Page 3 of The Love Shack

But she had a shelter full of animals relying on her. Her cat was probably getting up to no good. The people in the town had welcomed her.

And she’d already decided this place was home.

A breeze blew over her face, reminding her of the scents of summer she’d appreciated minutes ago. Someone laughed. A child raced past.

Life went on all around her. Her life would go on, too.

Repressing the burn of humiliation that tried to shrivel her, she stiffened her spine and managed to make her lips lift in the semblance of a smile. “Yes, that’s me.” And now he’d bring up the past, the scorn, the disgrace. He’d have questions, because everyone always had questions once they knew who she was.

Frowning in what looked like concern, he stepped closer.

For a second there, she was the old Berkley, downtrodden and ashamed, and she retreated a step.Damn it.To cover that reaction, she planted her feet and stared up at him.

He stalled—and then his expression cleared and he gave her a carefully neutral look. “The wishing well will be finished by the end of the week. It was a great idea.”

Her clenched muscles went slack, proving she’d been braced for the worst. Grateful that he’d let their association go and hoping to avoid the mention of it again, Berkley peered at the well as if she’d never seen one before. Her thoughts scrambled, but he’d given her an out, and by God, she’d take it. “An idea for...what?”

“Betty didn’t tell you?”

Awed that he sounded merely friendly, his recognition hidden, she breathed a little easier. “Betty Cemetery? She’s always up to something. I lose track of her shenanigans.” The town matriarch—and a descendant of the town founder, which was how Cemetery, Indiana, got its name—seemed to get busier with age. At eighty-seven, she should have been slowing down, and instead she’d found renewed purpose in the hometown she loved.

“Agreed. It amazes me everything she does.”

“All good things,” Berkley said in defense of the elder. She’d heard enough whispers to know that some considered Betty a bully, a powerful woman who used her prestige to coerce others into her way of thinking.

And maybe she did.

But to Berkley, she’d been nothing but amazing. A lover of pets. A generous benefactor to the shelter. Accepting and encouraging. She owed Betty for this new start.

“Many good things,” Lawson countered. “But not all.” He gave her a brief, teasing smile. “The wishing well directly assists the shelter, though, so I assumed you knew all about it. See, the plan is for people to toss in change, make a wish, take a photo if they want, and then the money will be collected monthly for the shelter.”

“Huh.” Great idea. “Betty didn’t tell me anything about it, but The Love Shack can always use the funds.” Edging closer to the well, which made Hero whine, she peeked inside.

“Unique name for the place.”

She shot him a warning glance. “Betty chose it.”

Without asking, Lawson took the leash from her, and said to the dog, “Come here, bud.” He patted the top of the well wall. “Come on, now. It’s okay.” Cautiously, Hero obeyed, peeking in and darting back, then, after realizing what he’d seen, peeking in again. “Damn, you really are a smart one, aren’t you?”

“You’re cursing again.”

Rolling his eyes, he said, “You’ll survive.” He patted Hero. “His coloring is unusual.”

“Gorgeous, right? He’s a brindle pit bull–boxer mix. Supersmart, overall well-behaved—”

“But he has that thing about rescuing.”

The tension in her neck loosened. Talking about animals always put her at ease. “He was a companion to a senior who used a wheelchair, so he’d already gained a tendency to help. When his owner passed away, Hero was lost.”

“Lost?” Lawson asked softly.

Emotion thickened her throat. She understood being lost, and that was why she’d fallen so madly in love with Hero. “Shelter life was hard on him. He was so obviously sad and alone, even with the other animals around him. I figured out that he needed a purpose, but after two tries at finding his forever home, he was brought back.”

“He wanted to rescue someone.”

Despite herself, the corner of her mouth lifted. “Yeah, and he gave it his all. Over and over again.”

Lawson knelt to stroke the dog, giving him a little extra affection, and Hero ate it up.

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