Jax had the best intentions of doing as he’d said and take a walk. It was a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny, and the idea of exploring parts of the estate’s grounds that he hadn’t seen appealed to him. Still, he wasn’t terribly surprised when he realized his wandering took him, obliquely, toward the shelter.
He almost turned around when he saw the fence a few yards ahead and then muttered, “The hell with it,” when he spotted Noel in the yard exercising some of the dogs. He rested his arms on the gate, watching the younger man with interest. When he smiles, he’s a whole different person.
One of the dogs peeled away from the others, dashing toward Jax. It took him a second to realize it was Andre. In the couple of days since he’d last seen him, the dog had put on some weight, which mad
