“Oh. Hey, Layton,” the owner of the house called.
“Hey, Mrs. Green! This is my girl, Charli.”
“Nice to meet you, Ch—” was all the woman got out before the tiny pup in her arms squirmed free and trotted over the grass.
“Meet your puppy.” I pinched Charli’s side.
“What? You’re nuts. We have Harriette.”
“And now we have this little guy. Don’t worry, he’ll stay little. Maybe twenty pounds.”
She picked up the small tri-colored beagle and nuzzled his cheek. Mrs. Green faded into the background but she didn’t seem to mind. She’d already been paid.
“He’s so cute,” Charli said, beaming as she looked up at me. “I’m going to call him Jay after Janie.”
“For real?”
“Yes. Her personality is like all this guy’s different-colored spots, varied and dark and light. But at the core, she means well.”
“I’m not sure she’s going to like hearing that you named a dog for her.”
“Okay, we’ll name him James but call him Jay.”
“Deal.”
We drove home with the little guy on Charli’s lap, stopping for a crate and some food.
That night, curled up in bed with our legs twined together, we kissed and touched.
She rolled over onto her back and sighed. “I’m not going to be able to rent a place that allows me to keep Jay, and soon there’ll be no way to separate the two dogs.”
“I know,” I said, grinning in the darkness. “That was my plan.”
