“You know I’d do anything for Jayne.” Not excluding die, cheat, lie, and kill.

“Then what about the first question? Do you love Mandy?”

“Probably.” But the certainty of it bloomed in his chest like spring blossomed outside the window. No matter how cold and dark the winter, it didn’t last forever. “Yeah. I think I do.”

Conor leaned back on the counter. “Danny, I have no doubt you would give anything, including your life, without hesitation for the people you love. I know you. You would have taken that knife for Mandy if that’s the way things worked out. Why is forgiveness so much harder to give?”

Suddenly, the desire to see Mandy nearly overwhelmed Danny. He grabbed his keys and reached for the doorknob.

“If you really love her, be there for her. Don’t fuck this up. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Conor turned to the piled-high sink. “How do you think Louisa feels about scrubbing pots and pans?”

Mandy got out of the car. Every movement of her body was slow and painful, as if she were riddled with arthritis. Looking up at Jed’s cabin, grief hit her, a relentless wave of despondency that threatened to knock her to the ground. Every time she got up, it came back.

Barking echoed from the kennels. Mandy forced her legs to move forward. Though one of Jed’s friends had already taken care of the dogs early that morning, she checked water bowls, patted heads, and cleaned cages. Anything to avoid facing Jed’s house alone.

She stopped in front of the first cage. Bear cocked his chocolate-colored head. His tail thumped on the concrete. Mandy opened the cage door. “Come on, boy.”

He fell into step beside her. Side by side, they walked toward the house, her hand trailing on the dog’s head. The door wasn’t locked. She opened it, but Bear hesitated at the threshold. The only dog Jed let inside the house was Honey. He’d been adamant the rest were hunting dogs, not pets.

“It’s OK.” She patted her thigh. “Come.”

He trotted in. Mandy left the main door wide-open and closed the screen door. Pine-scented air filtered into the house.

The kitchen, dining area, and living room were one open space. Bear trailed through, sniffing the wood-paneled perimeter. Mandy stood in the center, lost in memories.

Just lost.

Her imagination could place Jed cleaning his guns at the oak table or pulling a beer from the fridge.

She went to his desk and sat down. Mail was stacked on the blotter. Next to it, a shipping box lay open. A black box with a large white button was nestled inside the Styrofoam packaging. She unfolded the packing slip and read the invoice. K-9 rescue phone.