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Max wagged his tail while I tried to catch my breath. My heart pounded and the tingly, I’m-about-to-be-stabbed feeling took a long moment to go away.
I looked out the windows and in the rear-view but didn’t see anyone. Not even Colin.
It had probably just been him, pausing outside his car to watch me when I came out of the store. Just my not-dangerous ex-boyfriend. The worst thing Colin would do was eye me inappropriately and suggest we have coffee—and quite possibly cheat on his wife, but I wasn’t going to have any part in that.
No reason to fear chloroform rags or being stabbed from behind.
Max put his paw on my arm.
“Thanks, good boy. Your dog-mom is ridiculous. I hope you know that.”
He looked up at me with his big brown eyes, as if there was nothing wrong with me at all.
Dogs are the best.
My heart was slowing down and my arms no longer resembled a hyper alert porcupine, so I turned on the car and left. I kept the chicken salad container in my lap so Max wouldn’t get too curious. I didn’t need to wind up with dinner and dog slobber all over the inside of my car.
I told myself in no uncertain terms that I was not being followed on the drive home. There was literally no one behind me, but apparently my adrenaline-fueled imagination wasn’t quite done.
It was just the stress of – everything. My stint with unemployment, the rampant rejection of applying to a million jobs and never hearing back, plus the move home. Not to mention running into Colin. It was a lot.
The sight of my mom’s house wasn’t exactly comforting but at least I’d made it through my first day of work. I just hoped doggie daycare had worn Max out. I was feeling pretty depleted.
I parked and clipped on Max’s leash. Between my bag, the chicken salad, and Max, I had a lot to juggle, so I let him hop out first while I got my things. He ran straight to the door and sat.
“Good boy, Max. Wait there for me.”
I gathered up everything and shut the car door with my hip.
The front door opened and my mom poked her head out.
Before she could say a word, Max tore past her and ran inside.
“Duchess!” Mom yelped and darted after him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I hurried in and kicked the door closed behind me so Duchess wouldn’t run outside. The only thing worse than Max chasing her would be to let Mom’s precious baby get out. “Max! Come!”
I set my things down and rushed to the kitchen, but they weren’t there. A muffled scream came from upstairs, so I headed that way.
“Max, you’re trained better than this,” I shouted as I took the stairs two at a time. “Sort of. Come!”
He popped out of the master bedroom, his eyes wide with excitement, tail wagging like crazy.
“Good boy. Come on.”
For a second, I thought he was going to obey. But the lure of his new favorite game—chase the spoiled cat—was too much for him. Training versus temptation; temptation won.
I started to yell for my mom to close her bedroom door, but I was too late. He spun around and charged back in, the loose leash trailing behind him. Mom screamed again, because of course she did, and something crashed to the floor.
“Audrey!”
“I’m right here. Max, no. Come!”
A lamp had been knocked over but it didn’t look broken. Mom’s face was flushed and she stood in front of her king-sized four poster bed, legs in a wide stance, arms held out to the sides, as if she were ready to sacrifice her body to save her precious feline.
Max finally obeyed his command, coming to sit in front of me, eyes on mine, tail wagging happily. I picked up the leash so he couldn’t run off again.
Mom took ragged breaths and her eyes were slightly wild. “He can’t keep terrorizing my baby, Audrey.”
