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I chuckle to myself. “Maybe I’ll look into that. In the meantime, I might see if I can get some work so I can keep busy.”
“There’s a few farms on the outskirts of town that might need some short-term workers,” Lou replies.
“Isn’t Jules looking for someone?” Roman asks as he walks through the workshop.
“Oh yeah, Julia runs a boarding kennel on the edge of town, she’s having shit luck at the moment. If you like dogs, I’m sure she’d appreciate the help.”
At the mention of the angel’s name, I feel my cock thicken in my jeans and the promise I made to myself to stay away from her dissolves. Maybe a few weeks in her bed will be a fun distraction.
I thank Roman and Lou for their help and start the short walk back toward the motel, but my mind wanders to thoughts of what Jules’ skin would feel like against my lips.
By the time I look up, I find myself at the white gate leading to her farmhouse. Damn, I don’t even remember walking here. I haven’t had an absence like that in a while. It used to happen all the time while I was in recovery; my doctor said it was just my brain’s way of taking a timeout while it dealt with my trauma.
But I must have ended up here for a reason. Was it just because Lou and Roman mentioned Jules and the job she had, or did I come here to claim her as mine for the next few weeks?
Who the fuck knows.
Whatever the reason, I’m here now, so I might as well go and see about that job. So I push open the gate, careful to re-latch it in case there are any loose dogs on the property. Looking around as I go, I walk up the dusty track toward the house. As I approach, I see a sign directing me behind the house, where I find a long single-story building that seems to house the office and a grooming parlor. Both of them look closed. I notice a sign on the door to the office saying, “I’m out with the dogs. I’ll be bark soon!”
I snort at the play on words and decide to see if I can track down my angel elsewhere on the property. As I wander past the kennels, I see most of them are occupied and the sound of barking and yapping reminds me of the kennel at the base. All the dogs look well cared for and their kennels are clean and tidy, so it’s clear Jules knows what she’s doing.
But my angel is still nowhere to be found.
Leaving the kennels behind me, the noise dies down, but I can still hear some very aggressive barking coming from the barn further up the hill. It’s a sound I’m as familiar with as my own voice — it’s the bark of a very scared dog. Suddenly my pace quickens.
When a terrified, high-pitched scream joins the barking, I break into a full sprint, bursting into the dimly lit barn. The scene that greets me makes my hackles stand on end. A huge, black dog has my angel backed into a corner, barking and growling at her, foam flying from his jaws.
Julia is pressed against the workbench, and she has nowhere to go, a muzzle hanging limping from her hand, tears streaming down her sweet face. Her chest is heaving up and down in panic, but I can see how hard she’s trying to control it so as not to freak the dog out even more.
Suddenly she notices me, her green eyes flicking in my direction as confusion and relief wash over her in equal measure.
I need to help her. She’s completely terrified and so is the dog — a very volatile situation at the best of times, but with the size and ferocity of the canine, I know this could go to hell in a handbasket in a heartbeat.
“It’s okay,” I say in a low, calm voice, addressing both of them. I slowly crouch down and move forward, making myself as small as possible, which isn’t an easy task. I want to be unthreatening to the dog and get down on his level, keeping my eyes down-turned, but still watching his every move.
As the boards beneath me creak, the dog notices my approach, and he lunges toward me, growling and barking, but never getting close enough to attack. That’s when I know he’s absolutely terrified. He’s not trying to engage with me, he just doesn’t know where he is or what’s going on. I have to admit, it’s a bit of a relief. I’ve seen service dogs in this condition after a tour of duty, and I have several techniques to calm the situation.
“Hey there, buddy, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you,” I whisper, keeping my eyes lowered, and my voice calm and even. We’re within three feet of each other now, and I can feel the heat of his breath as he barks and lunges in my direction.
Quickly, I flick my eyes toward Jules so she knows I’m going to address her. “Angel, I need you to slide that muzzle over to me as quietly and slowly as you can.”
“I … I can’t move,” she sobs quietly. I can hear in her voice that she’s paralyzed with fear. I need to help her so I edge carefully toward her, reaching out my arm when I’m close enough for her to hand me the muzzle.
“It’s okay, baby,” I soothe. “I got you, just stay still until I get him secured.”
She nods slowly, tears still spilling down her face, her gorgeous body quaking with adrenaline.
“What’s his name, Angel?” I ask quietly as I edge even closer to the dog, who is now flat to the ground, haunches braced for attack, ears flat back against his huge black head, eyes blazing.
“Caesar,” she squeaks.
At the sound of his name, the dog suddenly turns his attention back to my angel, lunging and growling at her.
“It’s okay boy, good boy,” I whisper, now within touching distance of him. “It’s all okay Caesar, it’s okay.”
In a quick and practiced movement, I take the dog's collar and fix the muzzle onto his head in seconds. He struggles slightly while I stand and hold his collar, but I feel the fight drain out of his body, almost like he senses he’s now in safe hands.
“Should I put him in here?” I ask, pointing at the stable with the badly repaired half door.
