Page 90 of Wanted

Hmm.

I might have a long way to go to get him to believe it, but slow progress is still progress.

22

Frankie

The only thing missing from this adoption event is a red carpet. The organized chaos is well thought and well executed from years of practice.

Jude and Lee manage the heavy lifting and stay away from the public eye as much as possible while Aiden and Corjan charm their potential adopters. According to Whitney, Jack runs in between, depending on his mood.

Cortney and Juniper standby for health or behavior questions, and Nancy helps package everything and handles the payment. Each dog leaves with a packet of their history, my drawing, and a doggie cookie.

I can tell this isn’t their first rodeo. Their white tent on Main Street is hopping.

Even though some are just here to see some cute dogs, many are eager to adopt their new best friend. It’s clear that what the Powells have built is not only functioning but is also well needed in this small town.

I duck outside for a breath of fresh air and find Whitney and Bree at a nearby picnic table with their brood. The kids chase one another in the grass, leaving squeals of laughter in their wake.

“What do you think?” Bree asks as I sit, throwing a blueberry into her mouth.

I grab a pineapple from the tray I cubed his morning. The sweetness explodes on my tongue. “It’s amazing. After spending time at the Sanctuary, it’s so incredible to see everyone’s hard work pay off.”

“Your drawings are a huge hit,” she adds. “You’re really talented.”

“I had a lot of fun making them.”

Maybe someone will reach out and ask me to commission something. That would be a step toward my independence.

Whitney pats the small swell of her stomach and reaches across us, plucking a strawberry from the tray. “This is a huge hit too. Thank you. Chasing these kids around has me famished.”

“Maybe if you’d sit down and take a load off I can do some chasing around.”

Whitney waves her hand in the air. “It’s fine. It’s just those extra calories I need making me hungry. I already asked Jack to take me to The Rocks for lunch. I’m craving a famous Ruben burger something fierce.”

I laugh at the wild look in her eye. “Want me to walk down the street and get you one now?”

“Would you? I have a twenty in my purse in the back of the tent.”

“I can cover it. I’ll be right back.”

The total time to retrieve her pregnancy craving and get back takes about half an hour. The task helps keep me busy when I’m not needed anywhere else. The tent is crowded with Powells and adopters, so this gives me something to do while still remaining involved.

A small group is gathered around the picnic table on my return, most visible among them Jude. He scowls beneath the bright sun, and I grin as he pulls the plastic bag from my hand and gives it to Whitney without looking at her.

“Did you have to go alone?” he rasps, only loud enough for me to hear. The tense line of his posture gives away his desire to pull me into his arms. He has to be the one to make the first move in front of his family. Even though I want nothing more than to rise up on my tiptoes and kiss him.

“It was a short walk. You didn’t have to worry.”

He breathes in deeply and exhales through his nose, pinning me with his silver glare. “I can’t always help it.”

He means his compulsion. Somehow I know that’s what he’s trying to say. A crack forms in my heart at the unnecessary worry I caused.

“You okay in there?”

“It’s a busy one.” He flashes a rare Jude smile. “It feels good, giving the dogs their piece of forever.”

I wonder what he thinks about finding his own piece of forever. Because the more time I spend here with him, the more I have my own answer.

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