“That’s too bad. I love puppies.”
“Yeah, they’re super cute. I did have a dog that just came in who’s about six months old. That’s kind of still a puppy. Would you like to meet her?”
“Yes, please.” Dolly took my hand, her tiny fingers wrapping around mine, making me feel a strange sense of protectiveness inside.
Danger zone. I wasn’t used to caring for small children. Big children, either. I hadn’t spent too much time around kids at all. Maybe entertaining Alex’s niece for a few minutes would be good for me. It would give me a heads-up on what it might be like when Lacey and Bodie delivered their little bundle of joy.
I led Dolly into the back section of the warehouse. “They’re going to bark a lot when we go in. Not because they’re mad or anything. They just get excited when they get visitors.”
Dolly nodded as she pulled her hand away and covered her ears.
“You ready?”
The little girl smiled up at me. “Yep.”
“Here we go.” I stepped past the shelves. A chorus of barks and yips erupted. Tails wagged and dogs came to the front of their kennels, hoping for a treat or a chance to head outside and play with their friends.
I smiled at the volunteers who’d come to help the dogs settle in as I led Dolly toward the space we’d designated for the younger dogs. Sometimes the older pups got too wild with the smaller ones, so we kept them separated until they put on enough bulk to handle themselves.
I stopped in front of the kennel of a female who’d been brought in the previous week. The pup had passed the health exam but was a little shy around strangers so needed to be socialized a bit more before she’d be eligible for adoption.
“What’s her name?” Dolly asked.
I checked the tag on the front of the kennel. “Looks like they haven’t given her one yet. Would you like to name her?”
Dolly’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes, please!”
“Great. Let me get her out so you can get to know each other better.” The door to the kennel swung open and the pup took a few tentative steps toward us, her tag wagging. I slipped a leash over her head and led the way outside.
“Can I pet her?” Dolly asked.
“Of course. Just let her sniff your hand first so she can get to know you.”
Dolly held her hand out toward the pup, who took a few shaky steps forward. She sniffed at Dolly’s hand, then her tongue swept out of her mouth and covered Dolly’s fingers. The little girl giggled. “Oh, that tickles.”
I didn’t try to hold back my own laughter. “She likes you.”
“I like her, too. Can we call her a princess name?”
“Sure.” Not particularly partial to sparkles and glitter myself, I wasn’t sure what constituted a princess name but if Dolly wanted to come up with something, that would be fine with me. I’d run out of dog names a long time ago. Every time I had to give one of the rescue pups a name, it made me just a little sad to think of how many dogs I’d had to find names for over the years. And now, with the shelter in need of repair, I might have to stop taking in new ones until we could fix the roof.
“How about Aurora?” Dolly asked.
“Oooh, that’s a nice choice.” Sounded a little fancy for the gray-and-white pittie who stood in front of us. But if it made Dolly happy, then Aurora it would be. “Want to walk her around a bit and let her get some exercise?”
Dolly clapped her hands together. “Oh yes.”
My heart lightened a little at the enthusiasm in Dolly’s smile. Had I ever been that young, that bright, that full of happiness? Probably at some point. Before my mom passed and I had to grow up overnight and take on my brother’s care. Would I have grown up to be so naive about the responsibilities of the world if I’d never had to fill in for my parents?
Dolly raced ahead. “This way?”
I held Aurora’s leash. “No, let’s go around back where there’s plenty of grass.”
Dolly followed, skipping along like she didn’t have a care in the world.
For a moment I envied the little girl. But then I screwed a stake into the ground and clipped the tie out to Aurora’s collar. The dog raced around the yard, excited to have some freedom. Dolly ran after her, two girls at play even though Aurora lapped the little girl.
After several minutes of running, Dolly collapsed against me, her breath huffing in and out. “That was fun.”
