Honestly, she was extremely lucky that Magnus hadn’t run away already. “Okay, there’s a leash hanging up in the kitchen. Put it on his collar and hold on to him until I get there. Things are going to be fine. I’m on my way. I’ll take care of him.”

Traffic was terrible and I could hear my phone buzzing, presumably with texts from Shelby asking if I was almost there yet. Shelby had never really liked animals, and I could only imagine that this was freaking her out. Magnus was a sweet boy, but he was a big dog and might not be all that easy for her to manage.

When I arrived, Shelby was waiting out front with tears streaming down her face. “I’m so glad that you’re here!”

I hugged her briefly and moved to take the leash. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and gulped. “This has to go well. It just does. I cannot blow this again. This is my last chance.”

“I’ve got this,” I told her. And I meant it. I was going to do whatever I had to do to make sure that this was a success. Shelby was my framily (my friend who was also my family), and I had her back. “Go and do whatever you need to do. I’ll take him for a walk.” Magnus wagged his tail at me, apparently pleased to see a slightly familiar face. Or maybe he understood the word walk.

“Thank you,” she said. “I owe you one.”

A mover stepped out of the front door. “Are we taking the mattress or leaving it here?”

“Leaving it here. I’ll be inside in a second to tell you what else goes and what stays,” she said. Then she whispered to me, “Can you believe Noah Douglas has a mattress on the floor? Like he’s still in college? I can’t wait to buy him an actual bed.”

I didn’t want to think about Noah in any bed. “Sounds fun. Anyway, we’re off.”

She waved happily to me, her good spirits restored now that I was in charge of Magnus.

“Come on, boy.”

We’d only been walking for a couple of minutes when I noticed a dog sitting across the road from us, watching. He looked like a black poodle mix. He had on a collar, but I didn’t see any people with him. The road had a sharp bend here, and I was afraid he might run out into the street at the wrong moment and get hit.