“You’re just the sweetest little thing, aren’t you?” I say in the tiniest baby voice I can while this Australian Shepherd mix goes crazy on my lap. He licks my face, and I can’t help the smile that breaks free.
The shelter has had fewer intakes this week, and I am grateful for the reprieve—it means I get to spend more time with each animal, giving them some interaction, and less time at my desk sifting through mountains of paperwork. Though Sharlene has been coming in less, giving me more responsibility than usual. I can’t complain. I wake up every morning so excited to come here, and it fills me in a way I’m not sure I can describe.
I finish up with Roo, who has only been here a little over two weeks. His last family said he was too high energy and they didn’t have time for him. My heart breaks at the thought of him being just eight months old and dropped off somewhere unfamiliar until someone decides they want to take him home. I get a few action shots of him and hisadorable face to post to our socials and hope that by the end of the week he’s adopted.
Keith has been called for a pickup for a stray found off I-40, which is a less-than-stellar dumping ground. He forced me to stay, even though I prefer to be there for most captures. I know Kane would be upset, so instead of fighting it, I let him go and get my puppy cuddles in. That freeway off-ramp is notorious for drop-offs and shady activities since it backs up to miles of forest and is not patrolled by any local PD, despite my numerous calls.
I lock Roo’s kennel and make my way down the aisles. Every other kennel is empty, and I’m so happy to see the shelter clearing out a bit. Our volunteers have been so great about rotating the dogs for walks and social interaction. Some even rotate who goes home with them for the night, giving some of the more high-strung dogs the opportunity to relax in a way they can’t in an environment like this.
I walk past Silver, who’s asleep, her puppies just hitting seven weeks and so close to being ready for adoption. Grayson has been by every other day to meet with Silver and walk her. My heart is so full knowing she gets to go to one of the best homes I could have picked for her after the life she’s lived. I round the corner to start back up the kennels and head to the cat room when a tall, hulking figure dressed in black lurks right behind me.
I let out a scream, my hand flying to my heart when the figure starts laughing. That husky laugh, wrapped in smoke, goes around me and invades all my senses.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, pulling him to me and wrapping my arms around him. Those big arms encase me, and the scent of him calms my system.
“The school had a half day due to state testing, and Ifigured I haven’t been by enough to volunteer.” He leaves a kiss on the side of my head as he wraps his big hand around it, pulling me further into his chest. “And I may have missed you,” he finishes, pulling back to stare down at me. He places a gentle kiss on my lips and tucks my hair behind my ear.
“You saw me this morning,” I muse, pulling away to grab his hand and lead him over to Roo.
“Doesn’t matter. I missed you the second I left your bed.”
I unlock the kennel and let him in as Roo goes crazy. He jumps onto Kane and dances on his back two legs, trying to somehow reach Kane’s face from the floor.
“This is Roo. He’s just the sweetest boy.” I look up at Kane with wide eyes.
“He is adorable. What kind is he?” Kane says.
“Some Australian Shepherd mix. We don’t know for sure, but he’s just perfect. Potty-trained, listens perfectly, nonreactive. And he was dumped just for having energy. How could someone do that?” I look down at him, wanting nothing more than to pick him up and take him home with me.
“We should adopt him,” Kane says, mirroring my thoughts.
“What?” I ask making sure I heard him right.
“We should adopt him. Or someone else, if you want. I think it’s time we bring a couple of these babies home to make a family of our own.” He looks up at me, the softness in his features making my heart crack.
He looks good today. I told him so before he left this morning. His button-down is rolled up to show off those impressive forearms, the snake tattoo wrapped around his right arm on display. His hair is neatly styled, a differencefrom his usual mess of waves on top with the sides tapered down.
“What? But where would he stay? Do we just bring him back and forth between houses?”
“I guess we should move in together then, don’t you?” He looks up at me from his puppy assault on the floor. I stand frozen over him, the comment he seems to have made offhand rendering me speechless.
“Wh-what?” I sputter, unsure if I heard him correctly.
He stands while Roo scampers off to his bed, seeming to notice the shift in conversation. His tongue hangs out of his mouth as he stares up at us. My eyes finally lift to the man standing in front of me, and he tucks his finger under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“We should move in together. We spend every night together anyway. I can’t imagine anything better than waking up to you every morning in our bed, surrounded by our things. Your toothbrush next to mine, all the records we’ve collected together alphabetized on one shelf,” he finishes on a kiss.
“Don’t you think it’s too soon?” I protest softly, my brain trying to catch up with my heart. Worry threads through me, of course. We still have so much to talk about—to figure out together.
“I don’t think it’s soon enough. It’s something I’ve wanted to ask for years. Since we graduated high school. But you and Morgan were so excited to live together, and I didn’t want to take that experience away from you. There has never been a day where I didn’t wish we were in our own home, together. I think it’s time,” he continues gently, his other hand coming to wrap around my waist.
He’s always touching me in some way when we’re together, whether it’s a hand on my knee when he’s drivingor the way his hands seem to search out some part of me before they settle something inside him.
“Don’t you think we have more to figure out together?” I ask, wanting so badly to say yes, my heart screaming at me to jump this man and never let him go.
“All I need to know is that I love you, and I can’t imagine spending another day without you. We agreed to talk and be open with one another, and I think we’re both in a good place to talk first and worry second.”
“Okay,” I answer, staring up at this man. Love is shining so clearly in his eyes, pouring out of him and flowing into me.
