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After attending a private elementary school, she’d begged her parents to send her to the public middle and high schools so she could be with the friends she’d made playing soccer and lacrosse in town leagues.
She vividly remembered her first day of middle school and seeing Max Abbott for the first time. The memory made her smile even all these years later.
“Lex?”
She realized Max had been talking to her while she took a trip back to seventh grade. “Sorry. What’s up?”
“I was asking if you think I can handle a kidanda dog or if you think I’m crazy for taking this on.”
She looked at the dog, who’d already decided she belonged to Max whether he knew it or not, and then she glanced up at the golden-brown eyes she’d never forgotten. “I think you can handle anything, and that Caden and Daisy are lucky to have you.”
He looked at her for a long, intense moment before he tore his gaze off her and returned his attention to Daisy. “I guess we’ll take her, Dude.”
“Caden is a lucky boy to have such a wonderful daddy.” Dude sounded emotional, the way she always did when she found the perfect home for one of her fur babies. “And Daisy is lucky to have both of you and all the Abbotts. She’ll have so many cousin puppies to play with.”
“It’s dog-a-palooza when we’re all together at the barn,” Max said. “Dogs for days.”
“I’ve always wanted a dog,” Lexi said.
“You can borrow Daisy any time you need a fix.”
“I’ll take you up on that.”
Daisy came over to snuggle with Lexi, as if to say,I’ve got you, boo. We’ll be friends.
Her emotions were all over the place from being back in Butler and with Max for the first time in years. Leave it to a sweet puppy to trigger tears.
“Are you okay?” Max asked.
“I’m good. It’s just so nice to be here and to be with you again.”
“I’m really glad you came to the reunion.”
“I’m really gladyoucame to the reunion.”
Smiling, he said, “Me, too.”
Dude loadedhim up with all the things he needed to take Daisy home—a crate, plush dog bed, harness and leash and the bowls Daisy had used at Dude’s house. Max and Lexi stood back as Dude said a tearful goodbye to Daisy.
“Come visit any time you’d like, and take good care of my buddy Caden and his daddy, you hear me?”
Daisy barked and licked Dude’s face.
“I love you, too, sweet girl.” She handed the leash to Max. “I hope Caden loves his surprise.”
“Oh, he will. He’s been asking me for a dog since we moved to Gramps’s house. He had George and Ringo for his first four years, and he misses living with dogs. I do, too.”
“Once you’ve had dogs, you never want to be without them,” Dude said.
“Thank you again for sharing one of your precious babies with me and Caden.”
“You’re very welcome.”
After Max loaded the dog’s belongings into the back of his truck, he and Lexi walked Daisy to the driveway. “You want to come over and help me get her settled?”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
“Okay, see you at my house.”
