Alpha stopped and barked. The sound jarred Sam’s teeth. She forced her head up to stare at what lay ahead. She saw it then—the compound. She stood completely still for one long minute. Finally, Alpha pushed her forward. She was almost to the center of the compound when she saw Pappy rushing toward her with a large golf umbrella. She started to laugh. Maybe the umbrella was for him. She continued to laugh. Then he scooped her into his arms and started for his house. Alpha barked shrilly at these strange goings-on. Finally, he stopped when Pappy carried Sam into the house and straight back to his shower. He turned it on and pushed her inside, clothes, boots, and all. Alpha growled. He started to snarl when Pappy tried to towel him off, but in the end he allowed it.

Pappy had laid out a pair of his pajamas and a set of clothes the nurse had left behind. They were way too big, but they were clean and would do until his father could wash Sam’s clothes and dry out her boots.

Inside Pappy’s shower, Sam started to peel off her clothes. It took all her energy to lather up and wash her hair. The soap and shampoo had a minty smell and felt cool and refreshing. She sighed. She was here. She’d made it. Sam toweled off in slow motion, her arms protesting as she pulled on a pair of pajamas that smelled minty but woodsy, too. They must belong to Pappy. Like she cared. He’d said something about sleeping in his bed. It was turned down. She fell into it, but not before she hugged Alpha.

Sam was almost asleep when she remembered she hadn’t made her last wish. No time like the present. “Anastasia, my last wish would be that I don’t cry when it’s time to leave here. I wish for strength and dignity. Don’t let me cave in like I did the last time. That’s my wish.”

And then she was asleep.

Chapter Twenty