knowing that he heard her, even above the few dogs that were still barking.
His head, which was larger than hers, by far, cocked to the side. Izzy stood up and lifted the latch
on the gate to his enclosure, and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. Hercules backed up
a couple of steps, keeping his warm brown eyes fastened on her. Izzy stayed where she was and
sank to her knees, entirely unaware that Joyce was standing outside the enclosure watching her,
ready to go in if the massive dog decided that he didn’t like the new arrival.
Slowly, his graceful plume of a tail moved back and forth, and he stepped toward Izzy, head
lowered, taking in her scent.
“Oh Hercules, you’re still sad,” she whispered. “I can see it in your eyes.”
He padded the rest of the way over to her, and moved so close that she could feel his warm breath
against her cheek. Joyce was about to go over to the enclosure and intervene, when the giant animal
suddenly sat and leaned his head on Izzy’s shoulder. Her arms went around the fluffy mane at his
neck and tears ran down her cheeks.
“Yes, that’s it boy,” she hugged him with all her might. “We’re friends, and it’s going to be
okay…for both of us.”
“I do believe that Hercules is off the market,” Joyce mused, wiping her eyes.
Summer Prescott Books Copyright 2017
Sweetheart Killer: Book 14 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series Page 8