I strode along the road, admiring the landscape, surrounded by cypress and aspen.I called for the dogs, not expecting they’d really come, but wanting to be helpful.
I hadn’t gone far from the house, though likely farther than Hudson would have liked, when I swore I heard whining to my right.I called the dogs again, louder this time, and nearly whooped in joy when a black shepherd emerged from a dense thicket off the road.
“Hi, baby,” I greeted Shadow as he trotted to me, sniffing at my offered hand.I slipped him a treat, hoping to gain his favor quickly.“Where’s your partner in crime?”
I heard the whine again and realized it must be coming from Sadie.I made my way over to the dense brush Shadow had emerged from.My instinct said that Shadow had stayed with her this long and wouldn’t wander off as I waded into the bushes.I winced as thorns scratched at my legs as I moved closer to the sound, finally spotting her a ways back, sitting on her haunches, clearly favoring her left leg.
“Shit,” I swore.“Well, I wanted to be helpful, so we’re really in it now, aren’t we?”I muttered.“Hi, Sadie.I know we don’t know each other, but I’m here to help,” I tried to assure her, holding out a treat toward her.
She approached cautiously, staring at me the entire time as she delicately took a treat from my palm.“Much more polite than your brother.”Smiling, I stroked a hand over her ears before glancing down at the obvious thorn in her paw.“Ouch, that must hurt.And like an idiot, I left my phone back in the truck.So, what do you say we get out of these bushes and go home?”I asked hopefully.I was reluctant to pull it out myself in the event it was too deep or had hit a nerve.
I’d never felt foolish talking to dogs.During my time volunteering at the shelter, I’d found them to be the very best company.There was more soul behind their eyes than in many of the humans I’d encountered.
I held out another treat while walking backward, and was relieved when she started to follow, limping on her injured foot.It was slow going.She was in pain and didn’t fully trust me, but I continued talking to her.Hudson was probably getting worried, but I couldn’t rush her.
Finally, we were back on the road where Shadow had waited.I gave both dogs another treat before clipping on their leashes.
We began the walk back to Griffin’s, but it was clear how much pain Sadie was in.I debated what to do.She wasn’t full grown but likely weighed upwards of fifty pounds.Not an easy lift by any means.But after a few more feet, I knew I had to at least try.
“You gonna let me carry you?”I asked gently, looking down at her.I squatted down and scooped all four of her legs in my arms.“Oh girl, you’re big, but we’re gonna do this,” I huffed.“And, Shadow, I can’t carry your leash at the same time, so please don’t make this any harder and stick with us, yeah?”
He trotted alongside the slow pace we set, and I was beyond relieved when I realized we were getting close to Griffin’s.When the house finally came into view, all the front lights were on and two figures waited out front.I’d probably been gone longer than I realized.
Shadow took off like a shot, heading for home.
“Shit, Lucy!”Hudson bellowed as he jogged over to me, along with who could only be Griffin, dressed in his uniform.
“You all right?”Hudson demanded.
“Fine, but she hurt her paw.And she’s heavy,” I panted as Griffin reached out to take her in his arms.At a quick glance, it was clear he was far more capable of carrying heavy objects.“Thank you.”I shook out my arms.They felt like wet noodles.Clearly, I needed to hit the weights at the gym.
“No, thank you,” Griffin replied in his deep timber, and I distractedly realized how handsome he was with his dark blue eyes and a trimmed beard.“I’ll get her inside and look her over.”He turned and strode into the house, Sadie in his arms and Shadow at his heels.
“You scared me to death,” Hudson muttered, pulling me into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry.I didn’t realize I was gone that long, but once I found them, it took time to coax her out of the bushes, and I left my phone….”
“It’s okay.I’m not mad.I was just starting to get really fucking worried,” he admitted as he cupped my face in his palms, staring down at me.“You’re amazing, you know that?”
And then his lips were on mine, his hands in my hair, as he kissed me with a reverent urgency I’d never experienced.The first touch of his tongue to mine had my entire body liquifying.I reached out to grip his tee for support.He tightened his grip on my hair, eliciting a quiet moan from me I barely recognized as my own as he deepened the kiss and pulled me closer.
My hands slipped under his tee, hungry for the touch of his bare skin.I shivered at the deep groan that rumbled from his chest at just my slightest touch.
“Hud?You good?”His brother’s voice—Riley’s?—had us breaking apart.
“Yeah,” Hudson hollered back, his voice an octave deeper than normal.“Be right in.”
“Yep.”Riley’s amused reply said he knew exactly what was keeping us.
“Great, now your brother knows we were making out.”I groaned as Hudson wrapped me in a tight hug, his heart pounding under my ear.
“It’s okay.He lives for reasons to give me shit, so that should satisfy him for a couple of days.”
Laughing, I looked up at him and found the same combination of tenderness and passion I felt reflected back at me in his gaze.
“We should get some food in you.My mom saved you a plate.”He took my hand, and we headed back toward the house.
“I am hungry.Did the fence get fixed?”I asked as we hit the front steps and made our way back through the front door.
