Chapter 2

When he got to his office, he left the door ajar for Dr. Stanton and Dr. James, and sat down behind his desk, setting Tripod on top. The pup immediately curled up on his pillow on one corner for his morning nap.

Keenan started sorting through the mail. He came to a squarish envelope. It was addressed to him in fancy calligraphy. He knew what it contained at once. Opening it, his suspicions were confirmed—another wedding invitation. This one was from one of the rescue’s volunteers. Sighing, he put it aside, knowing he couldn’t avoid going. As the boss, his attendance would be mandatory. Volunteers were the lifeblood of the shelter. So, like it or not, he would go.

It wasn’t that he was against marriage or weddings per se. It was just whenever he went to one, they brought up many unpleasant memories from years ago, memories he preferred not to relive.

He began looking over the paperwork Penny had given him, immersing himself in his work. Soon, any lingering thoughts about the weekend and this latest wedding invitation receded. His good humor returned, and he began to plan the day for himself and his staff.

* * * *

Fifteen years earlier

Keenan Hunter had been raised on a large dairy farm in the Midwest. From his earliest recollections, his deep love for animals had motivated him to become a veterinarian. He embarked on accomplishing that goal immediately after graduating from high school where the good-looking, young man had excelled in both academics and athletics. He applied to The University of Wisconsin where he was accepted into the pre-veterinary program.

Filled with excitement and anticipation, Keenan had arrived on campus, and with the help of his older brothers and parents, had moved into his dorm. After bidding his family goodbye on the steps of the dormitory, he returned to his room to unpack and await the arrival of his roommate, Tucker Reynolds.

Keenan and Tucker had corresponded over the previous summer once they’d been informed by the housing commission that they’d be rooming together. Tucker was from Milwaukee, a graduate of a large city high school. From the photos he’d sent Keenan, Tucker looked to be a studious type with an engaging smile on his handsome, bespectacled face. Unlike Keenan, Tucker hadn’t decided on his course of study. He was going to wait a year or so and take general courses before making up his mind about a major. Tucker, it seemed, wasn’t much interested in—nor had he participated in—sports, whereas Keenan had played baseball, basketball, and football in high school and was an avid fan of all sports. Although the two, the farm boy and the city slicker, seemed to have been cut from two entirely different pieces of cloth, even before meeting him, Keenan had a feeling they were destined to become good friends.

Tucker arrived in the late afternoon. Keenan got up from his desk where he’d been sitting, studying a campus map, as the man entered the room. Tucker was struggling, carrying a large box. Keenan rushed to help him, and after setting the box down, the two smiling men shook hands. Keenan couldn’t have explained it at the time, but the feel of Tucker’s hand in his made Keenan wish it’d been a hug instead of a handshake.

That night, after their first dinner in the dorm cafeteria, the two men set off to explore the campus and the surrounding town. The main goal of the excursion was to find places to eat, as both agreed they would need alternatives to dorm food if they were to survive.

It seemed other arriving freshmen as well as returning upperclassmen had similar ideas. Both the campus and the town were crawling with young men and women displaying their new Wisconsin sportswear. The atmosphere was exciting and soon Keenan and Tucker were part of a large group that wound up at a local burger joint to satisfy their hunger, get acquainted, laugh, and enjoy their first evening as members of the Badger Nation.

It was evident from the beginning both Keenan and Tucker were being regarded as prime meat by many of the coeds. Even Keenan, raised in a small rural community, couldn’t miss the fact he and his handsome hunk of a roommate were targets of much of the flirting and coy behavior. Keenan was rather embarrassed by it, while Tucker seemed to enjoy the attention.

They returned to their room and stayed up late into the night, putting the final touches on their room and talking. The subject matter ranged from lighthearted fare of favorite musical groups and movies, to deeper discussions of religion and politics. Much to Keenan’s delight, he’d finally found someone whose thought processes involved more than the weather’s effect on the crops, the price of milk on the market, and sex. He and Tucker were in agreement on almost every issue, with just enough difference of opinion that the conversation was kept interesting and lively. By the time they’d wished each other good night, turned out the lights, and rolled over in their beds, Keenan’s earlier suspicions about Tucker had been confirmed. Keenan felt he’d not only found a friend, but a soulmate.