AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I’d like for us to talk.’
‘Okay. About?’
He opened his mouth, but then closed it.
I waited. My heart beating in my throat, I waited.
He glanced towards the street, but since I was still standing inside I didn’t see what he was looking at.
When his eyes returned to me, the smile on his face was a little more genuine. ‘Could you give me a moment, please? There is someone here who’d like to see you.’
Before I could tell him anything, he was walking away. I stood exactly where I was. I didn’t even move a muscle. I wasn’t sure if I could. Trying to keep a straight face, I waited for him to come back.
If he was here to just apologize and then leave, I wasn’t sure if I could keep it together in front of him. And if he was here to apologize and bring his wife to meet me? His pregnant wife… I would just shut the door in their faces and then wait for the earth to open up beneath my feet so I could disappear. If he was here to say he wanted to be with me, I’d drop to the floor and start crying.
I saw William first and then a big, big baby who made me gasp quite audibly.
‘Pepp!’ I squeaked and slowly dropped to my knees. He swung his head towards me when he heard my voice, his big cheeks flopping with his head. Then he was barking and crying and rushing to my arms. He was strong enough that his weight caused me to fall on my ass even as I wrapped my arms around his already too-big body. He wiggled out of my arms only to run around me and then come back and jump on my shoulders. I noticed tears falling from my cheeks even as I was laughing as he kept bumping his head into mine. It had barely been a week, but I had missed him like crazy.
‘Look how big you are, you handsome boy,’ I crooned, still laughing as he licked and licked my face while he was whining. ‘I missed you too.’ I held his big head in my hands and smiled at him as he lolled his big tongue out and smiled back at me. I gave him a big hug and held on tight. ‘I missed you so much,’ I whispered.
I was still laughing since Pepp was licking my ear and my hair, his body still a wiggling mess in my arms, when I heard William clear his throat.
Still rubbing my hands on Pepp’s body, I looked up to meet his gaze. I’d almost forgotten that he was standing there. Almost.
‘I think I saw a dog park around the corner. We could take him there if you’d like. He’s been in the car since the airport.’
I slowly stood up and brushed off my clothes. Pepp did what he always did since that first day we’d met. He leaned his big body against my leg and gazed up at me as if I were his world. My eyes teared again and I petted his head, watching as he closed his eyes with every swipe of my hand.
I glanced back up at William and nodded.
‘I’ll get the keys.’
Pepp followed me as I went to the kitchen. For a brief moment I considered maybe changing out of my clothes since I was wearing just comfy leggings and an oversized tee-shirt, but decided against it. Mostly because William was waiting just outside the door and I wouldn’t want him to think I was changing to look good for him.
I came back to the open door, put on my shoes and stepped outside. William took a few steps back and handed me Pepp’s leash. I put it on the good boy who was just waiting right next to me. I closed the door and we started walking towards the small dog park.
William was walking on my left and Pepp was on my right, looking up at me after every few steps. Quite possibly making sure I wasn’t disappearing on him again.
Neither one of us said a word to each other for the few minutes it took us to get to the park. There were no dogs around. We stepped inside the gates and Pepp looked up at me as I took off his leash.
He ran a few steps away, then ran back to me. He did it a few times and made me laugh. When he was sure I was following him and staying in his eyeline, he started to walk off to sniff his new grounds.
I waited, my soul vibrating with hope, but William wasn’t speaking.
Having had enough of it, I spoke first. ‘Gayle was going to bring him to me next week.’
William cleared his throat. ‘I changed her mind.’
‘I see.’
‘Charlie. Charlie can you look at me?’
