Page 28 of Baby Duke

I bend and give him a big cuddle, instantly regretting it when I am smothered in wet dog.

"Captain Floof, it is!" I announce.

We walk to the side of the house where I am pretty sure Katie said the mudroom was located. Sure enough, I find the sliding glass door that leads to a small room decorated in tiles ranging from deep gold to dark brown. Captain Floof strolls past me as I slide the door closed, instant warmth caressing my skin as the wind and rain are blocked out. A shoe rack sits to the left as I walk in, a large indoor plant sitting beside it. I kick off my shoes, leaving them on the floor because I just cannot be fucked right now, bending down just to lift them another thirty centimeters to the rack. Captain Floof sits patiently by an open-style cupboard that contains bundles of towels.

"Let's get you toweled off, hmm?"

Captain Floof groans and huffs in a pleased tone as I scrub him off with a towel. He still reeks, though; I will have to get him into the tub with some nice bath oils. I frown, thinking of how the hell I would dry him afterward. A towel is all well for the mild splattering we got from the rain, but a fully soaked and submerged dog with the length and volume of fur Captain Floof had? That I would not enjoy.

A knock on the door to the house sounded and a tentative Mrs. Deeptol, Katie's housekeeper, whom I had briefly met yesterday, opens the door a crack and peeps through. She is a middle-aged woman with a rounded figure and greying hair. Her husband, Mr. Deeptol, is the groundsman of the estate. Katie has them housed in a gorgeous little granny flat not far from the main house.

"Good evening, Miss Ro- oh!" she squeaks in fright when she spots Captain Floof.

"He's friendly!" I say, petting the dog on his big head. "Mrs. Deeptol, meet Captain Floof!"

Mrs. Deeptol looks skeptically at the dog before taking a deep breath and facing me again.

She clears her throat. "Miss Katie left on a business trip this afternoon but should be back tomorrow evening."

I frown. "Oh. She didn't mention…" I break off. I had grown fond of my aunt over the few days I'd been here, but I didn't appreciate secrets.

Seemingly sensing where my thoughts had taken me, Mrs. Deeptol quickly elaborates, "It was an extremely last-minute decision. The Elder Dukes…"

I snort. The Dukes strike again.

"I get it. It's fine, Mrs. Deeptol. Thank you for informing me."

Captain Floof lets out a sigh and collapses to the floor in a mountain of fluff.

Eyeing the dog, Mrs. Deeptol continues, "Miss Katie gave me leave to finish early today. I have prepared a selection of meals in the fridge for dinner and a bowl of chocolate chip mousse as well."

"Thank you, that sounds fantastic! Truly," I say, already drooling over the mention of dessert. Maybe I could skip dinner…

Mrs. Deeptol lingered a moment, so I gave her an encouraging smile to get on with it. The damp clothes I wore were seeping into my skin, and I was freezing my fucking tits off.

"There's a bathroom through the door to the left," she tilts her head towards it. "The tub should be a sufficient size for… Captain Floof."

"Thanks, Mrs. D!" I grin, meaning it. "You go and enjoy your evening off with Mr. D."

Is that a blush I spy on her cheeks as she smiles goodbye?

The door clicks shut, and I look down at Captain Floof, who glances back at me with his beautiful browns opened wide. So fricking' cute!

"Alright then, Captain Floof! Let's get you a bath going!"

The bathroom was spacious and matched the calming tones of the mudroom, with a huge cream-colored bathtub sitting in one corner, a toilet, shower cubicle, and vanity and sink combo to match. Captain Floof climbed into the tub as soon as I had the plug in and water going.

"Not your first rodeo, huh?" I say, amused. Searching through the cabinets, I find some bath oils: rose, lemon, lavender. I decide on a mild cedarwood, only using a touch in the water so as not to overload the dogs' heightened senses.

Once the bath is almost filled to the brim (because, I mean, this freaking dog is huge!) I get to work, running my hands through his thick fur. He is well cared for. That much is obvious by the well-fed bulk of him and the fur that is free of knots and reasonably clean, dirt and mud from our run aside. As I scrub up towards his ears. I find a collar hidden beneath the mass. I maneuver it around until I have found the buckle and undo it.

'CHAOS' is written in bold letters on one side of the dog bone-shaped tag. I flip it over and find the owner's number.

"I guess we should get you home after your bath, huh?" I ask, disappointment a heavy weight in my guts.

Captain Floof huffs and shakes his boofy head. I may be reading too much into this because who the hell cares that he was shaking the water from his ears, but I believe he was answering my question with a firmno.

I smile, "hell yeah, Captain Floof! We are having a slumber party!"

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