Brandy was lying on the cold concrete when Drew entered the cellar. She jumped up and ran to his side, licking his bare hand and pawing at his suspenders. “Get down, dog,” he said, grabbing her leather collar. He lifted her over the steps by the neck, her long legs and calloused paws scraping against the concrete steps. She yelped as he opened up the back door and threw her into the snow. “Animals stay outdoors,” he yelled, slamming the door closed. A large icicle fell from the gutters of the roof. It shattered against the slanted stone sidewalk into shards of broken ice.

Hearing the noise from the back, Robin ran to the door. “You leave that dog be, Drew Kimble. She did nothing wrong to you! I put her in that cellar.”

“Animals belong outside,” he said. He grabbed his coat off the rack, picked up the wood splitting ax, and walked out back, slamming the door behind him.