I lingered with the door open before grabbing the bags I’d brought with me. Shit. You’d think I was forcing the woman to move in with me for months or longer by the number of things I’d brought.
Including Indiana’s big bag of dog food, one of three comfy dog beds, and a huge bag full of his toys. It was about now I needed to remind myself this wasn’t some goddamn vacation. She wasn’t my girlfriend, and no matter how cute the dog was, he didn’t and never would belong to me.
As I was lugging everything to the front porch, the Frisbee I’d shoved into the bag at the last minute fell to the ground. There was Indiana like some tracking dog snatching it and racing around to the side of the property. “Come on, buddy. We’re going inside.”
Somehow, he managed to snuffle around the neon yellow plastic.
“No, come here. I’m not going to play right now.” What the hell did I look like, some Frisbee loving kind of guy? While I’d roughed around with a few boys in high school and had thrown the football a couple of times with my brothers, all four of us had bypassed sports for more intense training.
With weapons and explosives.
He refused to follow my command, sitting right where he was at the corner of the house, swishing that big fluffy tail and glaring at me as if he owned the place.
“Indiana.” I’d be damned if the dog wasn’t stubborn like his mother. Great.
The dog wasn’t budging. If this were a human, I’d be pissed, but this was a fuzzy dog with attitude. Grousing wasn’t going to do me any good. “Fine. I’ll throw a few. But just a few.” I tossed the bag and was just a couple of feet away before he ran around the back corner of the house.
And just underneath one of two windows of the room where I’d locked Josette in.
He even had the nerve to drop the Frisbee smack underneath the one where she’d pitched the screen from the window.
Woof. Woof.
The dog proceeded to bait me, lunging forward then running back. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get him inside until tossing it at least a few times. The first one was woefully ridiculous. Apparently, I had no talent.
While I got the huff and the look, at least Indiana brought it and dropped it at my feet.
“Alright, you. This means war. But you need to hold on.” Yanking off my jacket, I tossed it onto the ground, keeping a battle filled look on my face toward him as I slowly rolled up my sleeves and even loosened my tie.
He stood his ground, studying me as if sizing me up for a meal, offering a single, defining bark.
“Oh, you think you can best me, huh. You’re wrong, pup. Bring it on.”
The next toss sucked worse than the first and he acted as if he had no intention of bringing me the toy. But he relented, nudging my leg as soon as he did. Maybe he was offering the inferior player some encouragement.
So I did it again, this time with better aim. Not textbook great and I wouldn’t win any competitions, but doable.
By the fourth toss, my fingers were covered in his slobber, but my arc was much better. When he threw himself in the air and caught the Frisbee. I issued a howl. A solid and actual howl.
“That was great, buddy. Incredible.” He allowed me to rub his back before dropping the toy.
And we did it all over again several times.
When he finally dropped to the ground, allowing the plastic disk to fall from his mouth so he could pant in earnest, I leaned over, planting my hands on my knees. It was official. I needed to get my ass back into the gym. But at least I’d enjoyed something completely out of my comfort zone.
The light breeze was cool on my skin while also bringing a hint of a sweet scent. As well as a strange almost tickling sensation charging down my spine. Very slowly, I looked toward the window, shielding my eyes.
At the same time, Indiana jerked to his feet, rushing closer to the window. There was no barking, no growling as I’d experienced, but a whine that tore a hole into my heart.
Josette had opened the window, peering down at us. And even though she was three floors above me, I could clearly see thehaunted expression on her face. If I wasn’t mistaken, tears had slipped past her long lashes.
She shifted her gaze from me toward her pup, cocking her head and offering Indiana a smile.
Only seconds before she slowly closed the window.
Indiana was confused. Hell, maybe I was as well.
He whimpered and while very little had ever tugged at my heartstrings, hearing his cry certainly did so.
