AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A big part of my stress was Teague. I was grateful he’d been there for the rescue. Why though? He’d stood us up yesterday. And now, he wouldn’t leave.
Whatever Miss Adeline or I commanded him to do, he did. He’d kept his cool at the track. He’d taken up for us.
Because of that, I’d already forgiven him for the missed dinner. I just hadn’t forgotten it yet.
He grabbed a couple leads. “Is there an order to who goes out first?”
Sadie barked like she understood the question and was responding “Me. Me. Me.”
He grinned and opened her kennel door. She bolted out to inspect our new friends. Her nose worked overtime as she sniffed each one in welcome.
When she was finished, she rubbed against Teague’s legs and looked at him innocently. I rolled my eyes. She was so much trouble.
He rubbed her head. “Ready to go out?”
That tender voice he used with the dogs got me every single time. I’d heard him reassure the greys we’d rescued. He’d been good—no, great—with them. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Only that it made my heart beat a little faster. He was a good man.
Sadie stamped her feet and impatiently waited for him to loop her neck with the leash. Once he had, she marched over to Ash’s kennel and nudged the door with her nose.
Ash got to her feet, her tail going a million miles a minute. She didn’t react like that for anyone except Teague. But it made sense. He’d saved her.
“This who you want as your walking partner?” he asked Sadie, who barked and nudged the door again. “Okay.”
Sadie was unusually calm as he leashed Ash.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said instead of the thank you I’d meant to come out.
“I want to.”
We stared at one another for a moment. His brown eyes were piercing, like they could cut straight through to my soul. I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t get away from what that look stirred inside me. It was indescribable because I’d never feltthat. Whatever it was.
Sadie tugged on the leash, having had enough of standing around, and went for the back door. They disappeared, and I stood staring after them.
“He’s good with them.”
I jumped and put my hand over my heart. “Why’d you sneak up on me?”
“A bulldozer could have, the way you were staring.” That woman. I hated it when she was right.
“After I bathe them, we should let them sleep upstairs.”
She smirked as I ignored her comment. “Agreed. I’ll gather up some blankets, but tomorrow we’ll get them beds. I’ll call in a favor.” She surveyed the space. “We don’t have room for more kennels, but we need to think of something more permanent. We’re going to have a full house for a while.”
I looked at all the dogs scattered on the floor. There were so many it was hard to walk without stepping on one.
“Will the track give us any trouble?” A niggle of worry wound its way through me. I didn’t particularly like taking more dogs than we were called about, but there was no way on earth I’d have left any of them behind.
This wasn’t the first time it had happened. And it wouldn’t be the last.
She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Nah.” Then she placed that hand on her hip and looked around. “So baths for all the new pups up next?”
It was nearly eleven o’clock. But it needed to be done.
“Yeah. And looks like you’re going to have a lot of bedfellows tonight.” I grinned, but it felt tired.
“I better see if I can find extra blankets. Once I get everything ready, I’ll be back down to help.”
I set a water bowl in front of one our new family members. He greedily lapped it up.
