Page 89 of Controlled Burn

“It looks like there’s stuff out there now that needs to be picked. Why don’t you come show me which ones are ready?”

“I could do that if you want to stay put,” Spencer said. “I used to help my grandmother in the garden all the time.”

“That’s a great idea, Spencer,” Caleb said, hopping up.

“You’ll find buckets in the shed if you need them. I don’t know if there’s that much out there yet or not, but it looks like it from here.”

“While y’all do that, I’m going to get myself a glass of tea. Does anyone else want one?” Nash asked.

“I’ll get me some when we’re done. I have no idea how long this is going to take,” Caleb said.

Spencer chuckled and gave Nash a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll have a glass, Daddy.”

“Bring me one, please,” I called over my shoulder, watching the boys head out to the shed to get what they needed.

Nash was gone for longer than I’d expected, and when he came back out, he wasn’t alone. Andy was with him, and he was carrying a small brown puppy.

“Is that—”

“Yep, sure is. Here you go.” He handed me the dog that couldn’t be more than a couple of months old. “What were you doing in that old building, buddy?”

It was a shame he couldn’t tell us what happened in there, because the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that something was wrong.

“Hey, Rabbit,” I called. “Come meet my friend.”

He glanced up from where he and Spencer were picking green beans, and even from here, I could see his eyes light up when he saw the puppy. He said something to Spencer, and they both headed this way.

When they reached us, Caleb took the puppy from my arms. He cuddled the puppy close and kissed him on the head. “We’ve already met, haven’t we? Yes, we have.” I watched as he fussed over the dog. “This little guy kept me company while we waited on news about your condition. He’s absolutely the sweetest thing.”

“He is,” Andy agreed. “I thought maybe I could talk the chief into letting us keep him at the station, but he’s a bit too young for that. The little guy’s underfoot all the time, and he’s afraid he’ll get hurt.”

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Caleb gave him an extra squeeze just at the mention of him getting hurt.

“No, we can’t, and I can’t keep him. My dog, Seph, is a lot. There’s no way I could add a puppy to the mix.” Andy reached over and gave him a scratch. “Even if he is a sweetheart.”

“Oh no. What’s going to happen to him?” Caleb asked. He looked from the puppy to me like I was the one who should have an answer, and of course, I did.

“Do you want to keep him?” I knew the answer before I even asked the question.

“Me? He’s going to be way too big for my apartment.”

“True, but not too big for this backyard.”

His face lit up, and he hugged the puppy tight. “Really, Daddy? I mean, he did try to save you, and he kept me company while I was scared. I figure it’s the least we could do.”

Andy chuckled and reached for the puppy, but Caleb turned to the side so he couldn’t take him like a five-year-old who thought a playmate was going to take his favorite toy.

“I can’t just leave him here with you now, Caleb. You need to go shopping for supplies. I bought him a small bag of puppy food, but other than that—” He shrugged.

“You’re right. We need to go shopping.” He turned a glare toward me. “But not you. You need to stay off that leg. Spencer, want to go to the pet store with me?”

“Sure. Why not?”

Caleb handed the puppy back over to Andy. “Don’t you worry, little one. We’re going to take the best care of you.”

They hurried off, leaving Nash, Andy, and me there with the puppy.

Nash laughed and shook his head. “Those two could be trouble.”

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