Page 64 of Leashed

The man smirked. “He’ll be by shortly.”

“What about your dog?”

His eyes darkened slightly. “I’m not so sure he’s mine.”

And he walked out, leaving her alone with the enormous drunk animal.

*

Sage approached theliving room cautiously, her hand extended to give the dog time to scent her.

Or size her up to eat.

Shaking off the thought, she steadied her breathing and inched closer. “It’s okay, boy. Your owner will be back soon. I hope.” The dog shrunk away from her, pushing himself tight to the recliner. Risking the loss of her hand, she hooked the dog bowl with her finger and slid it over. “I’m going to put some water in here for you, okay?”

She backed out of the room and set the bowl in the sink, dumping the wine and giving it a good rinse before she filled it with cold water. Pulling her phone from her back pocket, she tapped on Bo’s number and listened as it rang, frowning when a faint buzzing came from another room. Following the sound, she opened the door to his bedroom and flicked on the lights, scanning the mess for the sound until she spotted his phone among a pile of clothes on the floor. Ending the call, she picked up his phone and went back to the kitchen for the water.

“He couldn’t be much longer,” she mused, stretching her arm as far as she could to push the water to the dog. “No one goes out without their phone, right?”

She sat back on the sofa as the animal struggled to his feet and lowered his head to the bowl. Setting both phones on the coffee table, she drew her legs up under her and rested her head on a throw pillow. “You’re kind of terrifying, aren’t you? Hmmm?”

The rhythmic lapping stopped and the dog looked up at her with eyes the same dichromatic colors Bo had.

Cool.

They stayed in a silent standoff for a few minutes until Sage slowly extended her hand toward him. “Come here, boy. No biting, okay?”

He hesitated before creeping unsteadily forward and nuzzling her fingers. She counted her breaths in and out to calm her heart rate as he drew closer, his immense size more pronounced when he stood in front of her. She drew her hand back, her nerves finally getting the better of her as the dog lay his head on her legs.

And began snoring.

She looked over the beast at her phone sitting nicely beside Bo’s, well out of reach with the drunk dog passed out on her lap. Lolling her head back, she inched her fingers to the animal’s ears and played with them absently while she waited for Bo to come home.

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