Old Walter was happy for me to carry him to his favorite spot in the grass. He needed a home sooner rather than later—although it would likely only be for a short time. Guy had a lot of years on him and, according to Dr. Zephyra, not that many more to go. But he wasn’t suffering, so she didn’t want to put him down. “Buddy, I would so love to take you home with me.” I scratched him under his grizzled gray chin.
He closed his eyes in bliss.
“And that’s Walter.” Selah’s voice carried to me.
I turned to face her and the person she was with.Holy fuck. What are the odds?Pretty good, apparently, because Ulysses walked next to the shelter employee.
“Walter’s been here the longest?” Ulysses caught my gaze.
“Oh, not the longest. Sorry, I thought you meant the oldest. No, Poppin has been here the longest. She’s being treated for a thyroid condition. She needs specialized care, and we’re struggling to find a foster who can tend to her. Walter’s owner died a couple of months ago, and so he’s keeping us company. Both are available for either foster or adoption.” She beamed. Many animals got adopted on her shifts—she could convince just about anyone to leave with a furry companion.
“I can certainly write about both dogs.” Ulysses shifted his gaze from Saleh back to me. “Hello, Finn. Are you adopting?”
“Finn’s one of our best volunteers. He spends time with all the dogs and then hangs out in the cat enclosure. He’s sure a favorite with our fur babies. I keep hoping he’ll rescue—”
