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I laughed a little, unsure how to feel about the shift in his demeanor. Did I do that to him? Did I calm the commotion in his eyes?
“Do you snap at everyone but me in this town?” I joked.
“Yes,” he quickly said. “But that’s only because they treat me like crap.”
Fair enough.
“Yes, well, I’m here to help.”
“It’s okay. I have this handled.”
“Okay, it’s just…” My eyes fell on the poor dog. “He’s scared.”
“He’s scared? I’m not the one trying to bite him. If anyone should be scared, it’s me.”
“Imagine a six-foot-one man coming toward you when you’re the size of a sofa pillow. That’s scary. He’s just on high alert.”
He muttered, “Six-foot-four.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Are you serious right now? That’s your concern?”
“All I’m saying is I’m not six-foot-one.”
My hands went up in surrender. “Okay. My mistake. I didn’t mean to sting your precious masculinity.”
“I’m just saying. Three inches can make quite a difference.”
“That’s exactly what I tell all men, but they refuse to believe me.”
He smiled.
Oh! Friends. We were totally friends.
Play it cool, Yara.
I crossed my arms. “What’s the story with the dog?”
He paused for a moment before sighing and raking his hand through his messy midnight-colored hair. “He was sent by my great-aunt. She passed away a few weeks ago, and for some reason, she thought I needed a dog to keep me company so I wouldn’t get lonely.”
“Did she pass away on the day you broke my dish?”
“No. She passed the day before I stepped in your dog crap. Then her funeral was the day of the dish.”
And just like that, his grumpiness from the weeks prior made a little more sense.
My hands flew to my chest, and I shook my head. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Why are you doing that?” he asked.
“Doing what?”
“Getting emotional.”
“Well, you just told me you lost your great-aunt. It’s called sympathy. I feel bad for you.”
“I didn’t ask you to feel bad for me.”
“Sympathy doesn’t only work on requests.”
“I didn’t even state if I liked my aunt. I could’ve despised her for all you know.”
“You’re right. It’s not my place to assume. Regardless, I’ve been called the dog whisperer before. All you need to do is get the sweet boy into his crate here, I’m guessing, yes? And then into your car?”
“Yes. My car is in the back. I have to pull it around.”
I nodded. “You go do that, and by the time you get back, I’ll have the dog in the crate for you and will help you load him into your vehicle.”
He was wary at first but then agreed. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Take your time. I’ll be here getting to know…”
“Feliz.”
“Feliz.” I smiled. “Happy.”
“He’s the complete opposite of that,” he warned.
“So maybe you two do have something in common,” I joked.
“Hardy har har,” he muttered. “You’re so funny, Yara.”
I smirked a little, pleased with how I seemed to get under his skin a bit in a playful way. “Go get your car. We’ll be ready when you get back.”
It was very quiet, but I could’ve sworn he muttered a thank you before he headed off to grab his vehicle. To my surprise, Feliz and I had quite a quick turnaround. Once the dog realized I wasn’t going to hurt him, he allowed me to place him in his crate, and I gathered up his box of goods once Alex came back around the corner.
He parked his car and stepped out with a somewhat shocked expression. “How the heck did you do that?”
“I told you. Dog whisperer.”
He opened the backseat of his car. When he went to grab the crate from me, when Feliz began barking aggressively. He tossed his hands up in surrender and grumbled, “Stupid dog.”
“He’s scared of you. The same way you’re scared of him. Give it time. You’ll both grow to like one another. Here. Take the box of his goodies, and I’ll put him in the car.”
Alex did as I said and walked over to the other side of the vehicle. He opened the door and placed Feliz’s goods inside, then shut the door.
I put Feliz’s crate into the car and smiled down at the dog that was smiling my way. “Take it easy on Alex. It’s his first day being a parent.”
Feliz licked my hand one final time as a goodbye, and I gave him a scratch behind his ear through the crate doors, then stood and closed the car door. I turned to Alex. “Give Feliz time to warm up. He’s in a new place and scared. If I were you, I’d sign up for training sessions with him.”
“Why did he like you so much so soon?”
“I told you, everyone likes me.”
He brushed a thumb against his bottom lip. “Little Miss Goldie.”
I smiled. “Big Mr. Black.”
He smiled back, and I wanted my mind to get a mental photograph of the way his lips turned up.
