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“Oh, it’s a sad story. He lost his owner about four months ago. That’s the other reason I wanted to do this with him. Otis gets a lot of joy out of being around people. This is therapy for him, too.”

“Aw,” Emily crooned again. “My heart is just melting right now.”

I chuckled. “Well, we figured this would benefit the patients, but it looks like it’ll be a morale boost for the staff, too.”

Emily blushed and straightened. “Sorry. I should get back to the front desk.”

“Meryl will be in soon,” I agreed. “But no one can blame you for falling for this guy. He’s adorable.”

She headed back to the lobby, and Axel looked at me. “How do you want to do this?”

“Oh, we’re just winging it, but I’ve got a couple of patients in mind that Otis can help the most. Let’s just swing into the gym so I can show my patient why I ditched him.”

Axel laughed, a gruff, rumbly sound. His tumble of long blond curls was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore a black sweater, which I suspected was the height of formal for him. He was a seriously hot guy if you went for tatted-up bad boys, which clearly our sheriff did. I wasn’t about to risk the wrath of the law by flirting with Axel, even if my mind wasn’t an absolute mess over another man.

One I should not think about.

Joey.

My neck grew hot and my skin too tight.

I never lost control. I was the embodiment of patience and calm. My rehab patients relied on it. And yet, with Joey, I hadn’t recognized myself.

I’d been angry, yes. Angry at Joey. At myself. At the whole fucking world for bringing us together in such a cruel way.

But I wasn’t the kind of guy who hurt someone who was already hurting. That wasn’t who I ever wanted to be.

So, why did thinking about that night raise my temperature—and not just with shame, but arousal, too?

Joey had sucked me with such desperation, like he’d die just to please me, and that was some heady stuff. Fucked up. But also thrilling. More excitement than I’d had in years. In a lifetime.

But I couldn’t think about Joey that way anymore. Dakota seemed determined to let him make amends, which meant he’d be around more. I had to keep an eye on the situation and ensure my sister didn’t get hurt inadvertently, and to do that, I couldn’t avoid Joey no matter how much I wanted to hide from the tension that crackled between us.

“Hey, it’s a dog!” Jared exclaimed from the stationary bike, his entire face lighting up. This was why Gail, our director, had jumped at Axel’s offer to bring in a therapy dog.

I gladly focused on his reaction, pushing my messy thoughts aside to haunt me later. “Well spotted. We don’t have to do PT on your eyes, then.”

He laughed. “What a relief.”

Axel scooped up Otis in one arm and approached Jared. “This is Otis, and he’s visiting today.”

“You mean he doesn’t have to do ankle slides or leg presses?” Jared joked. “What a lucky guy.”

He’d stopped pedaling. I gave his thigh a quick tap. “Come on, Jare. You’re almost there. Keep going.”

“You’re an evil man, bringing a cute dog and not letting me enjoy it.”

I chuckled. “We’re going to take Otis to visit a couple of other patients. You can hang out in the lobby and enjoy Otis for a few minutes before you leave. How does that sound?”

“I guess,” he grumbled.

“Meryl will be coming in today,” I said, sweetening the pot. “I wonder if she likes dogs? Maybe Otis can bring you two together.”

He brightened and shifted his leg. “I know what you’re up to, so don’t think you’re clever, even if it’s working.”

I grinned. “I’d never dream of sneaking anything by you.”

I led Axel from the gym, where the PT aide kept watch over Jared, and headed down the hall. “Jared is outpatient, so he’s in pretty good spirits. We’ve got a couple of full-time patients who are struggling more.”