He thought he was stopping for a stray dog in the snow-until he saw what she was hiding beneath her body

“Let her decide.”

The boy did. Scout smelled his fingers, then his sleeve, then the salt-damp toe of his boot. Her tail moved once.

Finn chose that moment to climb out of the puppy pile. He waddled with great effort across the blanket, overshot his target, corrected himself, and flopped onto Owen’s boot as if he had traveled a thousand miles and found continue reading …