Page 11 of Daddy’s Little Secret

“Yes, ma’am. I love her too much to let her get away.”

“Thank you both for giving another of my rescues a loving home and for your donation and all the hard work on the outbuilding. Perfect place for our supplies right now.”

“You are very welcome, Ms. Judy. And if you need help with anything else, don’t hesitate to call on us,” Daddy told her. I was so busy talking to Sabrina through her carrier that I missed half of it.

“Love you, bye,” I hollered as we left the room. Ms. Judy was laughing, and by the time we passed, Tulip she was chanting, Love you, bye. Love you, bye. “Silly parrot,” I called out as we left and barely caught her repeating, Love you, silly parrot. That bird sure was smart.

“Angel,” Daddy said as he locked my seatbelt in and made sure I had a good grip on Sabrina’s carrier. “Did you just tell Ms. Judy you loved her?”

“Oh shoot, I guess I did. I wasn’t paying attention. But that’s okay, ‘cause I love Ms. Judy in her own way.”

“And my silly boy taught Tulip new sayings too.”

“Ha-ha, he’s so funny and super smart. Daddy, thank you so much for Sabrina. I love her to the moon and back.”

“Then she’ll be on the same ride there with us because your Daddy loves you to the moon and back.”

“And Sabrina too?”

“And Sabrina too.” He parked in front of the pet store. “Now, let’s head inside and spoil your new girl.”

“Our new girl for our new house.”

“Yes, my angel. Our new girl for our new house.” Daddy grabbed a shopping cart, and I put Sabrina’s carrier in it. “Let’s grab the easy stuff first, litter and a box.”

“We’re out of room already, Daddy, and we haven’t got the food or fun stuff.”

“Why don’t you take this cart and head over to the fun stuff. Daddy will get another one and the food and meet you there.”

When I saw the huge wall of collars and leashes, I froze. “Whoa, that’s intense.” By the time Daddy came back, I was no closer to choosing one than when I walked up.

“You alright, Angel? There’s nothing new in the cart.”

“I can’t pick one. They’re all so cute. Look, ladybugs, bumble bees, rainbows. They even have a whole Frozen section.”

“Hmm, I see what you mean. When you look at Sabrina what do you see?”

I glanced down at her carrier. Her wide eyes stared around, likely confused with all the animal scents in here. “The prettiest girl in the world.”

“True, but what do pretty girls like?”

“Princess stuff. And pink. Glittery pink princess stuff.”

“I think you have your answer then.”

“My pretty pink princess. It’s perfect for her. Thank you, Daddy. Did you get the food Ms. Judy said to get?” I grabbed a collar and the matching leash and harness. It was going to be so much fun to teach her how to go on walks.

“I did indeed, and a container to keep it fresh in. What’s next on the Sabrina list?”

“Umm.” I thought hard. Probably should’ve made a note on my phone with everything before we left Ms. Judy’s. “Toys, treats, and a scratching thingy so she doesn’t ruin the furniture. Oh, and a bed.” By the time we were done, both carts were full.

“I think Sabrina will need her own cabin.” Daddy shook his head. “Who knew one animal required this much stuff?”

“Animals do require a lot, just like humans,” the clerk said as we got to the registers. “New baby from Ms. Judy?”

“Yes.” I smiled and pointed to her carrier. “This is Princess Sabrina.”

“That explains the pink princess bed.” He smiled. “Since you were kind enough to adopt and not shop for a pet, we’ll give you ten percent off your entire purchase today.”