That’s weird, he doesn’t usually work on Sundays.
“Beck?” I ask softly, lightly tapping on the door.
“It’s open,” he says, and I enter. He sits at his desk, dressed in a plain tee and sweats.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask, watching him carefully. He looks like he’s been up for hours. His eyes are a little bloodshot, and his hair is messy like he’s been running his fingers through it over and over.
“I had a thought, and it turns out I might be right,” he mumbles, his eyes glued to whatever it is he’s looking at.
“What kind of thought?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck and looking over his shoulder.
“Just something for The Ghost Killer case.”
“Anything you can tell me?”
He looks at me, and I kiss his nose. “Not until I actually know it’s something real,” he explains, and I pout. “Sorry, baby.”
“It’s ok, I understand,” I say, and he gives me a small apologetic smile.
He nods, and I kiss the side of his head as he turns back to his stack of papers. “I’m going to go to the store, so you can work on it until I get back, and then I want you to myself, ok?” I propose.
Maybe it is a little selfish of me to take him away from his work. But it will still be here for him when I am done with him. I never get full days with him, and I’m not going to miss out on having some time alone with him.
“Mhmm,” he hums, and I give his shoulders a little rub.
“I’m going to run to the store to get oat milk and matcha. Do you need anything?” I whisper, feeling him relax as I let my fingers work gently at the knots in his shoulders.
“No thanks.”
“Ok, I’ll be right back,” I inform him, kissing his cheek.
He doesn’t answer me as I go, seemingly just stuck in deep thought. I glance at the papers and pictures on his desk as I leave, but none of it makes sense to me.
I head upstairs and make myself look presentable for the day, pulling my hair up into a messy bun and slipping into some comfy clothes.
I’m headed to the store when a ball of fur off the side of the road catches my eye.
Normally, I wouldn’t pull over, but I do. And I’m so glad that I do, because in front of me is the cutest little puppy I think that I’ve ever seen in my life. White with brown patches, with a few bald spots, and a few very minor-looking cuts.
“Hey, cutie, where’s your family?” I whisper as I squat down on the grass on the side of the road and try to coax him to me. He’s small, still just a puppy, and looks very scared.
There are no houses around here, and I really hope that someone didn’t lose them, or worse, leave them here on the side of the road.
He slowly gets up, and my heart breaks as he limps over to me. I see just how rough of shape he’s in when he gets to me. I almost start to cry when he flops down in front of me, and he’s barely more than just skin and bones, his fluffy coat hiding his real condition.
“Oh, sweet baby,” I whisper, my voice cracking as I pet him.
I sit and scoop him into my lap, and I feel absolutely heartbroken for him. The more that I sit here with him, having no collar and the condition that he’s in, the more I’m sure that the poor baby was just abandoned here on the side of the road.
I gently stand up with him as I open the door to my Bronco, grabbing a little blanket and a water bottle. I only have a pre-workout shaker bottle, but it’ll have to work for now. I rinse it out and fill it with water, setting the little puppy on the floor of the passenger seat.
Some of his fur is matted with dirt, and what I can hope isn’t blood. I know that I can’t possibly leave him here. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with him, but I know that Beckett will understand.
After he’s done drinking, I pick him up and snuggle him, while he licks my face.I smile and hold him close to my chest, not really caring about my clothes or what diseases the little guy could be carrying. As I hold him, I realize that there’s no way I’m going to be able to put him down.
“Alright, buddy, I guess you are coming to the store with me. Stay right here, and we’ll go get you everything that you could possibly need.”
I set him on the blanket and shut the door, quickly rounding the car and driving to the store.
