AllFreeNovel
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“Sabotage your relationships.” She stared ahead and saw a white ball of fluff on the side of the road. She was sure it was a towel or trash, but it seemed to be moving.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
As they passed the fluff, she realized it wasn’t trash but a tiny puppy. “Stop the car,” she screamed.
He slammed on the brakes. “You’re seriously going to get out of the car because I won’t let you analyze me?”
As soon as he stopped, she hopped out and ran back fifty feet to where she’d seen the pup.
“Are you crazy?” he yelled out the open door. “You can’t walk back to Aspen Cove. The highway is dangerous.”
She ignored him, reached down, and swept the little thing up in her arms. “Oh my gosh, look at you.” The puppy snuggled into her like she was its mom, and she wrapped her arms around it. “Someone abandoned,” she lifted and looked between its legs, “him.”
Red was standing between her holding the puppy, and the traffic whizzing by, like he was protecting them. “The mom probably hated the dad.”
“Red, he’s shaking.”
He stopped flapping his arms like a spastic pterodactyl and walked with her to the truck. “What do we do with him?”
Red’s face was pale, and his eyes were as big as saucers. “Take a breath, Red. You look like we just gave birth on the side of the road. It’s a puppy, not triplets.”
He helped her inside and gave the dog a gentle pet on the head. “I’ve never had a puppy.”
Maybe Cameron was right. Maybe Red didn’t know how to love, but that wasn’t his fault. No one had taught him. A dog is a great place to start.Where else do you get unconditional love, if you never got it from your mom, Viv thought. “Meet your new dog.”
Red stepped back, shaking his head. “No way. I can’t have a dog.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” He stared at her for a few seconds. “Because I don’t know anything about dogs.”
She cuddled the little guy to her chest. “He doesn’t know much about humans, but he’s giving us a chance.”
Red stared at the puppy pressed against her chest. “I’d give you a chance if you tucked me next to your boobs.”
“You mean my 58008s?” She still couldn’t believe that was his password.
“You’ll never let me live that down, will you?”
“Nope.”
He rounded the truck and got inside. “Where to now?”
“We are on a mission. That hasn’t changed. The only thing that has is there are three of us now.” She looked down at the puppy, who had fallen asleep. “He’ll need some supplies and a veterinarian appointment. We can also notify the animal shelter just in case he was lost and not left behind, although judging by his condition, he’s been on his own a while.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll make a list.”
“Also billed to me, I’m sure.”
She turned to him. “Well, he’s not my dog. What are you going to name him?”
He stared ahead for a few minutes and then quickly glanced at the pup. “What about Lucky? I mean, he was lucky you saw him.”
She smiled. “Lucky it is.”
“We could name him Prince if you want.”
His consideration touched her. “Not tall, dark, or handsome enough.”
“You’re setting the bar pretty high.”
