Free Haven 1: How to Save a Life by [email protected] Page B

the room. He bit his bottom lip as soon as he spotted Walter looking his way. He still had the towel with the ice tucked under his arm instead of on his hand.
    The dog came barreling out of the kitchen and dashed to the kid.
    “Hey, Charlie.” He patted the dog on the head.
    “Charlie?” Walter asked.
    “Yeah. That’s his name.” The kid got on his knees and rubbed Charlie behind both ears, engulfing the dog’s head with his large hands, not that the dog seemed to mind. “A dog’s gotta have a name.” He bent forward and let Charlie lick his face.
    You could tell a lot about a guy by the way he was with a dog, especially one that wasn’t his own.
    “Well,” Walter said, “with that collar I figured…”
    “Seth just likes a little color in his life. Doesn’t make him a bad person ’cause he puts a pink collar on a boy dog. Jeez.”
    “Good point.”
    Kevin laughed, this time not even trying to hide the grin he aimed at Walter.
    The dog gave the kid another lick, then trotted to Kevin, who bent to greet him and held out a hand, letting Charlie give him a sniff and a lick.
    That smile, the relaxed way he rubbed the dog’s head, how he crouched to pet him…it was the most at ease Kevin had looked all night.
    Walter stepped closer to the kid. “What’s your name?”
    “Ryder.” He stayed on his knees as Charlie came back to him. He tugged the dog to his side, his arm wrapped around Charlie’s neck. “I know, it’s a stupid name for a big guy like me.”
    “No, it’s not stupid.”
    Ryder shrugged and kept on smothering Charlie with affection. “He’s been whining and barking all day. He’s not used to being alone so much. Are you, Charlie?”
    Walter could relate. Especially when the one person who meant the most was ripped away from you. Even with warning, the first few days, weeks—hell, the first couple of years—were the hardest.
    “The building manager came by to talk to us,” Ryder said, “before my grandma left for work tonight. Asked if we’d seen Seth. Guess he’s gonna call for someone to come get Charlie tomorrow. People have been complaining about the noise, and he said he won’t put up with renters leaving their pets to starve in this heat. I told him if he’d let me in the apartment, I’d feed Charlie, but he said the dog was going unless he heard from Seth. The asshole’s just been looking for a reason to harass Seth ever since he saw him bring a guy home once.” Ryder paused, petted Charlie more. “You don’t think they’ll take Charlie away, do you? It’s only been two days.”
    Yeah, Walter did. If they could prove the owner had left him in this heat with no water, they’d call it neglect and poor old Charlie would be sent to the county shelter. He’d have a couple of days at best for new owners to take pity on him. Otherwise he’d get a needle or a dart in his ass. Most likely Charlie’s days were numbered unless Walter found his owner.
    “They might,” he told Ryder. “Could you keep him for a few days?”
    Ryder shook his head. “I wish. My grandma’s allergic. I’m not even supposed to pet him much unless I change my clothes and wash up right away.”
    “Well, I don’t think he should stay here alone in this heat with no one to take him out.” The dog had to have already left a puddle somewhere. “When Seth gets home, you show him the card I gave you and tell him I took Charlie with me.”
    Kevin looked up from where he’d been clicking on his phone. Maybe he’d read Ryder’s unease and figured it was a good idea to give Walter space to talk to the kid.
    Ryder’s eyes widened as he stood, the surprised expression matching Kevin’s. He glanced down to Charlie, then back at Walter.
    “I’ll drop him off at a kennel,” Walter offered. “He’ll be safe and cared for there until Seth gets home.”
    “I guess that’s a good idea.” Ryder hesitated for another moment. “Don’t take him anywhere without his leash. It’s hanging on a nail