So, I filled out an application with the local rescue and made an appointment to look at some to see if any felt right for me.
It was the Friday of my weekend off, and I opened the door to the Bayport Animal Rescue, glancing around as I made my way to the reception desk.
“Hi,” the woman sitting there greeted me with a smile. “How can I help you?”
“Hello.” I nodded. “I have an appointment to meet some of your dogs. Name is Blake Pierson.”
“Oh, yes.” She smiled as she stood. “We have your application right here, and Jake has been expecting you. I’ll go let him know you’re here.”
She disappeared around the corner. While I waited, I could hear a few muffled barks, and I felt almost hopeful, though I wasn’t sure why.
A few minutes later, a man walked around the corner, smiling as he approached me. “Blake?” I nodded, and he extended his hand for me to shake. “Jake. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
He gestured with his head toward a door. “You can follow me.”
I trailed behind him through a glass door and down a hallway before turning and stopping outside another door that opened into a fenced-in outdoor area, where several dogs of various breeds were running around.
I felt my lips twitch in a smile as I looked at them through the glass.
“So, what made you look into adopting?”
I looked over at him. “Oh, uh…I just got my own house. It’s just me. Looking for some company, I guess.” I didn’t feel like getting into any more detail than that.
The man nodded. “Well, feel free to interact with any of them. And if you have any questions about them, I’ll be right here.”
I nodded, and he pushed open the door, allowing me to step out first.
As soon as our presence was noticed, a few of the dogs came running over, tails wagging. I reached down, letting them sniff my hand before petting a couple.
A boxer/bulldog mix came trotting toward me, his butt shaking in excitement as I reached down to pet him.
I crouched down, watching as the dogs ran around, petting a few more that approached me, waiting for that potential “you’ll know” moment with one of them.
The door behind me opened, and a blur of gold flew by before skidding to a halt and turning to look at me. I held the golden retriever’s stare for a moment…and then he crouched down, playfully sprang back up, juked left, right, then crouched down again, his butt in the air as his tail wagged.
When I laughed, his ears perked up before he stood straight and walked over to sit directly in front of me. “Hey, buddy,” I said, holding out my hand so he could sniff it—he went straight to licking it without a second of hesitation.
“He’s only been here a couple of weeks,” Jake said as he approached.
“What’s his story?”
“His owners were moving across the country and just dropped him off. Said they couldn’t take him with them.” That pissed me the fuck off on the dog’s behalf. “He’s a little over one, completely housebroken, listens really well, and hasquitethe personality,” he said with a chuckle.
I smiled, scratching the dog behind his ear, and I swore the damn thingsmiled. “He got a name?”
“Maverick.”
I froze.
Maverick.
Suddenly, the dog lifted his front leg to rest a paw on my arm. I stared at it for a moment, feeling my heart thump in my chest as I brought my gaze to his face. He was panting slightly, but it looked like he wassmiling.
I wasn’t one who normally believed in signs from above or any kind of horseshit like that, but this one hit mehardand fast. And I couldn’t shake it.
Because it wasMaverick.
