His fingers curled tightly. And he moved his left hand and slammed his right elbow with a fist. The answering pain gave him the edge he needed to get back under control.

He’d just parked his truck, a safe distance from the taunting blue car, when a door in the building slowly opened. The moment it was wide enough a dog slipped through and headed for him full tilt. He recognized the ground-eating run as well as the coloring.

No one came out behind the dog. He wondered who had opened the door and just let him out. Maybe the now pouring rain had stopped them. He got out of the truck cautiously. True, the dog had met him yesterday, and seemed friendly enough, but this was clearly his own turf and he might be feeling a bit more protective.

Cutter came to a halt before him, then reached out with his nose and nudged his hand in greeting. The right hand again, Adam noted, even though his left was closer to the animal. Was it simply that more people were right-handed and he knew it, or did the dog somehow know that that arm was damaged? He himself certainly did right now, and he wished he hadn’t been quite so energetic with that punch.

Cutter gave him a soft whuff, then turned back the way he’d come. He went a few steps, then stopped and looked back at Adam. The invitation—order?—couldn’t have been clearer.

“Lead on, dog,” he muttered, and started after him.

The moment he saw Adam was going to follow, Cutter trotted toward the door he’d come out of, seeming heedless of the rain. But if he was the herding breed Adam was guessing he was, being out in weather would hardly be a deterrent.

When they got close enough, Adam saw a square metal pad beside the door. This one didn’t have the wheelchair logo, but he guessed it was an access pad. Even as he thought it Cutter rose up on his hind legs and batted a front paw at it. The door began to swing open, and Adam wondered if that was why it was there, to give the dog free rein. Hayley had said he was very smart. And if he managed to open a vehicle hatch, he supposed something like this was child’s—or dog’s—play.