“Emerson.”
“Do you like dogs?”
“I do, but we don’t live together.” Emerson laughed while saying it, letting me off the hook. “He’ll be responsible for all the house-breaking.” She pointed at me.
Patty smiled. “Well, I can’t help if you fall in love with this guy too.”
“She means the dog,” I said, unable to stop myself.
All I got from Emerson was an eye roll.
“This way,” Patty said.
“You okay in flip-flops?” I asked Emerson as we walked toward a barn.
“I could live my whole life in flip-flops.”
Another thing I couldn’t help ... I let Emerson go first, enjoying the view of her walking on a farm, wearing Daisy Dukes and flip-flops.
Yes, I let my mind wander, thinking about what she’d look like back home at my farm, with me, and I liked it. A lot.
Thank God, Patty and the puppy stole me from my runaway happily-ever-after thoughts.
Emerson
Inside the wooden building in a small pen, the tiniest ball of yellow fur was jumping around. Patty opened the gate and let the little guy walk over to Price, who was crouched down and waiting.
“Come here, little man,” he said softly.
Clumsily, the puffball walked over to Price, already in love—because that’s what Price did to all creatures.
“What kind of dog is he?” I asked.
“English Labrador,” Patty said. “He’ll grow to be about seventy-five, eighty pounds.”
I looked at Price. “Can you have that big of a dog in your place?”
“Sure can.”
And just like that, Price was nuzzling the puppy in one hand and pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket with the other.
Patty said her good-byes and handed Price a list of supplies. He glanced at it and said he’d already bought most of them the day before.
Once the pup had peed on the grass, Price clicked a small red collar around his neck, swung the car door open for me, set a blanket on my lap, and plopped the dog right on top of it. I was trying to resist falling in love with the animal, and now there was no way out of it.
“Tuck” slept on my lap all the way home, his puppy breath invading the car, and I was practically a proud mom.
“Who will take care of him when you’re out at class?” I asked Price, stroking Tuck’s fur.
“Rudy set me up with a dog walker. And you can visit anytime you want. Not because you have to do anything, just to see him.”
My heart beat like a marching band in my chest. I’d never experienced anything like this with someone. It felt a lot like sharing a very special moment reserved for couples in love.
“Don’t let your brain go into overdrive,” Price said. “I see you overthinking it. Tuck’s a damn cute pup, and you can feel free to visit him.”
“Okay,” was all I said.
“Good.”
