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“I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them. They’re fluffy and so sweet.” But I never owned a dog, so I wasn’t sure how much work they’d be.
“They pee in the house and chew your furniture,” Mac said, more for Delaney’s benefit than mine.
“It’s your house he’ll be peeing in,” I reminded him. No matter what transpired between us in the last twenty-four hours, we were still new.
“Will you help me get everything he needs and get him settled at home?” Mac asked Delaney.
“Can we, Mom?” Delaney asked.
“I don’t see why not.” It was Saturday. We didn’t have anything to do. I’d gotten a little lonely with it being just me and Delaney at home on the weekends. I was used to the noise of the crew during the week.
Delaney played with the puppy while Mac handed the woman a check and filled out the paperwork with promises to send updates and pictures.
Mac gently placed the puppy next to Delaney in the backseat. “Can you hold his leash so he doesn’t get into trouble?”
Delaney buckled her seat belt and took the leash from Mac. Nodding solemnly, she said, “I’ve got him.”
In the front seat, Mac asked, “You mind if we head to the pet store? I don’t have anything for a dog.”
“Not at all.”
I twisted around to check on Delaney, who was enamored with the puppy. He was trying to bite the leash, and Delaney giggled and kept moving it out of his reach.
“We have to come up with a name, but I can’t decide on anything,” Mac said as we pulled down the long lane.
“I bet it will come to you,” I said.
“It better because calling himPuppymight stick,” Mac said, looking into the rearview mirror at Delaney.
“We can’t call a full-grown dogPuppy.”
I almost wished we could get a pet for the B&B, but it wasn’t practical. Our place was small, and the only needs I could manage were Delaney’s and the guests’.
It was something I hadn’t considered when I bought the place, that our lives might be limited by the guests’ needs and desires. I thought it would be convenient to live in the same house, but now, I wondered if that meant I’d never escape work, and Delaney wouldn’t have a real home of her own. When it opened, we’d share the backyard with guests. Someone new each week.
“What’s wrong?” Mac asked, glancing over at me.
“I’m rethinking living in the owner’s suite.”
“You might want to hire someone to manage the place for you. You can offer them a free place to live. That’s a great incentive.”
“Business goals, right?” It could be years before the B&B was doing well enough to justify hiring employees. By then, Delaney would be a teenager.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out,” Mac said, pulling into the lot of a pet store.
We climbed out, and Delaney was thrilled to take the puppy into the store. Mac kept a close eye on her hold on the leash, reaching out to help when another dog walked by. So far, the puppy seemed content to sniff. He didn’t seem aggressive, but then he was a puppy. His full personality probably hadn’t developed yet.
We picked out dog beds, a crate, and bowls. Mac deferred to Delaney on the choices, only refusing her suggestion of anything pink.
While Delaney tested out toys for the puppy, Mac read the labels for the dog foods, searching online for the best options before finally settling on a brand. “We need to schedule a vet appointment too.”
“Can I come with you?” Delaney asked when Mac rang up his purchases.
“If your mom is okay with it, and you don’t have school.
“You still up for helping me get him settled at home?” Mac asked Delaney in the rearview mirror.
“Uh-huh,” Delaney said from the backseat.
