Chapter Thirty-One

Aiden

 

Hours had gone by since Blake took off on her hunt. There wasn’t any reason why she hadn’t contacted me yet, unless she thought it was corny and wasn’t willing to give me a chance.

“What about this one?” Luke asked, reaching across the gate to pet a small white mutt.

He was cute and friendly, but I wasn’t sure it was the right dog for Blake and me. We needed one that could chase behind us on long bike rides, take up half the bed at night, and of course, one that we could raise to be part of the family, our family.

The woman at the shelter was growing irritated with me as I walked back and forth through the cages. There were so many, and all in need of a good home, making it nearly impossible to find the perfect one.

“There he is,” I gasped.

Pointing towards an older German shepherd, Luke’s eyes followed my finger.

He was brown and black, marked up just like the police dogs on our ship. He was perfect.

“Don’t you think she might want something more, well, snuggly?” Luke asked.

I shook my head.

“He’s the one,” I insisted, motioning towards the woman who worked there.

Blake loved big dogs, and she loved the breed. I’d heard her talk about them on more than one occasion.

The woman at the shelter gave me a ton of paperwork and then placed me in a small room where she promised to bring the dog as soon as I was complete. I was excited. I couldn’t wait. I wanted to take him home now, to show Blake we had a new addition to our family.

After a few long minutes, the woman reappeared into the room. She held a black leash, attached to the German shepherd, who obediently walked beside her.

“This is Gunner,” she introduced Luke and me to the dog.

He wasn’t so old at all. There was brightness in his blue eyes as she handed me the leash, as if he wanted this, too.

“How old is he?” Luke asked, still sounding discouraged by my decision.

“Right around two years old,” the woman replied with a tight smile afterward.

“That’s perfect,” I said quickly.

“Well, wait a minute. Is he trained, and what’s his background?” Luke questioned.

I knew I couldn’t explain to my friend what it was I saw in this dog, so I just let him ask his questions while I finished the paperwork given to me.

Gunner placed his head on my knee, his big bright eyes looking upward with a glimpse of happiness. To me, he looked sad and trapped, and he needed someone to love him.

“Gunner is a rescue dog. He came from a breeder who had less than desirable surroundings. He lived in a small cage with several other dogs, but he’s never shown signs of physical abuse or any aggression,” the woman answered, now seemingly irritated with Luke instead of me.

I ruffled the top of Gunner’s head, laughed, and handed her the paperwork.

“I’ll take him,” I grinned, reaching down for the leash attached to his collar.

Luke shook his head and let out a sigh, but there wasn’t anything he could do or say that would change my mind.

I handed over my driver’s license and the adoption fee to the woman, who quickly disappeared from the room to make a copy for their records.

Gunner was already cheering up, as if he knew what all this meant. His ears stiffened, his head tilted, and his breathing grew sporadic as I led him through the long hall towards the front desk. I assumed he’d never seen this part of the kennel before, probably being ushered in the back, cleaned, and then placed in his cage. Luke followed us out to his truck, still shaking his head that I didn’t choose a snuggly puppy.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked one last time.

I nodded as he opened the passenger door to his truck. Gunner jumped right in, moved to the small backseat, and sat at attention, ready to go, not caring where to, just ready.

I rolled down the window so he could get some breeze, and we headed towards town to get supplies.

My phone beeped, causing me to panic. It was Blake. She was on to the next clue. I knew she’d be at my house, our house, anytime, so we couldn’t bring Gunner back there, at least not yet. He was the prize at the end of the last clue, which would end at my abuela’s house, in the backyard, near the large oak tree where we’d built a treehouse with a sign ‘no girls allowed,’ except for Blake; she was always allowed.

I quickly created a text for Blake, before sending Luke towards the old tree where we’d wait.

Me: You’re moving fast. I must’ve made the clues too easy….lol

Blake:They are pretty easy

Me: Expect them to get harder

Blake: Sure…haha!

My heart raced knowing she’d read the clue that admitted my love. She didn’t say anything about it, but why would she? I hadn’t said anything to her when she professed her love to me. I just stood there, in shock, and then let her shoo me away like a house fly.

Luke pulled up to my abuela’s, and her face was filled with as much confusion as Luke’s when Gunner jumped from the truck.

“I thought you were going to get a snuggly puppy,” she sighed, the large dog pushing up against her, begging for attention.

I laughed. “He looks pretty snuggly to me,” I smiled.

Abuela rolled her eyes, but a warm smile appeared as she reached down to pet the large dog.

“Where are you going to put him?” she asked.

It was a good question. With the original plan, just a small puppy, I planned on using a small cage that I would place at the bottom of the tree. Now, with Gunner, he would have to be tied, but I hated to leave him alone.

“I’ll park out of sight and hang out with Gunner while you head back to your house,” Luke offered.

He already had the note for the dog’s collar, and even though he wouldn’t have chosen Gunner himself, it was obvious he was growing attached to him already.

“You don’t mind?” I asked, hating to leave so much responsibility on my friend.

“Not at all. I’ll skip out of sight before she sees me,” he promised.

I thanked him, handed him the card to put on Gunner’s collar, and quickly made it to my truck. I wasn’t sure how long it would take Blake to figure out the clue at my house, but I wanted to get there right as she left, knowing it wouldn’t take her long to figure out the last one, find Gunner, and head back.

I drove the backroads, some not even considered roads at all, just to avoid passing Blake on her scavenger hunt. I wondered how she felt about the confession I’d just left with her, or if she even believed it.  There was no doubt, once she got to my house, saw the swing, and what I left there for her, she’d know I was serious, that I wasn’t making up my affections for her.

Now, all I could do is wait…