Marry Me at Christmas (Fool's Gold #19)(58)

He had paperwork on all four dogs. He opened the folder with his good hand.

“Raven is nearly eight. Her family couldn’t keep her when they moved into an apartment and she’s been in foster care for nearly six months.”

Madeline’s mouth twisted. “That’s awful.” She stroked Raven. “It’s okay, little girl. We’ll find you a forever home. That’s what Saturday’s about.”

Raven’s gaze was steady, but her tail didn’t wag. After a couple of minutes, she walked over to one of the dog beds and laid down.

Eddie and Gladys promised to come by the next day to help with the dogs. Madeline walked them out to their car. By the time they’d left, the teenagers were back with the other dogs. The kids helped get dinner ready for the dogs. Jonny noticed that Raven hung back. When she didn’t attack her bowl, one of the other dogs started toward it.

“Not so fast,” he said, and swept up the bowl, then took it into the pantry. He returned to the kitchen and got Raven, then led her into the panty and shut the door.

The dog looked from him to the bowl, then back.

“It’s okay,” he told her. “Come on, Raven. You’ve got to be hungry. I’ll sit right here.”

He pulled up a step stool and sat down, then tapped the side of the metal dish. She took a step toward the food, then another. Finally she was close enough to start eating.

He sat quietly while she finished her meal. When she was done, he stroked her back and then her face. Her brown eyes didn’t have any hope left.

“You lost everybody, huh,” he said quietly. “They walked away and you don’t know why.”

He had no way of knowing the circumstances that had caused the former owners to have to surrender their dog. They could have been devastated or not cared at all. Either way, Raven had lost her pack. She’d been sent to a strange place and probably spent her days waiting for her family to return.

She was meek and underweight. He wondered if the other dogs she’d been fostered with had eaten most of her food. He didn’t think it would take much to push her away from her bowl.

“It’s going to be okay,” he told her.

She turned away, as if she understood but didn’t believe. He supposed she had a point. How could he know what would happen at the adoption on Saturday?

“Sometimes you have to have faith,” he told the dog, only to realize it wasn’t something he had a lot of himself. His sister’s words seemed to echo in the small space. Her claim that he was so terrified of losing that he wouldn’t risk getting involved. That he held back because the alternative was to connect and then lose.

He patted Raven. Her tail gave a tentative wag, then stilled. As if the price of believing was just too high.

THIRTEEN

“I COULD HAVE HELPED,” Jonny grumbled from one of the bar stools by the island as Madeline finished loading the dishwasher.

“You don’t own rubber gloves,” she pointed out. “You can’t get your bandage wet. Besides, it’s only a few dishes.”

What she didn’t say was that she liked working in his kitchen. It was big and bright. Overhead lights illuminated every corner. The appliances were new and efficient. A girl could get used to a kitchen like this, she thought humorously.

The visual perks weren’t bad, either. Jonny looked good, as always. A little rumpled. Before dinner she’d tried to get him to take another painkiller. He’d resisted, and now as she took in the lines around his mouth, she wondered if he was in pain. His hand wasn’t broken, but it sure was beat up. And the cuts had to be hurting.

She rinsed her hands before drying them on a dish towel, then walked over to his prescription bottles and shook one of the pills onto her palm. She handed it to him.

“I don’t—” he started.

She walked to the sink and filled a glass with water. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“But I don’t—”

She set the glass in front of him and put her hands on her hips. “Don’t even get me started. I can be shrill. Trust me, it’s a side you don’t want to see.”

His smiled. “Yeah, I’m scared.” He took the pill and swallowed it, then drank some water. “The bossy thing is kind of sexy.”

“You like shrill? I’m surprised.”

“You only threatened shrill. I never actually heard it.” He stood. “Want to walk the dogs before we watch something?”

“Sure.”

It was still warm out. Warm and muddy, she thought as they collected leashes. Just the sound was enough to get the dogs on their feet. All except Raven, who raised her head, but didn’t get up.

“Come on, Raven,” Jonny called, his tone coaxing. “We’ll walk slow.”

The older dog rose slowly, then started toward him.

“I feel bad for her,” Madeline admitted. “The other dogs are friendly and interactive, which means they’ll have an easier time getting adopted. I hope someone takes the time to see that Raven is basically a sweet girl.”

“Me, too.” Jonny rubbed the dog’s back before attaching the leash to her collar.

They went outside.

Madeline insisted on taking the other three dogs while Jonny handled Raven. She didn’t want him having to use his injured hand.

They started down the driveway, then turned by the first barn. The night was clear and the stars bright.