“He was a bad dog owner.” I glance toward her. “Did you ever meet Poker?”
She shakes her head.
Callie and I didn’t become close until right before Austin and I broke up. Before Olivia came to town, I swear she was making an effort to avoid me altogether.
“He got Poker our senior year of high school. When we moved in together after college, I was the one who fed him and bathed him. Ilovedthat dog. Meanwhile, Austin basically forgot he even existed. It killed me.”
She lets go of my arm to do a little hop off the curb and lead the way across the street. “Why didn’t you keep Poker when you two broke up?”
“He was Austin’s dog. I cared for him, but Austin picked him out and gave him a home for his first five years of life. It seemed like the right decision, but I really miss him.” I hop off the curb like she did. It makes me feel free, just like my hair, my outfit, and the night we had. “I might even miss him more than Austin.”
“Hell yeah! Say that again but leave out themight.”
“I miss Poker more than I miss Austin.”
We keep walking, but then it hits me where we are. I turn to Callie, excitement filling me. “You know, Austin’s parents live on the next street up. Maybe we could swing by, just to check on Poker. I worry about him sometimes.”
“I don’t know…” She makes a sour face. “Maybe it’s not the best idea to get so close to the enemy.”
“But Poker isn’t the enemy.”
“Okay, we’ll just swing by.”
Callie hooks a left, and I trail behind. We pick up the pace until we’re jogging in the direction of Austin’s parents’ house, a soft yellow rancher.
When we approach the driveway, all the lights in thehouse are off. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course we won’t be able to see him. It’s almost two in the morning. They’re all asleep.”
“Looks like Austin’s parents aren’t home either.” Callie points to the empty driveway. “Any chance they took Poker with them?”
“I guess.”
I hang my head and start to spin away when I hear a gentle whimper.
“Poker?” The whimpering grows louder. “Oh my gosh! He left him outside. See!” I point toward the crack in the fence where a shiny blackberry nose is peeking through. “Austin’s the worst. He doesn’t deserve to have a dog.”
Callie peers through the slots in the fence and immediately starts cooing at the dog. “You’re right. Let’s take him home.”
“What?”
“Let’s take him. Then you can have your dog back, and Poker can have an owner who lets him sleep inside. Win-win.”
“We can’t do that.”
Callie is already reaching over the fence, her tongue out as she focuses on unlatching the gate.
“Callie!”
She doesn’t pause what she’s doing. “Don’t just stand there. You gotta help me. I can’t get this open.”
“It’s a sign we should just go.”
“No, wait. I have an idea.” She gets down on one knee, patting the other. “Come on. I’ll help you get over the fence.”
“Then what?”
“You grab Poker and open up the fence from the inside.”
Normally I would say no, but I have three beers coursing through my veins, and when Poker whimpers again, something about it all makes me think maybe even he needs someone to look out for him because life is overwhelming and can be torn from us expectedly. In those puppy-dog eyes, I see another lost soul, so I rush over to Callie, stepping on her knee as she hoists me over the fence.
