on her hip.
“That’s a good girl. No biting Cole.”
The damn dog had turned out to be an ankle
biter — often nipping at Cole’s heels as he walked across the
apartment.
“Dammit, that hurt you little beast.” Cole
absently rubbed his tender Achilles tendon.
Savannah didn’t scold the dog, just picked it
up and lovingly stroked its back. No wonder the thing was so
naughty. She let it get away with murder. Of course, it was only
naughty towards Cole. Cuddles treated Savannah as though she walked
on water. Probably because she was the one who fed and walked it.
Cole usually looked at it with suspicion and distrust.
Now that Savannah had Cuddles and was
starting to adjust, Cole decided his forced vacation was over. He
was going back to work. Norm would just have to deal with the fact
that it was two days early. Savannah had settled in better than he
could have expected, and the dog had helped a lot.
Cole had shown her the grassy fenced in area
where tenants could exercise their dogs. He showed her the little
bags for cleaning up after Cuddles, and gave her an extra key to
his condo, telling her to make sure she kept the door locked. She
didn’t seem too upset by the thought of him going to work, which
was good. She asked if she could take a bubble bath in the sunken
tub in his master bath, and said she wanted to read some of the
books Dr. White had given her too.
When he arrived at the office the next
morning, Norm grumbled something unintelligible and several of the
guys groaned, and then began swapping money. What the-?
Instead of ordering him back on vacation,
like he suspected would happen, Norm patted him on the back. “Good
work. You stayed away longer than I thought you would.”
He looked around at the grinning faces of his
co-workers. “You guys took bets on me?”
“Most had you coming back on Tuesday. I had
today, which means you just won me fifty bucks.” Norm grinned. “Now
everyone back to work.” He shoved a file of printouts at Cole.
“Here’s a new case for you.”
Regardless of their jabs, Cole knew being
back at work was a good thing. It would help give him some much
needed perspective and occupy his brain, hopefully forcing thoughts
of Savannah aside, if only for eight hours at a time.
When he got home from work, he found Savannah
sitting on the living room floor clutching Cuddles to her chest,
tears freely streaming down her cheeks.
He dropped his bag in the entryway and
stormed across the living room, falling to his knees in front of
her. “Savannah, what is it? What happened?” He cradled her jaw in
his hands, meeting her teary eyes.
She looked at him and then back at the TV.
“Oh Cole, it’s just so sad.”
He looked at the screen to see what she’d
been watching. It was one of those damn talk shows that featured a
cast of low lives — this episode appeared to be a girl who didn’t
know who the father of their baby was. A tattooed guy strutted
across the stage, shouting obscenities at the audience after
learning he was not the father. The mother was not to be outdone,
was wildly gesturing and shouting, nearly every word bleeped
out.
Cole turned it off. “You shouldn’t be
watching that trash.”
“She didn’t know who the father of her child
was, and he was just so mean…” She sniffed, drawing a deep breath.
“And the poor baby…”
Cole pulled her to his chest. “Shh, it’s not
real. It’s just TV.” He didn’t know if that was entirely true, but
Savannah didn’t need to know that. She was just too vulnerable, too
impressionable, having not grown up in the real world. If he could
protect her from even some of its harsh realities, he would.
After holding her for a few minutes until her
tears subsided, Cole rubbed gentle circles on her back. She pulled
away and met his eyes. Still red and puffy, but no fresh tears.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, unwilling to take her eyes from
his. “Thanks for…everything. For taking care of me.”
Her lips
“That’s a good girl. No biting Cole.”
The damn dog had turned out to be an ankle
biter — often nipping at Cole’s heels as he walked across the
apartment.
“Dammit, that hurt you little beast.” Cole
absently rubbed his tender Achilles tendon.
Savannah didn’t scold the dog, just picked it
up and lovingly stroked its back. No wonder the thing was so
naughty. She let it get away with murder. Of course, it was only
naughty towards Cole. Cuddles treated Savannah as though she walked
on water. Probably because she was the one who fed and walked it.
Cole usually looked at it with suspicion and distrust.
Now that Savannah had Cuddles and was
starting to adjust, Cole decided his forced vacation was over. He
was going back to work. Norm would just have to deal with the fact
that it was two days early. Savannah had settled in better than he
could have expected, and the dog had helped a lot.
Cole had shown her the grassy fenced in area
where tenants could exercise their dogs. He showed her the little
bags for cleaning up after Cuddles, and gave her an extra key to
his condo, telling her to make sure she kept the door locked. She
didn’t seem too upset by the thought of him going to work, which
was good. She asked if she could take a bubble bath in the sunken
tub in his master bath, and said she wanted to read some of the
books Dr. White had given her too.
When he arrived at the office the next
morning, Norm grumbled something unintelligible and several of the
guys groaned, and then began swapping money. What the-?
Instead of ordering him back on vacation,
like he suspected would happen, Norm patted him on the back. “Good
work. You stayed away longer than I thought you would.”
He looked around at the grinning faces of his
co-workers. “You guys took bets on me?”
“Most had you coming back on Tuesday. I had
today, which means you just won me fifty bucks.” Norm grinned. “Now
everyone back to work.” He shoved a file of printouts at Cole.
“Here’s a new case for you.”
Regardless of their jabs, Cole knew being
back at work was a good thing. It would help give him some much
needed perspective and occupy his brain, hopefully forcing thoughts
of Savannah aside, if only for eight hours at a time.
When he got home from work, he found Savannah
sitting on the living room floor clutching Cuddles to her chest,
tears freely streaming down her cheeks.
He dropped his bag in the entryway and
stormed across the living room, falling to his knees in front of
her. “Savannah, what is it? What happened?” He cradled her jaw in
his hands, meeting her teary eyes.
She looked at him and then back at the TV.
“Oh Cole, it’s just so sad.”
He looked at the screen to see what she’d
been watching. It was one of those damn talk shows that featured a
cast of low lives — this episode appeared to be a girl who didn’t
know who the father of their baby was. A tattooed guy strutted
across the stage, shouting obscenities at the audience after
learning he was not the father. The mother was not to be outdone,
was wildly gesturing and shouting, nearly every word bleeped
out.
Cole turned it off. “You shouldn’t be
watching that trash.”
“She didn’t know who the father of her child
was, and he was just so mean…” She sniffed, drawing a deep breath.
“And the poor baby…”
Cole pulled her to his chest. “Shh, it’s not
real. It’s just TV.” He didn’t know if that was entirely true, but
Savannah didn’t need to know that. She was just too vulnerable, too
impressionable, having not grown up in the real world. If he could
protect her from even some of its harsh realities, he would.
After holding her for a few minutes until her
tears subsided, Cole rubbed gentle circles on her back. She pulled
away and met his eyes. Still red and puffy, but no fresh tears.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, unwilling to take her eyes from
his. “Thanks for…everything. For taking care of me.”
Her lips
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