by Chris Cannon
He couldn’t weigh more than fifteen pounds. I could feel a collar on his neck but I couldn’t see it through his fur. Hopefully, he had tags. I carried him back to the house and inside to the kitchen. Charlie was the only one in the vicinity. He looked up from the couch and came to join me. “Where’d your new furry friend come from?”
“He was out by the greenhouses.” I sat at the kitchen table and checked his collar. No tags, but someone had wrapped a piece of notebook paper around the fabric of the collar and stapled the paper shut.
“Open that,” I told Charlie.
He tore the paper off the collar and unfolded it. Harry is a good dog. My parents won’t let me keep him. I know Haley works with dogs. Can you please find him a new home?
“Harry?” I said.
The dog’s ears perked up. “I think that’s his name,” Charlie said.
“Someone who knew Haley dropped him off here? Why not take him to the shelter?”
“People are weird,” Charlie said.
My dad came into the kitchen and looked at us. “Did Haley bring home another dog?”
“No.” I told him about the note.
“Didn’t your girlfriend say she wanted a dog?” My dad came over and rubbed Harry’s head. “You said she likes Harry Potter. Seems like fate to me.”
“Not a bad idea.” My phone buzzed with a text. I checked the message. Lisa was done with dinner. I texted back that I was coming over and I was bringing her a surprise.
“Be sure and take some dog food with you,” my dad said. “One less reason for her mom to say no.”
Charlie grabbed a Ziploc bag and filled it with dry food. Then he offered a handful to Harry. The dog sniffed and then chowed down.
“Maybe you should have been named Hoover,” I said.
Harry barked and wagged his tail. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Wait a minute.” My dad went to the junk drawer and pulled out a red ribbon, which he tied to Harry’s collar. He twisted the ribbon around and shaped it into a bow. “Presentation is important.”
On the ride to Lisa’s house, Harry lay on the passenger side floor whining. “I swear I’m not dropping you off somewhere. If Lisa can’t keep you, you can come home with me.”
When I parked at Lisa’s, he stood up and gave a low wag of his tail. “Come here,” I said.
He hopped onto the seat and I picked him up. I knocked on the front door and hoped Lisa’s mom wouldn’t be the one to open it. Thankfully, Lisa greeted me. Her eyes went wide. “You brought me a dog?”
I entered the house and headed over to the couch. I sat and settled Harry on my lap. Lisa sat next to me. “Harry, this cute nerd-girl is Lisa. I think she might be your new owner.”
Lisa held her hand out so Harry could sniff her. “Hey, puppy.”
He gave her hand the once-over and then licked her palm. That was a good sign. She ran her fingers over his head. “He’s so cute. Where did he come from?”
I relayed the story of the note. “He seems like a good dog.”
“That’s so sad someone had to give him up. It’s not like he’s a big dog.”
“He kind of fits the small person theme you have going on around here,” I teased.
“Yes, he does. Come here, petite puppy.” She picked him up and moved him to her lap. He froze for a second like he wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
“Poor little guy.” Lisa held him and rubbed his ears. “It’s okay.” He relaxed and leaned into the caress.
Lisa’s mom came into the living room and tilted her head as she studied the situation. “Matt, did you give my daughter a dog?”
“Maybe?” I couldn’t tell if she was mad or confused. “I mean, if you guys don’t want him, I’ll keep him. So no pressure.”
“Mom?” Lisa said.
Harry whined.
Best not to start off this relationship with Harry peeing on the carpet. “We should probably take him outside.”
Lisa stood and I followed her into the kitchen and out the back patio doors. She set Harry down. He trotted over to the grass, hiked his leg, and then came right back over to us.
“I think he’s potty trained,” I said.
“Who’s a good dog?” Lisa said. Harry did a small happy wiggle, glanced around panting, and then went back up to the patio doors and pawed at the glass.
“I think that’s dog for, Please don’t leave me out here by myself,” I told her.
“No worries, Harry.” Lisa opened the door and he went back into the kitchen and started sniffing around.
“He probably needs a bowl of water.”
“I can fix that, but I don’t have any dog food.”
“I brought you some, but I left it in the truck in case your mom objected.”
Lisa grabbed a bowl and filled it with water. She glanced around the kitchen and then placed it next to the cabinet. “Here you go.”
Harry lapped up some water, splashing it on the floor.
“You might want to put a tray under the bowl,” Lisa’s mom said from the doorway to the living room.
Lisa grabbed what looked like cookie sheet from one of the cabinets. “This will work until I can buy him something better.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lisa
I couldn’t believe Matt brought me a dog. It was such a sweet thing to do. I know the dog just showed up at his house and he could have taken it to the shelter, but the fact that he thought to bring him to me gave me a warm fuzzy. “Is his name really Harry?” I asked. “Or are you hoping my Harry Potter obsession will convince me to keep him?”
“Total coincidence. I can show you the note,” Matt said. “It’s still at my house.”
It seemed like fate.
Harry finished drinking and then came over to sit down in front of me. He tilted his head like he was asking a question. It was instinct to bend down and pick him up. He snuggled against me and then he glanced up at me like he wasn’t sure if he should. “It’s okay.” I held him a little tighter and he relaxed. I could feel his heart beating. This must be why people fell in love with small animals. They needed you and they made you feel loved.
I carried him back into the living room and sat on the couch. He wiggled off my lap and turned in a circle next to me before lying down and putting his head on my thigh. He exhaled and closed his eyes. His warm head on my leg gave me a feeling of contentment. “He’s so cute.” I looked at my mom. “Can we keep him?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “We know nothing about taking care of a dog.”
“All you need is food, water, and a dog bed.” Matt sounded like the voice of reason. “Maybe some toys and chewies.”
“Where will he stay while you’re at school and I’m at work?”
Good question. “Matt, what do you suggest?”
“You could baby gate him into the kitchen. That way if he has an accident it won’t be hard to clean up.”
“We don’t have a baby gate,” I said. “But we could block the door with a couple of laundry baskets or chairs.”
“Matt, will you take Lisa shopping and show her what she needs to buy to keep Harry happy and healthy?”
Matt nodded. “I brought food in my truck. We could take him to PetSmart with us right now, but I think his former owner dumped him off tonight. Another car ride might freak him out.”
“How could anyone drop him off?” I rubbed Harry’s ears. His fur was a lot thicker than Chevy’s or Ford’s but it was just as soft.
“At least they didn’t dump him on a street.” Matt reached over and ran his hand down Harry’s back.
No matter how irritating he could be sometimes, Matt was a good person who cared about furry creatures. That was a huge plus. I don’t think I could be with someone who wasn’t kind to animals.
“Do you want me to run out to the truck for his food?” Matt asked.
“That’s probably a good idea so we don’t accidentally forget.”
Matt stood and walked to the door. Harry’s
head popped up. He turned his head, looked at the door, and whined.
“He’s coming back,” I said.
A few moments later, Matt opened the door and came back in. Harry’s tail fluttered back and forth and he gave a small bark.
“I’m not sure if he’s happy to see me or the food,” Matt said. “Probably both.”
“Do you think he’s hungry?”
“He had a handful before we came over. Dogs his size only need a cup of food for the whole day. You could give it to him all at once, but at my house we always break it up into two or three meals because when you eat he’ll want to eat, too.”
Matt walked into the kitchen and set the bag of food on the table before coming back to the couch. “I was going to ask if you wanted to go for a walk but I’m thinking that’s not an option now.”
“That’s okay. We can just stay here and bond with Harry.”
“I’m glad you like him.”
“Me, too.” While I enjoyed snuggling with Harry, I had the sudden desire to be in closer proximity to Matt. “Since you’re here, do you want to watch the next Harry Potter movie?”
“Sure.”
I picked Harry up and we headed to the kitchen, through the pantry, and down the stairs into the basement. Harry sniffed the air like he wasn’t quite sure what to think about this new development.
I sat down next to Matt and set Harry on my other side. Once the movie was up and running, Matt put his arm around my shoulders. I smiled at him. “Classic move.”
“Thanks.” He looked quite pleased with himself. “I read about it in the How-to-date-like-a-normal-guy handbook.”
“I’m guessing that’s the companion book to How-to-date-like-a-normal-girl.”
“It is.” He pulled me a little closer. “I’m still working on the next chapter, How-to-convince-the-girl-you-like-that-you-belong-together.”
“Any good tips in there?”
“Just the basics. Give her a dog, then lure her into the basement to watch Harry Potter so you can kiss her.”
“That’s oddly specific,” I said.
“It’s a magic book. You tell it your troubles and it adapts to your situation.”
“Really?” I had to give him points for originality.
“Yes. Now, you’re supposed to watch the movie. I’ll lean in, being very smooth, and kiss you.”
“Okay.” I grinned and turned my eyes to the screen. “I’ll just watch the movie and wait for you to bring on the romance. Do you need to stretch or anything first? I wouldn’t want you to get a cramp.”
He snorted. “I think I got this.”
It took effort to keep my eyes on the movie, because I knew Matt was going to kiss me, and I wanted him to kiss me, but it still made me a little nervous. He seemed to be taking his time. I cleared my throat. “Any minute now.”
“I was about to move in.”
“Sure you were,” I teased.
“Hey what’s that?” Matt pointed to the side of the television.
Instinct made me turn my head to look. Matt leaned in at that exact moment and pressed his mouth against mine. Sneaky. I almost laughed, but then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close and it didn’t seem funny anymore.
The world drifted away. He cupped the back of my head with one hand while the other slid down to my hip. Being with him like this, kissing him, felt exciting and intense, and a little bit scary, but a whole lot of right.
When the kiss ended, he leaned his forehead against mine. We were both breathing a little heavy. I had no idea what to say.
After Matt left, Harry followed me around like he was a baby duck. When it was time for bed that night, I wasn’t sure where he would want to sleep. I didn’t have a dog bed, so I put him on a pillow in a laundry basket next to my bed. He sat in the basket and looked at me in confusion.
“Woof.” He pawed at the side of the basket and then whined.
“That’s your bed,” I said.
He laid his head on the edge of the basket and stared at me, with soulful, sad brown eyes. So, of course, I caved. “Come here.” I climbed out of bed, picked him up, and put him at the foot of the bed before climbing back under the covers. “Good night, pup.”
He commando-crawled up to the top of the bed…slowly, like he didn’t think I’d notice. He pawed at the covers and tried to shove his head underneath.
“You want under the covers?” What kind of weird dog behavior was this?
I lifted the blanket and he shimmied under and lay there. Maybe he was cold. I grabbed my cell off the nightstand charger and Googled dogs sleeping under covers.
Some small dogs like to burrow under the covers, creating a den-like place to sleep.
The article went on to say he’d find his way out if he became too hot. I worried he couldn’t breathe under there, but apparently he wouldn’t have a problem finding his way out.
Chapter Thirty
Matt
When I woke up Thursday morning, everything felt right in my world. Lisa’s mom had let her keep Harry, which was great for two reasons. First off, Harry had a good home. Second, every time she looked at him, she’d be reminded of me. It made out-of-sight, out-of-mind a little harder for her to achieve. And I was good with that.
Whenever we were together things were great. Last night, in the basement…let’s just say I’d developed a whole new appreciation for Harry Potter. Thinking about her made my heart beat faster. She was the one for me. She had to know that now…right?
When I got to school and met up with Lisa in front of her locker, she was yawning.
“Good morning.”
She glared at me. “It’s your fault I didn’t get any sleep last night.”
I’d left her house by nine. “What do you mean?”
“My new best friend wanted under the covers, and then on top of the covers, and then under the covers. It’s a good thing he’s cute.”
“Maybe he was nervous since he’s in a new home.”
“Maybe.” She yawned.
“Want to go to PetSmart after school? We can find him his own bed.”
“I doubt he’ll want to sleep in it, but I need to get him a bowl and some food, so that sounds like a plan.”
“Cool.”
She yawned again. “We may need to hit a Starbucks on the way there.”
“We can do that.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Trey’s stupid hair coming down the hall, so I put my arm around Lisa’s shoulders. She didn’t comment, she just smiled at me.
“I wonder if my teachers would mind if I napped through class,” she asked.
“From personal experience, I’ve learned the only class you can sleep through is study hall. Even then, the teacher gets a little cranky.”
The bell sounded for homeroom. I walked Lisa to her class. The rest of the day flew by without any Trey sightings. Hopefully, he’d taken the hint and given up.
After school, I followed Lisa back to her house to drop off her car and then I drove to Starbucks. “Do you want to drive through, or do you want to go in?” Normally, I hated going in, but girls seemed to like sitting in coffee shops, so I thought I’d let Lisa choose.
“I’m snacky. Let’s go in.”
“Snacky? Is that part of Lisa’s Lexicon?”
“Yes,” she said. “Along with hangry which I’m going to be if I don’t eat soon, so delay me at your own risk.”
“Inside it is.” I parked in one of the last open spots. It would probably be crowded.
I opened the door into the coffee shop.
Lisa inhaled as she walked in. “I love the smell of fresh baked carbs and coffee.”
“It’s kind of crowded.” There were people in line but not that many tables. Hopefully, they’d all be full and we could go back out to my truck.
“I can grab a table while you order,” Lisa said.
Great. “Sure. What do you want?”
“A blueberry muffin or scone and a large coffee with cream.”
“
I can remember that.” I stood in line, shuffling forward. When it was my turn to order, it took me a minute to realize Trey was the one taking my order. His hair was up in a baseball cap.
“Hey, Matt. What can I get you?”
I blinked. “Didn’t recognize you without the hair.”
“Sadly, they have a policy against cool hair.”
“That’s too bad.” I grinned and then ordered.
“Coming right up.” He made the coffee and grabbed the scones I ordered. It could have been awkward, but it wasn’t. Like he was so sure of himself, he didn’t mind talking to me. Which was impressive and annoying at the same time.
When he handed me my change he said, “Tell Lisa I said hello.”
I nodded, even though there was no way I’d mention that I’d seen him. Unless she spotted him behind the counter, and then I’d pretend to remember because all is fair in love and war. I almost tripped over my own feet. Love? I wasn’t in love with Lisa. I just liked her better than other girls. That wasn’t necessarily love.
When I went to find the girl who I was not-in-love-with, I spotted her at a table for two. There was a guy at the table next to her leaning in and saying something to her. Whatever it was, he was ticking her off.
I approached from behind the guy so she could see me coming but he couldn’t. I bumped his chair hard. He whipped around.
“My bad,” I said.
The guy nodded and moved his chair closer to his friend. He leaned in and said something that made the other guy laugh.
I sat down and passed Lisa her coffee. “What’s wrong?”
“Some people are idiots,” she muttered before taking a drink of her coffee.
“Like that guy?” I asked. “What’d he say to you?”
Her cheeks turned red. “Nothing worth repeating. Let’s just eat and go.”
That didn’t work for me. I turned around to the jerk at the next table. I recognized him from school. “Why does it feel like I should punch you?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “You’d think after keeping her up all night you’d be more relaxed.” His friend laughed.
What was he talking about? And that’s when I got it. This morning at her locker. Somehow her comment about not sleeping last night had hit the rumor mill and been taken the wrong way. “I gave her a dog. He kept her up all night.”