Page 24 of Fish Out of Water

They reached the outcropping of rocks that most people avoided lest they twist their ankles or slide between them and get stuck, and the yelping got louder and more desperate.

“It’s coming from somewhere in the rocks,” Robbie said.

Jake glanced around. There, between a rock and a large chunk of driftwood, was a mid-size dog that couldn’t have been more than a year old. Its fur was brown and white, stringy and wet from the seawater, and its big, dark eyes locked onto the two men as they approached.

“Robbie, look,” he hissed, pointing toward the dog.

“Poor thing,” Robbie said softly. “It looks like it got stuck.” Slowly, carefully, he made his way forward, waving for Jake to go behind him.

Jake rolled his eyes, but he didn’t protest. The dog was already in distress, and he didn’t want to make everything worse by arguing with Robbie in front of it.

“Hey, little pup,” Robbie crooned. The setting sun and the shadows it cast made it difficult to see exactly how the dog was stuck, but Robbie crawled over the damp rocks until he wascrouched beside it, scratching a spot behind one of its lopsided ears. “Why are you out here all alone?”

“You think someone left it?” Jake asked, climbing up behind Robbie and perching on one of the rocks.

“I hope not.” Robbie's tone was calm and steady, but when he glanced back at Jake, still scratching the dog’s ear, his eyes were full of concern.

“Probably not,” Jake said quickly. “The poor little bastard probably ran away and got stuck here. He looks like he’s been trying to get free for a while based on all this sludge.”

Robbie looked back down at the dog, examining the slurry of sand and mud it had created in all its struggling. “Come closer,” he told Jake. “You’re going to help me move this driftwood so we can pull the poor thing out.”

Jake scrambled closer, positioning himself so he could pull on the end of the driftwood. He waited for Robbie’s go ahead, and together, they groaned and grunted, shifting the wood an inch or two to the right. It was a monumental effort, but it was enough, and while Jake held the driftwood before it slipped back into place, Robbie scooped the dog up, cradling it tightly in his arms. When it was safe, he leaned back against the rocks, panting for air.

“Christ, that was a lot of work,” Jake muttered. “It’s not hurt, is it?”

The dog squirmed in Robbie’s arms, coating his stark white shirt in thick brown mud. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Let’s get him back to the car before he tries running off again.”

“Mycar?”

“Yeah, why not? You know I didn’t drive here, and I’m sure as hell not walking all the way back to my house with this little devil in my arms.”

The dog yipped, its long pink tongue reaching out to lick Robbie on the cheek. It was all Jake could do to not burstout laughing. Perfect, porcelain little Robbie, fit more for a dollhouse diorama than the real world, was getting big, slobbery kisses on his face as the pup replaced his fresh scent with musty, wet dog.

“Fine, but I swear to God, you’d better have a towel or something we can use to keep my backseat clean.”

“I have a couple of spare garbage bags back at the main part of the beach.”

Jake sighed. “That’ll have to do. Where are we taking the dog, though? Not the pound.”

“No, not the pound.” Robbie shifted the dog in his arms so he could read the name tag on its collar. “This little fellow here is Cooper, and I happen to know the family that owns him.”

“Great. Are they missing their dog?”

“They must be.”

Jake shook his head as they trudged back along the shoreline, the dark now fully swallowing them up. “I hope you’re right. The last thing I need to ruin my time here is someone else’s problems to deal with.”

Jake unlockedhis car and laid two garbage bags down across the back seats. Robbie let the dog jump in, where it promptly shook off, sand and seawater droplets spraying everywhere. Jake cringed, but he didn’t say a word. He’d as good as agreed to help Robbie tonight, as much as he was regretting it now.

Robbie slipped into the front passenger seat, his critical eye examining every inch of the car’s interior. “When was the last time you vacuumed this thing?” he asked.

“Jesus Christ, you really are insufferable all the time, aren’t you?” Jake got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

“I’m just wondering.” Robbie paused for a moment. “You don’t bring guys home in this, do you?”

“No, I have a limo I keep in the parking garage back home for that.”

“All I’m saying is maybe you’d have better luck finding dates if you made yourself a little more presentable.”