Puppy Love

by Smith, L. T.

  One injection. Toby had the time to look at me, lick my hand, and lie down as if he was just having a nap. I physically felt the crack inside my chest, the pain spreading like a plague and destroying every memory of happiness I had ever had.

  Leaving him there all by himself was even harder. In my mind, he wasn’t dead; he was sleeping. If I left, I would be leaving him alone to wake in a strange place and look for his mum. Hard. So fucking hard.

  It was Abbie who had taken my hand and pulled me to her. Abbie who had held me as I sobbed over my loss. Abbie who had taken me home and stayed with me until I had cried myself to sleep. She had still been there for me when I woke and remembered what I had done. I felt as if I had murdered Toby. The part of my brain that told me it was the right thing to do wasn’t very convincing.

  “Hey, sis.” Abbie’s soft voice brought me out of the memory of the sad times. A tear had escaped without me knowing, and she leant forward and brushed it away. “You okay?”

  I nodded and sniffed.

  “If you would rather we leave—”

  “Mummy! Look! She likes me.” Lily was face to face with a Jack Russell who was frantically trying to lick her through the bars of the kennel.

  How could I do that to my niece? Or to the Jack Russell, for that matter. The little mite was trying to get to Lily every which way she could.

  “Nah, I’m fine.” I ruffled Lily’s hair, then tugged gently at a strand. “I’ll just have a look around for a bit.”

  Abbie nodded and gave me a sympathetic smile.

  During the time I had been conjuring memories of my little lad, I had forgotten about the woman who for a brief time had absorbed my focus. It wasn’t until I walked to the far side of the kennels that the goal resurfaced. She was kneeling on the floor with her back to me. I could hear her talking to someone, her voice cooing and gentle.

  I stepped to the side so I could see the object of her attention. A Border Terrier was bouncing in front of her, his tail wagging wildly, a ball stuck in his mouth. Something clicked inside my chest as I saw the life and joy in the little mass of black and tan, but it was nothing compared to how I felt when he turned his focus to me. Sparkling dark brown eyes absorbed me in one look, the tail stiffening before going crazy.

  I didn’t even realise I was kneeling until I felt the dog leap into my arms, the ball forgotten and a frantic tongue wiping away the remnants of my tears. I laughed, and the dog became even more intent on kissing me hello.

  “Hey there, fella.” More licking and mewling noises. “Want to play ball?”

  “Yap!”

  Over he went and recovered the discarded ball, then brought it straight back to me. Plunk. It hit the ground, and he used his nose to bat it closer to where I was kneeling.

  “Yap!”

  I snatched the ball and bounced it, laughing as the little furball tried to catch it.

  “Charlie! Here, boy!”

  That voice again—the one I’d heard only twice before but seemed to know already, forced my attention from the scrambling dog. Looking over, I saw the woman’s face for the first time. Fuck. Yes, fuck. She was everything I’d hoped and more besides. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart was pounding so loudly that I would have sworn everyone in the room could hear it.

  Charlie stopped his chasing and turned his head to the speaker, then to me, then to the woman again.

  “Come on, fella!”

  Okay. She was attractive. Granted, she had the voice of an angel. And true…those eyes, God, those eyes. Dark brown. Deep. Soulful. I was finding it difficult to split my attention between her and Charlie… But let’s slow things down a minute. She wanted Charlie away from me.

  We were only playing ball, only having a good time. I felt challenged, and I repeatedly slapped my hands against my thighs. “Charlie Farley! Gissit! Gis ya ball-y!”

  Poor boy. He continued to look from me to her, his ball wedged firmly in his mouth. A flick of his tail showed me he was deciding who to go to—maybe because he was a sensitive soul who didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the other, or, more than likely, he was contemplating who would keep throwing his ball for him. Delicately placing his prized toy on the ground, he nudged it so it rolled between us.

  I was up for the challenge; I lurched to the side. Unfortunately, so did the 4X4 woman. Hands scrabbled to grab the red plastic ball, and it seemed more like a scrum at a rugby match than playtime with a canine pal. My hand secured the orb, only to be held fast in a strong grip. Sparks charged up my arm at the contact. Usually I would have dropped what I was holding, but no. My ball. Mine.

  Tug. Heavy breathing. Another tug, a grinding of teeth. More heavy, laboured breathing, followed by an impatient woof from behind us.

  With a surge of strength, I yanked the ball towards me, totally believing I would secure it. However, all I managed to do was tug the woman with it and be knocked flat by the complete weight of her body on top of mine, smacking my head on the ground in the process.

  I opened my eyes and was momentarily struck dumb by the look of the woman now sprawled on top of me. Brown eyes were widened in shock, her mouth moving in apology. Seeing her so close up was totally breath taking, not to mention that the weight of her pressing on my chest made it ache.

  “Yappp!”

  Charlie was next to us, trying to poke his head between our stunned faces and get anyone’s attention. We were each absorbed in trying to read the other’s expression, and he was getting antsy.

  “Ellie! What the fuck are you doing?” Abbie’s voice came from the doorway.

  I tried to squirm free, but I still didn’t let go of the ball and neither would my rival.

  “You fighting?” Abbie asked.

  Dark hair whipped over my face as the woman turned to face my sister. I watched in rapt fascination as the stoic expression changed into a wonderful smile.

  “Good afternoon. You two related?”

  Nice start to the conversation, considering it came from an assailant who was pinning me to the floor. It was not the typical greeting someone would give in the middle of a wrestling match. And why wasn’t Abbie kicking the woman’s ass into 2013?

  “She’s my sister.”

  For fuck sake, Abbie! Get her off me! I felt the woman’s laughter bubble up before it burst out into the air at my sister’s comment.

  “You’ve met Ellie, then?’

  “Seems like we are getting to know each other.”

  I squirmed as if to remind her I was still pinned beneath her. Brown eyes turned my way, and she flashed me the most beautiful smile.

  “Hi there, Ellie. Good to meet you.”

  Were her eyes twinkling? I gritted my teeth and was just about to give her a mouthful of unladylike epithets.

  “Can I have my ball back?” the woman asked.

  What was this? Some fucked up childhood re-enactment? Was I the evil old woman who lived next door, who wouldn’t give a kid her ball back after it had crashed through my petunias?

  “Your ball back?” Abbie moved into the room and stood next to us. “Hello there, little fella.”

  Charlie licked her hand and then turned his attention back to the scrappers.

  “I think she means your ball back, don’t you?” She ruffled the fur behind Charlie’s ears before directing her attention to us again. “Would either of you like to tell me what is going on?”

  I relaxed momentarily, and in doing so I released my vice-like grip on the ball.

  My captor didn’t waste any time. She manoeuvred the spherical object away in one fluid movement, then she was off me as if she had bounced off my body like it was a trampoline.

  “Ooof!”

  “Woof!”

  Shaking her body, the woman turned to Abbie and stuck out her ball-free hand—the one
that wasn’t a thief—and announced, “Emily Carson. Carson Property Developments.”

  So, she had a name and a business. Who cared?

  “Abigail Culligan.” Looked as if my sister cared. “And this one trying to get up is my sister, Ellie McSmelly.”

  Emily Carson’s face scrunched in thought as she processed the nickname my sister thought highly hilarious.

  “Ellie Anderson, actually.”

  Did I always sound so fucked off and distant? Maybe I sounded like that because I had lost the ball and, along with it, the attention of the little brown-eyed boy. I felt a scratching sensation on my calf and noticed that Charlie was trying to get my attention. I ruffled the fur on the top of his head.

  “Lovely to meet you, Abigail and…Ellie.”

  Did she deliberately hesitate over my name to annoy me even more?

  “This is Charlie, the dog I am hoping to adopt.”

  “So, it’s not final then?” Why was I being such a bitch? A totally hot woman was standing in front of me, the woman I had felt the need to see up close and personal, and I was being a total twat just because she was hoping to adopt the dog I had met moments ago. I needed to get a grip.

  “Huh?”

  “I said…” Maybe the grip I had been hoping to get wasn’t quite ready to be gripped. “You haven’t adopted Charlie yet? It’s not final?”

  “What do you mean by that? It’s not final? I came here today to meet with him, and then you came and intruded on our time.”

  Anger flared up inside me. “Sorry. I didn’t see the notice on the door.” I marched over to the doorway, swung the door back and pretended to examine it. “Nope. Nothing there.”

  “Ellie!”

  The concern in Abbie’s voice should have served as a warning. I wasn’t acting like myself. Maybe it was the effects of the vodka and Cokes from the previous night. As a matter of fact, I didn’t feel well. My stomach was kicking off and doing a line dance to my throat. I knew it was a matter of moments before the remnants of anything I had eaten or drunk in the last few hours were on display to one and all.

  “Ex-cuse…me.” And I was gone, flying down the corridor in search of the nearest toilet. Thankfully my stomach waited until my mouth was situated within target range before it gave the big heave ho and treated me to a rendition of Psychedelic Pizza artwork with a backing track of gagging noises.

  By the time I had thrown up, cried about throwing up, washed my face and rinsed out my mouth, I felt a little better. Embarrassed, but better. Why had I wrestled with Emily Carson? Why had I all but challenged her for the ownership of Charlie? Charlie was a dog in need of a good home, lots of love and attention, not two women fighting over his ball on the floor of his kennel. I should go and apologise for my actions, blame my stupidity on not feeling well before shaking Emily’s hand and wishing her well with her life with the gorgeous Charlie. That’s what people do when they are grown up.

  Walking back into the room where I had last seen Abbie, Emily, and Charlie, I was greeted by silence. Where had everybody gone? I made my way back to where I had last seen Lily and Rob. No one was there, either. It suddenly struck me that it was actually rather quiet for a dog pound—no whimpers, no staff around. It was like a canine Marie Celeste.

  Then I heard a squeal followed shortly by excited yaps. I followed the sounds down the corridor and exited through a doorway marked “Yard.”

  Not surprisingly, there stood Abbie, Rob, and Emily chatting away whilst Lily played with two dogs off the lead. One was the Jack Russell I had seen her trying to kiss through the bars, and the other was the main man himself, Charlie. Lily was throwing the red ball for the dogs to chase. Funny how Emily didn’t have a problem with other people touching her balls… That hadn’t sounded right.

  Watching Charlie playing with the other dog and my niece, I felt that special glow again. Why was I so smitten with the little chap? There were plenty of dogs in need of a loving home, so why him? And why now? I hadn’t intended to adopt a pooch when I had slipped into the back of the car earlier, so why was I contemplating fighting Emily Carson for Charlie?

  At that precise moment, deep brown eyes spotted me. An excited yelp issued from his mouth, and he sprinted over to where I was standing, the ball forgotten.

  I knelt down and cupped his head, then scratched behind his ears, which made him grin and pant. “You like that, buddy? Yeah…it’s good, isn’t it?”

  As soon as I spoke, Charlie moved away, as if to go back to Emily, but then came back to me, before moving towards Emily again. It was totally a Skippy moment, and I wanted to say “Is Billy down the well, Skip?” Instead, I took the hint and followed him to where the adults were congregated. It was time to make nice.

  Conjuring a friendly smile from the depths, I stuck out my hand. “Hello. My name is Ellie Anderson. Nice to meet you.”

  Emily hesitated, as if she was contemplating what might be a hidden agenda beneath the gesture.

  Did she think I would pull her over and pin her to the ground? Actually, was I considering doing that?

  “Seems like we got off on the wrong foot. Sorry about that. I have no idea why I behaved as I did.” Part of that statement was true. I wasn’t exactly sure why I had wrestled with the woman standing in front of me, except that I wanted to get the ball, thus keeping Charlie with me.

  I watched in fascination as her sombre expression changed into something truly breath taking. Emily Carson had to be the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in all of my thirty- three years. Her hand slipped into mine, and I felt the shock again, the same shock I had experienced when her hand had covered mine in the fight for the ball. Instead of releasing our handshake, we held on a little bit longer than was customary.

  “Erm…no worries. Nice to finally get to meet you.”

  Brown eyes met mine, and there was a question in their depths. Maybe she was also wondering about the spark that had passed between us, or even why I was still holding on to her hand.

  At that thought, I pulled my hand away sharply and shoved it into my pocket. I willed myself to stop staring at Emily, but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. It wasn’t just because she was beautiful, it was something else, but I couldn’t put my finger on what that “something else” was.

  A small cough from beside me snapped me out of my fascinated fixation on the stunning Emily. I turned my attention towards Abbie. “Something in your throat?”

  She bit her lip and swallowed back a swear word before she shot a forced grin in my direction. “We were just telling Emily about your landscaping business.”

  I wanted to say “And?” but held it back. After all, I was trying to make an effort to be nice.

  “She has just bought Miller’s Farm House and wants to sort out the gardens.”

  Instead of being happy that my sister was trying to pimp my business, I felt a deep urge to throttle her. She was doing it again—trying to fix me up with any available woman she could find, even if the woman was straight.

  “Yes. I need to make it safe for Charlie.”

  Talk about a double slap—my sister trying to fix me up with Emily, and Emily rubbing it in about her being Charlie’s new mummy. Where did that leave me? Hankering after two things that would never be mine, that’s where.

  “Here’s my card.” As if by magic, a neat little business card with “Carson Property Developers” stamped across the centre was between the tips of my fingers.

  “Oh…erm…right.” I started to give her my card, but she held up her hand.

  “No need. Your sister has already given me one.”

  Yes. I bet she has. And a rundown of my life to date, if I knew Abbie.

  “I’ve heard of your business. All good.”

  I smiled and nodded, as I didn’t trust myself to speak at that moment.

 
“I’d love it if you could come to my place and have a look at my grounds.”

  Was she bragging? Just because I had only one acre didn’t mean it wasn’t prime land, plenty enough land to keep one pup very happy. “Sure.” Another smile to seal the deal. “Let me know when.”

  “Tomorrow too soon?” Emily asked.

  Shit. Yes. “Great. I’ll see you there about one,” I answered. I’ll call in the morning and cancel. Yep. My wonderful plan.

  “Could we make it a little later? Say three? I’m coming to see Charlie at twelve.”

  Go on. Rub it in. I nodded and turned to look at the chap in question.

  He was seated next to Lily, lapping up all the attention she could give to two dogs at once. It was as if he knew I was looking at him, as he turned and wagged his tail before yapping just the once as if to say “What?” Bless his furry paws.

  “Looks like he wants a walk.” Emily stepped in front of me, blocking my view of Charlie. “Nice to meet you, Ellie. See you tomorrow.” And she was gone, taking the lad I had fallen for with her.

  Chapter Two

  The car ride back to Abbie’s was filled with Lily’s excited chatter. They were adopting Poppy, the Jack Russell, although Lily wanted to call her Jessie J, something that would NOT be happening.

  With the Dogs Trust it wasn’t just a case of saying, “Yep. I want that one.” You had to show you were capable of looking after a pet, and one of the main requirements was having a suitable home and garden.

  I grinned. A safe garden. A garden the dog could have freedom in, but also not be able to escape from. Another grin. Emily Carson was looking to me to make her garden safe enough for a home visit, so she could give Charlie her home and not mine. For a fleeting moment, I felt a little more powerful.

  Abbie, Rob, and Lily had to make a commitment to Poppy. They had to go to the Trust every day to bond with Poppy and to allow her to get to know them. Fortunately, their garden was safe, and their house was dog-proof. They were also very keen to adopt Poppy—another plus. I liked the way the Trust operated. They didn’t allow just anyone to take a dog; the person had to be right, and the dog had to be happy. This rule applied to everyone. Everyone.