AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her smile brightened. “Wonderful! Why don’t I show you around, and then I can get you set up with your cabin?”
“Cabin?”
Astrid nodded. “All residents have their own cabins for privacy. You’ll have a bed, bathroom, and kitchenette. Everything you need to fend for yourself if you’re not up to group meals or activities.”
She gasped. “Oh, are you okay with dogs and cats?”
I grinned. “I love dogs. Cats, I'm indifferent.”
A relieved smile spread over her face. “Let me introduce you to Angel, then.”
My gaze flicked to the dog, who still remained on the porch with the ball in its mouth. The dog hadn’t moved a centimeter. Astrid called the dog’s name and then made a hand motion to come to us. The dog’s ears perked, and then it sprinted over.
“Good girl,” Astrid praised when the dog sat at her feet. “This is Angel. She’s our resident emotional support buddy, as well as our famous search-and-rescue hero.”
I crouched to be at a better level with the dog. “A lady of many talents.”
Angel stretched her neck and sniffed me, all the while refusing to relinquish her ball. I reached out and gave her a good scratch behind the ear, careful not to be too rough with her. Angel tilted her head into the touch and her tail thumped on the ground.
Astrid beamed at the positive interaction. It was clear she cared about this dog. We’d had a number of pets together in the past, but cats had been her favorite. It seemed things had changed in this life for her, and I didn’t mind one bit.
She turned to lead me into the house, but stopped short. A teen girl with dark skin stood on the porch. She stared at me.
“Raeni,” Astrid said.
“Who is this?” the girl asked.
“This is Tyr. He’s a potential new resident.”
The teen continued to watch me. She didn’t seem fearful, but she had worried lines along her brow and pulling at the corner of her eyes. Was I scaring her? My appearance did that to some. “Does my mom know?”
“Not yet,” Astrid said. Her tone was kind and calm. “He just arrived, and she’s in a session with Diego. I’d planned to text him so he could break the news to her.”
This all piqued my interest, and the girl seemed to notice. “My mom is afraid of men like you.”
My brow lifted. “Like me?”
She shook her head. “That came out wrong. Sorry. I meant men who look a lot like you.”
I nodded, understanding where this was going. Her mother had been a victim of something; my guess was some sort of violent crime. I’d unfortunately seen my fair share of such effects in my time.
“Astrid, can I be the one to tell her?” Raeni asked.
Astrid nodded. “If you think you can deliver the news in a way she’ll handle it well. If not, tell Diego, and he’ll handle it from there.”
The teen nodded and ran off the porch, on a path leading down the hill the house was built on.
Astrid gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry about that.”
“Is my presence here going to be a problem?” I hoped not. After finding her, I didn’t like the idea of having to leave.
She shook her head. “No. You’re not the only person to arrive here who has fit the profile Carrie struggles with. And she knows we won’t allow someone to stay if we don’t deem them safe.”
“I will do my best to give her space so she doesn’t feel threatened,” I said. I’d agree to just about anything if it meant I could stay.
Astrid smiled appreciatively and then led me into the foyer of the main house. Two staircases on opposite sides of the foyer wound up to the second floor with a loft. We stepped into the great room. Natural light streamed in from the enormous windows all over.
To our right was a full kitchen, with granite counters and modern appliances. A curved breakfast nook was to one side of the kitchen, while a formal dining space was to the other, along with what appeared to be a pantry.
