Page 44 of The Love Dose
I scoop up the little pup, place it under my coat and hurry back inside.
Caroline is waiting with a blanket. “Oh wow. The poor thing,” she says, swaddling the trembling pup. “Do you recognize him?”
I shake my head. “No tags. Could belong to a neighbor. He must have been hiding under the house when the snow started. It’s a miracle he’s alive.”
I say, “We need to scan him for a chip.”
“Sure it’s a he?”
I turn him over. “Yup, a he.”
“He looks like a Labrador Retriever.”
I find my phone on the sofa, ready to call the nearest vet, then remember there’s no service.
Caroline sits on the floor next to the fireplace and sets the pup in her lap. He’s still shaking.
I go to the kitchen and fill a bowl with water, then find a pack of cheese Aunt Pearl put in the fridge. I cut up a slice of mozzarella into small pieces and bring them and the water to the living room. The pup gobbles up the cheese in an instant and I go to get more. By the time I’m back, the pup’s tail is wagging and he's happily slurping the water.
I shake my head in amazement. “That’s one resilient doggie.”
Caroline gets a funny look on her face. “Resilient.” She pauses. “Until we find his owner, how about we call him Rezy?”
“Love it.”
I sit on the floor next to the pair and pull the throw off the sofa, wrapping all of us beneath it. Caroline cuddles close. The record is playing,Can't Take My Eyes Off You.It's the cover I did of the Four Seasons ballad, a very long time ago. It’s the last track but I’m not getting up to flip the record because Caroline and Rezy are dozing off. And never in my life have I been this comfortable in my own home.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Caroline
My eyes flutter open to the sound of crackling tinder. We’re still on the floor, the embers dying out. Rezy is on my lap, Calvin under the throw beside me, his eyes are closed, his breath coming evenly. He looks so peaceful and painfully handsome.
A shiver runs through me and I worry the dog is cold again. I carefully slip out, toss a couple of logs into the dying fire and it quickly comes back to life. When I turn back, Calvin is watching me, a tired smile on his lips.
“Why did you buy this place?” I ask, softly, hoping Rezy doesn’t wake as well. “It’s pretty big for one man.” I know how I sound given that I live alone in an apartment that could easily house ten.
Calvin gently strokes Rezy’s fur. The pup is knocked out. Getting stuck in a blizzard can have that effect.
“My parents lived a few miles away. When this house came up for sale, I figured it’d be the ideal retreat from the city. But as it happens, I hardly ever get away.”
“Sounds like Aunt Pearl isn’t too happy about that.”
“Understatement.”
“What about your folks?” I ask.
He shakes his head, his eyes downcast. “It’s just my dad now. Mom passed on a few years ago.”
“Bobby burgers.”
He nods.
How did I not know about his mom? “I’m sorry.” And ashamed.
All the time I’ve known Calvin he’s been taking care of me in one way or another. He knows my sob stories and my medical status. But what do I really know about him?
Other than he's kind, generous, an outstanding doctor. And with the flickering shadows of the flames on his face, much more handsome than I ever realized.
