“I wanna stay with the horsies,” Jameson said, struggling to get down. Lucas called him over, and Brendan let him go.
“I’ve been thinking about getting Jameson a dog. He’s been asking for a horse of his own, but he’s too young and small. But I had a dog when I was his age.”
“That’s a great idea. We have a number of dogs in the shelter. What did you have in mind?”
“A small to medium dog. I want one that can stay in the house. This isn’t going to be a stable dog. It will be Jameson’s pet.” He was hoping Mitchell had one that would fit the bill.
“Bring Jameson over sometime, and the two of you can pick out the dog you like. I have a number of smaller dogs that are very kid-friendly.
“Perfect. We’ll stop over soon.” He shook Mitchell’s hand and thanked him for stopping by.
The new addition was quite an attraction. Some of the other owners had arrived, and they all watched the newest addition before getting to work with their horses. Brendan had plenty of chores to finish, so he was grateful to Lucas for watching Jameson as he got to work.
ChapterTen
“What doyou want to do for dinner?” Lucas asked once he finished with the stalls. Brendan sat at his computer while Jameson played on the floor.
“I thought we’d get something in town after we make a stop.” He closed the computer. “So, get your shoes on, and we can go.” Brendan got Jameson ready, and then they all got in the car with Jameson in his seat.
“Can we have pizza?”
“Maybe,” Brendan told him.
“Where are we going?” Lucas asked quietly.
“It’s a surprise for you too,” Brendan said, grinning as they drove just up the road before turning into a yard. As soon as he opened the door, the barking of dogs greeted him.
“What is this?”
“Well, I thought it was time that we got a dog. This is a rescue shelter, so, Jameson, you get to choose a dog to take home.” Jameson did his butt-wiggling happy dance, and Brendan smiled as he took his hand. “Come on. We’re all going to pick one.” Brendan took Lucas’s hand, too, and they went inside. Mitchell came out from a row of enclosures and greeted all of them before giving them a tour.
There were about fifteen dogs in the shelter, and they all seemed to clamor for their attention. Jameson seemed a little overwhelmed by the noise, so Brendan lifted him as they went around.
“He looks nice,” Brendan said, stopping in front of a medium-sized mutt. “What do you think?” He turned to Lucas, who shrugged, but Jameson shook his head, so they continued on, looking at each of the dogs before starting over. “Is there oneyou liked?” Jameson nodded, and he turned to Lucas. “What did you think?”
“Well. I think if this is going to be a dog for Jameson, then it shouldn’t be bigger than him.”
“I agree to that.” He put Jameson down and held his hand. “Take me to the one you like.” Jameson looked up at him and just stood there. “Is it hard to choose?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” He crouched down. “Let me ask you this. Which dog do you want to sleep with you and play with you and everything.” That made him smile. He practically pulled Brendan over to an enclosure with a poodle mix. “Is that the one?”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “Can you see me taking that little thing for a walk?” he asked, and Brendan stifled a giggle. Huge Lucas walking this tiny dog was going to be hilarious.
“If you do it shirtless, no one will notice,” he told him in a whisper.
Mitchell opened the enclosure, and the little dog came right out. Mitchell helped Jameson hold him, and the dog licked Jameson’s face, to giggles and huge smiles.
“I’m gonna love you forever,” Jameson chirped, the dog happily giving doggie kisses, and at that moment, Brendan turned to Lucas, who held out his hand. He took it, and Brendan moved into his arms, resting his head against Lucas’s shoulder. Lucas kissed him gently.
“Are you happy?” Brendan asked. He had meant with the dog, but Lucas caught his eyes, and the single nod told him so much more than he’d been asking.
“Very….” Lucas held him a little tighter.
Brendan smiled. “Me too.” He could snuggle into those strong arms forever.
Epilogue
