Rafferty handed the pooch over to me. “No. Mom told me to name him, but I think you deserve that honor. Besides, I couldn’t decide between Colgate and Bicuspid.”
I made a face at the wriggly puppy. “We arenotnaming you after toothpaste or teeth.”
Rafferty chuckled. “It’s better than Scaler because he was definitely trying to scale the baby gate back at the house.”
This dog was a lot like me, he was drawn to Rafferty if the way he stretched and craned himself back toward my man was any indicator.
“I can imagine. He’s very strong and determined to get back to you.”
Rafferty took him from me, gave him a quick nuzzle and set him on the grass. The pup ran a few feet away and came back to us, doing that see-saw style run like puppies do.
“I think Scaler might be the right name for him.”
“Nah,” Rafferty said, picking up the puppy. “You know he was born in late April, just like us. He’ll probably be just as stubborn.”
“It’s not like we can name him Bull or Taurus.”
Rafferty shrugged. “We could, but I don’t like those names either. Dad said he looks like a Gremlin, but I never saw that movie.”
“He’s right. We should name him Gizmo.”
Rafferty stared down at the puppy. “For right now, that works. I reserve the right to change it if something better hits us later.”
Across the yard, I heard Aunt Trixie calling out Dad’s name. “Did you hear Cal? We’re gonna be grandparents!”
I wheezed with laughter, then pointed at Rafferty. “That’s not something your mom gets to ‘make happen’ like she did with you putting a cut on me.”
“No shit, wife. We’re a team and I’m with you on that. No kids until we’re both ready.”
Mom approached us and reached out for the puppy. “I love this little furball. He’s such a good boy! We left him here all afternoon, and he used his potty training pad. It’s like he’s almost house-trained.”
“That isn’t true. I cleaned up his mess before you saw it, sweet cheeks,” Dad grumbled, sidling up to mom.
Trixie and Roll joined us.
She opened her arms and gave me a long hug. “We’re all so proud of you, girlie.”
“Thanks, Trixie,” I said.
“When do you start your job?” she asked.
I grinned. “To be fair, I’ve been working with a pediatric dentist the last three months, but now that I’ve got my degree and passed my boards, I’m going to be at their Orange Park office in two weeks.”
She grabbed my hands. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for you.”
I leaned toward her, grinned, and whispered, “I think you just did.”
She laughed. “All right. You gotta go mingle. You’re the guest of honor. Now hand over my grand-pup, Mallory.”
Rafferty wrapped his arm around my waist and led me toward the patio. “Think you should see your grandparents first, babe. Not sure they’re gonna stay out here all night with the rest of us.”
I leaned my cheek against his shoulder. “You’re right.”
Rafferty and I chatted with Mom’s parents and Natasha and Leon. One of the brothers called Rafferty away and my grandparents went upstairs.
Natasha put her glass of wine on the small patio table, and aimed a look at me. “I never did hear this part, but why is that boy called ‘Bluff.’ He seems like such a straight shooter, is this another one of those tongue-in-cheek names?”
A wave of nostalgia came over me and I smiled. “When all my problems were going on, to figure out who was behind everything, Rafferty bluffed with Brantley and Porter. Tundra thought it would be a decent road name for him, and since they patched him in rather soon after his hospital stay, I guess that name stuck.”
