Page 91 of Right Number, Wrong Man
“Then a coyote! A bobcat! A snake! Bigfoot’s smaller, but no less dangerous cousin, Littlefoot! Take your pick, smartass!” she hisses.
A high-pitched snarl comes from the thicket, and Hailey yelps. I laugh, taking a spare sandwich from the basket to rip off a piece of steak without sauce. Waving the meat at the bush, I click my tongue. “C’mon… We ain’t gonna hurt you.”
Hailey’s eyes widen. “Don’t lure it out, you stubborn idiot! Make it goawa?—”
Tail tucked between its legs, a short-haired, brown and white Chihuahua emerges from the bushes. Its head cocks as it looks at the meat and its lips pull back in a rather unconvincing growl, baring teeth the size of rice grains.
Wild animal my ass.
“Oh my God, what a sweet baby!” Hailey whisper-squeals, her fear forgotten. “Looks like a girl from here.”
The dog’s pink and black nose twitches and she skulks closer, licking her lips. She seems used to being around people, but I bet fending for herself in the dangerous woods made her skittish.
Side-eyeing me, the dog plucks the steak piece from my fingers and swallows it, no chewing. She must be starving. I tear off more and drop it on the blanket. While she’s busy with her snack, I scan her body for injuries.
Tension falls from my shoulders. She seems unharmed.
“Well, you got the appetite of a Doberman, huh?” I tease and rip up more meat. “Here you go…”
Her tail wags hesitantly and she comes over. Pressing her cold nose into my palm, she takes the steak shreds one by one, eating slower now. When she’s done, she licks my hand. My fingers graze her tiny head and she ducks, but when I scratch behind her ear she lets out a happy sigh. My heart swells.
“You’re a dog whisperer,” Hailey says and scooches closer.
“Most humans are afraid of me, but I get along easily with animals. They don’t judge me by my glacial stare or imposing looks.”
A flicker of something akin to sadness crosses Hailey’s face, her eyes locked on mine. Then they drop to the dog. “No collar, but she’s in decent shape. She could use a bath, though.”
“Some asshole must’ve abandoned her recently. If I caught ‘em doing it, I would’ve enjoyed some target practice with their head,” I grit out, rage making my voice quiver.
Hailey shakes her fist. “People who leave their pets like this are the worst. She could have died out here!”
My throat locks up when I consider what this poor little dog has been through. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be so tiny and alone in such a big, cruel world.
Gently, I push my hand under the dog’s belly and she stiffens, her ears dropping, but she allows me to lift her. It’s ridiculous how light she is, almost like she weighs nothing at all. I hold her to my chest and as if she understands that she’s safe, she leans her head against me and yawns.
“I’ll call you Gracie,” I whisper.
Hailey sputters. “What—why Gracie?”
“Cause she reminds me of a special someone who’s also on the short side and a little stubborn, has a lot of bite and never backs down. But she’s hella sweet when you get to know her.” I wink. “And a treat always puts her in a better mood.”
Her head tilts, pink scrawling across her cheeks. “You’re naming her aftermy middle name?”
“Unless you don’t want me to! Then I could?—”
“No, I like it! I just—I didn’t think you-you…” She trails off into a breathless laugh. “So, you’re keeping Gracie?”
“Hell yeah I am!”
“What about when you go back to the military?”
My breath catches as I hold her gaze and then I speak words I never thought I would. “I’m not sure if I wanna leave again. There’s something here for me now. Somebody who needs me.”
Hailey’s fingers fan across her breastbone and her mouth falls open. I can’t tell her that I ain’t just talking about Gracie. Our new beginning has given me more hope than I’ve ever had before and I’m not sure what it means for us, but I want to see where we’ll go from here.
For the first time, it doesn’t feel like I have to run. I have a reason to stay. Two reasons. The woman I love and the cutest dog I’ve ever seen.
Gracie interrupts the silence with a lazy yip and we laugh.
