Page 10 of Tucker

“It’s okay, girl,” he crooned, inching closer.

The dog didn’t look scared, but she did sidle away again, all the while watching Tucker expectantly.

“Where you going, sweetie?”

She waited.

“Want me to follow?” He did, slowly, crouched low, one hand stretched out.

The dog moved again, and he heard it—whimpering from a bush.

Behind him, a door opened and closed, and then Kady was there, the muddy towels in her hands. “Should I try to catch her?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Her hand touched his forearm. “We can’t leave her.”

“No, we won’t.” He slowly moved forward. “Whatcha got there, girl? You wanna show me something?”

The dog waited until he was close and then burrowed under the bush. Tucker was wondering what to do, how he was going to crawl under there with his injured shoulder, when the dog emerged again, a fat, wiggling, wet ball of fur in her mouth. She set the baby in front of him and went under the bush again.

“Ooooh,” Kady cried softly.

He knelt on the wet ground. The baby couldn’t be more than a day old. It blindly searched for its mama.

“Do you have a box in the van?” Tucker asked. “Something we can put them in?” He had no doubt there were more puppies.

“Yes, I think so. Be right back.” She ran off, her sneakers making slapping sounds on the wet pavement.

The dog brought out another puppy, then two more. Tucker carefully moved them onto the towels, being as gentle as possible. “That’s a good mama,” he praised the worried dog. “Such a good mama.” He carefully stroked her head and she let him, worriedly sniffing the puppies and the towel and watching him,hoping, he knew, that he’d give her some help.

Kady cautiously returned with the box. She’d lined it with her discarded clothes from earlier. “Hey, baby,” she said to the dog, her voice soft and sweet.

The dog scooted closer to Tucker.

“Aww,” Kady whispered. “She likes you.”

“Hopefully she likes you, as well.” He wasn’t sure he could manage that box, damn it, not with his arm already thumping. “Poor thing is soaked through. We need to get her and the pups out of this weather.”

“At least it’s warm.” Kady, too, knelt in the mud and began carefully moving the animals into the box. The worried mama fretted, going back and forth, getting near the box, then darting away.

“Come here, mama.” Tucker slowly drew her closer to him, tucking her against his body with his right arm and standing. At the same time, Kady stood with the box, keeping it where the dog could see her babies.

As they headed back to the van, Tucker ignored the pain in his arm and patted the dog, speaking to her gently. Once inside, Kady closed the van doors and set down the box. The dog wiggled free from his hold, then scampered awkwardly into the box with the whining babies.

“Good girl.” Tucker gave her a little more praise, then said to Kady, “Let’s get them home.”

She tipped her head, smiling at him. “Home to your house?”

“Yeah.” Where else would he take them? No vet or animal shelter would be open at this time of night. “The poor dog has been through enough. She needs a nice dry bed and some rest.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” She headed up to the front of the van, Tucker close behind her. “You’re just the sweetest, Tucker, do you know that? If I wasn’t worried you’d faint, I’d be tempted to kiss you again.”

He stalled, half in, half out of his seat.

She patted his thigh and started the van. “Obviously fainting is a possibility, so relax. I already got the message loud and clear.”

What message? He hadn’t given her a damned message!

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