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“My dad is in charge of supply chain for the rigs in the Gulf, and my mom is a bookkeeper for a small design firm. They’re getting close to wanting to retire, and I think they’re going to move to Arizona.”
“How do you feel about that?” asked Sniff. Jamie shrugged.
“I don’t know. We’re tight. I mean, I’m an only child, but it would be good for them to be in a drier climate. I just like it here. I don’t think I want to leave.”
“Well, the good news is that Arizona isn’t all that far. A few hours on a plane, and you could see them as often as you wanted.”
“Maybe,” he nodded. “You didn’t tell me your name. I mean, I heard them call you Sniff, but is that your real name?”
“No. My real name is Alex Mullins, but they call me Sniff because I run the K-9 training center. Lucy is my wife. She’s the lead vet here, along with Dani and Claire. Dex, Parker, King, and Max help us out as well. We have a few others on our team who love coming back here to help out. We welcome them all.”
“On your team?” he asked. Sniff chuckled.
“I’ll explain all of that later. Come on. Let’s get some dinner.”
Sniff distracted Jamie as they drove toward the cafeteria, not wanting him to recognize that they’d driven through two gates and miles along the paths winding through the forests. He talked incessantly, making sure the young man focused on him.
“Just how big is this place?” he asked.
“A lot bigger than it looks,” said Sniff. “Listen, Jamie, we’re a very private organization. We don’t tell people where we’re located or who we are. Our sanctuary is open to the public IF we have notified them of where we are. We rely on anonymity and seclusion.”
“I understand,” he said, nodding his head. “I mean, look at what I found. If someone knew about what you do here, they could come out and harm the animals. I wouldn’t want that. I promise I won’t tell anyone where you are or what you’re doing. Honestly, other than the animal sanctuary, I’m not sure where I am.”
“Well, get ready for an onslaught of sensory overload.”
CHAPTER TEN
“You did the right thing, Katherine,” said Otto. “Making sure you had a restraining order protecting you. This was his third time breaching that, so he’s going to do some jail time.”
“I just don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “He was the one that left me. He was the one who asked for the divorce. Why in the world would he claim we were still married or want me back?”
“Men often want what they can’t have, even when they already had it. He had you. You were his. Then suddenly, he decides he doesn’t want you any longer, but he also doesn’t want anyone else to have you. We see it often,” said Pork.
“Did he think he would force me to remarry him? To change my profession?” she asked.
“Maybe,” said Otto. “I’m not sure. He’ll be given a psych evaluation at the parish prison. I’m guessing he won’t pass it. You didn’t do anything wrong, Katherine. This was on him. Not you.”
“Oh, I know that. I was just confused as to why someone who leaves a person would then say they still belonged to them.”
“You always want what you can’t have,” smirked Pork. “Sometimes, we don’t want what we have, but we don’t want anyone else to have it either.”
“Men are so confusing sometimes,” she said, shaking her head.
“Katherine, may I ask you a personal question?” he said, staring at her. Otto excused himself, leaving them alone at their table.
“I think we’re passed that, aren’t we?”
“Maybe. I know that you were married, but how many other men have you had in your life? I guess what I’m asking is, how many partners did you have before your marriage, and then after your marriage?”
“Do I get to ask the same?” she smirked.
“Of course.”
“Okay. None since my divorce.” Pork’s brows lifted, surprised by her admission. “I just couldn’t do it. I think the things he said to me really did a number on me. I just felt as though other men would feel the same as he did, and I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would be alone for the rest of my life.”
“Well, we don’t all feel the same as him. At least, I don’t,” said Pork.
“You’re the only one that matters to me, Forrest.” She smiled at him, then continued. “Before I was married, I had two serious boyfriends. One in college. That was a typical college relationship. The other was after college. A man I dated for about a year, who actually did have serious sexual dysfunction mostly thanks to his parents’ very strict thinking around sex.”
