Blast. He’d forgotten. But he wasn’t about to let Brad know the thought of waking up that early hurt. “Oh good. I get to sleep late.”
Shoving some biscuits into the pockets of her overalls, Ana rehung the treat bucket and waved Dax over. She made sure her dad was occupied with a black Lab before tiptoeing over to a faux-fur-lined crate. She dropped to her knees. “Look what someone dropped off at the front door.” A tiny vee creased her forehead. “They just left them—can you believe that?”
Dax sat cross-legged beside her and peered into the crate. Two young huskies stared back at him, one of them beginning to shake.
Ana reached out and stroked his back. “Gabe and Dad say we have to show them extra love, that they weren’t treated right by their previous owners.”
Dax held out his hand, and one of the pups crawled over to sniff it. He gave his palm a tentative lick.
Ana darted a glance over her shoulder. “I think Jazz needs some new brothers to play with. Vi doesn’t do anything but eat and sleep. She doesn’t play with him at all.”
Vi was a boxer mix Brad and Ana’s mom, Izzy, owned. Jazz was her puppy, and Ana’s dog. And now Ana wanted to add to the family.
Dax leaned in close. “I’ll try to lay the groundwork with Brad. But you’ll have to work on your mom. Maybe play up that these two siblings need to stay together, and no one else will adopt both of them.”
A delighted grin stole across her face. “I like the way you think. You’re sneaky.”
“Stick with me, grasshopper.” He patted the ground in front of the crate, trying to entice the dogs out. “I’ll teach you what you need to know.”
A blur of black, white, and tan fur wriggled between Dax and the crate. William lowered his head, gave the two husky pups an eyebrow twitch, and howled.
They huddled together, as far from William as possible.
William howled again.
Dax snagged the Bluetick’s leash. “They don’t want to play right now. But we’ll go outside and run.” He stood, gave Ana a fist bump as he walked past, and strode out the door. He led the dog out a side exit and unhooked the leash. “Have fun, little guy.”
William was gone before he’d said the last word. He raced under the moonlight, making the most of the shelter’s acreage.
Leaning back against the wall, Dax pulled his phone from his pants pocket and hit a favorited number.
His dad answered on the second ring. “Dax! Great to hear from you.”
“We talk almost every day, Dad.” Dax pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. “You don’t have to make it sound like I’m your long-lost son.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being happy to hear from my one and only progeny.” The volume on a baseball game was lowered. “Now, tell me how’ve you been. How was the trip?”
“New Orleans was great. And yes, I tried the beignets.” Dax peered into the dark, looking for William but seeing nothing. “You were right. They alone were worth the trip.”
“Told ya,” his dad said smugly.
“What about you?” Dax asked. “How’ve you been feeling? Mom taking good care of you?”
His dad sighed. “I don’t need a nursemaid. The heart attack was over three months ago. I’m doing fine.”
Dax tried to swallow, but just hearing the words “heart attack” put a lump in his throat the size of a golf ball. That phone call from his mom, telling him he needed to get home as quickly as possible, that his dad was in surgery, had been the worst moment of his life. He’d stayed with his parents in Oregon until his dad had finally gotten so fed up with his hovering, he’d thrown a slipper at his head. He’d been lucky both his bosses had been understanding and hadn’t minded his absence.
But Dax didn’t like needing the permission of others. If he wanted to be able to spend more time with his aging parents, and make something of himself, he needed to stop working for others and start working for himself.
He cleared his throat. “Jesse’s retiring.” Dax had hoped that when he’d talked to his dad he’d have bigger news to tell. That he had a loan and the deal was done.
“Oh? That’s too bad. You always said he was a good boss. Is he shutting down Off-Road Adventures?”
“No. He’s looking to sell it.” Dax’s palms went damp, and he wiped his free hand on his pants.
“Well, I hope the new guy keeps you on,” his dad said. “Though I don’t know why he wouldn’t. You’re the best guide there is.”
Warmth spread in Dax’s chest. His father’s unrelenting belief in him was something he could always count on. He hoped. His parents knew he was born for the outdoors and excelled as a guide. But Dax was a college dropout. Would their belief in him extend to such a big challenge?
“About that …”
“What?” his dad asked.
Dax took a deep breath. “I talked to Jesse about buying Off-Road Adventures. I’m seeing a loan officer next week to see if I can get financing.”
Dax only heard the faint sounds of Mariners baseball.
“Dad?”
“That’s big news.” His dad cleared his throat. “How long have you been thinking about this?”
Ever since his father had almost died. But Dax didn’t think his dad would want to hear that. Dax was only just realizing he had a finite amount of time to make his father proud. To sort his shit out.
“For a while now.” Dax stepped out from the eaves of the building, his feet sinking into the soft earth. He stared up at the half-moon. “I have friends from college who have families now. Good careers. Hell, one of them is the youngest cardiologist at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s time I got off my ass and made something of myself.”
“First of all, never compare yourself to other people,” his dad said. “Only compare yourself to the man you were yesterday and the man you want to be tomorrow. Second, I think this is an outstanding idea. How can I help?”
Dax pressed the heel of his palm to his eye. “You do?”
“Of course. You were born to work in the outdoors and you’re a natural leader. Seems like a perfect fit.”
“Even though I don’t have a college degree?” Excited barking sounded in the distance, and Dax knew William had found something to play with. Hopefully not a raccoon. He started walking in that direction.
His dad scoffed. “Degrees are just pieces of paper. You can learn all you need on the job. Now, are you looking for investors?”
The last of Dax’s tension eased away. His parents really were the best. They hadn’t given him too much grief about leaving college and moving across the country to be a guide. Not after they saw how much he loved it. And they were always ready to show him support.
But … “That’s not happening, Dad. Thanks for offering, but I need to do this on my own.”
“I just—”
“Dad, I’m not taking your money. That’s final.” There was no way he was going to rely on his parents’ money. Especially when his dad had medical bills and his parents were now both on fixed incomes. Wasn’t happening. “But there is something I’d love your help on.”
Something shifted to his right, and Dax narrowed his eyes. There. The Bluetick was standing by that log. He covered the phone and tried calling the dog. William dashed back out