Page 21 of Pretty Wild
“No, it’s an elephant,” I tease as they all turn their attention to the animal at my side. “Meet Buddy.”
“Cool, can I pet him?” Brody asks, dropping to his knees in front of me.
“Sure. He’s a little skittish though, so don’t be offended if he keeps back a little bit.”
I watch as Buddy sniffs the air around Brody, who holds his hand up. “I won’t hurt you, Buddy. Come ’ere,” Brody says gently, coaxing the dog toward him. As soon as Buddy reaches him, Brody starts petting his head and scratching behind his ears.
“Good boy,” I tell the dog, trying to make sure I give him plenty of accolades to keep his spirits up.
“So…the special guest. Want me to introduce you?” Gavin asks, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“She’s my renter,” I mutter, holding up the bag. “I brought cookies. Figured I’d miss the main course, so I brought dessert.”
“I think Ellie just put out a cake and some of that strawberry fluff dessert she likes to make,” Gabe chimes in.
“And there’s plenty of food left. The fridge stuff is in the cooler, but the roaster on the table has chicken wings, brats, and burgers left,” Logan tells me.
“Great. I’ll run and make a plate and be back. Brody, you okay to watch Buddy for me?”
“Of course,” he replies, taking the leash.
“Drinks are in the cooler by the porch,” Logan hollers as I start to walk away.
I walk straight to the food table and place the plastic containers of cookies beside the cake. A moment later, Hallie is there, holding her and Logan’s sleeping daughter in her arms. “Hey, I’m so glad you could come. Let me get out the cold stuff,” she says, carefully reaching down and opening the cooler.
“I’ll get it, Hal. Don’t you disrupt that sleeping princess,” I whisper, bending down and placing a kiss on the top of Makenzie’s little head.
“Are those cookies?” she asks, leaning over toward the four containers.
“They are. Picked ’em up just as Jillian was closing. Chocolate chunk, snickerdoodle, peanut butter chocolate, and lemon blueberry.”
Hallie gasps. “G’me,” she insists, reaching for the first container.
I help open all four so she can grab one of each before shoving the top one into her mouth. “Do you need my help?” she mumbles with her mouth full.
I can’t help but chuckle. “I’m good, Hal. Go sit and visit with your friends.”
“Thanks,” she replies, still chewing, and heads over to where the ladies sit around the fire. My eyes connect with Ryan’s brownones, and it feels…charged. She’s watching me warily, but I can’t deny the intensity I feel, like I’m trapped in her gaze.
I force myself to return my attention to the food. I’m a meat guy, so I load my plate up with a few wings, a brat, and a burger. I squirt a healthy blob of mustard on the two buns and grab a handful of barbecue potato chips. Heading over to the cooler, I retrieve a bottle of water. Since I could be called out for a tow, I don’t want to drink.
Waving at all the women sitting around the fire, I return to the area where the guys are throwing bags. “So, what made you decide to get a dog?” Gabe asks, taking a drink from his beer bottle.
I can’t help but notice how Buddy is sitting directly in front of me now, watching my plate of food. “Well, he found me, I think. I went for a walk last night in the timber and heard a whimper. Buddy was cowering behind a tree.”
“He’s awfully skinny,” Gabe notices. He may not be a vet, but you can’t take the doctor out of the man.
“He definitely is. We went to one of those big chain pet supply stores in Hudson, and they tried to scan him. He’s not chipped. Since I can’t get in to a vet until Tuesday, I figured I’d go ahead and look after him.”
TD kneels down and pets him on the back. “He looks to be in decent shape, despite a little malnourished.”
“That’s what the guys said at the pet store. They were doing a vaccine clinic, and the vet there checked him over. Went ahead and gave him a rabies, distemper, and parvo shot, saying it won’t hurt him if he’s already had them at some point in his life. She thinks he’s about a year, year and a half old and is well-behaved. She helped me pick out some food and other supplies for the time being.”
“You gonna keep him? I haven’t seen a lost dog poster around town,” Logan says.
“I don’t know. My schedule is crazy busy. Not really fair for a dog, you know?” I look down and find Buddy’s sad eyes on me. It’s as if he knows I’m considering not keeping him.
“He’s so well-behaved though. How’d he do riding in the truck?” TD asks.
