Page 27 of Scatter the Bones

A low grunt to my left is my only warning before a big ball of fur and drool smears a wet, cold nose on my cheek.

“Chewy! No!” a woman shouts.

Hot breath blasts over me and I turn to face a grinning big, fluffy, gray and white dog. “Hello to you too.”

He pants harder.Huh. Huh. Huh.

Since he doesn’t seem like he’s going to rip my hand off, I reach over and scratch behind his ear, searching for a collar but just finding more layers of fur. “I assume you belong to the woman frantically running over the sand?”

Huh. Huh. Huh.

“You must be well-cared for. You don’t stink as much as you look like you would.” Unbothered by the back-handed compliment, he closes his eyes, leans into my petting and lets his tongue hang out.

“I’m so sorry,” the breathless woman says as she approaches. “Did he bother you?”

“Nope. He’s been very polite.”

“Polite my ass.” She holds up a leash and collar. “He’s an escape artist. Sorry. He’s a rescue. I’ve only had him for a few days.”

I’m really not in the mood for conversation but Chewy doesn’t seem to give a fuck about my need for solitude. The big, fluffy beast stretches out in the sand next to me and rests his chin on my leg.

“Oh my gawwwd,” the woman whispers, staring down at me with an open mouth. “The rescue told me he doesn’t like men.”She lowers her voice as if she doesn’t want to offend the pooch. “They think he was abused by a man.”

I run my hand over the dog’s head. “Is that your story, boy?”

“I’m Jenna.” The woman wiggles her fingers at me.

I squint up at her flushed face, hair swept up in a bouncy ponytail, sweatshirt and leggings. “Hi, Jenna.”

She doesn’t need to know my name.

Jenna frowns when I don’t introduce myself. “Is that your bike up there? The Harley?”

Knowing I’d probably end up traveling through another club’s territory at some point, I’d stopped home to leave my cut and grab a plain riding jacket and hoodie. Apparently, the jacket still gives me away.

“You ride?” I ask.

She lifts one shoulder and tucks her chin like she’s suddenly shy. “Only on the back.”

Are you shitting me?I may be avoiding Margot because I can’t figure out how to tell her what a piece of shit I am, but I didn’t ride all the way up here to fall dick first into the first woman I run into.

“That’s my girlfriend’s spot,” I say, even though I know Margot has no intention of ever sitting there.

She flashes an awkward smile. “Oh. Lucky girl.”

Not really.I nod and shrug.

“Come on, Chewy.” Jenna dangles the leash at him.

He side-eyes her but doesn’t lift his head from my leg.

“He really seems to like you. Do you have a dog?” Jenna asks.

“No, my girlfriend has a cat.” I wave my hand over Chewy’s head. “With a similar personality, actually.”

She laughs and I hold my hand out for the collar. She hands it to me, and I gently slide it around the dog’s neck and buckle it a notch tighter than it had been. “Sorry, bud. Can’t come with me. I don’t have room for a passenger.”

Chewy slides a look of betrayal my way, then jumps up and trots to his owner’s side.

---