“We will be,” Harry assured her resolutely. She didn’t doubt it for even a moment. They would have her back; they wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “You’re going to need this too.”
He pulled out a wad of cash, the asking price of one hundred and fifty dollars. She hadn’t even thought of how they were going to pay for the dog, she scolded herself for not thinking about it sooner.
“I can’t take your money,” she insisted.
“Just take it, we’ll get it back when the guy is arrested.”
“You might not get it back.”
“Hannah, just take it.” He held out the money, refusing to take it back. She didn’t like it but didn’t see any other option. She knew Harry came from a family that could afford it, but she didn’t want to take advantage of him. She normally never even thought about the difference in their family’s earnings.
“Thank you. I’ll try to make sure you get it back,” she promised. “We should get going, it’s almost ten o’clock. I don’t want to be late.”
Harry agreed. He gathered up Cory and she drove them to Hanson Park. She parked a discrete distant away. Far enough so they couldn’t be noticed, close enough to see what was going on.
Hannah got out and walked into the park by herself. She held the money in an envelope nervously, her sweaty fingers gripping it tightly. If the guy didn’t show soon, she thought for sure she would have a heart attack before they could meet.
“Hannah?” The male voice came from behind. She spun around, seeing a short and stocky guy in his twenties. His hair was closely shaven in a buzz cut and he spoke with a slight lisp. He didn’t seem like the criminal mastermind she was expecting.
“Yes, that’s me,” she replied, trying not to let her nerves show. “Are you the one selling the Dachshund puppy?” He didn’t have a dog with him, but she knew she didn’t know him from anywhere else. The knot in her stomach got worse.
“I am. Do you have the money?”
“Where’s the puppy?”
“In the car, I’ll bring him over after I’m paid,” he said, standing a bit too close for comfort. His eyes kept moving, darting everywhere but on her face.
“You said one hundred and fifty?” She didn’t know whether she should give him the money without seeing the dog. Was he just scamming her? Did the dog even exist? She wondered whether she had stumbled over an entirely different scam than they had first thought.
“That’s right.”
“I want to see the dog first,” Hannah demanded, as politely as possible. She didn’t want to make him mad but didn’t want to just hand over Harry’s money on a promise from a dodgy stranger either. “How will I know if I love him if I haven’t seen him?”
“He’s cute, you’re going to love him. The money first and then I’ll get him.”
He didn’t seem like he was going to budge. He was clearly much better at negotiations than she was. Hannah was painfully aware of that fact. She handed him the envelope, silently praying he would keep his end of the bargain. “It’s all there. I want to take him now.”
“Wait on the seat over there and I’ll go get him.” He nodded towards a park bench sitting underneath a tree.
“Don’t be too long, I need to get home,” Hannah said, hoping she wouldn’t be sitting there all day and he wouldn’t turn up. The Dachshund had been reported missing; he had to have the dog. Perhaps one of the scams was selling him to a few different people and giving him to only one? It was entirely possible.
She sat on the bench as directed and waited. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Harry and Cory in the car, wondering what she was doing. She gave them a slight nod of her head to reassure them. To anyone else watching her, it would have just seemed like she was scratching her nose. They understood the signal though and stayed in the car.
Hannah waited. And waited. As each moment passed, the knot grew impossibly tight. So tight that she wondered whether it would ever be unraveled.
Chapter 6
Hannah wondered how long she should sit in the park and wait for the guy to return with her Dachshund puppy. How long should it take for her to completely lose hope and realize she had made a big mistake? Ten minutes? Twenty? Forty? It was going on fifteen minutes and it already seemed too long to wait.
She started to stand; clearly he wasn’t going to come back. She slowly headed back to the car, her head hanging in disappointment. She didn’t know what she was going to say when she got back to the others.
“Hey! Where are you going?” She turned around to see the man hurrying towards her. Her heart leapt. Under his left arm was a dark brown Dachshund puppy, his tail wagging.
Hannah ran over to him, accepting the dog from his arms. “He’s adorable.”
“He’s all yours. You have my number, if you know of anyone else that wants a dog, pass it along.”
“I will, thank you.” She watched him leave, holding the puppy against her chest. He licked her neck as his tail moved frantically. He was gorgeous, it was definitely love at first sight. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t going to keep him. The puppy belonged to someone else and she was going to reunite them. That would be a wonderful feeling too.
Only when the guy was completely out of sight did Hannah return to the car. She climbed in as Cory started the engine and took off. They didn’t want to wait around for the man to see any of them.
“I think he likes you,” Harry laughed. The puppy gnawed on Hannah’s fingers, the entire time his tail did not stop. He was starved of attention, that was for sure.
“I like him too,” she replied, unable to take the smile off her face. She had seen some cute puppies before, especially in the shelter, but the little Dachshund was adorable. Obscenely cute and cuddly with his short legs.
“I’ve called the woman who reported him missing,” Cory said, the voice of reason from the front seat. “She’s going to meet us at the shelter.”
Hannah was sad to hear she wouldn’t have much time with the puppy, but she knew he would be overjoyed at going home to his rightful owner.
When they entered the shelter, the woman was already there and pacing with anticipation. Harry stood with his hand on Hannah’s back, letting her know he was there for her. She appreciated his support, but she was okay with handing over the puppy. She knew it would come to this.
Cory greeted the woman; she didn’t seem interested in small talk. “You said you had my puppy.”
“We think we do,” Cory replied, she nodded for Hannah to step forward. “Is this your dog?”
Hannah held him up, trying to see the look of recognition on the dog’s face when he spotted his owner. Yet he seemed indifferent. Perhaps it was just because he was a puppy? Maybe she didn’t own him for very long before he was dognapped?
“That’s not my puppy,” the woman stated bluntly. The three exchanged a glance.
“Are you sure?” Harry asked.
“Of course I’m sure, I know my own dog. Maxie has a small white patch on his muzzle. This dog doesn’t, he’s not mine. You said you had my dog.”
“I said we might have your dog,” Cory corrected her, trying to calm her down. “It seems we’ll need to keep looking for Maxie.”
“Don’t get my hopes up again.” She stomped out before they could say anything else.
“She was charming,” Hannah said sarcastically. But she couldn’t be insulted, not when she had an adorable little puppy in her arms. She stared into his chocolate brown eyes, completely smitten. Until something occurred to her. “If this isn’t her puppy, I’m going to have to take him home.”
“He’s only young, it wouldn’t be a good idea to keep him here,” Cory warned. “He needs overnight attention or he’ll upset all the other dogs.”
“My mom’s going to kill me,” Hannah groaned. She was already imagining the situation. Coco would freak out, she’d beg to allow him to stay, they’d have a fight, they’d probably both cry and storm off to their respective bedrooms, and slam the doo
r. It wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Harry asked, sitting on his bicycle and waiting to leave the shelter.
“No, I’ll be fine,” Hannah replied, hoping she wasn’t lying. She had the puppy tucked down her shirt so she could grip both the handlebars. He seemed happy enough for the short ride. “Don’t forget our double date tonight.”
“How could I?” He grinned cheekily before racing off. She did the same in the opposite direction. She was dreading going home but it had to be done. If she procrastinated too long, she wouldn’t have time to get ready for her date.
As she walked in through the front door, Hannah seriously considered smuggling the puppy in and hiding him in her room. If she didn’t have plans to go out that night, she might have done it too. But she couldn’t leave the puppy by himself all night; it wouldn’t be fair to him. And if Coco heard noises coming from her room, she would only go snooping.
“Mom, I’m home.”
“Good, I have an early dinner for you. I don’t want you being late for your big date.” Coco joined her in the hallway. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted the Dachshund. “What’s that?”
“A puppy. I need to look after him but it’s only going to be for a short time. I promise I’ll do everything, you won’t even know he’s here,” she said quickly and without taking a breath. She gasped for air afterwards.
“You know I don’t like pets in this house.”
“He’s just a puppy, I couldn’t leave him at the shelter. He’s lost so we’re trying to find his real parents.”
Coco shook her head in exasperation. “And who’s going to look after him when you go out tonight?”
Now it was time for some serious convincing. “I don’t think I tell you enough how much I love you, you know that? You’re the best mom in the whole, entire world.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re doing, don’t think I’m that gullible. But I guess I’ll look after it tonight, but just tonight. That thing is your responsibility.”
Hannah threw her arms around Coco’s neck and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise he won’t be any trouble.”
“It better not be or you’ll be coming home early.”
It was enough permission Hannah needed. She gave the puppy some of the food she brought home from the shelter before having her own dinner. She quickly got ready for her date and made sure he had a walk outside. She was already falling in love with the little thing. With each minute that passed, she knew it was going to be even harder to hand him back.
She left the dog with Coco on the lounge as Harry picked her up. She was getting used to riding on his handlebars and quite skilled at the kind of balance she needed to accomplish not falling off. Most of all, she enjoyed snuggling against his chest for the whole ride.
Veronica and Lucas were waiting for them as they arrived at the cinemas. Hannah was instantly nervous. She knew Veronica was more outgoing and no doubt way more confident with Lucas than she was with Harry. Would he wish for her to be like that too? Would he think she was a bad girlfriend for being more reserved? Anxiety was gripping her, threatening to direct her legs to run in the opposite direction.
“So, we’re seeing Sweet Revenge, it’s a romantic comedy. Any objections?” Veronica announced, looking down the boys. They, like Hannah, didn’t dare to object. They towed the line, following her to the ticket booth and then into the cinema.
Hannah sat between Harry and Veronica. She was all too aware of Harry’s arm resting close to her own. As the lights dimmed and the previews started, she stared at his hand. She would have liked to hold it with her own. They could sit there in the dark and just have that secret connection without anyone else knowing. Yet she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even after seeing Veronica holding Lucas’s hand in the shadows.
The movie could have been good but Hannah wasn’t entirely paying attention. She was too caught up in seeing what everyone else was doing. From her seat, she could see a few other couples. She wished she could be as at ease as they were.
To make it worse, she didn’t even know why she was so anxious around Harry. She spent nearly every day with him at the shelter and everything was fine. But the moment she was in a social situation, she just tensed up. It was like she put way too much pressure on herself to be a normal girlfriend – whatever that was. She knew she had to relax but didn’t know how.
By the time the movie ended, Hannah was relieved. She wondered if it was always going to feel this way, always be this difficult. She hoped not. In all the movies it looked easy but she knew she wasn’t a normal girl. Perhaps awkward was how she was always going to be.
“Do you want to get some ice cream? I think we have time,” Veronica asked. Harry immediately looked at Hannah to see what she wanted to do.
She felt trapped and her natural instincts were to say no. “It’s getting late and it’s been a long day. Maybe another time?”
“Plus, you have a puppy to look after,” Harry added happily. It was sweet, she could tell by the disappointment in his eyes that he wasn’t really ready to leave. Yet she couldn’t get out of her mood. Hannah needed to go home and think about things, she was no good to anyone.
“You got a puppy?” Veronica asked, scandalized. “How did you convince your mom?”
“I’m not keeping it, just looking after him for a few days. Trust me, I’m sure I’m going to hear all about it when I get home.”
“Come on.” Harry patted her on the back. “I’ll take you home and shield you from anything she throws at you.”
Hannah smiled, he really was so sweet. She wished she was a better girlfriend, he certainly deserved better. They rode home and Harry only left after she convinced him Coco’s bark was worse than her bite.
She entered the house, expecting to hear every part of how inconvenienced Coco was by the puppy. He probably went potty inside the house, barked when he shouldn’t have done, and chewed on the cushions or something. No matter what the poor little puppy did, she would no doubt complain about it.
“Mom, I’m home,” Hannah sighed, heading for the living room where the television was on.
“Oh, you’re early.” She turned around with a weird look on her face, like she had just been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing.
Hannah noticed but continued anyway, not sure if she wanted to know. “How was the puppy?”
She went around the lounge to sit next to her, finally seeing exactly what Coco was up to. The puppy was asleep on his back, all four of his short legs up in the air while he was being cradled in her arms. She was babying the poor thing and he didn’t seem to mind at all.
“He’s been such a good little baby-waby,” Coco replied in baby talk. It was worse than Hannah had expected – her mother had bonded. “I gave him a name, it’s Bubbie. Don’t you think it suits him? He’s my little Bubbie.”
“Mom,” Hannah whined. “We have to give him back when we find out who his real owner is. We can’t name him and fall in love. He’s not ours.”
Hurt crossed her face as she pouted. “Can’t we keep him?”
“No, he doesn’t belong to us.”
“But he’s so cute and he loves me.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “I thought you hated dogs, you never let me get one when I was growing up.”
“They were never this cute.”
Hannah laughed, already wondering how she was going to wrangle the puppy out of her mother’s arms.
Chapter 7
The next day, Hannah was still feeling melancholy. Even the cute little kittens couldn’t cheer her up. She was troubled about not being good enough to be Harry’s girlfriend. Like one day he would realize that and it would only be a matter of time before he broke her heart. Seeing the way Veronica and Lucas acted together was completely different to her and Harry. She still couldn’t help but wonder why he was so nice to her.
“Hannah,” Cory said, getting her a
ttention. “These lovely people want to buy a kitten.”
Hannah plastered on a smile, it was amazing what you could hide with one of those. “Of course, we have plenty of them.”
Cory turned back to the couple. “Hannah will help you pick out the perfect pet. You’re in great hands.”
She took the couple from Cory and led them to the kitten cages. There were dozens of kittens to choose from in every color available. Each one had their own little personality and spirit. Hannah hated to see any of them leave, but it would make her so happy to know they were with a family that loved and cared for them.
“Feel free to pick them up and play until you find the one that belongs with you,” she said while giving them some space to bond. She lingered nearby in case they had questions or they made their decision. The couple seemed nice, they played with most of the kittens, petting and cuddling them.
“I think it’s come down to one of these two,” the woman finally said, holding up two of the baby cats. One was a ginger stripe, the other a little grey. “Which one would you recommend?”
Hannah had no idea, they were both adorable. She had a better idea though. “Why don’t you take both? Kittens are really social, they love having a playmate. If a single cat is left alone for too long they can get really bored. You’ll be saving your furniture by taking two.”
The woman exchanged a glance with her partner. Hannah couldn’t believe they were actually considering it. She always tried to talk people into taking two so the little kitten wouldn’t be lonely; people rarely took her up on the offer.
“It’s up to you, Babe,” the guy answered. The woman stood, still holding both the ginger and the grey kittens.
“Two kittens won’t be any more trouble than one,” the woman shrugged, like she was trying to convince herself. “And they would get lonely if we only had one.”
Hannah held her breath while she dithered. She didn’t want to say anything else in case she talked her out of the decision.
With one decisive nod, the woman made up her mind. “We’ll take both.” All three of them grinned, none more so than Hannah. She took them through to reception and handed them back over to Cory to do the paperwork.
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