Page 52

Chapter

Forty-Nine

JONAS

Evan: You still volunteering today?

Jonas: Yeah.

Evan: Good. I’ll meet you there.

With a sigh, I climb out of my Jeep and stare at the Second Chance sign. Maybe some dopamine hits from dogs will help me find my equilibrium.

I listened to Hunter and Evan and have been taking better care of myself.

I’m still working out but not being crazy about it.

Still playing hockey and putting everything into it for the team, but out of love and not guilt.

My body is adjusting, too. I’m not exhausted and sore all the time, and my appetite has returned.

I’m lighter, better. Not happy, exactly, but not spiraling.

My heart aches, remembering the time I brought Hadley here, but I shake it off. I can’t let my memories taint everything. Maybe once it stops hurting so bad, we can be friends again. But right now, I need to do this for me.

I miss her. Part of me will probably always miss her. Love doesn’t go away; it just gets turned in a different direction. And right now, I’m going to direct it toward some puppies.

Squaring my shoulders, I enter the shelter. The yellow fluorescents buzz overhead and Bonnie, the sweet receptionist, smiles at me.

“Jonas.” Her eyes twinkle. “I was hoping you’d show up today.”

She pushes the visitor log towards me across the counter and I sign in. “Oh yeah? Any particular reason?”

“A droopy Basset Hound named Bilbo Baggins.”

“Is he a Tolkien fan?”

She shrugs, her short brown curls bouncing. “Not sure, but he does have furry feet and likes to eat a lot of meals. And he’s about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ll definitely say hi to him.”

“See if you can find him,” she says as I push open the door to head to the kennels. Find him? Where would he be hiding? I consider going back to ask her as the door closes. Oh well, I’ll figure it out.

There aren’t any other volunteers around, which is kinda weird. Normally this place is bustling.

“Jan?” I call out. She’s the manager and usually coordinates the volunteers and employees. Nothing. “Evan?”

He did say he’d meet me here, right? I pull out my phone to check my texts and confirm. Where is he?

The dog closest to me barks and gets my attention. I tear my eyes away from my phone screen and notice he’s wearing a sign around his neck. White copy paper, letters drawn in black Sharpie. It simply says “Jonas.”

“Well, that’s one way to get my attention,” I say under my breath.

What in the hell is going on? Is that his name or did I miss something?

I take a step closer to his kennel, wrapping my fingers around the links in the chain fence that make up the door.

The fluffy little guy wags his tail. “What are you trying to tell me, buddy? Is Evan stuck down the well again?”

Lassie jokes usually kill at the shelter, but there’s no one around to appreciate my wit. Another sign catches my eye, this one in the neighboring kennel. The Lab mix is chewing on the corner, but I can still read it. “You’re loyal like Elmer.”

I move farther down the line, reading the messages as I go. “You’re sweet like Colin.”

Colin is some kind of shepherd with a chunk missing from his left ear. It gives him a lopsided appearance. Is he sweet? I’ll have to take their word for it.

This is weird. Maybe it’s a new volunteer affirmation thing? The next dog is a pretty beagle. She pants, looking like she’s smiling. Her sign says, “You’re loving like Chelsea.”

“And you’re cute like George,” reads the following one, attached to a tiny brown chihuahua mix. He shakes and his eyes bug out of his head. He’s so ugly he’s cute, so is it actually a compliment?

“Your best friend wants you to know…”

I swallow, my mind jumping to Hadley. But no, this is probably Evan. This is totally the sort of prank he’d pull. It’s nice of him, trying to cheer me up like this.

I glance around. “Is there a hidden camera? Evan, are you going to pop out of a cage somewhere?”

But there’s still no answer. I continue down the aisle. “She’s sorry…” says the sign on a bouncing terrier mix.

She . The word echoes in my brain, taking up all the space.

“And she hopes you’ll forgive her…” hangs around the neck of an adorable gray pit bull.

“She’s as sad as Bilbo without you. Take me for a walk if you’re willing to talk to her.

” This sign drags half on the concrete floor because Bilbo is so short.

The words are smeared by what is probably drool.

His caramel floppy ears touch the ground, and his droopy eyes are mournful. A leash dangles on a hook by his cage.

My hand trembles as I reach out and grab the leash, then open the door and clip it on his collar. Bilbo doesn’t move but stares at me. I rub the top of his soft head, inhaling. Am I doing this? “Okay, buddy, are we going for a walk?”

Exercise must not be on the top of this dog’s list, because I have to drag him out. He finally lumbers to his feet and takes his sweet time following me out the back door.

“Hi.”

Hadley leans against the brick wall of the building, one foot kicked up, showcasing her pink cowgirl boots.

She’s so stunning, my breath catches in my throat.

Her flirty little white sundress flutters in the wind and a strand of hair blows across her face.

I want to reach out and tuck it behind her ear, but I keep my hands at my side.

I haven’t seen her in weeks. Feels like forever, and she’s so gorgeous it hurts.

“Hi,” I say back, my voice coming out rusty. “Do you know where Evan is?”

Why is that what pops out of my mouth? I close my eyes, wishing I could take back that piece of idiocy.

Hadley clears her throat. “He’s around. Probably waiting to see how this goes.”

“This? What’s this?” I ask, stepping closer to her. Bilbo chooses this moment to move, getting between my legs and tangling the leash.

Hadley pushes off the wall and comes into my space. Patting him, she untangles Bilbo and murmurs baby talk to him before gazing at me.

Her blue eyes lance into me, full of vulnerability and promise. “This is me, putting myself out there.”

“Okay.” I take her hand, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles. Sparks fly across my skin at the contact. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to do this again, and something sharp like hope fills my chest. “What did you want to say?”

She takes a deep breath. “I was scared, so I made the worst choice ever. I pushed away my best friend and the best guy I’ve ever been with and rejected him. I can’t take it back, but… is there any way you could give me a second chance?”

Before I can speak, Bilbo decides it’s time for action. With a hoarse bark, he takes off running for the fence. His leash wraps around my legs, clotheslining me, and I go down, taking Hadley with me.