“Wouldn’t you all like to adopt a few more dogs?” she offers. “Your corgi could use a friend.”
Pepper doesn’t look like she wants a friend.
“We’re fine.”
The worker looks me up and down.
“You breeze in here with expensive cars, a suit, and several thousand dollars’ worth of lawyers for a purebred corgi. I think you all have room in your hearts for some more furry family members.” She races to the back.
“Let’s get out of here while we still can,” I whisper to Crawford.
“Too late,” Sarah mutters as the worker runs back out, her arms full of animals.
Crawford is handed two guinea pigs.
“They do better with friends!”
A mangy-looking cat is shoved in Sarah’s arms, and her fellow lawyer is given a neurotic-looking Dalmatian on a leash.
Amir smirks at Sarah, who is holding the one-eyed cat out in front of her.
“Photos!” the worker chirps.
Pepper’s ears flatten on her head as the lady snaps a Polaroid of us.
“She’s been through a lot and has separation anxiety,” I explain.
“We can tell. Your daddy came back for you!” The worker reaches out to pet Pepper, who burrows against my suit. “And since you made such a generous donation, I think we can waive the adoption fees. Congratulations on your new friends. Bye!”
We all walk out and stand blinking in the parking lot.
“Did I just adopt a cat?” Sarah asks.
“Mazel tov.”
Pepper doesn’t want to sit in the back seat of the car and instead wedges herself on my lap, between my chest and the steering wheel.
“That dog,” Crawford says, rolling down the windows, “smells disgusting.”
Pepper is way too interested in the guinea pigs that are tumbling around the center console of my car.
“When the kids all come for Fourth of July, we can surprise them with their new pets.”
Crawford punches my arm, grinning. “Damn right we can.”
I drop Pepper off at the groomers then drive Crawford back to the Cascade Hotel Group offices, where my other brothers coo over the guinea pigs.
“They are not staying,” I warn them.
“That’s what you said about Faulkner when he was born,” Crawford reminds me. “And here we are.”
I stop at Starbucks on the way back to the groomer and pick up a Puppuccino for the dog.
Pepper is fluffy and smells like honey when I return to the groomers. She sees me and practically jumps off the table into my arms.
“So, I see this is Pepper’s second time,” the manager says as I hand over my credit card.
“You all did an excellent job on her.”
