by Regina Cole
Back from the gym! Got to keep this body perfect for my new man. <3 <3 <3 He treated me to dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse last night. Sooooo thoughtful! Thanks babe! –Feeling in Love
She wondered if she should add a tag, but who could she ask? Hmmm. She’d have to call up a friend and ask them to pose for some pics with her so she could use them to back up her story.
The idea of creating a Facebook profile for her new mystery date was tempting. After all, now that Drake wasn’t there, her days were moving pretty slowly. She didn’t have a job—had never needed one. Between Daddy and Drake, she’d been taken care of.
“God, this sucks,” she said as she clicked “post” on the status.
Hoping like hell he would see it, she closed her laptop lid.
Time was getting away from her. She wanted him back now.
But what else could she do?
“He’s just rebelling, sowing some wild oats,” Belinda said aloud, smoothing her hand over the lacquered finish of her desktop.
Yeah. He’d be back soon, especially now that he knew she wasn’t waiting around for him. The thought of some other guy dating her would yank him back home faster than a freight train.
She was counting on it.
Even though it was one of the harder things he’d ever done, Drake stayed away from Everly for the next several days. He texted her about twice a day. No more than that, even though he wanted to.
Time was what she needed, and he wanted her to miss him a little before the next phase of his plan went into action. But on the morning of his next day off, he got up early, hit the gym with a distracted and cranky-ass Hunter, then showered and made his way toward his destination.
He smiled at the stoplight in front of Hopeful Paws as he waited for the light to turn green. This was actually the fulfillment of a dream he’d had when he was a kid. Yeah, the idea had come about when he was trying to figure out a way to be near Everly, but the more he’d thought about it, the more he wanted to do it even without the added Everly benefit.
There was another young lady who’d caught his eye, and he was on his way to see if they could be together forever.
He walked confidently into the air-conditioned lobby, and waited his turn. There was a young couple standing at the counter and talking to Charlie. When she caught sight of him, she waved cheerfully, then turned her attention back to the couple.
While he waited, Drake looked around the lobby.
Now that he knew her better, this place screamed Everly wherever he looked. In the soft blues of the color palette, to the fun mural on the wall, to the wall of photos of adoptable pets near the bank of windows. He wandered over there, and in just a minute he’d found the one he was looking for.
He knelt down to get a better look, smiling at the thin layer of dust on the frame. It was clear this picture had been there a little longer than the others. A light jingle came from the front door, signaling that the couple had left. With a smooth, decisive movement, he pulled the frame from the hook and walked back to the counter, picture in hand.
“Are you here to see Everly?” Charlie winked at him mischievously.
“Actually, no, I’m here on business,” Drake said, smiling at her devilry. Charlie’s eyebrows climbed high as he laid the picture on the counter. “I’m looking for a particular young lady to take home with me.”
Charlie’s startled laugh was halfway between a cough and a snort. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Nope. I miss her.”
“I’ll need you to fill out this form,” Charlie said, handing over a clipboard and pen. “That’s awesome, but are you sure about this? You know a dog isn’t a responsibility to take lightly.”
“I’ve already made arrangements for Hunter’s dog sitter to watch her while I’m on shift. And I’ve read three books on pet ownership in the last few days. I also plan to ask a really good friend of mine for all the tips she has.” Drake looked over to Everly’s office door, which had opened a few moments before. “I’ve got the feeling I’m going to need her good advice.”
“What’s going on here?” Everly walked to the counter, and Drake’s chest warmed at the way she was trying to hide her smile and failing.
“Mr. Hammerfell is filling out an adoption application,” Charlie said as she reached for the photo frame. “For this little lady.”
Everly took the picture and smiled down at it. Glancing up at Drake, she tilted her head slightly, causing her ponytail to curl over one shoulder. “You sure? She’s ugly.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“She smells.”
“She’s unique.”
“She’ll worm her way into your heart.”
“She’s already there,” Drake said as he signed his name at the bottom of the form with a flourish. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “Here is my credit card for the adoption fee. Now where is my Gossamer?”
Charlie whooped as she swiped his credit card, dancing around the desk chair as the machine chittered away and printed his receipt. Everly just shook her head and walked through the back doors to the dog’s kennel area. Feeling like a nervous new papa, Drake took his credit card back and waited.
He’d wanted a dog when he was small, but his dad’s allergies had put the kibosh on that idea. And then when he and Belinda had moved in together, she had gotten a Persian cat that liked to piss on his side of the bed. So the whole idea of an animal in the house had been kind of unwholesome. But something about that ugly little stinker of a fairy pug butt had made him consider the idea again. And when he’d thought of the best ways to spend time with Everly, she had jumped into his mind and stayed there.
Even if he and Everly didn’t work out, he couldn’t take the idea of Gossamer not having the home and family she deserved just because she was, well, not typical.
The click, click, click of doggy nails on the floor heralded her arrival, and as Everly swung open the door Drake knelt down and opened his arms.
“Where’s my girl with a beautiful personality?”
Tongue lolling, curly tail flailing, Gossamer waddled her way to him and began a quick sniff and kiss routine of the entirety of his exposed skin. He laughed as he scratched her.
Everly’s smile was evident in her voice. “Here she is. Sure you’re ready for this? Do you have the things you’ll need? Bed, leash, crate, food, all that stuff?”
“Not yet,” he said, picking up the tubby dog and cradling her in his arms like the world’s most unfortunate looking baby. Gossamer looked completely content to be worshipped as he scratched her round, pink belly. “I was hoping since it’s close to closing time that you could come help me pick out the best stuff for her.”
Everly looked at the clock, then back at Charlie, who waved them off. “Don’t worry, boss, I’ll lock up. You go help our newest adopter get ready for Gossamer.”
“Thanks,” Everly said, and the bright smile on her face wrapped around Drake’s heart and yanked, just a little. She ducked into her office to scoop up her purse, and then the three of them headed to the closest pet superstore, with Drake saying silent hosannas the entire way as a stinky pug mutt propped her three chins on his lap.
This was working out much better than he ever could have hoped.
13.
As the three of them walked up and down the aisles of the pet supermarket, Drake kept a close eye on both his girls. Gossamer was quite happy sitting in the cart, and Everly’s knowledge was proving extremely helpful in selecting all the things he would need to keep Gossamer healthy and satisfied. Together they picked out a new collar, leash, harness, treats, bowls, food, the whole nine yards. Halfway through the trip, Gossamer had to get out of the cart and walk, because there was simply no room for her in the midst of all the stuff.
Of course, if he hadn’t selected the deluxe model princess pup canopy bed, she could have squeezed in there. Everly hiked an eyebrow, but she didn’t contradict his selection.
And Everly. He had been waiting for
that shield of hesitance to rise between them again; for that little pullback that would show him he’d shoved her into the deep end too soon. But it didn’t. Not when he teasingly tugged on her ponytail after she made a joke, or when she brushed his hip with her hand when reaching for a doggie toothbrush. Not even when he tangled his fingers through hers casually at the six-deep checkout line.
Before they reached the cash register, someone tapped on Everly’s shoulder, and she turned.
“Look, Biscuit! It’s Miss Everly!” A girl who looked to be about eighteen, nineteen was standing there, looking down at a big, goofy black lab who seemed to have more tongue than anything else. The pair looked overjoyed to see Everly.
Man, he could so relate.
“Biscuit!” Everly knelt and wrapped her arms around the big dog, whose tail just about wagged off its body. Gossamer sniffed and wagged, seemingly happy to see the other canine.
Everly looked up, wiping dog slobber off her cheek with a smile. “He’s settling in well? He looks great!”
The girl nodded happily. “We were just picking up some more of those training treats you recommended. He likes them better than anything else. My boyfriend even picked up these boutique organic ones, and Biscuit didn’t want anything to do with them.”
“One of yours?” Drake asked as Everly gave one last scratch to Biscuit’s ears before standing.
“Yeah. Biscuit was one of the very first adoptions we did at Hopeful Paws,” Everly said, her eyes glowing with pride. “He’s always going to be special to me. They’re all special, but some of them leave a huge mark on my heart. He’s one of them.”
“It’s so good to see you again,” the girl said, wrapping her arms around Everly in a quick hug.
“You too, Tasha,” Everly said, returning the gesture.
As the pair moved off, Everly watched them with faraway eyes.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say why you started the shelter in the first place,” Drake said as he began organizing the selections in the cart. Normally, he’d have been a little frustrated at the delay. But tonight? Every moment’s wait was another in her company, and he’d never argue about that.
“It’s kind of a long story.”
Drake nodded toward the line in front of them. “I think we’ve got some time.”
Everly laughed a little at that. “True.”
She cleared her throat and began. “When I was in the third grade, I walked to school. It was a super quiet neighborhood, and there was only one corner I had to cross, so my parents let me skip the long bus ride. On the way home I passed this little convenient mart, and when I had enough change saved up, I’d go in for a Nutty Buddy, you know, the ice cream?”
Drake nodded.
“Well, I was leaving the store, and I noticed this box out by the dumpster. It was moving. So I went over and looked, and inside was this little puppy. It couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old—much too small to be away from its mother. But it was alone.” Everly wrapped Gossamer’s leash around her hand as they moved closer to the register. The person in front of them was checking out now.
“Someone dumped it?”
She nodded sadly. “Yeah. I couldn’t leave it. So I took it home. My parents didn’t want me to keep it, but they couldn’t ignore a baby in trouble any more than I could. So we took it to the vet, got the supplies we needed, and that dog lived with us until she died of cancer eight years later. Too young, but she had a great life. Loved to chase tennis balls, slept at the foot of my bed every night. She was an awesome dog.”
“Sounds like it,” Drake said, squeezing her shoulder gently.
Her eyes looked a little misty with the memory. “Anyway, for a long time I wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t been there that day, if I hadn’t seen that box moving. I wanted to make sure that animals had places to go to be safe until they found their homes. So that’s why I started Hopeful Paws.”
Drake opened his mouth to reply, but he got cut off.
“How are you folks tonight?” The cashier said as he began scanning items, one by one.
“Good, thanks,” Drake said. He glanced over at Everly, but she’d knelt down to straighten Gossamer’s harness.
Seemed like the moment had passed. He wanted to know more, but he could be patient. He hoped.
They loaded everything into the back of his pickup—honestly, it filled more of the bed than he ever could have anticipated. It was a good thing he wasn’t hurting in the bank account, because this stinky rescue dog was costing him just as much as any pedigreed pup ever would. Everly held Gossamer’s lead as Drake put the last item in and closed the tailgate.
“You sure this is enough?” he cracked as he grabbed the shopping cart to return it to the corral. “I could go back in and drop another three or four hundred on her.”
Everly didn’t blink. “You’re the one that got her that super-premium organic food, not me. And don’t get me started on the hyper deluxe crate. And the economy-size box of chewies. And the canopied—”
“I get it, I get it.” Drake shook his head as he opened the passenger door for his ladies. “I’m a sucker, I know. But you’re worth it, aren’t you, stink-face?”
Gossamer gave him a lick as he helped her into Everly’s lap.
Rounding the truck, Drake took a moment to breathe and consider his options.
This was good. This had been exactly what they needed. Time together that wasn’t so sexually charged. Time to talk, to get to know one another a little better. Of course he still wanted to jump her bones, but he didn’t just want a quick fuck. Not with Everly. She wasn’t the kind to enjoy that kind of relationship, and quite honestly, neither was he.
But what should he do now? It was still pretty early.
Once he climbed behind the steering wheel, Everly made that decision for him. She was hanging up her cell as he cranked the engine.
“Do you want some help setting things up for her? I got my neighbor Shirley to dog sit, so I can help if you want.”
Grooming his face into one of polite interest, Drake smiled. “That sounds good. I’m good at paying for all this shit, but you’re better at knowing what the fuck to do with it.”
Everly laughed. “It’s not hard. Well, I take that back. That giant fluffy princess bed might be a pain in the ass. Seriously. What the hell were you thinking?”
Drake reached over and scratched Gossamer’s floppy ear as he waited for the light at the parking lot exit to turn green. “She’s been alone for a long time. I figure even the nicest shelter on earth is still a shelter, right?”
Everly nodded. “You’re right. But you know that the stuff isn’t the important thing for her, right? You are. You’re the person she’s excited about. All the stuff in the world won’t take the place of her person.”
“Am I your person, Gossamer?” Drake smiled at the bug-eyed little creature beside him, who was staring at him as if he’d hung the moon. “I’m happy to be your person.”
The light turned green, and Drake put both hands on the wheel. Everly suddenly laughed to herself.
“What?” He glanced over to see her shaking her head.
“You know what the funniest thing about that bed is?”
“No, what?”
“I bet she’ll only sleep in it when you’re not there.”
Drake frowned as he flipped on his turn signal. “What do you mean?”
“I mean she’ll end up sleeping in bed with you when you’re home.”
Shit. “Oh, no. That is not going to happen. I like you, dog,” Drake said, slowing to turn into the lot of his apartment complex, “but we have a strict ‘no dogs in Drake’s bed’ policy in this apartment.” He threw the gearshift into park and killed the engine.
“Good luck with that,” Everly said as she hit the release button on her seatbelt. “I give you three nights, tops.”
“Not happening.”
It took about four trips to get all the dog stuff in, and Drake wa
s again thankful that he’d lucked into a ground-floor apartment that had a tiny yard out back. Gossamer sniffed everything, looking around with interest as Everly followed along. Drake hefted the last item—the ridiculous, massive box containing the princess bed—onto the living room floor with a big sigh.
“Well, dog, here you go. Welcome to your palace.”
Gossamer looked at him and squatted.
Drake was gladder than ever that Everly had come to help him. She’d showed him how to get dog pee out of carpet. How to show Gossamer the right place to go for her potty adventures. Where and how much to feed her, how to brush her teeth—a job Drake hadn’t even known any dog owner should ever do—how to brush her fur and check for fleas.
And then there was that damn princess bed. It was worse than an Ikea dresser. Drake and Everly sat cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom, with about a thousand little parts laid out around them, directions that looked to have been translated from Sanskrit to Korean to Arabic and then finally to English, and enough bolts, washers, and other metal fastenings to repair the hole in the Titanic.
But Drake was patient, Everly was smart, and the two of them put the finishing touches on Gossamer’s Cadillac of a dog bed at 1 a.m.
“Finally,” Drake said, as he nudged it against the foot of his own king-sized bed. He had to admit, it looked kind of cute, pink velvet and tulle puffing out everywhere, with an embroidered bolster pillow. It coordinated beautifully with Gossamer’s purple rhinestone collar. That had been his idea. Gossamer wasn’t exactly a feminine kind of dog, and the super-girly collar helped with that, he thought.
“Gossamer, come here,” Everly called in a high-pitched voice. “Come check out your new bed.”
The pug mix waddled into the room, glanced at the bed Drake had just spent the last three hours slaving over, and immediately sailed onto the navy-blue comforter of Drake’s king sized mattress. Circling, she lay down, her back legs sprawled as she wagged and panted.
Everly lost her breath laughing while Drake lost his mind.