Page 50 of Beautiful Life
Lanny laughs and slaps me on the back. “Whatever. Congratulations, Daddy. You got yourself a new puppy.”
I shake my head and look back to Leigh. “A Golden-fucking-Doodle. I hate you, Lanny.”
“How can you hate me when your woman looks like that?” he asks.
He should know. He’s been married to my sister almost ten years. They just had their third kid and he’s as whipped as he was the day Sophia brought him home to meet my parents.
“Can we at least change his name?” I ask.
“You could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It can take a couple months for dogs to learn a new name. It’s not a nice thing to do to the dog if you don’t have to.”
“But, his name is Finland,” I bite. Looking back to him, I go on, “You got me a Golden Doodle named Finland. I hate you and I mean it.”
“Good boy Finny! Get the ball!” Leigh yells from the yard.
“Finny? Fuck me, it gets worse.”
“Man, don’t talk that way around my kids, your sister’ll have your balls.” Lanny starts walking out into the yard toward my nephews, my woman, and my new dog that from the sounds of it, Leigh has nicknamed Finny.
I’m not calling him Finland. And I’m definitely not calling him Finny.
Fin will have to do.
I move my legs to my damn designer dog with his silly ass name. His only saving grace is he’s already big and he’ll get bigger. Shit, Jude is stuck with Gabby’s small, silly-ass designer dog. It could be worse.
But I look at Leigh again, who’s nothing but happy at the moment and I can’t help but smile. I guess I shouldn’t complain about Fin if he’s gonna move my master plan along faster.
Leigh smiles big as soon as she sees me approach. “Are you going to take him?”
She’s still sitting on the ground but now the dog is on his back with his head lying across her lap and she’s scratching his belly. He looks like he’s in Golden Doodle Heaven, which I understand since I felt that way last night and this morning when Leigh had her hands on me.
“Do you like him?” I ask, standing over her.
She tips her head to the side, telling me she’s totally on to my master plan. “Tony.”
I bend to squat down next to them and scratch the dog’s ears but don’t take my eyes off of her. “Gem, do you like him?”
She lets out a sigh as she shakes her head. “What’s not to like? He’s perfect.”
“Then, yeah. I’m takin’ him.”
I barely get a chance to see the perfect happy smile creep over her face before I’m tackled from the side by my six and four-year-old nephews.
“Uncle Tony!” they both scream and before I know it I’m on the ground. I hear the dog bark and jump in to join the fun.
“That’s it,” I yell and roll to my side before they can escape. I grab them by their waists and stand picking them both up, one under each arm. “Who wants to go shopping for dog stuff?”
“Me!” Cayden yells.
“I do!” Noah yells louder.
“Go tell your mom. We’ll bring you home after.” I set them down to run in the house. I put a hand out for Leigh to pull her up off the ground and into my arms to kiss her. “After we go shopping, I’m taking you home with me.”
“But I haven’t slept in my apartment yet.”
I sigh. Here we go again, back to two beds.
“Fine,” I say. “After shopping, we’ll go to your apartment. But tomorrow, I want you in my bed.”
