Page 32 of Hound Dog
And that gene had been passed right down to me.
True, there were worse traits to inherit than a hatred of dust and grime. But whereas everyone else had Spring cleaning once a year, I had it monthly. And when I was anxious, cleaning was my coping strategy.
I slipped my earbuds in and answered the phone. “Hey, hun.” I said, feigning excitement. It wasn’t Ben’s fault that I was exhausted and preoccupied.
“What’s up, babe?” I could hear him typing in the background.
“You working?” It was Saturday morning, but whenwasn’tBen working?
In some ways, I admired that about him. He loved being a lawyer. But on the other hand, I wish we had more time to spend together.
“Yeah. A new case came in yesterday afternoon.”
There was always a new case. A new lawsuit. A new trial.
He lived and breathed it.
I dunked the sponge into the bucket of soapy water and scrubbed harder in the corner.
“Uh-oh,” he said. “Sounds like you’re cleaning. Is Aunt Meryl giving you trouble?”
“No,” I answered. “She’s great. It’s just thesedogs. The local shelter doesn’t have room to take them.”
“So just dump them at a shelter the next town over.” On the other end of the line, I heard him take a bite of something, crunching loudly in my ear. Cereal probably. Ben was a cereal junkie.
“The next town over only has a kill shelter.”
“Sounds like something Aunt Meryl should have thought about before bringing in fourteen ankle biters. Speaking of, how’s our little ankle biter doing? You going to drop her off at the pound, too, while you’re at it?”
He was joking. At least, mostly joking. I knew that. And yet, it still pissed me off.
Freckles, my white and brown speckled dachshund trotted up to where I was kneeling and nosed my leg in the way she always did when she wanted something.
“I’ll bringyouto the pound before I ever bring her in,” I teased back. But just like his comment, there was a bit of truth to it.
Sitting back on my haunches, I removed my rubber glove and scratched behind her ear. She nuzzled into my touch, relishing the affection.
At the slightest whiff of another dog getting attention, three of my aunt’s other dogs came barreling over to me, tongues out and butts wiggling as they circled me, begging for their turn.
With a sigh, I did my best to appease them, giving each dog a few moments of love.
“They’re all so sweet,” I said. Even though I was speaking into the phone, I was also talking to myself more than Ben. “I can see why Aunt Meryl couldn’t bear to let them go homeless.”
Ben snorted. “You better not come home with another dog.”
I stood, taking the bucket of dirty soapy water with me and dumping it out in the sink. “Orwhat?”
My hackles rose. Ben wasn’t exactly an animal lover. He wasn’t a sociopath or anything. He just never grew up with dogs or cats. Never had the love of a four-legged furry friend to keep him company. So, he didn’t exactly understand my love for Freckles.
And hedefinitelydidn’t understand Aunt Meryl’s behavior taking in all the strays of the town.
“Or we’re going to have a bitch of a time looking for a condo that allows more than one pet.”
I paused, the back of my throat burning. He’d been wanting me to move in with him for a while. And it made sense, since we’d been together for a couple years. With a promise ring on my finger, living together was the natural next step.
And IlovedBen. So why the hell was I so terrified at the idea of living with him?
“You could always move in withme. A house with a yard. Extra bedrooms. Space for your office…”
