CLARE
Dale Harris was the last thing I needed this morning, especially as close as he was to me right now. I’d been trying to be nice, but he twisted my words until he found yet another reason to be pissed at me.
God, I want to punch him.
Hell, I want to punch everyone.
I hate the world right now.
“All I was saying, you fucking idiot, is that maybe you occasionally need some time to relax and just be you. Not a parent, not a person someone else has expectations in, but just a dude out for a beer. Why do you turn everything I say into an insult?” I tilted my head. “Then again, maybe you suggesting you need sex means you need exactly that. I’m sure there’s a poor lady out there somewhere who will instantly spread her legs for you.”
I held his eyes as I said those words, yet there was a weird churning in my stomach at the thought. Yes, there were too many willing and cheap women out there, but was I really ready to babysit his daughter so he could get his dick wet?
He came even closer, his nose almost touching mine. His breath washed over my face, smelling of chocolate and sugar, and I stared at his lips for a second before my eyes snapped back to his.
“You think a cheap lay is my thing? How about we do it right here, right now, on your kitchen counter?”
My jaw dropped. Before I knew it, my hand shot out, landing a loud slap to his face. “You know nothing about me, asshole. Not a thing. Get out of my house right now, or I’ll kick you where it hurts.”
He hesitated a moment, clearly trying to figure out if I would or wouldn’t follow through, then suddenly pressed an angry kiss to my lips. When he pulled back, he grinned maliciously, pushed another cookie into his mouth, and left.
“You asshole!” I screamed, hearing him chuckle as he walked across my grass. I wished I had punched him instead of a simple slap.
What the hell had he been thinking, kissing me? Especially after calling me cheap. I licked my lips, his taste still on them, and my heart thudded angrily in my chest. I didn’t know what it meant. Fuck, I couldn’t even decide what I thought about the kiss, except how nice his lips had felt on mine.
I massaged my temples, wondering what to do with myself. I didn’t have a friend to speak of because I was a secretary in a firm that specialized in TV installations. Besides me, there was only one other lady working there, and she was almost sixty. I didn’t go out enough to meet new friends, and if I did, all I ever saw were cliques. Good luck getting into those.
Anyway, I didn’t need anyone. I was my own woman. I took care of my house, my money, and if I needed it, my own pleasure.
Starting to pace, I wished I had a dog. Something to talk to, to comfort me. That thought had come up several times before, but I’d dismissed it, worried what I’d do with it when I was at the office. But now? I figured I’d make it work.
Opening my laptop, I searched for chocolate labs, my favorite, and realized the season for new pups was over. People obviously didn’t consider having a litter of puppies in the summer a good idea. I read through different forums and pages until I spotted an entry that caught my interest. It was four days old and the dog offered was cheap, but maybe I’d be lucky.
I dialed the number, waiting with bated breath until someone picked up.
“Summers.”
“I’m calling about…” I checked the name, “Lacrosse. My name is Clare Delaney and I’ve wanted a chocolate lab since, well…forever.”
“Do you know anything about dogs?” the woman asked.
I put my laptop aside and walked up the stairs to my office. Not that I ever used the room, but it also served as storage. I found the dog training books right on top of a pile.
“I do. I’ve read a lot about them before. I worried what I’d do with a dog while at work, but I read that if they are used to it, they’ll be peaceful while you’re gone.”
The woman laughed. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention occasionally. So, here’s the thing… Lacrosse isn’t a perfect chocolate lab. I’m thinking you should come over and look at her so you know if she might be the right fit for you.”
Not perfect? I wondered what that meant, then decided I could always refuse to take her if I didn’t think it’d work out. “I thought pups usually left their mothers at around eight weeks. It says Lacrosse is eleven weeks.”
The woman hesitated, then sighed. “Just come by to look at her. I’ll tell you everything about her then. She has shots and we have all the papers. We also started to potty-train her, too. She still sometimes can’t make it outside, but at least you won’t have to start from ground zero.”
I liked the sound of that and chewed my bottom lip. Maybe I was having a midlife crisis at thirty-one.
“Where can I see the precious bundle?” I asked cheerily, although I worried what could be wrong with her that she hadn’t been picked yet.
The woman rattled off the address. I assured her I was going to be there in less than an hour, which I managed even with stopping to grab the necessities for my future dog. Sick of being alone, I was set on having one.
Plus, maybe I could train it to bite Dale Harris’ ankle whenever the guy stepped foot on my land.
The moment I got there and opened the door to the garden, a brown furball came bounding forward. Smiling, I crouched to scoop her up, realizing why Lacrosse was still here. Her tail and butt were white. In such expensive dogs, that was actually considered a defect.
The puppy licked my face and I laughed, unable to help myself. No matter what, this little one was coming home with me.
When a woman approached me cautiously, I gave her a beaming smile.
“She’s perfect,” I announced, watching how her shoulders relaxed as she blew out a breath.
Her eyes shone with happiness when she knelt next to me. “As you can tell, she’s not. Technically, a good breeder would’ve gotten rid of a defective one, but, well… I couldn’t. No one else wanted her, just in case they ever wanted to breed their own, so…” She shrugged.
I laughed. “I’m going to have my hands full with this one. I’m never going to breed them, I assure you.”
Lacrosse jumped all over me, her tail wagging happily, and a calm settled within me, as if my body was telling me this was the right decision. Granted, I’d have to put a new fence around my garden, but that would be the least of my worries. I was sure about it.
“She’s going home with me,” I announced, standing to grab the new collar out of my handbag. The pup instantly started to whine.
“She sure loves you,” Mrs. Summers chuckled. I couldn’t help but think that as much as we imagined we chose the dog, the puppies ultimately decided with whom they were a good match.
Taking her home gave me a peace I hadn’t expected. As Lacrosse bounced off every surface in my house, I couldn’t help but think that something finally felt right in my life again.