Page 40 of Grave Humor
“This era is stranger than most,” Eoghan muttered, and he consoled himself with another piece of melon.
I considered my remaining slices, and as he’d had a long day, I transferred one to his plate. “But now we have a television, gaming consoles, games, enough controllers for all three of us, and computers. Maybe he just wants us to be happy.”
That anyone wanted me to be happy might break me, but I’d keep my confused tears to myself, contained in the privacy and comfort of my bedroom.
“These are strange times,” Eoghan muttered.
That they were.
Nine
Ain’t nobody dumb enough to keep a dog that ugly around here.
I gorged myself into a comatose state on four honey rocks and a bowl of leftover stew. At Eoghan’s insistence, I took all of my medication, which resulted in me heading to bed as quite possibly the happiest woman alive.
A full stomach, no pain, and a general sense of security made all the difference in the world for me. Tomorrow, I’d look into getting furniture for the antique and the vampire, and I’d make my home into their home, too.
Having their own rooms and comfortable things they could call their own would make it harder for them to leave, and I found I enjoyed their company.
I went to sleep with a contented heart, and I woke ready to take on the world. I bounced downstairs in my pajamas to find Gordon completely covered with the blanket on the couch. I frowned at the gap in the curtains, which I grabbed to close to prevent the sun from reaching the vampire. Something dark sat on my front steps, and I frowned, blinked, and did a double take.
A big, black dog with baleful eyes sat on my front steps and guarded my lawn.
Huh. Sane people would worry over having a mean-looking dog on their front step. Me? I drew the curtains, made sure no sunlight could get through, and went to my front door to introduce myself to the puppy capable of ripping my face off if he decided he didn’t like me.
Well, I supposed he could be a she, but until I identified the dogs gender, he was a he, and that was that.
I cracked open the door, and the dog flicked one of its half-flopped ears in my direction. Old scars marred the animal’s nose, and I pegged him as a stray. “Hey, baby.”
The baby woofed at me, and he lifted a paw as though to shake with me.
Okay. I could work with that. If I contracted rabies, I’d go see someone at the CDC and get treatments. I stepped outside, crouched, and put my hand out for the puppy to shake with me. He placed his paw on my palm, and I shook with him. “Good baby. What are you doing out here? The neighbors don’t like strays, so you’re just going to have to come inside and become my pet.”
The dog flicked an ear back, but as he otherwise didn’t show any signs of aggression, I released his paw and held my hand closer to his nose so he could sniff. He did, and when that went well, I scratched behind his ears and praised him for being a good boy.
Then I opened the door to see if I could lure my new pet inside.
My new pet did not seem inclined to enter my house.
“It’s nicer in the house, and I’ll give you a nice bath, clean your fur, and transform you into a prince.”
“What are you doing, Anwen?” Gordon asked.
“There’s a puppy on the steps. I’m trying to adopt him. He looks like an older dog, and he could use a few good meals. The assholes down the street shoot strays.”
“How uncouth.”
“You stole that from Eoghan, didn’t you?”
“It seems I have. This dog is friendly?”
“He offered his paw to shake, and he let me pet him. He could use a bath. He’s a little dirty.” By a little, on second look, I really meant a lot. “I’ve never had a dog before. I couldn’t afford one, and I promised I’d never get an animal I couldn’t afford. It’s not fair to the dog. But I love dogs, Gordon.”
“Could the dog not be someone’s pet?”
I didn’t like the idea of my new dog being someone’s pet. “I’ve never seen him around town before.”
“Why don’t you bring him in, give him a bath, and then start looking around to see if someone from a nearby town lost their dog. That’s the polite thing to do.”
