Page 45 of Sunny Skies Ahead
I was not a dog person. Everyone in my squad had joked it was my biggest red flag. Connor and Lucas knew this, but evidently I’d forgotten to tell Imogen this key piece of information somewhere along the way, because she continued to approach me with the feral ball of matted fur.
“We need to take him to the vet,” Imogen said.
“What?” I said, blinking slowly, as if that would help me comprehend what was happening. “Imogen, we don’t know anything about this dog. Please put him down.”
“We are not abandoning this dog in the woods, Kameron Miller. He’s scared and lost, and he needs help. Now let’s go.”
I groaned inwardly. My crush was growing. I didn’t know how it was possible to have so much respect for someone who cared so deeply about everything—including animals—and also be frustrated by her sheer lack of self preservation.
“His owners could be out looking for him right now,” I exclaimed, knowing I was fighting a losing battle. The Winding Road acreage extended several miles back from this spot, and if this dog had managed to get here even while injured, there’s a good chance he’d been dumped near the property line. I doubted anyone was coming back for him.
I could practically see the bond forming between Imogen and the dog. Imogen scowled and turned her back towards me, adjusting her camera strap so she could cuddle the dog closer to her chest.
“Don’t listen to him,” Imogen practically cooed as she continued to check the dog over for injuries as we walked. “He’s a grumpy old man.”
“I’m not a fan of picking up random dogs we found in the freaking woods!”
Imogen just shook her head and kept walking towards the vehicles.
One very expensive trip to the emergency vet later, I was sitting at my kitchen table trying to figure out how my day had gone this far off the rails.
“What’s got you all mopey?” Connor said.
“We have a dog now,” I said, taking a swig of my non-alcoholic beer.
“A dog?” Lucas and Connor said in unison.
At that moment, Imogen returned from taking The Dog outside to pee in the backyard. Imogen squealed with glee as The Dog made a beeline straight for Connor and Lucas, and promptly set about sniffing the two of them like he worked for TSA.
“Oh my God,” Connor murmured at the same time as Lucas said, “Oh, you mean a real dog?”
“Yes,” Imogen said, still beside herself with joy. “And we need your help naming him.”
“For the record, I voted against keeping the dog.”
At that moment, Abbie appeared, carrying a tray covered in tin foil. She let out a gasp of sheer delight when she saw that said dog was nuzzling Imogen’s leg. She immediately thrust the pan into Connor’s hands before yelling, “You got a dog?”
Abbie leaned down to let him sniff her fingers, and he promptly decided she was a safe bet as well, rolling over so both women could give him belly rubs. Imogen’s giggle did something to me, and I squashed it before I exposed my crush for what it was in front of all my friends.
“He’s cute though,” Lucas said, sitting on the floor in front of the couch, eagerly patting his thighs. The dog didn’t so much as look in his direction. “Does he have a name?”
“Not yet,” I muttered. “I wrote Dog on the vet paperwork.”
“Very original,” Lucas replied.
“I vote we name him Chesty,” Connor said.
Abbie and Imogen both groaned.
“We are not naming the dog Chesty,” Abbie said sternly.
“Why not?” Connor said, affronted. “You’re telling me you found that dog in the woods, injured, and he pulled through? Chesty is a perfect name.”
“Hell no,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “You infantry guys name everything after Chesty Puller. Get a new bit. We already have a horse named Chesty, for God’s sake.”
Connor and I both launched into explanations of why Lucas was categorically incorrect, that Chesty Puller was indeed the most legendary Marine to ever serve, and that he held patron saint status among infantrymen for a reason. Lucas covered his ears and shook his head. At that moment, the dog jumped up and began sprinting around the room.
I groaned, knocking my head into the back of my chair.
