The Wrong Man by Lane Hayes Read Free Book Online Page B

pet. They came back inside a few minutes later. Jake went straight to the sink to wash his hands before picking up a bag of pastries and waving it in front of me.
    “Hungry? Cinnamon roll or croissant?”
    I gave him a half laugh and nodded as I grabbed a couple plates and sat at the small table.
    “Your house is great. I love the backyard.” Jake’s tone was conversational and friendly, which seemed to settle my sudden bout of nerves.
    “Thanks. Me too. It’s small, but it’s mine.”
    “Have you lived here long?”
    “Yes. Well, I’ve owned this place for four years, but I’ve lived in West Hollywood since I graduated from design school.”
    “Wow. That’s awesome. Did you stay local or—”
    “Local. I’ve never strayed far from WeHo once I finally moved here. It’s a beautiful, culturally diverse place to live.” I shrugged and made myself shut up. I sounded like a tourist brochure.
    “I haven’t been here long, but I like it too.”
    I nodded and tried to think of a safe topic.
    “It’s hard to believe Mack is thirteen. I mean, that’s old for a dog, right?”
    Jake chuckled. “Yeah, he’s doing well, but he got kind of sick recently. Actually, really sick. I was afraid it was the end and….” He looked over at the adoring Lab lying at his feet before continuing, “as much as diabetes sucks, I was happy there was something to make him feel better. With the insulin, he’s almost as spry as he was when I first got him.”
    “When was that?”
    “Six years ago. He was seven.” Jake lifted his cup to take a sip of his tea.
    “Did you rescue him?”
    “Sort of. My ex and I lived near a family in Oxnard who fell on hard times. When the economy tanked, they both lost their jobs and eventually their house. They had to move into an apartment complex that unfortunately didn’t take pets. Mack was going to be put up for adoption. I felt horrible for them. He was a member of their family and they were heartbroken, but they were running out of options. Honestly, I don’t think it was just the living situation that forced their decision. I think they hit a low where they couldn’t afford to feed their dog and keep food on the table for their kids too.”
    “That’s awful.” Tears pricked behind my eyes as I looked down at the sweet dog. I could only imagine the heart-wrenching conversations he’d overheard.
    “Yeah, it was. I begged Der—my ex to adopt Mack. It wasn’t exactly an easy sell, but when it became a matter of life or literally a trip to the shelter, I was able to talk him into keeping Mack. The kids got to come play with their dog, and it was cool to do something with purpose, I guess. That sounds corny, but I think you know what I mean.”
    “I do. You did a good thing, saving him like that.”
    Jake went suddenly quiet, but it wasn’t a peaceful, pondering silence. I could practically see the turbulent thoughts in the air around him.
    “He saved me too,” he said cryptically. “Dogs do that. Animals in general, I think. They teach you major life lessons when you think you’re the one with all the answers.”
    I nodded in agreement, though I had no frame of reference. I’d never owned a pet.
    “Brandon?”
    “Yeah?” My voice cracked oddly.
    “I have something I’ve been trying hard to say since I first came into your store and—”
    “No.”
    “Yes. Please. It’s important.”
    His story about how he and Mack had become a family had softened my defenses. As much as I wanted to kick him to the curb and ask him to kindly stay away from me, Mack made it difficult for me to follow through. But honestly, so did Jake. There was a melancholy quality to the man sitting at my kitchen table I didn’t remember in the carefree high school jock. I inclined my head and hid my eyes briefly in my coffee cup, hoping this strange morning wasn’t about to get really awkward.
    “I’m sorry about what happened in high school. I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry I hurt you. A