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“In the kitchen. Thanks, Andrew.”
He puts the bag of supplies on the counter. “Are you all set for the rest of the day?”
“Yep.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
I nod with a small sigh. Trevor hasn’t bothered, texted, or called in two months. I don’t know why I still need a security guard to follow me around everywhere.
I set the box of puppies down the floor, and they all start crying, trying to get out of the box. I tilt it and let them out and do my best to corral them in the tiled kitchen by moving some dining chairs and the trash can.
“Stay in the kitchen, guys. I know you’re hungry. I’ll feed you.” I start digging through the bag of dog food and bowls I got from the shelter. I mix the food with some supplemental formula the volunteers gave me. They said the puppies could eat solid food now, but that it might help to give them some formula since they don’t know their exact age or how long they’ve gone without their mother’s milk.
“Alright, everyone, dinner’s ready.” I set the bowl down and wait…
One, two, three…I’m missing two.
“Looking for this?” Sebastian asks, holding up one of the puppies with a stern look on his face.
I wince and try my best cute guilty face as I reach out for the puppy in his arms.
“I didn’t realize you were home,” I say as the puppy nibbles on my chin.
He looks to the furball in my arms. “Obviously.”
“So, you aren’t a fan of dogs?”
“It’s not that I don’t like dogs. I have enough people to take care of in my life; I don’t need more to take care of. And I particularly don’t care for untrained little beasts that will pee on everything and destroy my furniture.”
I hold up the puppy. “This little guy won’t destroy your furniture, will you?” He licks my nose, and I smile before turning to Sebastian. “See? He agrees.”
Sebastian shakes his head. “Where did you get the puppies?”
“A volunteer at the shelter called me.”
“And why would a volunteer from a shelter call you?”
“Because I’ve fostered stray dogs and cats before, so when they can’t find a home for them, they call me. The puppies will get adopted easily, but they need a little special care until they fatten up a little. They are malnourished after being away from their mother and need to be eating solid food before they can be adopted.”
“How long?” His voice is stern, but he’s not that pissed at me. He’s just trying to hold onto his control. This isn’t the first time in the last three months that I’ve pushed him out of his comfort zone.
“Two weeks.”
He sighs. “Just keep them in the kitchen, that way we can minimize the damage.”
“Um…about that…” I spot the last missing puppy peeing on the rug behind him in the living room.
Sebastian follows my gaze to catch the puppy in the act. He goes to pick up the runt. I expect Sebastian to scold him, but instead, he lets the pup lick his face before lowering him over the temporary barrier I set up to keep them in the kitchen. Then Sebastian digs into my bag of supplies, which mostly just consists of dog food, formula, and bowls.
“There’s a pet store two blocks from here. I’ll walk there and see if they have some puppy gates and pee pads.”
“You’re the best, hubby.” I smile brightly, hoping it will earn me a smile before he leaves. Instead, I get a grumpy grimace.
“You’re lucky I like you, wifey.”
I smile at his comment before going back to taking care of the puppies. “You guys better behave, so he doesn’t try to kick you out.”
When Sebastian returns thirty minutes later with not only a gate and pee pads but dog toys and adorable little collars, he obviously isn’t upset they are here. He looks at them the same way he looks at me—with adoration and love. Maybe my spontaneousness is rubbing off on him after all?
