raging libido, and focused on the dog. She wagged her tail and put her ears down in what looked to Shane’s untrained eye like confusion.
She didn’t growl back or bare her teeth or anything he would have expected from an aggressive dog. Instead she ducked her head beneath Aaron’s and licked the underside of his chin.
“Good girl,” Aaron said, and Shane smiled hopefully.
“So?”
“She passed all the tests. She does need some training. She could be a little more excitable than I’d ever recommend. But it’s nothing I can’t work with.”
That sounded suspiciously like pride. Shane liked it. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to poke fun.
“Of course, you’re the Dog Whisperer.”
Aaron scoffed, but his expression sobered soon after. “There’s one last test.”
Shane’s brow furrowed. “I thought you said that was the last.”
“Of my tests. But this one is the most important. What do you think of her?”
Shane almost gave the first answer that sprang to mind. He liked her. He’d liked her since he’d seen her. He’d felt an odd connection to her the moment their eyes met. But he closed his mouth before he could say those things, knowing a quick answer wasn’t always the right answer.
Shane held out his hands as if to pet her, and she came willingly. He stroked her soft fur and let his mind wander. What he was searching for, he didn’t know. Some sign, maybe. Something that would tell him right away that this was the dog who would help him get his life back.
He looked down at Buttercup. Her mouth was partly open, her tongue hanging out. She didn’t have any wisdom to impart. Just soft, loving eyes that implored him to make the right decision, but said she would still forgive him if he didn’t.
“Yeah. She’s the one.”
He didn’t know what decided it, and he couldn’t say it was much more than a feeling. But Aaron seemed satisfied. He slipped the lead back on Buttercup and motioned toward the door.
“I’ll fill out the paperwork, then, and we can head to the pet store to make sure she has everything she needs.”
Aaron handed over the lead, and Shane followed him out of the room and up to the front desk. When the paperwork was done, the attendant came out to say goodbye to the dog, and that was that.
“Any idea what you’re going to name her?” Aaron asked as they exited the building.
Shane just shrugged. “What, you think I can’t have a dog named Buttercup?”
Aaron flushed. “No, I just—”
Shane gave him a grin. “It’s cool. I like Buttercup. I wouldn’t want some asshole to come along and give me a whole new name, so I’m not going to do that to her.”
Aaron smiled as if he approved, then nodded once. “Good. That’s good.”
9
Shane
F or the first few days , Shane had kept Buttercup’s lead on almost all the time, just like Aaron had suggested. He’d also kept her crated at night, and allowed her to get used to one main room in the house.
But Shane started to feel bad whenever he walked anywhere without Buttercup, and so, less than an hour before their first training session with Aaron, he decided to give her the grand tour of her new home.
In less than five minutes, he’d managed to show her about twenty reasons why his parents should be sainted, and compelling evidence that he probably shouldn’t have survived childhood.
Then he’d shown her his parents’ master bedroom, the one he was using for his own now. His bare feet padded across carpet that had always seemed softer when he was a kid.
“Kinda weird being in this room.” He’d been talking to Buttercup the whole time, because why the hell not? It wasn’t like anyone else could hear him, and she listened without calling him an idiot. “Never used to come in here unless my TV was busted. I don’t really remember even coming in here when I was having a nightmare or something.”
There was irony in that now, but Shane didn’t voice it.
“It just still feels like my dad’s
She didn’t growl back or bare her teeth or anything he would have expected from an aggressive dog. Instead she ducked her head beneath Aaron’s and licked the underside of his chin.
“Good girl,” Aaron said, and Shane smiled hopefully.
“So?”
“She passed all the tests. She does need some training. She could be a little more excitable than I’d ever recommend. But it’s nothing I can’t work with.”
That sounded suspiciously like pride. Shane liked it. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to poke fun.
“Of course, you’re the Dog Whisperer.”
Aaron scoffed, but his expression sobered soon after. “There’s one last test.”
Shane’s brow furrowed. “I thought you said that was the last.”
“Of my tests. But this one is the most important. What do you think of her?”
Shane almost gave the first answer that sprang to mind. He liked her. He’d liked her since he’d seen her. He’d felt an odd connection to her the moment their eyes met. But he closed his mouth before he could say those things, knowing a quick answer wasn’t always the right answer.
Shane held out his hands as if to pet her, and she came willingly. He stroked her soft fur and let his mind wander. What he was searching for, he didn’t know. Some sign, maybe. Something that would tell him right away that this was the dog who would help him get his life back.
He looked down at Buttercup. Her mouth was partly open, her tongue hanging out. She didn’t have any wisdom to impart. Just soft, loving eyes that implored him to make the right decision, but said she would still forgive him if he didn’t.
“Yeah. She’s the one.”
He didn’t know what decided it, and he couldn’t say it was much more than a feeling. But Aaron seemed satisfied. He slipped the lead back on Buttercup and motioned toward the door.
“I’ll fill out the paperwork, then, and we can head to the pet store to make sure she has everything she needs.”
Aaron handed over the lead, and Shane followed him out of the room and up to the front desk. When the paperwork was done, the attendant came out to say goodbye to the dog, and that was that.
“Any idea what you’re going to name her?” Aaron asked as they exited the building.
Shane just shrugged. “What, you think I can’t have a dog named Buttercup?”
Aaron flushed. “No, I just—”
Shane gave him a grin. “It’s cool. I like Buttercup. I wouldn’t want some asshole to come along and give me a whole new name, so I’m not going to do that to her.”
Aaron smiled as if he approved, then nodded once. “Good. That’s good.”
9
Shane
F or the first few days , Shane had kept Buttercup’s lead on almost all the time, just like Aaron had suggested. He’d also kept her crated at night, and allowed her to get used to one main room in the house.
But Shane started to feel bad whenever he walked anywhere without Buttercup, and so, less than an hour before their first training session with Aaron, he decided to give her the grand tour of her new home.
In less than five minutes, he’d managed to show her about twenty reasons why his parents should be sainted, and compelling evidence that he probably shouldn’t have survived childhood.
Then he’d shown her his parents’ master bedroom, the one he was using for his own now. His bare feet padded across carpet that had always seemed softer when he was a kid.
“Kinda weird being in this room.” He’d been talking to Buttercup the whole time, because why the hell not? It wasn’t like anyone else could hear him, and she listened without calling him an idiot. “Never used to come in here unless my TV was busted. I don’t really remember even coming in here when I was having a nightmare or something.”
There was irony in that now, but Shane didn’t voice it.
“It just still feels like my dad’s
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