Page 52 of Suck My Puck

I wanted more. I wanted to pull her on top of me and kiss her breathless. And I would have if we hadn’t heard that crying sound and found this stray puppy.

I gaze down at Bella cuddling the puppy, whose face is wet from drinking water. I grab a paper towel and bend down to clean her up.

“Do you think we should call a vet?” Bella asks.

“Most offices are probably closed since it’s the middle of the night.”

“Right.” Bella stands up, grabs another small handful of dog food from the bag, and pours it into the dish. The dog chows down once again.

“Oh my gosh, look!” Bella squeals softly, pointing at the dog’s wagging tail. “That must mean she’s getting comfortable being around us.”

I smile. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

I stand up and toss the paper towel in the trash. “In the morning, we can run her to the vet and see if she’s chipped. Then we can try and find her owner.”

Bella stands up and looks at her hands. “She’s pretty dirty.” She holds up her palms to me, which are covered in dirt. “We should give her a bath.”

“Well, shit,” I say to myself before I let out an exhausted laugh.

I look around my bathroom. The entire floor is covered in water.

I glance into the tub, where this adorable floppy-eared dog is sitting, aiming those big brown eyes up at me. She looks so innocent after the mess she made.

“Oh, don’t even try it with those puppy dog eyes.”

Her tongue hangs out of the side of her mouth as she gazes up at me, tail wagging and splashing around in the little bit of water left in the tub after draining it.

I sigh and smile, then lean down and pet her. “Okay. You’re forgiven.”

Bathing this dog was a disaster. I didn’t think it would be. She’s maybe twenty pounds.

But the second we dropped her into the tub full of water, she hopped out, a trail of water dragging behind her. She slid around the bathroom floor, splashing even more water around, before darting down the hall. I ran after her and scooped her up, then put her in the tub again.

She stayed put this time, long enough for Bella and me to soap her up. But when I turned around to grab a towel, she hopped out of the tub yet again, dumping even more water onto the floor.

So after getting her into the tub yet again, Bella held her while I rinsed her. At least the puppy is clean now, but my hallway bathroom is a mess. Every towel I own is on the floor, soaked through, just like the T-shirt I’m wearing. I glance down at myself. Even my jeans are wet.

Bella left to grab some towels from her place to help me clean up.

A minute later, Bella walks in. I notice the puppy wags her tail, clearly thrilled to see her new favorite person.

Bella chuckles before setting the stack of towels on the counter. She grabs one and scoops up the dog, sets her on the counter, then gently dries her.

I sit on the edge of the tub and let out a breath. “We should open up a dog grooming business together.”

She bursts out laughing. “We’d make a killing.”

I stand up and grab some towels and dry up the floor. When Bella finishes with the dog, she turns to me. “We should name her.”

“No way. That’s rule number one of finding a lost pet. Never name them. You’ll get attached. And it makes it harder to give them back when you find the owner.”

Bella sticks out her bottom lip in a pouty face. “Oh, come on. Just a temporary name. I don’t like calling her ‘the dog.’ It’s so impersonal.”

I huff out a breath. “Fine. What should her temporary name be?”

Bella scratches behind the dog’s ears. The dog slowly blinks, clearly relaxed. Bella kisses the top of her head. “Maizie.”

I step over to pet her. “That’s pretty damn adorable.”

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