“Yeah.”

She stared at him. “Promise?”

The kid’s smile was small but . . . relieved. “I promise.”

“And remember, this dog is your best friend. You take good care of her and she’ll take the best care of you.”

“Thank you so much, Kera.”

They shook hands before Kera walked over to Vig.

“Kera?”

“Hhhm?”

“You’re still holding that puppy.”

“Yes. I know. I’m not adopting him or anything.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m just fostering him.”

“Fostering him?”

“Yes. But Chloe can’t complain because I’m not taking him.”

“That’s pathetic.”

“I know, but it’s the best I can manage right now.” She held the puppy up. “But look at that face!”

Vig shook his head as he watched the kid talk to the rescue people. While he spoke to them, he kept petting his new partner.

“What kind of dog is that?”

“A Doberman pinscher–German shepherd mix. Pretty girl, huh?”

“Gorgeous. You ready to go?”

“Yep.”

They climbed back into Vig’s truck and headed to Raven territory. As he moved through traffic, Vig asked, “Kera?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember earlier today when you said you needed a job?”

“Yeah.”

“I think you found it.”

“You mean working for a rescue organization?”

“Not working for one. Having your own.”

“A dog rescue? I guess—”

“No. A vet rescue.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Kera, I’m talking about doing what you just did. Helping a vet get a partner—a dog—to get him or her through this transition. Just like Brodie did for you.”

Kera looked away, shook her head, then turned back to Vig. “Wait . . . what?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“I don’t know anything about nonprofits,” Kera said, attempting to argue herself out of what Vig felt was a natural fit for her.

“First off,” Siggy announced now that he, Rolf, and Stieg had forced their way into Kera and Vig’s dinner date in the yard, “you need money.”

They all gazed at him a moment before Kera nodded and said, “Yes. Yes I do.”

Proud he’d made such a helpful comment, he went back to his bread and cheese.

“Now I just need to figure out how to get money.”

“You could work for another rescue first, just to see how they’re run,” Rolf suggested.

Vig, his chair turned away from the table so he could stretch his longlegs out without hitting any of the other guys’ long legs, sat back and said, “My sister can help you with that. She’s very close to the rescue we went to today.”

“I know. She’s the only reason I was able to foster the puppy without filling out their incredibly long and painful application form. It was your sister’s good word about me that let me take him.”

“If anyone can help you, she’s the one.”

The air around them suddenly swirled and the puppy lifted his little head from Siggy’s chest to bark. That’s when the Crows landed in Vig’s backyard.

It was a small group. Just Erin, Jace, Leigh, and Maeve.

“What are you guys doing here?” Kera asked. “Do we have a job?”

“No. Chloe was just freaked out that you were gone so long.” Erin walked over to the table. “And apparently telling her that, ‘Hey, it’s no problem. She’s with the Ravens,’ does not make things better.”

“Why not? She’s the one with the shitty ex-husband.”

Erin motioned to Vig and his brothers with a swirl of her forefinger. “I think it’s just this little group she has a problem with.”

Vig frowned. “What did we do?”

Erin grabbed an empty chair and pulled it up to the table. “Are you guys done eating? Because we’re kind of starving and this looks pretty good.”

“Can’t afford your own food?” Stieg asked.

“How can you be a Raven and not like to share?”

“I just don’t like sharing with you.”

“That’s a lie,” Rolf muttered.

“What’s the matter, honey-bunny?” Erin teased. “Tough day?”

“Eat up,” Vig offered, and they did. The Crows pulled up chairs and dug into what was left of the food with a Viking-like gusto that Vig appreciated.

The only one who didn’t was Jace, who slowly inched her way over to Siggy’s side. Once there, she reached out to pet the puppy’s head with one finger. But Siggy could be as bad as Stieg when it came to sharing, and he moved the puppy away and said, “Get your own puppy.”

Vig watched Kera, her back straightening, her eyes narrowing on Siggy. But before she could deal with him in what Vig was sure would be a very drill sergeant–like way, Jace suddenly screamed and slammed her fists against Siggy’s head and shoulders.

Kera was the only one who looked surprised by this, and Siggy nearly dropped the animal in his haste to hand it over to Jace. But once she had the little beast in her arms, she went back to her silent self, holding the puppy close to her chest and moving to one of the trees. She sat down at the base, her entire focus on the puppy she held.