Something passed between them again, the same silent understanding she’d felt the moment she knelt at his kennel. “We want him,” Emily said before fear could interrupt. “We’ll give him a home.” David inhaled sharply, but he didn’t argue. Instead he looked at Ranger long and hard, as if trying to read a future only the dog could see.
“Alright,” he finally said. “But we’re doing this carefully.” Maria nodded. “Carefully is good.” Bringing Ranger home was nothing like Emily imagined. There were no excited yips, no tail-spinning hellos. He stepped through the front door slowly, each paw placement deliberate.