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He smiled in genuine mirth. “Did you meet Murray?”
“Murray?”
“My rat.”
“Like a pet rat?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I sort of adopted him though.”
“You won’t be devastated if he stays here, right?”
“No. I never really wanted a rat for a pet.”
I saw the pile of belongings on his bed and used his sheet as a makeshift satchel.
“Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m okay leaving Murray behind, but can I bring Captain?”
“Who’s Captain?” I asked nervously.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Colt said as he slowly moved to the bed and pulled back the covers. He slid between the sheets and groaned in relief.
“You saw Captain. There was no way I could deny Silas.”
Captain, as it turned out, was a medium-sized, black and white speckled mutt with one ear that flopped down and another that stood straight up. And Captain only had one eye. After a bath and a meal, Captain was now conked out with Silas and the other Blue Angels kids in the clubhouse theater room.
By the time Colt and I had made it back to the clubhouse, it was nearly dark. The wake had been going for hours. The mood had been somber—until we’d arrived with a one-eyed dog.
“He needs new clothes,” I said.
“Hmm,” Colt said, his eyes closing, exhausted from an emotional day. “We’ll get it sorted.”
“Did Cheese ever say anything to you about Silas’s living condition?”
“No. I had no idea it was that bad. But Cheese had his pride and I know how much he loved his brother, so I know he was trying to get Silas out of there.”
“I wish he’d said something. It would’ve been so much better if we could’ve helped sooner.”
“Hmm,” he murmured in agreement.
“Silas is going to need his own room at the house.”
“Obviously.”
“I think we should let him pick out his own furniture and paint. Maybe that will help ease his transition.”
“Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“Can’t all that wait?”
I let out a breath. “Yeah, it can.”
“He’s okay for now, right? He’s got his dog. He’s got his friends. He’s sitting downstairs with Cam and Brock. He knows these people. He’s known them for years. I’m willing to bet he’s more comfortable here than he ever was at home. Let it be for right now.”
