Page 17 of The Sin Bin

At the sound of their entrance, the cat raised her head, her eyes finding Jax immediately. To Lauren's astonishment, the cat began purring loudly, her whole body vibrating with the force of it.

"Hey there, little fighter," Jax murmured, his deep voice gentling as he crouched beside the enclosure. "Looking good."

The transformation was remarkable. The hulking man who could send opponents flying across the ice with a single hit now moved with exquisite care, his massive hands impossibly gentle as he opened the enclosure and stroked the cat. "You should have seen her last week. She was so doped up."

"Careful, you might end up with another cat," Lauren said.

"Nah, this one isn't a stray. Her name is Taffy. She belongs to one of the kids in the neighborhood."

"She's not afraid of you."

"Animals don't forget kindness," Jax replied simply. "Or cruelty." Something in his tone suggested personal experience with both.

Lauren set her medical bag on a side table and pulled out her tablet. "The radiographs look good," she said, keeping her voice professional. "Taffy's fracture is healing well, and there's no sign of delayed complications. We can start gentle range-of-motion exercises today."

Jax nodded. "I'm here to help. I mostly work with dogs, but as you can see. Cat's like me."

Who was she to argue? If Taffy was comfortable with Jax, Lauren was happy to see the big man in action. She walked him through the rehabilitation protocol she'd developed, demonstrating the careful manipulations designed to maintain joint mobility without stressing the healing bone. To her surprise, Jax caught on quickly, his large hands surprisingly dexterous as he mimicked her movements.

"You've done this before," she observed, watching as he expertly supported Taffy's weight while gently flexing the injured leg.

"Similar exercises with rescue dogs," he explained. "Had a pit bull last year who'd been hit by a car. Pelvis shattered in three places. Everyone said he'd never walk normally again."

"And did he?"

A genuine smile spread across Jax's face, transforming his features. "Adopted by a marathon runner six months later. Runs five miles a day now."

Lauren found herself returning his smile, drawn in by the simple pride in his accomplishment. This was a side of Jackson Thompson that few people must see—the patient, gentle healer rather than the fierce protector.

The sound of raised voices from the front of the shelter caught their attention. Lauren glanced toward the door just as Dmitri burst in, half-dragging Oliver, whose glasses sat askew on his face.

"Jax! Come quick. PR lady is here with photographer! She wants shots of you with sad puppies," Dmitri announced.

"What? Stephanie's here?" Jax looked genuinely confused.

"She says league office wants to highlight players doing community service," Oliver explained, straightening his glasses. "Something about 'humanizing the enforcer role for family-friendly marketing.'"

"She's talking to some guy with camera bigger than my head," Dmitri added. "Very intimidating woman. She has checklist."

Jax sighed, gently placing Taffy back on her heated pad. "I should go deal with this. Sorry," he said to Lauren.

"Of course," she nodded, trying not to feel disappointed.

Jax hesitated. "Would you... do you want to come with me? Might be less awkward if you're there."

Something in his expression—a momentary flash of vulnerability—made Lauren nod. "Sure. I could use a break anyway."

As they headed toward the front, Jax leaned down to murmur in her ear. "Fair warning: Stephanie Ellis has been trying to rehabilitate my image since the Wilson fight. She thinks I'm a PR nightmare."

Lauren smiled. "Well, you did feed a guy his teeth on national television."

"Just doing my job," he replied with a wink.

The PR director was a petite woman with a sleek bob and an iPad clutched to her chest. Despite being at least a foot shorter than Jax, she radiated an authority that commanded attention. Next to her stood a photographer unpacking equipment.

"Thompson, there you are," Stephanie said, her voice crisp. "We need to get some shots of you working with the rescue animals. Preferably something that doesn't look staged. We're trying to show your nurturing side."

Her eyes flicked to Lauren, taking in her presence with sharp assessment. "Dr. Mackenzie, right? The veterinarian?"

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