The Practice

by Grant C. Holland

  “Are you leaving work at five like normal?”

  “I should be,” said Hadley. “Do you want me to pick something up on the way home?”

  Thomas grinned. “That’s sort of exactly what I want you to do.”

  “Sure thing. I’ve got a piece of paper. I can make a list.”

  “Oh, it’s not groceries,” said Thomas. “I’m bringing Lucky and her pups home to the carriage house. We’re running a little short on space here at the clinic. I’m probably going to be running late tonight, but I wondered if you would be willing to pick them up and take them to my place.

  Thomas heard excitement in Hadley’s voice when he said, “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll be there a few minutes after five.”

  Thomas said, “Thank you Hadley. I owe you something big in return.”

  Hadley laughed. “Or maybe you’ll just take something big in return.”

  Thomas laughed out loud. “Can’t wait for that, but now I need to get back to work, and don’t distract me that way.”

  * * *

  Lisa smiled sweetly when Hadley walked through the door. He could hear a hint of flirtation in her voice as she said, “Hi, Mr. Rogers. Dr. Randall said you were on your way. I think Bennett is in the back with Lucky and the pups. He can help out. Dr. Randall said he hoped he would get to see you, but he’s bandaging a leg in examination room two.”

  Hadley waved a hand. “Oh, that’s fine. Don’t interrupt him. I’m sure Bennett and I can figure out Lucky and her puppies.”

  Lisa said, “I’ll just let him know that you’re here. I’m sure he will want to see you if he can pull away for a minute.”

  Hadley said, “Lucky, today is another lucky day for you. You’re going home.” Bennett was already inside the kennel trying to keep the rambunctious pups inside a large cardboard box.

  Bennett asked, “Do you want Lucky on the leash, or do you want to try and corral these six bundles of energy?”

  Hadley laughed. “I guess it’s only fair that I try and take the pups. I’ll fold the lid of the box closed just until I get them to the truck. I’m sure Lucky will be easy.”

  Lucky was decked out in a red bandana around her neck and a collar decorated in rainbow colors. Hadley smiled at that significance. Bennett clipped a simple chain leash to the collar and led her out of the kennel. Hadley folded the box closed and lifted the pups. They were heavier than he expected. He followed Bennett and Lucky watching as she nearly pranced her way through the waiting room. She looked every inch the proud mother going home at last with her new family of pups.

  Hadley opened the extended cab door to place the box of puppies on the floor and opened the lid to give them some air. He looked down to see a rolling and tumbling bundle of pure boisterous energy. Bennett opened the front door of the passenger side of the truck and Lucky immediately hopped inside. She scrambled up on to the seat and sat staring ahead ready for her ride.

  Bennett shook Hadley’s hand and said, “Good luck, man. You might need it with this crew.”

  “Thomas is the one who has to figure this out. I’m just taking them home for him.” Hadley knew that comment was only half true. He would need to hold up his end of dog and puppy care, too.

  Just as Hadley climbed into the cab of the truck for the drive home, Thomas dashed from the entrance to the clinic. He stepped up to the side of the truck carrying a small pile of newspapers while Hadley rolled down the window. Breathlessly, he asked, “You’ve got them all?” and then handed the newspaper through the window.

  Hadley smiled. “I think so. You know, I’ll help out with this. I’m really glad you’re bringing them home.”

  Thomas nodded. “You can bet you’ll help out. When you get them to my place, just let them roam and investigate if you can stick around for a few minutes.”

  “I can be there longer than that. I’ll just let Aunt Mae know, and then I can hang out until you get there.”

  Thomas said, “Well, then you’ve got some choices.” He explained his plans for beginning to paper train the pups and confining them to the bathroom. He said, “There’s a baby gate in my bedroom closet. I learned from another vet to always keep one around. He said there’s always the possibility you will have to bring an animal home.” Thomas said, “I will try and head home as soon as I can.” Then he leaned inside the cab and gave Hadley a kiss. “This is what happens when you fall for a veterinarian.”

  Hadley said, “I have it all under control. We’ll all be waiting for you when you get home.”

  15

  Hadley

  A kind of routine soon developed and within a short time the puppies understood the idea of paper training. They began to chew and Thomas stocked up on proper toys for chewing while attempting to hide any other object that might draw a young pup’s attention.

  Each work day, Hadley greeted Aunt Mae first when arriving home from the factory, and then he crossed the street to sit with Lucky and the puppies until Thomas arrived home. Between lunchtime visits from Thomas and Hadley’s arrival, care of the dogs almost seemed manageable.

  Two weeks after Lucky and the pups arrived at Thomas’ apartment, Hadley took an opportunity to leave work half an hour early. He gave Aunt Mae a big hug and a kiss on the cheek then proceeded across the street to check on the dogs. Lucky was excited to see him and the pups were sound asleep in one big puppy heap. Glancing around to be sure of no accidents, Hadley held his finger to his lips making a shhh sound as he lifted Lucky out of the bathroom and snapped the leash on her collar.

  “What do you say we go for a little bit of a walk today, girl? Thomas won’t be home for at least a half hour yet.” Hadley set out down the street with Lucky breaking into her proud prance forward. Three blocks down, they crossed the street and returned on the opposite side.

  As they approached Hadley’s house, he said, “Someday I’ll bring you to my house to meet Aunt Mae.”

  Almost on cue, she appeared at the door. She still had the cast on her wrist, but her overall health was clearly improving. “Hadley, is that Thomas Randall’s dog?”

  He smiled. “Yes, Aunt Mae.”

  “Well, bring her up on the porch here so we can meet properly.”

  Lucky stepped up to Aunt Mae and sniffed at the skirt of her dress. Hadley said, “Lucky, this is my Aunt Mae. She’s the best woman that I know.”

  Aunt Mae waved the comment away and bent slightly to pet Lucky on the head. She said, “She is a beauty. Thomas thinks she’s just a mutt?”

  Hadley nodded. “He’s pretty certain of that. He said he was just guessing but there might be some sort of blend of collie and black Lab. He said that is only a guess.”

  She said, “Hadley, I think you should bring Thomas over some evening for dinner so I can meet him.”

  Hadley froze. He spent so much time at Thomas’ place and spoke so much about the dogs recently that he assumed he had already introduced Thomas to Aunt Mae. He said, “You’re right, Aunt Mae. I’ll talk to him and figure out a night.”

  She said, “Let me know, and I can put in a pot roast.”

  Hadley shook his head. “No, I don’t want you going to any trouble. I’ll make dinner when I bring him over. That way you can have time to talk and get to know him. He would love to hear stories about Colleen.”

  “I know I would enjoy meeting him. The two of you have become such good friends. It’s only right that I should know him, too.”

  Hadley said, “That reminds me. I need to get Lucky back to Thomas’ place, Aunt Mae. He will be home in just a few minutes.” Then he added, “Don’t expect me home for dinner, but I’ll try not to be out really late.”

  She smiled. “I’ll just watch my stories on TV.” Aunt Mae bent down to pet Lucky one more time and said, “You take good care of these two men, Lucky. Men always need our help.”

  Hadley laughed and said, “We’re not always as helpless as you might think.”

  He bounded back down the steps from the porch with Lucky and crossed the street to return t
o the carriage house. As he opened the kitchen door and Lucky rushed inside, Hadley heard the tell-tale whimpering that signaled the pups were awake.

  He removed the baby gate from the bathroom and the puppies came tumbling out the door racing around the apartment to check for anything new. Hadley retrieved a beer from the refrigerator, grabbed the TV remote control, and settled on the couch. Within minutes Lucky was lying on the floor by his side, and two of the puppies climbed on to the couch at his feet. He loved the energy of the dogs, and they always made him think of Thomas which was an added bonus of their presence.

  Lucky hopped up from her spot on the floor and raced to the kitchen door barking excitedly just before Hadley heard the tell-tale crunching of gravel in the driveway. He called, “Daddy’s home!”

  The puppies joined Lucky at the door. Hadley turned to look and saw puppies climbing over each other trying to get closer to the door. Hadley speculated that if he had no inhibitions, he might be just as shameless about his eagerness to greet Thomas.

  Pushing the door open a crack and then trying to wedge himself inside to prevent any unplanned exits by Lucky or her puppies, Thomas said, “C’mon guys, give me a little bit of break. Let me inside.” Successful at his efforts, he shut the door behind him, and then said, “Hey, wait! Lucky, did you all knock the baby gate down?”

  Hadley smelled the unmistakable aroma of burgers drifting into the living room. He said, “No, they didn’t. They were liberated.”

  Startled, Thomas said, “Hadley! You’re home early.”

  “And I hope you brought a burger for me, too.”

  Thomas said, “I did, but I didn’t expect you for another ten or fifteen minutes.”

  Hadley sat up and looked toward the kitchen. “I got off work a half hour early. I took Lucky for a walk down the street a few blocks, and she got to meet Aunt Mae.”

  Thomas said, “Oh, that’s great. What did Aunt Mae think of our little princess.”

  “She said she’s a beauty, and Aunt Mae would like to meet you, Thomas.”

  Thomas said, “I would like to meet her, too. I would like to know anyone that is so important to you.”

  “The feeling is mutual then.”

  Thomas asked, “Do you need a paper plate, or are we eating like animals tonight?”

  Hadley said, “Unless you’re squirting it into my hand, I need a plate for ketchup for my fries.”

  Thomas sighed, “You and your ketchup. I did get the burger with only cheese, ketchup and lettuce. I even made them show me that they didn’t put any onions on it.”

  Hadley said, “You did not. Quit making up stories.”

  They both laughed as Thomas brought the bag of burgers and fries along with two paper plates to the living room setting them out on the coffee table. “No beer for me?” he asked.

  “I thought it might get warm if I got it out.”

  Thomas ruffled Hadley’s hair. “I wouldn’t want you to make an effort to get up off the couch either once you are so comfortably settled in.”

  Hadley said, “I promise I’ll throw the trash away when we’re finished.”

  “And take Lucky out?” asked Thomas as he settled on the couch.

  “I’ll take Lucky out, too.”

  Thomas pulled the burgers from the bag. He said, “I want you to understand my big sacrifice with this meal, Hadley.”

  “Sacrifice?”

  “Yes, I ordered my burger without onions, too, because I was hoping that someone may want to kiss me when dinner is over.”

  Hadley grinned and crooked a finger in Thomas’ direction. “I want to kiss you even before dinner begins.”

  Thomas stopped fiddling with the bag and leaned toward Hadley wrapping an arm around him. Their lips met for a sweet, passionate welcome home kiss. When Thomas pulled back to reach again for the bag, Hadley said, “It was a long day of work. I think I deserve one more before we eat.”

  Thomas said, “I had a long day, too, Mr. Rogers. How many surgeries did you do, and how many shots did you give?” He tackled Hadley and pinned him to the couch kissing him again.

  “Ok, so sue me, you make me a little horny, Thomas. I think that’s a good thing.”

  “Mmm, it’s a very good thing.” Thomas slipped a hand between them and discovered that Hadley was rock hard in his jeans.

  “Hey, I thought we were eating dinner first.”

  Thomas tightened his grip. “Do you want to wait?”

  “It will get cold…”

  Thomas said, “I’ve got a microwave. We can heat it all back up.”

  Hadley said, “Okay, but we had better put it somewhere the dogs can’t reach, or we’ll have some fat and happy puppies when we’re finished.”

  Thomas laughed, “That’s a good point.”

  “And aren’t the puppies a little young to see such adult behavior?”

  Thomas kissed Hadley as he climbed off the couch. He said, “You’re such a dad. We’re shutting the bedroom door.”

  Thomas scooped the burgers back into the bag and carried the food to the kitchen where he set it on the plates inside a cabinet above the sink just in case. Before he could shut the cabinet door, Hadley leaned against him from behind and began to unbutton his shirt.

  Thomas said, “Do you feel something tugging at your jeans?”

  “I do,” said Hadley. “And you do, too?”

  Thomas said, “I don’t think it’s either me or you.” They both looked down and laughed seeing four of the puppies tugging on the cuffs of their jeans with tiny jaws. He pushed away from the counter and said, “Lucky, they are all yours. We’re going to the bedroom.”

  Hadley breathed a sigh of relief as Thomas closed the bedroom door. He said, “They are exhausting sometimes.”

  “Sometimes yes,” said Thomas. “Now, where were we?”

  “We were right about here.” Hadley stepped up to Thomas and continued to unbutton his shirt.

  Thomas said, “Mmmm, that’s right.” He slipped his hands up under Hadley’s T-Shirt.

  Seconds later they tumbled into bed naked together. Hadley asked, “Is there anything better in the world than being naked with you? If there is, I’ve never heard about it.”

  Thomas said, “You know, flattery gets you everywhere Hadley.”

  Hadley said, “It’s not flattery. It’s truth. I honestly never thought it could be like this. When I fantasized about other guys when I was a teenager, it was all really horny, really dirty sex stuff, but with you, Thomas, it’s so much more than that. It feels so good. It’s so deep down good.” He wrapped his body around Thomas and shuddered when their hard cocks rubbed together.

  “Can I give a true confession, too?” asked Thomas.

  “Only if it’s a good one. If it’s something bad, save it for after dinner when I can cuddle a puppy to make myself feel better.”

  Thomas laughed. “It’s a good one. I just wanted to say I didn’t know it could be this good either. You’re such a great man, Hadley.” He poked at Hadley’s chest with his index finger. “Inside here is a big ole hunk of gold.”

  Hadley blushed from ear to ear. “Don’t get too carried away, but thank you.” He paused for ten seconds and then said, “Is it okay now if we get back to the dirty, horny stuff?”

  Thomas grinned and said, “I thought you would never ask.” He rolled over and pinned Hadley’s arms to the bed. “You asked, and I’m ready to oblige.”

  16

  Thomas

  Thomas took a Friday off from work at the practice and declared that the pups would be basically house trained by the time he returned to work on Monday morning. He also decided to invest in visits from a pet care professional once mid-morning and once mid-afternoon to supplement his lunch-hour visits while the pups were still young.

  “Does that mean I’m kicked out for the weekend?” asked Hadley.

  “No, it just means that’s my focus for the weekend. I’m going to be setting the alarm to wake up in the middle of the night, too. I would be happy
to have help.”

  Hadley said, “I’ll do my best, but I’m not coming over in the middle of the night. I need my sleep.”

  By 10:00 p.m. Sunday night, Thomas declared success. He sent Hadley a text that read, “No more inside mess!”

  A few short days later the pups were allowed into the bedroom for the first time. Thomas snuggled under the sheets with Hadley in just gym shorts, a box of Chinese food in hand and said, “They can be in here as long as the activity is PG-rated. When it turns to sex, out they go. And for now, only Lucky can get on the bed without a boost. I’m happy to have things be that way for awhile.”

  “Are you planning to keep Lucky and all of the pups?” asked Hadley. “It’s going to be an awful lot of dogs in this apartment when they are full-grown.”

  Thomas said, “At most, I’m going to keep Lucky and just one of the pups. I’m planning to give the rest of them away as soon as I can find good owners. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get them house trained. If your Aunt Mae wants one of the pups, she can have the pick of the litter.”

  “That’s very sweet. Personally, I think it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to any of them.” Hadley held out a water chestnut in his chopsticks for Thomas.

  “No, you can’t be like that, Hadley. That’s why we haven’t named them yet. Six is just way too many. Maybe if I owned a farm I would keep the litter, but I’m finding them good homes.” He took the water chestnut from the chopsticks and enjoyed the crisp crunch.

  Hadley looked at Lucky sleeping peacefully on the foot of the bed and then cast his gaze to the floor to see puppies posturing with each other before rolling around in a ball. They yipped at each other and then bounded off to other parts of the apartment before repeating the process all over again. Despite all of the action, Hadley said, “This feels so peaceful, Thomas. I guess this is sort of what I’ve always hoped life as an adult would be like.”

  Thomas held out a mound of noodles between his chopsticks offering it to Hadley. He said, “Peaceful even with seven dogs in a one-bedroom apartment?”