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“Come on in.” Ralph steps aside and motions us in. “He’s all ready for you.”
“He?” Alina lifts a brow at me, looking around Ralph’s living room for a clue, but all she sees is the leather sectional and a mounted, flat-screen TV. It isn’t until Ralph gives a short whistle and a large German Shepherd comes running in to sit at his feet that it hits her. Her eyes widen and jump to mine. “Matvey,” she whispers before a huge smile spreads across her beautiful face.
I take her coffee and set them both on the end table near the sofa. “Do you like him?”
She looks at the black-and-tan dog who’s still sitting and waiting for his next command. His amber eyes are alert as he looks between us with his head cocked and ears raised.
“He’s beautiful.”
“He’s not just beautiful,” I tell her. “He’s a service dog.”
“What?”
Ralph reaches down and pets the dog’s head. “He’s been trained to offer support for people who have panic attacks or anxiety. He offers emotional support, but he’ll also wake you if you’re having nightterrors, comfort you if you have a panic attack, or even alert you if he thinks one is about to happen. To be honest,” he says with a soft laugh, “I think everyone could benefit from having a dog like this, or any pet for that matter. They just make life more enjoyable in my opinion. He’s a sweet boy, aren’t you, Finn?”
The dog’s head lifts at the sound of his name and his tail starts wagging. Alina smiles and squats down, laughing when he quickly walks over to sniff her fingers. He licks her hand and then sits next to her while she runs her hands through his fur. I squat down next to her, and the smile she gives me lets me know I’ve made the right choice.
As much as I want to be next to her every second of every day, it’s not realistic, and, if I’m being honest, probably not all that healthy, but Finn can be with her whenever she needs a bit of comfort or whenever she’s feeling scared or anxious. What she doesn’t know is that Ralph also trains dogs for personal protection. Finn isn’t just an emotional support dog. He’s also a highly trained killer who will rip the throat out of anyone who tries to hurt her. Finn is what Vitaly would call a twofer, and I can already tell he’s worth every penny of the enormous price tag.
We spend the next hour with Ralph as he teaches Alina the different commands and gives them a chance to bond. I’m not at all surprised to see that Finn already seems smitten with Alina. His amber eyes follow her around everywhere she moves, always on alert, waiting for her if she needs him.
When Ralph’s satisfied that Alina and Finn are a good match, he smiles and goes to grab some supplies. He helps Alina put on the red vest withService Dogwritten on it before handing over Finn’s leash.
“Don’t be afraid to put that vest on him and take him wherever you want him to go. He’s registered to you as a service dog, so that means you have the right to have him with you. Restaurants, airplanes, inside buildings, it doesn’t matter. This is your right, so don’t be afraid to use it.” He hands her his business card. “If you have any questions at all, give me a call.”
“I will.” She takes the card and tucks it into her back pocket. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure. When your fiancé called me, I knew Finn would be the perfect match for you. He’s the only dog I’ve ever worked with who can be just as sweet as he can be fierce. He’ll keep you safe just as easily as he’ll comfort you through a panic attack or nightmare.”
“He’s perfect,” Alina agrees, already in love with the dog.
I shake his hand and thank him again, holding the leash so Alina can get bundled back up. She’s so excited that she doesn’t bother tying her scarf or putting her mittens on. Yeah, that’s not going to cut it. I stop her in the entryway, ignoring the cute, stubborn scowl she gives me for making her wait while I zip her coat all the way up and tie her scarf. She lets out a frustrated huff of air when I pull her mittens from her pockets and hold them up.
“I’m not going to freeze to death,” she pouts while I slip the first mitten on her hand.
“No, you sure as fuck will not,” I say, raising a brow and pulling her other mitten on, and just because I’m a stubborn ass, I take my time pulling her hat down before finally kissing her nose and opening the door.
With a laugh, she steps outside, keeping her eyes on Finn, even though the dog is glued to her side and shows no interest in being anywhere else. Reaching back, she grabs my hand and then wraps her arm around my waist, pulling me in for a hug.
“Thank you so much for this.”
I wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead. “You’re welcome,malishka. I’m so happy you love him. Remember when you were little and you had that German Shepherd stuffed animal that you carried around everywhere?”
She lifts her head to give me a surprised look. “You remember that?”
“Of course I do. I was part of the search team when you lost it that one time.”
She laughs and the sound of it makes me smile. I’d been so afraid that she’d never be able to give a carefree laugh again, but Alinacontinues to amaze me with her strength, and I’ve quickly learned to never underestimate her.
“You found him under my bed, hidden behind some toys.” She looks to the side, replaying the memory with a smile. “You were always taking care of me, Matvey, even then.”
“And I always will.” Giving her another kiss, I take her hand and lead her back to the street. “Come on, baby. Let’s go show him his new home.”
By the time we’re taking the elevator up to the penthouse, Alina and I are both completely in love with the newest addition to the Melnikov family. I’ve always wanted a dog, and I’d thought about getting one while we were looking for Alina, but the idea of doing it without her depressed me. I’m glad I waited, because seeing her with him is the cutest goddamn thing ever. I’ve already taken several photos and a few videos, and her new wallpaper on her phone is a photo of me and Finn.
Fucking adorable.
“Oh my god, he’s so cute!” Emily yells as soon as the doors open and she sees the dog. “Am I allowed to pet him?”
