Page 175 of The Score

Epilogue

Bear

The moment eight pups run and jump toward my wife, I know which one she will fall in love with.

She sits with her legs crossed on the ground. We're in an animal shelter's backyard, which was recently renovated thanks to a generous donation from Pen and me. There's real grass and pet toys around, and the volunteers and admin painted murals on the building's walls. As agreed, they brought in all the three-to-five month old dogs they had, and let them run to her unguarded.

She laughs and makes several sounds of delight, some of them like baby talk, all of them strange. A few of the pups try to climb her, the others are licking her arms and her jeans. The one with black, curly hair licks her elbow, then nuzzles onto her waist, to finally grab at her shirt with its teeth and pull.

Oh, she's going to love him.

"No. Stop," she says, but laughs.

She pushes him away with a firm hand, but the pup insists. All the other dogs try to play with her and get her attention, but this one is the most persistent.

"Help me, will you?" She asks my way.

I shake my head, but crouch and take a rope with knots at the end.

"Hey— you." I wiggle the rope in front of the black pup. "Come here. Want this? Come play with papa."

Pen gives me a sideway glance, but keeps playing with the mix of dogs around her. I play pull with the tiny menace, echoing his growl like we're in a big fight.

I don't say anything else yet. A couple of weeks ago, we visited her parents and she and I had a long, quiet conversation by the swing. Pen knows I want kids, but told me she'll need some encouragement to think properly about it. She doesn't want to have kids just to have them, or just because I want them. I told her I want her to want them, too, and I'm willing to wait. We have a few years, and more if we consider all our options. I'm in no hurry. As long as we go through this together, I already have everything I want. If it comes to it, I'll be just as happy with only the two of us. And maybe this determined charcoal fury, currently pulling from the rope with all his might.

Little Cub— I think that could be his name if Pen agrees— goes wild shaking his head to steal the rope from me, and I let it go. He falls on his rear, jumps back up the next instant, and runs to offer the rope to Pen.

Yep. He's already obsessed with her. It may take her a bit to realize, but she'll be taken by him, too. We're taking Cub home with us.

"Can you look any more smug, Bear?"

Pen gazes at me with gleaming eyes, while she plays pull with Cub.

"I'm sure I can," I say. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll muster it."

She laughs. She plays with Cub with one hand, and pets a spotted white-and-brown pup with the other. The other dogs play together around her, with toys and with each other.

"So?" I smile. "Was this everything you wanted?"

"It was everything." She gazes at one of the volunteers. They were recording all of this on Pen's phone.

My wife makes a sign so they know they can stop recording. The volunteer gives me Pen's phone to keep for now.

The spotted pup jumps away to play with another dog. Cub takes his chance and tries to climb Pen again.

She takes him in both hands and lifts him up. "Oh, you're cute. You know you're cute, don't you."

I smirk. "And what's the score for your final official bucket list item?"

"I'm not giving you a score yet. The item isn't complete."

"Did I miss something?"

"You missed the part where you let me choose a pup to take home."

"Did I?"

She shakes her head like she won't entertain my games. At the same time, she takes a red leather collar from her pocket.