Page 61 of No Bones About It

“Roberta Bondar. Roberta Bondar.”

Garrett grinned at Terese as she laughed. “This is Canuck. He only says the names of Canadian celebrities. I haven’t heard that name before.”

Terese grinned. “I can help with that one. I’m a space nerd. Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman to go to space.”

“This bird knows more than I do some days.”

He heard movement and turned to see Kimi and Aisling coming into the room from the storage room behind her office. Aisling’s dog Willow bounced over to greet Olaf, then him and Terese.

After being introduced to the other vet, they chatted for a few minutes, and then Aisling patted her lab’s head. “Come on, girl. Time to go.”

Once Aisling had headed off, Terese smiled. “I won’t make you wait and wonder. I’ve got a surprise for you in the SUV. Come on.”

Kimi’s eyes lit with hope, and Garrett tamped down his own in case they were wrong. Kimi grabbed his hand, and he could feel her excitement through the touch.

At the SUV, Terese moved to the back and popped the trunk. He and Kimi shared a glance and then took the final steps to peek into the vehicle.

Kimi squeezed his hand and then leaned into his side. “Astro. You brought us Astro.”

The pittie lifted his head as soon as Kimi spoke. He bounced to his feet, tail wagging and hitting the bars of his kennel.

Kimi reached forward to stroke Astro’s head through the bars. “Hey there, Astro. Welcome to your home.” She glanced at Terese. “We get to keep him, right?”

The naked hope in her eyes had Garrett deciding that he’d do almost anything to make sure Astro stayed. But Terese was already nodding. “You get to keep him.”

Olaf lifted his front legs onto the tailgate and peeked into the SUV as Kimi sat on the edge of the vehicle and unlatched the kennel. Astro walked right into her lap, licking her face.

He and Olaf stared at each other for a long moment, then Astro wagged his tail and yipped. Olaf repeated the actions and wiggled until Garrett lifted him onto the tailgate as well. He kept his hands on him, and Kimi placed her arms around Astro while the two pit bulls checked each other out.

Neither seemed bothered by the other and after a few moments, they both looked to their respective humans as if to say,We’re good. What’s the big deal?

Olaf turned his attention to the back of the SUV and Garrett realized there was a second kennel tucked in behind. “Who’s the other one?”

Kimi looked up, and he watched her smile widen. “Two? We get two?”

Terese laughed. “And this is why I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to see the joy I knew I’d see. If you have the space and time, we’ve got a second little one for you. She’s not from the Mead group. This little lady was dumped at the vet where Astro was staying, and he’s become pretty attached to her.”

Garrett reached in and opened the second kennel. “Hey, little girl. Do you want to come and live with us, too?”

She didn’t recoil from his touch, and in a few seconds, she was nuzzling into his hand. She wasn’t a puppy but a small dog for the breed. Probably the runt of her litter. She walked out of the crate and sat beside Astro, who immediately turned and licked her head.

Not to be outdone, Olaf reached forward and did the same. She took it all in as her due.

Kimi laughed and patted her. “What’s her name?”

Terese pointed at the pattern on her back. “We’ve been calling her Star for a couple of reasons. This section of her fur looks like a starburst. And the name matches with Astro.”

Garrett laughed. “I’m pretty sure Nina, our neighbor who named Astro and Olaf, will approve. Hi Star. Welcome home.” He picked her up, and she snuggled in.

The new dogs weren’t used to freedom, so they leashed them both while they showed Terese around the property and introduced her to the animals.

Olaf alternated between dogging Garrett’s heels and sneaking closer to his two new friends.

The forensic vet smiled the entire time. “This is amazing. You can bet I’m going to be sending more friends your way when I find any who would be a good fit.”

That sounded perfect.

Kimi wanted to share her surprise with Garrett, but she wanted to do it in private for a couple of reasons. First off, she wasn’t sure he’d like it, and if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have to fake it with just her there. Second, if it made him emotional, she didn’t want him to have to hide it.

---