Read Online THEM (Book 0): Invasion by M.D. Massey - Free Book Online
Authors: M.D. Massey
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never make it there.”
About that time, I heard one of the kid’s yell, “Puppy!” and saw them scramble off the roof of the car, down the hood, and over to my vehicle. Before I knew it, the dog jumped out the window and ran over to the kid, and for a moment I thought I was going to have to draw down on her. Instead, the beast was licking the kid’s face all over, and the kid was obviously enjoying it immensely from all the giggling going on.
The girl soon followed, and before long mom was offering the dog water from a bottle. Then she turned to me and smiled, the first real genuine smile I’d seen since I pulled up. “Beautiful dog. Is she yours?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Found her in a wrecked van a few miles back. Her owners—they weren’t around. I took her with me because, well, I couldn’t just leave her there.”
She continued to give the dog water from the palm of her hand, pouring it from the bottle as the dog lapped it up. “She’s certainly well taken care of, you can see that from her coat. Whoever owned her before must’ve loved her a great deal.”
“Dog lover, I take it?” I asked with a grin.
Sarah nodded. “My parents raise Catahoulas, so I grew up around dogs. I’d say this one’s a keeper.”
It only took me a moment to decide. “Would you like to take her along with you?”
She looked at me with only the slightest bit of contempt, then caught herself. “I take it you’re not a dog person?”
“No ma’am, I am—it’s just that where I’m going I don’t know if I could keep her safe. Besides, if you don’t mind me saying, I think you and the kids could use her more than I can.”
The kids immediately went into a chorus of, “Can we keep her?” and she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “Oh, I suppose we can keep her.” A cheer went up from the peanut gallery.
Dan turned to me with concern on his face. “You sure she’s going to be safe around the kids?”
I grinned. “Safe as houses. I’ve owned that breed before – they’re good dogs, good with kids, and protective as hell.” He looked to his wife for the final say, and she gave the barest of nods. That seemed to cinch it.
The kids looked over at me as I finished pouring the last drops of gas in the tank. “What’s her name, mister?”
I shrugged. “She doesn’t have one, so I suppose you two get to name her.” They grinned, and immediately started arguing over names. “Buttercup” and “Starfire” seemed to be the two most popular choices. I decided to stay out of it.
As I threw the empty gas cans back in the bed of the truck, Dan tried to offer me money. “I feel bad about taking your gas, so at least let me pay you for it.” He pushed a couple of twenties at me that he’d pulled from a wallet full of credit cards.
I chuckled and waved him off. “For one, I don’t know if paper money is going to be worth anything to anyone before long. And second, this is on the house. My folks didn’t raise me to take money for doing a kind turn. You can pay me back by getting your family home safe and taking good care of that dog.”
He tilted his head and shook my hand. “Thanks, for everything. By the way, I never got your name.”
“Nope, you didn’t. It’s Aidan, Aidan Sullivan. Most folks call me Sully.”
One of the kids chimed in from the background. “Like the monster!” he exclaimed.
I snorted. “Just not blue and purple, but yeah.”
The kid looked at me askance and squinted his eyes in feigned consternation. Then he grinned and exclaimed, “Still a cool name, even if you don’t have purple fur.” Then he went right back to petting the dog.
About that time, the wind shifted and I heard the dog growl menacingly. She took up a protective stance between the kids and the shoulder of the road, her gaze fixated on the treeline. I listened carefully and could hear some low moaning coming from the trees and brush, so I kept an eye on the trees while I motioned at Dan.
About that time, I heard one of the kid’s yell, “Puppy!” and saw them scramble off the roof of the car, down the hood, and over to my vehicle. Before I knew it, the dog jumped out the window and ran over to the kid, and for a moment I thought I was going to have to draw down on her. Instead, the beast was licking the kid’s face all over, and the kid was obviously enjoying it immensely from all the giggling going on.
The girl soon followed, and before long mom was offering the dog water from a bottle. Then she turned to me and smiled, the first real genuine smile I’d seen since I pulled up. “Beautiful dog. Is she yours?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Found her in a wrecked van a few miles back. Her owners—they weren’t around. I took her with me because, well, I couldn’t just leave her there.”
She continued to give the dog water from the palm of her hand, pouring it from the bottle as the dog lapped it up. “She’s certainly well taken care of, you can see that from her coat. Whoever owned her before must’ve loved her a great deal.”
“Dog lover, I take it?” I asked with a grin.
Sarah nodded. “My parents raise Catahoulas, so I grew up around dogs. I’d say this one’s a keeper.”
It only took me a moment to decide. “Would you like to take her along with you?”
She looked at me with only the slightest bit of contempt, then caught herself. “I take it you’re not a dog person?”
“No ma’am, I am—it’s just that where I’m going I don’t know if I could keep her safe. Besides, if you don’t mind me saying, I think you and the kids could use her more than I can.”
The kids immediately went into a chorus of, “Can we keep her?” and she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “Oh, I suppose we can keep her.” A cheer went up from the peanut gallery.
Dan turned to me with concern on his face. “You sure she’s going to be safe around the kids?”
I grinned. “Safe as houses. I’ve owned that breed before – they’re good dogs, good with kids, and protective as hell.” He looked to his wife for the final say, and she gave the barest of nods. That seemed to cinch it.
The kids looked over at me as I finished pouring the last drops of gas in the tank. “What’s her name, mister?”
I shrugged. “She doesn’t have one, so I suppose you two get to name her.” They grinned, and immediately started arguing over names. “Buttercup” and “Starfire” seemed to be the two most popular choices. I decided to stay out of it.
As I threw the empty gas cans back in the bed of the truck, Dan tried to offer me money. “I feel bad about taking your gas, so at least let me pay you for it.” He pushed a couple of twenties at me that he’d pulled from a wallet full of credit cards.
I chuckled and waved him off. “For one, I don’t know if paper money is going to be worth anything to anyone before long. And second, this is on the house. My folks didn’t raise me to take money for doing a kind turn. You can pay me back by getting your family home safe and taking good care of that dog.”
He tilted his head and shook my hand. “Thanks, for everything. By the way, I never got your name.”
“Nope, you didn’t. It’s Aidan, Aidan Sullivan. Most folks call me Sully.”
One of the kids chimed in from the background. “Like the monster!” he exclaimed.
I snorted. “Just not blue and purple, but yeah.”
The kid looked at me askance and squinted his eyes in feigned consternation. Then he grinned and exclaimed, “Still a cool name, even if you don’t have purple fur.” Then he went right back to petting the dog.
About that time, the wind shifted and I heard the dog growl menacingly. She took up a protective stance between the kids and the shoulder of the road, her gaze fixated on the treeline. I listened carefully and could hear some low moaning coming from the trees and brush, so I kept an eye on the trees while I motioned at Dan.
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