He strode over to us while I lifted Greta out of my G-Class. I didn’t want her to jump out yet. Her knee still needed time to heal.
Maximus patted my back then he gave Greta a cautious smile and righted the cap he was wearing as if he needed to occupy his hands.
Her answering smile was without reservations. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Amo’s told me so much about you so it’s great to finally see you in real life.”
Some of the tension leaked from Maximus. “Sadly, Amo has been very close-lipped about you for a long time so you were the mystery woman.”
Greta laughed. “It was complicated.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I said.
Greta’s entire face lit up when she turned her attention to the closest enclosure where several dogs were begging for attention. She gave Maximus’ a hopeful expression. “Can I go over to them?”
He shrugged and motioned her to go ahead. “These are the socialized ones, so you can even pat them if they don’t shy back. The dogs in the kennels farther down are unpredictable though.”
Greta nodded and slowly walked over to the fence. She still couldn’t bend her knee fully so she was limping.
Maximus stepped up beside me and squeezed my shoulder. “I never quite got it but seeing how you look at her now, I get why you went through all the trouble.”
“It was worth it.”
Maximus’ eyes reflected his own conflict.
“It’ll be worth it with Sara too.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “And I’m doing all I can to make it work.”
“Maybe she and Greta can become friends. Sara is pretty quiet and thoughtful like Greta.”
Maximus nodded. “That might work. She’s at her parents’ house today. Primo’s on his way here. Mom has prepared lunch, in case Greta is willing to eat with the unwanted part of her family.”
I didn’t have a doubt that Greta would say yes. She didn’t hold the grudge her father kept up for the most insane reasons. “Greta, should we stay for lunch? Cara, Maximus’ mom, cooked for us.”
She turned away from the Pitpulls she’d been petting through the fence and her entire face lit up. “I’d love to meet them!”
I gave Maximus a I-told-you-so look. He stifled a smile. “I’ll tell my mom so she can really get going. I can give Greta a more detailed tour later.”
“I’ll try to tear her away from the dogs.”
I went over to her. She looked as if she couldn’t be happier. “I miss working in my own sanctuary.”
Most of it had been destroyed by the fire and Remo hadn’t allowed Greta to return there. “Your animals are all taken care of.”
“I know, they found good homes but I miss working with animals.”
“I talked to Growl a few days ago.”
She straightened, curiosity lighting up her face. I’d always preferred women with very long hair, but Greta with her chin-length bob made me reconsider my past preferences. Of course, I still couldn’t wait for her hair to grow back. She tugged a strand behind her ear. “I’m still getting used to it too. I’ve never had short hair. I miss being able to put my hair up in a ponytail so it doesn’t get in the way.”
“It’ll grow back.” I stroked my fingers along her cheek then over the skin below her ear, feeling a small burn scar there. She also had a couple of smaller burn marks on her shoulders. “And you are beautiful.”
She smiled. “What about Growl?”
“I told him about the sanctuary you had in Las Vegas and he suggested that you can work together with him and his family. So far he only takes in dogs, but if you want to expand on the shelter I’m sure he won’t mind helping you. The premises can be expanded with barns and there’s pasture land close by.”
Greta’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really. I know you wouldn’t be happy living in the city all the time, so I thought we could build a house close to this place and split our lives between that place and an apartment in Manhattan or a townhouse in Brooklyn.”
“What about the house you shared with—”
“It was never a place that felt like home and I spent less than twenty nights there in total. Dad already sold it to a business partner.”
Greta searched my eyes then she nodded. “Okay.”
Nothing from my past with Cressida would ever touch our lives again. Greta would carry the marks of the past on her body, I could do nothing about that, but that was the extent of the past’s grip on us. Cressida was dead and I would make sure the memory of her would die too.