Page 54

I paused outside Carrie’s room and glanced inside. It was empty. She must be in the courtyard. Usually Miguel spent a lot of time out there, too.

I opened a door at the end of the hall and led Axel and Otis into our courtyard out back. There were a few flowering bushes, a fountain, and padded benches. It wasn’t much, but it offered a small escape for our patients who couldn’t go home for weeks or months.

Carrie sat on a bench, a couple of support pillows with her, and a paperback in hand. Miguel was parked in his wheelchair a few feet away. They weren’t interacting, but I was glad Miguel wasn’t out here alone. He tried to isolate too much.

The sun was bright, but this early in October, the temperature was mild. A breeze tugged at my hair, but the side of the building blocked the worst of it.

Carrie looked up, and a huge grin stole across her face. “Who’s this?”

I wasn’t sure if she was asking about the dog or the hot man holding him, so I waved to them both. “This is Axel Wilder. He runs the Furry Fosters program, and he brought Otis to visit us today.”

“Aw, he’s cute,” Carrie said. “Are you trying to find him a home?”

“Well, ordinarily I would, but with his special skills, I think I might keep him myself so we can make these visits.”

“Oh, so he’s a therapy dog?” Carrie asked.

“Yep.”

Axel set Otis on the bench beside Carrie, letting her run her fingers over his head. Otis looked up at her with adoring eyes. Even that flat face couldn’t hide his joy in meeting a new friend.

What did Miguel make of all this? I turned, catching him jerking his gaze away. Oh, he’d noticed Otis, all right. That was a good sign.

Carrie and Axel visited, chatting about Otis, his foster pet program, how much her daughter, Ruby, would love him. When she mentioned her ex, Hollywood, and the Redemption Road program, my gut clenched.

I’d almost forgotten her connection to Joey. Not that she knew him personally, but her ex was apparently his good friend.

“Oh, yeah, I know Redemption Road,” Axel said, tone warm. “One of the guys works for me. Really, he’s the second one.” He chuckled. “The first one shacked up with my baby brother.”

“That didn’t bother you?” I asked before I could think better of it.

“Flynn’s a good man,” he said. “He treats my brother right. What else matters?”

“What about the crime he committed? He probably hurt someone.”

Axel’s eyes went cool. “Well, every person has their own story, don’t they? Flynn was protecting his brother, which is something I can respect. But even if he had made a terrible mistake, everyone deserves a second chance, don’t you think?”

“No matter what the offense? I don’t know.”

Carrie picked up Otis and extended him toward me. “Here, Kit. I think you need a little puppy love yourself.”

I realized my jaw was clenched and let out my breath, relaxing my stance. “You might be right.”

I took Otis from her and tugged on his ear. He panted and nuzzled into my neck. “You’re just the perfect size for cuddles, huh?” I mused. “I’ve got a golden retriever at home, but he’s too big for this.”

“Goldens are great,” Axel said. “Very loyal. They’ll love you hard and forgive just about anything.”

Was there a hidden message in there for me? Probably. I’d come on a little strong, and Axel had no idea where it was coming from. He probably thought I was a judgmental asshat, rather than wrestling with personal shit.

“Let’s go say hi to Miguel,” I suggested. “I was hoping he might come to us, but…”

Axel nodded. “Sure.”

“Sorry,” I said in a low voice. “I didn’t mean it to seem like I was judging your brother’s boyfriend.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to do it.”

I shook my head. “Just a personal issue turning me inside out.”