“Of course it will.”
“The doc prescribed a couple things. An antidepressant and”—I glanced at her—“a dog.”
A chuckle escaped her mouth and she squeezed my bicep. “A dog? Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“Why? I’ve never heard of a dog ‘prescription’ before.”
I wasn’t sure how personal I should get. Part of me wanted to lay it all out for her, but the other part of me was painfully aware of the risks. It took a few seconds for me to sort out a good middle ground. “I’ve been sorely lacking in the relationships department the past few years. Doctor thinks I need to have something physical to touch and keep close. According to him, an animal can be a good companion and also provide a sense of responsibility for folks who feel—well, alone, I suppose. So I’m getting a dog.”
We were already standing by the truck, but she didn’t get in. She let go of my arm and leaned against the hood. Her brow furrowed as she listened. Her arms crossed over her chest. “I know some people have gotten dogs because they are struggling with something called ‘touch starvation.’ Is that what your doctor was talking about?”
I rubbed the back of my neck as it broke out in a sweat and averted my eyes. The term was so weak and stupid. Made me sound like a helpless infant. “Something like that.”
“Pat,” she grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards her. Her voice was low, tender. “You’re embarrassed. Don’t be embarrassed.”
“It sounds dumb.”
“It’snotdumb. All of us need physical contact with others and someone to love and take care of.”
Truth was, Jules had no idea how instrumental she’d been in helping me through the contact portion. Not sure I would’ve survived without her close by.
Her hands dropped, and she moved towards the passenger’s side. “I love dogs! Where are we going?”
I blew out a breath. “Pet store and animal shelter.”
“Perfect!”
* * *
A few minutes from the shelter, there was a Camry on the shoulder of the road. A 2005 if I had to guess. The emergency lights were flashing, and a teenaged girl had her head under the popped hood with a toddler hanging onto her leg and a baby on her hip. I braked.
“Uh oh.” I eased the Tacoma around the car and veered off. “I can’t just pass that.”
Jules looked in the side view mirror. “Oh, poor things. It’s like a hundred degrees.”
I hopped out and approached the young lady. The girl spun around and greeted me cautiously. Julia stepped around the truck. I was thankful she was with me. The girl’s face visibly relaxed when she saw Jules—probably reassured of my good intentions.
“Having some trouble?”
She nodded. The baby let out a high-pitched squeal. The toddler complained about the heat. “It started overheating, I think. There was some smoke coming out from under the hood.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
She stepped to the side. Jules took over the small talk while I checked fluids. Easy find. Oil was bone dry.
“I’m their babysitter, and I need to get these two home.” The girl, who introduced herself as Katie, explained the situation. The baby reached her hands out for Jules, almost leaping out of her sitter’s arms. Katie couldn’t hold her back and ended up relinquishing the child. I glanced towards Jules, and she was cooing and grinning at the baby in her arms, talking to the little one like a total pro. The baby was smiling up at her, mesmerized by Jules’ animated faces and sounds.
I wouldn’t know what to do if someone handed me a child. A smile tugged at my lips. Her holding a baby gave me thoughts that weren’t super appropriate. I shook my head and tried to focus on the Camry.
The pavement burned my hands as I lowered myself to the ground and stuck my head under the car. Oil was puddling, dripping from the drain plug. I felt along the oil tank for the plug. It was loose and oil was spilling out the sides. I was surprised it hadn’t fallen out along the drive.
I twisted the drain plug as tight as I could.
Now the toddler was showing Jules her dress. I got up from the ground, my hands dripping with oil. “Katie, how far are you from home?”
“Their place is not even two miles away.”
