Chapter 2
Max felt Lyndee’s accusation settle over him.
“He attacked Kenny!” she continued, tears pouring down her cheeks. “He just came out here and started hitting him!”
Max drew in a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. Getting angry right now wouldn’t help his case. He prided himself in remaining in control.
Caleb placed himself between Max and the couple.
His posture left no room for argument as he looked down at Kenny. “I don’t know what happened out here, but you need to leave. Now.”
Kenny pushed himself to a sitting position, still clutching his jaw as he glared at Max. “You think you can just hit people and get away with it?”
Max didn’t respond. There wasn’t much point. He’d learned the hard way that people tended to see what they expected to see, especially once a narrative began forming in their minds.
Naomi paced closer, her attention shifting between Lyndee and the man. “Lyndee, are you okay?”
“I was until he showed up.” Lyndee glared at Max. “We were just leaving, and he . . . he came out here, and—”
“That’s not how it happened,” a new voice said.
Max turned, and his stomach sank when he saw Hadley standing there.
Had she seen everything? Or had she only seen the part where he hit Kenny?
Regret filled him. It wasn’t that he wanted to impress her . . . though maybe part of him did. Part of him only wanted Hadley to see the good side of him. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in her gaze when she realized just how broken he really was.
Up until now, she’d looked at him with a touch of admiration. Still, he reminded himself, it would only be a matter of time before her opinion of him would change. It was probably better now rather than later.
Her seeing this confrontation had actually been a good thing.
“That man tried to punch Max first.” Hadley stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. “Max tried to hold him off. But when the man kept coming at him, Max had no choice but to stop him. I saw everything myself.”
“We appreciate that, Hadley,” Caleb said. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got to get back to Juno. Those babies should be coming any time now.” She pointed behind her. “But . . . let me know if you need anything else.”
Max nodded a silent thank you then watched as she disappeared back into the kennel.
Why did he feel so pleased at her words? Pleased that she hadn’t thought the worst of him? So many people made assumptions about him because of his past.
He didn’t have time to think about it as headlights swept across the drive. A familiar SUV pulled in, tires crunching over the snow. The engine cut, and a door slammed.
A moment later, Sheriff Micah Sutherland stepped toward them, his gaze sweeping the scene. “What’s going on here?”
Trepidation filled Max. He liked the man. Admired him even.
But he’d faced false accusations before. And last time it hadn’t turned out well. Even with Hadley as a witness to what had just happened, there were no guarantees justice would be done.
Hadley knelt beside the whelping box and stroked Juno’s back.
She’d wanted to stay outside, to defend Max more. But Juno needed her, so she’d excused herself. The dog deserved her full attention right now.
“Easy, mama,” she murmured. “You’re doing just fine.”
Juno paced again before finally settling, her body lowering to the blanket. Her breathing had changed—faster now, uneven—as the early contractions began to take hold.
Hadley stayed beside her, slipping on a pair of gloves from the small kit she’d set nearby. A stack of clean towels rested within reach, along with a few basic supplies she might need if things didn’t go smoothly.
Something about Juno made Hadley think of Latte, her husky she’d left back in Atlanta. She missed Latte every day, but seeking joint custody of a dog seemed like too much. Ethan loved Latte and would take good care of the dog.
Hadley hadn’t been able to bring herself to adopt another dog since then, however. Leaving Latte behind had hurt too badly.
“It’s okay, girl,” she murmured.
She rested one hand along Juno’s side, feeling the subtle tightening beneath her palm as another contraction built and released. The dog’s ribs rose and fell faster now, her body shifting as instinct took over.
Hadley focused on the familiar rhythm—the breathing, the tension, the timing. So far, everything looked normal.
Good. Normal was what they needed.
Outside, the voices had faded. Most likely, the confrontation had ended, and everyone had gone back inside—including Lyndee.
Hadley pushed the thought aside.
Right now, her focus stayed here.
With Juno.
With what she could control.
She hoped the woman hadn’t left with Kenny.
The sharp crack of impact from Max’s punch to Kenny still echoed in her mind. The raised voices. The way everything had accelerated in a matter of seconds.
She’d seen enough to know Max hadn’t started the fight. But she also knew how quickly situations like that could turn. Kenny didn’t strike her as the kind of man who gracefully accepted losing.
Her throat tightened.
She adjusted the blanket beneath Juno. The other dogs here—there were six others right now—seemed to sense the tension. They occasionally barked and several sounded like they were pacing, their nails clicking on the concrete.
Juno let out a low whine.
Hadley turned back to the dog and stroked her neck. “I know. It’s a lot, but you’re not alone. I’m going to be here with you.”
The words caught in her chest.
For a moment, the present blurred at the edges. In her mind, she heard someone else murmuring those very words—murmuring them to Hadley as she lay in the hospital bed, sweat pouring down her face and contractions seizing her abdomen.
She pushed the memory away before it could take hold. Not now. Juno needed her full attention.
The dog tensed before settling again.
“That’s it,” Hadley murmured. “Just like that. Let nature do its thing. Your body was designed for this.”
A new sound rose above the other sounds in the kennel.
Hadley stilled.
The noise wasn’t loud—just a faint scrape, like a boot shifting against gravel.
She turned her head to listen.
Hadley’s mind immediately went to Kenny. She pictured the way he’d grabbed Lyndee’s wrist. She remembered the dark current running beneath his easy posture.
A man like that didn’t just drive away and let things go. He’d been possessive—and he’d seen Lyndee as his property. Hadley didn’t like the thought that he’d come back.
Her pulse ticked up a notch as she waited for the door to open, for Kenny to rush inside.
But nothing happened.
Maybe it was Max or Caleb or Naomi outside walking around.
She exhaled slowly and made herself look back at Juno.
Whatever—or whoever—was out there, she couldn’t do anything about it from in here. And Juno needed her. Because these puppies were coming at any moment.
But as she turned back to Juno, she heard the sound again.
Someone was definitely outside . . . but who? And what were this person’s intentions?