Page 16 of The Way Back Home

“Stay in the car, Bett, and put your belt on,” August says. He climbs out of the vehicle and catches my shoulder, pulling me toward him. “Look, about the other day, when I ...” He sighs. “Well, I know we haven’t really talked about it, and I owe you a proper apology. So, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking, it was just in—”

“Instinct? I know. I told you this wasn’t my first time at the rodeo.”

His expression is stoic, but the way his eyes narrow give everything away. “How many others?”

I level him with a sharp look. “Too many to count.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“Because what I do saves lives. Because too many good men and women who fought for our country are forgotten about when they return home. Because wounds on the inside can be so much harder to heal than those of the flesh. That’s why I do it.”

His brow is furrowed and he stares at our feet for a long time, likely telling me to shut up inside his head. A beat later, he lifts his gaze to mine and says, “Please get in the car.”

“It’s better if I walk.”

“Oh, you’re stubborn, ain’t ya?”

“I guess we’re both too stubborn for our own good.”

“Fine.” He stalks back to the car. “Don’t say I didn’t ask.”

“Wasn’t gonna,” I say and set off again. The door slams and the idling engine coughs and splutters as it takes off and zooms past me in a cloud of dust and heat.

In town, though my feet hurt and I’m craving a coffee, my first stop is Renoux Realty. Georgia smiles widely as I set foot in the door, and then the smile vanishes when she recognizes my face.I take it the Stepford Wives didn’t appreciate my outburst yesterday.

“Good morning, how may we help you today?” she asks with a pasted-on grin, as if we didn’t have a conversation just yesterday about my needing a place to live.

“Well, for one, I need to pick up the keys for the shelter I purchased out on Highway 98 and then, hopefully, you can help me find somewhere to live in Magnolia Springs.”

“You bought old man Tinker’s shelter?” Georgia asks.

“Yep.”

A crease forms between her brows. “Why?”

“Because I run a program for vets and dogs.”

Georgia makes a face. “You know what? It’s none of my business. Let me go get your keys and a copy of your paperwork.”

And this is exactly the reason why Magnolia Springs needs Paws for Cause, because no one here is interested in the welfare of their veterans. In fact, after the way Mayor Winkler spoke about August yesterday, I’m wondering why he even sought me out in the first place. Unless there was some hefty government bonus awarded to his town that I didn’t know about. Which just might break my heart, so Winkler better hope and pray that I never find out about it.

Georgia comes back a few minutes later with the paperwork, but I can’t help noticing she’s not holding any keys. “It appears that Mr. Renoux sent them off to Elberta to make a copy a few weeks ago—his brother owns a key cutting business over there—but we don’t seem to have them back yet.”

“But I didn’t ask for a copy to be made.” I’d told Mr. Renoux that I’d pick up my keys when I came to town. What I’d failed to do was make sure his office was opened when I arrived. That was a small oversight on my part that saw me twiddling my thumbs, cleaning too much and baking enough cookies to feed the Cottons for a month.

She waves that away with a lazy hand gesture. “Oh, Mr. Renoux is just thoughtful that way.”

“Well, I appreciate that,” I say. “But do you think he could be thoughtful enough to drive on over there and get them back for me?”

Her lips turn up in a tight smile. “He’s out of town at a conference for the rest of the week.”

“Of course he is,” I say with a sigh. I may have to bribe August to drive me to Elberta, because I have a shelter to resurrect, and I’ll go crazy sitting around Tanglewood for another week.

“I can call you as soon as they come in though.”

Or I could just have a locksmith come over and change the locks. She has just given me the title to the property. Keys or no keys, that shelter is mine. I flash her an unfeeling smile. “Sounds great. Now, about those rentals.”

Georgia taps away on her computer. “I’m sorry. We don’t have any listings right now.”

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