“It’s mutual,” Chloe said. “He’s so skinny. Is he going to be okay?”
“He’s been through a lot, but he’s eating well. He’ll put on weight quickly.” Sidney reassured her.
The dog pawed at Chloe’s shirt.
“Uh-uh, bud. Don’t rip her shirt,” Justin said gently.
“He’s okay.” Chloe looked up at Sidney and said, “He’s been through so much—it’s good for him to be excited about people, right?”
“Yeah, it is,” Sidney said. “He’ll need to learn manners, but right now he just needs to know he’s loved.”
The dog climbed into Chloe’s lap, and she kissed his head. “He’s so sweet.”
“You’re not worried about getting dog hair on your clothes?” Justin asked.
She kissed the dog’s snout and said, “Nope. I can wash them.”
“Hey, Mav, Mike and your parents are hanging out at the picnic table by the kennels with Gunner,” Sidney said.
“Okay. Are Gunner’s dogs outside?”
“No. I put them inside when I work with the dogs from the fighting ring. You can bring your buddy over there to see your family if you’d like. But if you’ve got him for a bit, I’d like to go clean out his kennel.”
Even though Chloe seemed happy playing with the dog, Justin didn’t want her to feel trapped into hanging out there when they were supposed to be on a date. “Are you ready to go, Chloe, or do you want to stick around?”
“Can we stick around? Or are you ready to go?”
Justin couldn’t believe she was decked out in a glittery top and heels and happy to sit in the grass playing with the dog. “I’m in no rush, babe. I just don’t want to rip you off from going on our date.”
“We have plenty of time. I’d love to stay and play with him and meet the other dogs, if that’s okay.”
“Everything’s okay. Go ahead, Sid. We’ve got him.”
As Sidney walked away, Chloe said, “I like Sid. She seems nice.”
“Yeah, she is,” he said, wondering if Chloe would want to meet the rest of his family, or if that would seem like he was pushing her too fast.
They played with the dog for a long time, talking about nothing in particular and laughing at silly things. Chloe took about a dozen pictures. He could have sat there all night and been perfectly content. He loved how easygoing she was. The longer they were there, the more he wanted to introduce her to his family. He decided to throw caution to the wind and said, “What do you think, blondie? Want to meet my family? My grandfather is a bit of a curmudgeon, but he’s a good guy.”
“I would love to.”
“Really? I thought you might hem and haw.”
“Why? I want to meet the people who changed your life and helped you become the man you are.”
He hooked an arm around her neck, drawing her into a kiss. The dog whined and stretched his paw across Chloe’s lap, touching Justin’s leg.
Chloe smiled and said, “He wants all the attention.”
Justin took the dog’s face in his hands and kissed him. “It’s okay to be a needy pooch, but you need to learn better timing.” He rose to his feet, holding the dog’s leash, as he reached for Chloe’s hand and helped her up.
“Why doesn’t he have a name?” she asked, petting the dog again.
“I don’t know. They usually pick up names along the way. A few have already been named. The pregnant one is Mama Bear, and the biggest of them all is Rambo. He’s solid. He took a beating, but he pulled through.”
Justin held her hand as they crossed the yard toward the shelter.
“Shadow,” Chloe said softly.
“What?”
“His name should be Shadow. On the drive over you said he follows you around when you’re here.” She crouched beside the dog and said, “What do you think? Do you like the name Shadow?”
The dog licked her face, and she grinned up at Justin.
Justin patted the dog’s head and said, “Looks like you’ve got a name, big guy. Shadow it is.”
CHLOE HEARD DWAYNE’S laughter as they came around the side of the building. She was excited to meet Justin’s parents and his grandfather. She really did want to meet the people who had loved him through his broken, angry days, had helped him overcome so much, shown him a better way to live, and had given him a better life.
Dwayne was sitting at a picnic table with a cheerful brunette who looked to be in her fifties. The woman was gazing adoringly at Justin. She had a