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She shakes her head. “He likes the dog park, but we drive there. It’d be too far for him to get to and he wouldn’t know where to go. Oh, God. What if something happens to him?”
I place my hand on her knee. “We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”
“My dad’s going to kill me.” She covers her face with her hands and sobs shake her shoulders. “He’s going to say how irresponsible I am. He always tells me to make sure I close the screen door and listen for the click because it doesn’t fully close.”
“Look, people make mistakes and accidents happen. Don’t focus on what your father is going to say, and focus on getting your dog back.”
I rack my brain, trying to think of anything that might help us find Noah’s dog. “What about a favorite toy…does he have one?”
She nods. “It’s a cloth duck with a squeaker inside of it.”
“Doesn’t he rip it to shreds?”
She shakes her head and her brown hair falls in her face. “My dad sews it if he makes a hole.”
I cough out a laugh. “Your dad knows how to sew?”
“He knows how to do everything.”
Well, he certainly is an expert at being a dick.
But I bite my tongue, not about to talk shit in front of the asshole’s kid. It’s not her fault her dad sucks. “Let’s go back to your house and grab the squeaker. Maybe he’ll hear it and come running.”
Noah’s eyes widen with hope. “That might work.”
“I have some leftover steak in my fridge. I’ll bring that too. Does he respond to the wordtreat?”
She nods. “He loves treats.”
My brakes screech to a stop in front of her house and we both run in opposite directions to grab our supplies. “Grab his leash while you’re in there,” I call over my shoulder.
Two minutes later, we’re back in the car on the hunt.
Noah squeaks the toy out the window as I roll by slowly. “Romeo. Come on, boy. Where are you?”
A flash of black and white darts out from behind someone’s fence, ears standing at attention when he hears the toy.
“There he is!” Noah flings open the door and hops out of the car before I can fully stop.
“Jesus Christ, kid.” I pull over and run after her, waving the steak in my hands. “Don’t chase him, Noah. He’ll think it’s a game.”
She freezes. “What do we do?”
“Sit down criss cross-applesauce.” I lower myself onto the sidewalk and toss a piece of steak at Romeo. “Want some steak? Yeah, you do. Come and get it. Come on, boy.”
Romeo darts over to the steak bite and gobbles it up.
I lower my voice as if he can understand me. “Noah, I’m going to lure him over here and then you grab his collar.”
She nods and pushes to her knees, at the ready.
I outstretch my arm and lean forward. “Want more?”
Romeo looks between us like he’s unsure if he trusts us. But his desire for food outweighs his doubt and he trots over to eat from my hand.
“Good boy.” I stroke his head while Noah clips his leash on him.
She throws her arms around his neck. “Romeo, you crazy dog. You scared me half to death.” With tears glistening in her dark eyes, she looks up at me. “Thank you so much.”
