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Stern Lydia. He kind of liked it.
“Okay, we’ll take him in my car. My friend Brooke works as a vet tech in town. She can probably check if he’s on the list of lost dogs or something.”
Lydia beamed. “Great idea.” She petted the dog again. “See, little buddy. We’re going to take care of you.”
“Hey, I said nothing about taking care of the dog.”
“I know.” She was still smiling. “But hopefully your friend will help us reunite him with his owner, and we can be on our way.”
“Sure.” He nodded. Glancing at his watch carefully, so Lydia didn’t notice. It looked like he was going to be working through the next two nights at this rate. Lisa was going to be so pissed with him. “Are you carrying him over or am I?”
“You do it.” Lydia nodded. “You’re bigger than me. Throw me your keys and I’ll open the car up.”
“You want the good news or the bad news?” Brooke asked, as she walked into the
waiting room where Lydia and Jackson were sitting. The veterinary technician was wearing green scrubs, her blonde hair pulled back from her pretty face.
“The good?” Lydia said, because who would take the bad first? She and Jackson had arrived at the Vet’s Office half an hour earlier. Brooke had helped them carry the dog out of Jackson’s sparkling Prius, not even raising an eyelid when she noticed the giant teddy bear sitting in the back seat.
“There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s as fit as a fiddle. It looks like he’s been taken care of.”
“That’s great.” Lydia sighed. “So he has owners?”
“That’s the bad news. If he has owners, I have no idea who they are. I’ve scanned him and there’s no chip. And nothing on our database regarding a missing pup.” Brooke pressed her lips together. “I’ve called other clinics and to some of our local groups and there’s been no notification of a missing dog. So I can only suggest he goes to the shelter until we decide what to do with him.”
Lydia blinked. “What do you mean decide what to do with him?” She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that.
“Well, either we find his owners or…” Brooke glanced at Jackson.
“Or?” Lydia asked, feeling alarmed. “Or what?”
“Or we put him up for adoption. But the list is short at the moment. The shelter had a huge influx of dogs after Christmas, and we’re only just rehoming them all now. I hate the way people buy puppies for their kids, then get rid of them so fast.” Brooke tickled the dog’s ears. “The other option might be to find him a foster home.”
“How long would it take for him to find a new home?” Lydia asked.
“A couple of months at the worst.”
Lydia’s eyes met Jackson’s. “We can’t let him be alone for two months. We should take him home.”
He ran a finger along his jaw. “We?” he questioned, his brow dipping. “Who’s we? You can’t take him home, you’re leaving in less than two weeks. And anyway, Griff and Autumn have a baby. We have no idea what this dog would be like with kids.”
“We wouldn’t advise that,” Brooke agreed. “The shelter prefers foster dogs to go to childless homes when possible. Dogs can be unpredictable.”
Lydia’s heart clenched. The pup was looking up at them, his melted chocolate eyes full of trust. “He’s such a beauty,” she whispered, running her fingers along his silky fur. It was stupid, but she felt responsible for him. She was the one who found him after all. But there was no way she could help. “I wish I could take him with me.”
“I’ll take him.”
Jackson’s deep voice took her and Brooke by surprise. They both looked up at him, their eyes wide.
“You’ll take him?” Brooke said, cocking her head to the side. “Seriously? I don’t mean to be rude, Jackson, but you can barely manage yourself. Ember told me the last time she was at your place your refrigerator was so barren it had sand in it.”
“I’m an adult. I think I can take care of a dog.”
“I can help while I’m here,” Lydia said, still stroking the dog’s warm fur. “I know a lot about dogs.” She could feel a rumble in his chest, almost like he was purring. Maybe he knew he was going to be taken care of. “It would be amazing if you took him home.” She ruffled the dog’s ears and he nuzzled against her. “Look, he already knows we’re going to take care of him.”
“He’s going to need a name.” Jackson didn’t sound so sure anymore.
“Eddie,” she said quickly. “We’ll call him Eddie.”
