Page 6 of Summer with a Single Dad

Madison’s face whizzed past me like the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I admitted to myself that I hadn’t forgotten about her at all.

Chapter Five

Chris

“One more hour, Lucifer,” I said to the bane of my existence, curled up on the front seat of my truck.

Lucifer’s huge brown eyes latched onto mine before the whack-whack-whack of his tail-of-terror started thrashing against the cushion.

His real name was Luke, and he was technically my son’s dog. But I referred to him like the devil he was when Hudson wasn’t around. Roger Wheaton, one of my friends back home and a highly sought-after breeder of golden retrievers, gave Hudson a puppy for his eighth birthday. While I thought it better to adopt, when Hudson met the puppies and I saw the look on his face, I couldn’t say no.

Lucifer wasn’t so much a gift as he was a royal pain in my ass.

Supposedly, Lucifer was the runt of the litter. Now that he was eight months old, I couldn’t imagine how big the other puppies were.They must be massive, I thought. Stealing another look at Lucifer’s head and paws, I thanked my lucky stars that we got the runt.

As if reading my thoughts, Lucifer stretched out one of his massive paws and settled it on my leg.

Since Hudson was spending the next month with his grandparents back home, I was the lucky one tasked with taking care of the devil-child.

I sighed and rubbed his head.

Shouldn’t have done that, I thought when Lucifer took it as a sign that I wanted him to crawl into my lap.

A pushing and shoving match ensued as he nudged my arm with his fat head, and I responded by elbowing him away. “Damn it, Lucifer. This isn’t a game. Sit down. Lay down.” I snapped and pointed at the passenger seat.

Three barks of pleasure resounded in the small space. Delighted tail waggling followed as his long tongue hung out of his mouth.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” I said, trying to push him down to a lying position. “Plus, Hudson would miss you.”

That lasted ten seconds. Lucifer rose, sat on his haunches, and looked out the front window like he was a person instead of a dog. He looked like a legitimate passenger sitting next to me.

I clipped his leash to his collar. “Stay,” I commanded. “Be good.”

No sooner had I said the words than he clawed at the passenger window, leaving long scratches etched into the leather panel just beneath the glass.

“For fuck’s sake!” I yelled, yanking him back to secure the loop of his leash with my seatbelt.

Lucifer looked back at me, barked once, and laid his oversized paw on the door panel.

The window lowered automatically, and he barked again as if saying, “Look at me, Dad. I can do it all by myself.” Thinking of Hudson, I chuckled. I tugged on his leash again, pulled him off the buttons, and raised the window a little higher. Thank goodness I had the forethought to secure his leash. Just my luck, the idiot would try and jump out.

“You can make it another hour, can’t you, buddy?” I asked.

Lucifer cocked his head, his huge pink tongue dangling out of his mouth.

A glance at the clock told me we’d be lucky to make it to Love Beach in under nine hours. I scrubbed my free hand over my face. Driving this long was wearing on me.

It should have only taken seven hours to drive to Love Beach, but it took an extra hour and a half because I had to stop every hundred miles and let Lucifer out. Knowing him, he’d have an accident in the car, and I didn’t want to take the chance. I could deal with pee, but all the horror stories I read about dogs getting diarrhea on the road made me more paranoid than I already was. Lucifer had never ridden in the car for extended periods of time, and I didn’t know how he would do on a long road trip.

I turned the radio up and drove with Lucifer happily hanging his head out the window. Now that he was preoccupied with the wind in his face, I didn’t have to worry so much.

We were coasting down the main strip of Love Beach an hour later. Sophisticated hotels stood like sentries, their windows glistening like diamonds under the tropical sunlight. Hundreds of boats and countless jet skis bobbed and skidded along the sparkling waters.

Lucifer and I looked out at the ocean when we stopped behind a line of cars at a red light. I had to hold his tail in my hand to keep it from whipping me in the face. A group of surfers paddled out as another group rode the waves. I breathed in the salty sea air and watched the seagulls fly overhead in the distance. Throngs of people—locals and tourists alike—strolled along the sea wall happily enjoying the sunshine and perfect weather.

I had to tighten my hold on Lucifer when we passed a park full of people—and dogs. “We’ll go there tomorrow,” I promised.

It wasn’t long before we pulled onto our new street.

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