Page 43 of Swept for Forever
Log chuckled, rubbing her belly with both hands. “Yeah? Been chauffeured your whole life, huh?”
“Hey, can I ask for a favor?”
He straightened. “Shoot.”
“Would you take Lulu for a couple of days? Just till I figure something out. I checked every pet-friendly motel in town…well, alltwoof them, but no luck.”
“Shocking,” he deadpanned, shaking his head. “It’s summer rush. I think there’s a waitlist for waitlists.”
Lulu sat upright again, her tail swishing. Log looked from her to me.
“Man, I wish I could.” His face tightened with guilt. “Riley and I just brought in two new rescues, and Boomer’s still limping from that busted leg. They’re all over the place. It’s chaos at home right now, with fur, barking, and pissing contests in every corner. I’d hate to toss Lulu into that mess.”
She barked at him again, but gentler now. A tease, maybe. Or maybe forgiveness.
He scratched under her chin. “I know, I know. You’re a lady. You deserve better.”
“She agrees,” I said.
“Sorry, girl,” he told her softly. “Next time, you’ve got a spot.”
“It’s okay, Log. I’ll figure something else out.”
“Lazy Moose’s out, I’m guessing? Wedding season’s in full swing.” Log glanced at me. “And Noah and Elia are still away?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Can’t leave Lulu there.”
He hesitated. “You could try the shelter. Want me to talk to Mr. Gunn? Put in a good word?”
I gave a half-smile. “That’s kind of you. But I’ll talk to him.”
Mr. Gunn was a Buffaloberry staple—part local legend, part community grump. He was said to have mellowed over time, though during my short stints here, I’d seen little proof. He liked animals better than people, and I was still in the latter category.
Log clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, good luck. And tell Autumn I said to feel better.”
“Will do.”
I climbed into my truck and glanced down at Lulu. “Okay, girl. Let’s figure out where to stash you.”
She tilted her head.
“You’re not staying at my motel,” I said. “The whole town would find out. Lawyer breaks the rules? That’s bad PR.”
She licked her nose, unimpressed.
Right. My fault for not booking a pet-friendly place. Who moves to a new town, rescues a girl off a mountain, and ends up in joint custody of her dog?
Guys like me, apparently.
I pulled out of the hospital parking lot and headed toward town, past streets lined with old-fashioned lampposts and flower boxes spilling with blooms. Buffaloberry Hill had the kind of charm that came out of those Hallmark movies my mom used to watch. I couldn’t wait to show Autumn around. She’d seen the trails, sure. But not the river. Not properly.
And I hoped what happened out there hadn’t ruined it for her. I didn’t think it had. She didn’t rattle easily.
“Guess we’re on our own, huh?” I said to Lulu.
With no better option, I headed for the shelter, bracing myself. It wasn’t exactly my idea of a good stop, but maybe it was the safest. I didn’t even know if Lulu was up to date on her vaccinations. The last thing I needed was to make her patient zero in Log’s already chaotic pack. At least at the shelter, the dogs were separated.
I stepped through the door into a space that smelled of baked treats and dried meat. The walls looked recently painted, the floors were swept, the counter was organized, and even the bulletin board looked current.
