Page 8 of A Furever Home (Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue #8)

Overhead one of his dogs whined, loud enough to hear through the closed door.

Down the aisle below, one of the shelter dogs barked in response.

I couldn’t leave him in a dangerous situation where he’d almost certainly hurt himself.

I’d left behind one person in my life that way already.

Not this time. But the problem felt almost insurmountable until the obvious answer hit me.

“You’re coming home with me.”

“What?” That frown was back. “What are you talking about? My home is here.”

“Well, until your head and your leg are healed, your home is with me. I mean, I suppose I could move in here?—”

“I have a one-bedroom apartment.”

“With a couch that won’t fit me. I noticed.

” Because I’d scoped the place out this morning while I fed his dogs—even as I warned myself I was snooping.

So sue me. “I have a three-bedroom rancher. No stairs. You can have an entire bedroom to yourself. We can bring all your dogs and even Xandra would be welcome. I’ll admit I’ve never had a cat live with me before. Is she a Siamese?”

“Blue-point Himalayan.” He eyed me.

I gestured for him to back down the stairs one step at a time.

Best I go first—in case he lost his balance.

I’d be better able to break our fall. No way was I leaving him here to go back up and down multiple times a day.

And there was nowhere for him to sleep on the main floor of the shelter, so that was out.

“The shelter animals did just fine overnight. But I suspect you’ll want your four with you. I have room.”

“You honestly think I’m just going to…” He gestured his hand in some weird way I didn’t understand.

“Move in with me?” I grinned. “Well, I have Colin’s number.

I’m certain he and James will come back.

You can stay with them. And the three foster kids.

And Widget.” Colin had waxed poetic about both the foster kids and his French bulldog.

“Plus, I think Danny, Rob, Hallie, and Thomas are there as well. Apparently they brought Trouble as well.” Trouble was their husky who had a penchant for taking off when she could. “Shouting and barking and crying.”

The furrow between his brows deepened. His eyes looked bloodshot and glazed. Yeah, a busy household was no place for a man with a concussion.

From what Colin had said, Arthur knew everyone—but shied away from events with lots of people.

He’d stood up for James when he’d gotten married and that had, at least to Colin’s telling, been a big deal.

“Plus, Danny and Rob are getting married next month. Your attendance is apparently mandatory, so you need to heal up.”

“Oh my God.” Slowly, Arthur made his way back down the stairs—with me guiding him. “How long have you been here, to know all this?”

“Since Colin unlocked the door at nine. He’s…

a chatty guy.” Apparently he hadn’t always been—by his own admission.

Meeting James and the six other Reynolds siblings—along with Mama and Daddy—had taught him to be more assertive in large gatherings.

To not be bowled over by massive amounts of love directed at him.

By marriage, he now had five sisters-in-law, five brothers-in-law, and apparently—by last count—fourteen nibblets.

His word for nieces and nephews. His own family, back in Long Island, had abandoned him when he’d become ill.

He’d come west, met James through Arthur, and the rest was, according to him, Reynolds family history. “He got me up to speed.”

Arthur groaned.

I smiled. “Why don’t you sit in the staff lounge and figure out how we’re going to move three dogs and a cat as well as your stuff to my place?”

“I can call my shelter manager, Shane, for a place to stay. He and his boyfriend are out of town, and their house is empty.”

“I guess.” I wasn’t sure why that disappointed me. “Although I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be driving back and forth tomorrow.” I could give him a lift easier if he stayed with me.

Arthur pulled out his phone, then stared blankly at it. “Except. Damn.” He squeezed his eyes shut.

“What?”

“I can’t.”

When he just stood frozen, squinting down at his phone, I prompted, “Why not?”

“Because if I tell Shane why I need their place, they’ll cut short their trip, no matter how much I say not to.

They’ll worry. It’s the first time Shane’s ever travelled anywhere for fun.

He’s really into it, and they’re leaving for Africa any time now.

Oh hell.” Arthur tipped his head to look at the ceiling, and I saw moisture at the corner of his eyes.

“I don’t want to spoil things for them, just ’cause I messed up and got shot. ”

I didn’t think this situation was in any way his fault, but there was an easy answer. “Then come home with me.”

He blinked. “You’re serious?”

“Or I’ll call Colin. I don’t really care which option you choose.”

Totally lying to yourself. You really want him to come home with you because, as grumpy as he is, you like him. You want to take care of him. And if we’re going for honesty here, you’re also attracted to him .

When I’d mentioned to Colin how much I loved Gaynor Beach’s LGBTQ-friendly vibe, he’d shared that he’d heard the town was friendly before he moved here and, after his real estate agent, Arthur had been the first person he’d met and wasn’t it great that his first friend was gay?

He said the words casually, assuring me Arthur was out.

Just as casually, I might’ve mentioned to Colin that I was bisexual. I certainly hadn’t been in the closet since making my pronouncement at eighteen. Like I’d expected, coming out had been an unmitigated disaster.

But now at thirty, I was still out and bi and proud, and Gaynor Beach looked like a good place for that.

Especially with kind, welcoming queer men like Colin and James around.

And Arthur. Who’s looking way too good, even pale and sweaty and, oops, swaying.

I grabbed his elbow, steadied him, then let go.

Arthur stared at the floor as he mumbled, “Don’t call Colin.”

“Great. So you rest in the lounge while I do evening feedings. Yell loud if you start feeling worse. We’ll figure out what stuff you need, and then we’ll determine the logistics of moving your menagerie.

” I followed him as he hobbled to the staff lounge then hovered as he plopped into a padded chair.

He glared yet again, stretching his leg out stiffly, and grunted.

“Wow. And Colin told me you were a super friendly guy.” He also said shy and reticent. Better with animals than with people. Colin probably had no idea just how much he’d talked about Arthur.

Of course, that might’ve been because I was gently peppering the man with questions.

Because as much as me being here was about helping the animals—and possibly drumming up business for myself—I was also here because this man had put himself between a gun and a kid yesterday.

That…piqued my curiosity. Had he not been there, would I have found the courage to do it?

I couldn’t answer that question. I certainly didn’t fear death the way many people did.

I’d faced it down once. I’d come out the other side.

But I also had a healthy dose of respect for mortality and I was no hero.

Arthur pursed his lips. “I’m sorry. This…isn’t me. I just want to take care of the animals. We have a couple of prospective foster parents to interview tomorrow. I need to be here for that.”

“So I can drive you over here in the morning and pick you up. I have four dogs tomorrow at the daycare but we can make the trip before they arrive. I don’t mind early mornings.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask—I offered. And I’m happy to do it. I’ll drop you off here, then give your dogs a good walk tomorrow morning. I might as well keep Eb, Twain, and Chili with me for the day so you don’t have to worry about them.”

“They’re my dogs.”

“Well, isn’t it convenient I run a doggie daycare? All four of my dogs tomorrow are well socialized and do great with other dogs. Now, if Maisie were coming, things might look a little different. But she’s not. If she does, we’ll adapt.”

“Maisie?”

“Mastiff with an attitude. She needs slow introductions to other dogs. I’ve got Hiro, Jett, George, and Poppy tomorrow.

” I scratched my nose. “Poppy will run circles around everyone—she’s an eight-month-old goldendoodle.

George is a bit more reticent. He’s a senior rat terrier who’s more comfortable with people.

Hiro’s an overweight Japanese chin who stays with us during the day so his owner’s mother-in-law doesn’t feed him treats when she thinks no one’s looking.

Jett is a young lab-pittie mix. He plays with Poppy and they get into all kinds of mischief. ”

“That sounds like a handful.” He scratched his chin. “Eb and Twain get along with everyone. Chili…” He sighed.

“She likes me.” I grinned, feeling rather pleased. Even Colin had been surprised how quickly the chihuahua warmed up to me.

“That’s unusual.”

“I’m an unusual guy.” My grin only grew. “Right, now I’m going to do feedings.” I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and passed them over. “You write down everything that you need from upstairs. My SUV can fit two crates, and I have a harness tether system in my back seat.” I looked him over.

He was still pale but the sweat on his forehead had dried. His eyes were still reddened but less glazed, and he seemed to be sitting up straight. And he was coherent. Hopefully that meant he wasn’t about to crash.

“Let me put my number in your phone,” I told him. “If you get dizzy or nauseous or, well, anything, call 9-1-1. And if you won’t, call me. I’ll be around the place.”

He wrestled his phone out of his pocket. “Cracked the corner of the screen.” But he held it out to me, and it still worked.

I entered myself under “Brooklyn,” skipped the selfie, and sent myself a text. “There. All set.” With a jaunty wave, I headed off toward the dog runs.

Two hours later, Arthur sat in the front of my SUV with Xandra in her carrier buckled into the back seat.

Her food and litterbox were safely stowed along with all the other food and dog beds in the back footwell.

Eb kept all their stuff company tethered to the harness system on the opposite side.

Chili and Twain were secure in their crates in my cargo area.

I sighed. “I can’t believe we fit them all in.”

Arthur eyed his overnight bag at his feet.

“The suitcase with your other stuff is packed, and I’ll bring it home when I drop you off tomorrow. You’ve got enough for tonight. By this time tomorrow, you’ll have all your things, and you’ll be completely settled. Just you wait.”

He gave me what I could only call a deadpan look. “If you say so.”

“I do.” I put the SUV in reverse, pulled out of the parking spot, put the vehicle into drive, and headed to the street.

Arthur gazed out the side window. “If I forget to say this later, because my head is killing me…thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

I had no right to make that promise—and yet I did it anyway.

Because I was just that kind of optimist.