Page 14 of The Redemption of Remy St. Claire

“Lunch is ready.”

They ate in relative silence and soon headed out. The park wasn’t anything special—just a standard neighborhood park with a few swings and a small jungle gym with a slide.

Nonetheless, the place held many memories for him. A mere block from his apartment, he and Mira spent a lot of time here. When Mira had been fussy, he’d brought her out here and pushed her in the stroller, sometimes for hours at a time. Not wanting to disturb his ailing wife, he’d bring their daughter here in the hopes of giving Sissy some peace. Letting her rest, with the hope she might heal.

A fool’s errand. Sissy hadn’t healed. Her condition never improved. The only positive out of the whole mess was how closely he’d bonded with Mira. He’d been there for all her firsts. First smile, first crawl, first step, and first word. Her first word, unsurprisingly, had been dog. His little girl loved dogs. From the earliest moments, she’d delighted playing with the local canines.

She knew every dog in the neighborhood, and he’d vetted all of them as safe and friendly. Mira had permission to play with any of those dogs, but since none were around at the moment, she contented herself playing in the sandbox with Calleigh. Sitting on the bench, he watched the interaction. The girls had a language of their own. A form of communication to which he wasn’t privy.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

He glanced up to find Olivia standing next to him with her dog, Bianca, by her side.

“They might not be worth a whole penny.”

The young woman smiled. “May Bianca play with the girls?” She already knew the answer, but protocol dictated she ask the question.

“Of course she can.” Rusty patted the dog’s head. “You take good care of my girls.”

Bianca, appearing to understand, gave a woof in agreement.

That caught Mira’s attention and she clapped her hands together in anticipation.

Calleigh’s excitement was more muted, but her eyes still lit.

Olivia unclipped the leash.

Bianca sat, watching her mistress, waiting for the signal.

“Go play.”

Needing no further encouragement, the dog set off for the girls. Each received a lick on her cheek, then Bianca flopped down between the two.

Mira threw her arms around the Labrador retriever’s neck while Calleigh petted the dog on her head.

As far as Rusty could discern, Bianca was in doggy heaven, so he turned to her human. “How’re things going?”

She clasped her hands together. “My wonderful dog is now a certified comfort dog. We’re being invited to make visits every week to Lissa’s House.”

“The shelter for abused women?”

“Yes. Bianca and I will spend time with the kids while their mothers are taking vocational training or are in counseling.”

“Sounds like a bit of a challenge.”

“You might think so.” Her laugh was a rich, full-throated sound. “Let’s be honest, Bianca’s going to be the one doing the work. At times I’ll be superfluous to the process. She is like a chick magnet.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Chick magnet?”

“Of course. You know, little chickens.”

A laugh escaped him. “You know there’s another meaning for chick magnet…”

“I know.”

Of course she does.When their eyes met, they both let loose.

Finally, as the laughter trailed off, he admitted, “I needed that.”

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