The girl’s eager eyes stayed on Mick. It was obvious what she had on her mind.
“Can I pet the dog yet?”
“Maddie, why don’t we let the nice man have a chance to come over and sit before you ask him that, OK?”
“Al-right.”
“I like the enthusiasm,” I said to the girl—Maddie—as I passed by her with Mick and headed onto the front lawn of my new neighbor’s home.
Mick and I went up the stairs, the blonde woman waiting for us at the top.
“My name’s Brittany,” she said, sticking out her hand.
“Auntie Britt!” Maddie said, as if correcting her.
“Also known as Auntie Britt.”
I took her hand and gave it a polite shake.
“My name’s Valentino. Pleasure to meet you.”
I glanced down at Maddie, her eyes still locked onto Mick. I could sense that there was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to give my pup the petting of a lifetime.
“And Doctor Dolittle’s name here is Madeline.”
“People call me Maddie,” the girl said, offering her tiny hand for me to take. As I gave her a gentle shake, I found myself struck once again by her features.
“Can I please pet the dog now?” she asked, her brown eyes wide and pleading.
“Sure, if it’s alright with Auntie Britt here.” I glanced up at Brittany.
“Fine with me. But be nice, OK?”
“OK!”
I nodded and smiled. Maddie’s excitement about petting Mick was downright adorable.
“His name’s Mick,” I said as Maddie hurried over and began eagerly petting him.
“He’s so pretty,” she said, looking into his eyes. “And so fluffy!”
“He’s called an Australian Shepherd. They were bred down in Australia for moving sheep around. What’s really funny is that when you play with him, sometimes he’ll pretend you’re a sheep and try to lead you places.”
Maddie laughed, loving this bit of information. “That’s funny.”
I turned my attention back to Britt, giving Maddie the chance to get to know my buddy. Britt looked at me strangely, as if trying to figure something out.
“Sorry,” she said. “Maddie’s mom, the homeowner and woman you’re looking to meet …she was planning on introducing herself to you. But…” she paused, and I got the sense she was trying to think of a way to cover for her friend. “But she wanted to freshen up a little first. Been moving stuff all day, you know?”
“I totally understand. Normally, I’d have waited a day or two to settle in before coming over like this. But a day or two has a way of becoming a week or two, then a month or two, and before you know it you’ve been living next to someone for a year and still don’t know their name.”
I glanced down, remembering the bottle of wine in my hands. I offered it to Britt and said, “A little housewarming present.”
She took the bottle, glancing at the label.
“Oh, nice. Cab’s my favorite. I might even sneak off with it myself.” She let out a laugh at her joke, and I could detect a trace of nervousness to it.
Something was up. While I didn’t want to pry, I had to admit that I was very curious about what was going on. Maddie was still in the process of getting to know Mick, already telling him what a good boy he was while petting him all over.
