Page 52 of Missed Communication
“Not going to help me out?” he laughs as one of the pups laps at his cheek.
“Oh, no, I’ll just watch from here as your new friends maul your face.” I reach to pet one of them, but they’re all enamored with Jamie. I can’t blame them, I am too.
“Can I take them all home?”
“I’m pretty sure the apartment has a rule about no more than two pets per unit.”
“Perfect,” he beams. “Two will live with me and two will live with you.”
“They’re going to be huge,” the woman warns. “Usually seventy-five to eighty-five pounds. Definitely don’t recommend for apartment living. But if you’re serious about adopting, we do have a few smaller breeds that need a home.”
Jamie admits, “I honestly haven’t thought about it, but could you show us?”
He stands, and she leads the way to another area of the shelter. The wolf-dogs begin whining, and if he finds a smaller dog that falls in love with him like they did, there’s no way we’re leaving the shelter without one.
There are dozens of dogs, most appearing to be older. One catches Jamie’s eye—an Alaskan Klee Kai, which looks like asmall Alaskan Husky—and I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a more adorable dog. I check the information above her kennel, and she’s six years old, but she’s so tiny.
A man appears from down the hall. “I heard we have a few volunteers today.”
“Yes, sir,” Jamie replies with a nod. “Could we take a few of them for a walk?”
“Timothy will help you from here,” the woman offers, and I hate how I didn’t even bother to learn her name when we entered. Could be pregnancy brain or the insomnia catching up with me. Since we’ll be traveling for the next few days, I may need to beg Jamie to stay the night with me tonight so I can be well rested.
Timothy escorts us to a small field with dog toys and what appears to be almost like an obstacle course. “I’ll bring a few of them out here. Most of our older dogs like to play out here more than take a traditional walk. The one you were eyeing prefers to sit on your lap. That little girl has been through a lot. She was hurt by her previous owners, so she was skittish for the first few months she was here.”
“Months?” I gasp. “How long do the dogs usually stay here before being adopted?”
Timothy rubs the back of his neck and sighs. “Most don’t make it out of here, so we try to give them a good life while we can.”
He leaves, presumably to bring out a few of the dogs, and my heart breaks for all of these precious animals. The urge to buy a large piece of property and adopt all of them is overwhelming. He brings out the dog Jamie was looking at first, and she runs up to me, reaching her paws to the sky as she sits on her hind legs.
“Well, aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” I shift my purse back and bend to pick her up. She licks my face, making me giggle.
I pass her to Jamie, and she does the same thing. She looks even smaller tucked against his broad chest. “Can I keep her?” he whines, and I can’t tell if he’s serious with his faux pout.
Someone needs to be the voice of reason.
“Are you really thinking about adopting?” I whisper, not wanting the pup or Timothy to get their hopes up.
“I’ve always wanted a dog. Someone once told me that for the time a dog’s in my life, they’ll be my best friend, but for the pup, I’ll be their best friend theirwholelife. I don’t want to go the rest of my life worrying about this dog who was hurt by her previous owner, wondering if someone wonderful would show her how much joy she could bring to this world.”
“But we’re going to be traveling a lot, and we can’t bring her with us.”
“Our whole team isn’t traveling. I’m sure I could have someone watch her while I’m gone. Honestly, I shouldn’t be on the road much, since I’m overseeing a lot and need to be close to Sacramento in case something happens while Olivia is gone.”
“Are you really sure about this?”
“Yeah, I am. I mean, look at this face. She’s the most beautiful thing in the world… other than you, of course.” He winks, and I instinctively roll my eyes.
“But what happens when your visa expires? Someone could send you back to Canada, and what would happen with her?”
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“Are you referring to me or the dog?”
“Both,” he chuckles. Checking behind us, a wicked grin splits his face, and then, in an instant, his lips are on mine. I whimper on contact, and so does the dog, likely jealous of me. Too bad she’ll have to learn how to share.
A throat clears behind us, and I quickly step back. “The other dogs I planned on bringing out are sleeping or about to eat,” Timothy hedges.
