Dax joined me when I took a breather on the stairs leading up to my apartment. She came to stand between my knees and I stroked her waist while smiling at her. "Hi, honey."
"Overwhelmed?" she asked and I nodded. "Didn't think you were the type to get overwhelmed by crowds."
"I do when I have to interact with them so intensely. You on the other hand, are doing great." I grinned up at her and she chuckled before leaning down to kiss me.
"Everyone ignores me and I get to play with dogs. Perfectly within my comfort zone."
"Good." I sighed and she nudged me so that I'd look up at her. I pulled her to me and rested my chin on her stomach while I did so. "You're so pretty," I told her.
"Tonight when we get home, we'll go for a relaxing swim. Afterward, I'll snuggle you in warm blankets and make you come until you fall into a cozy sleep. Sound good?" She breathed her promise then smooched my forehead.
"Sounds perfect, honey." I leaned into her touch and hugged her around the middle.
"C'mon. Let's get this day over with and get those puppies happy homes," she said, taking my hands and tugging me up to stand.
"Anything with you by my side." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and she gripped my waist as we headed back into the fray.
The afternoon wore on with happy faces of humans finding their tail-wagging loves. Each puppy, one after the other, found a home including the two adult dogs that an older couple welcomed to their ranch.
By late afternoon, only a few puppies remained and the steady flow of people waned. After I helped a teenager pick out dog food for her new friend, I turned back toward the pens to see Dax approaching the farthest one. Still in the confines, a single puppy sat in the middle. With floppy ears, a merle coat, and different colored eyes, the puppy appeared forlorn while alone in the pen. She sat beside a toy, pawing at it once before giving up and letting out a few whimpers. She must've been an Australian Shepherd mix of some sort. I watched Dax, bending over the pen and holding her hand down to the puppy. She looked up at her, tilting her head from side to side.
Joanna nudged my elbow and smiled as she nodded in Dax's direction. "Look how cute."
"I know." I grinned at the sight of them. Macie and Ella sat in the remaining pen with three puppies jumping around them. The other pen lay empty and Avalon's team began taking them down.
"She's a real ball of mush, your girlfriend. But only when she thinks no one is looking." Joanna gave my shoulder a squeeze and I nodded.
"She is."
The puppy didn't come to Dax, so instead, she climbed over the edge of the pen and sat cross-legged on the grass. It took the shy puppy a moment before she approached her. She patted her lap, and the whimpering puppy mimicked the gesture, swatting her paw down on her knee a few times. The image melted my heart, and I clasped my hands against my chest as I watched.
Sage approached when she found me standing there by myself gazing at my girlfriend. She rubbed my back in a slow circle when I met her gaze.
"Hi, sissy."
"Hi."
"Only two left in that pen. We think that family there with the three boys will take them both."
"And the one Dax has."
"She's been visiting her all day," she said. "She was the quietest of the group."
"The shy dogs get overlooked sometimes," I said, watching Dax as she lifted the puppy to her chest. She stared at her, then offered Dax a single lick of her nose.
My stomach lurched when I saw my girlfriend crumble, her shoulders hunching as she hid her face against the puppy.
"Ut-oh," said Sage, her fingers digging into my back.
"Let me check on her." I broke away from Sage and scurried over to Dax, hoping not to draw too much attention. By the time I made it to her, she was sobbing so hard that she couldn't hide any of it. She kept the puppy against her face, and it kept licking her over and over all over her cheeks. I climbed over the side of the pen, and dropped to my knees beside them. I gripped her shoulder and she started, letting out a strangled cry. "It's just me, honey. It's me."
"Why doesn't anyone want her?" Her voice cracked and she nearly lost it when she looked at me. I'd never seen her cry this hard without something provoking it. My heart crumbled to bits and my insides melted into a gooey puddle at her words.
"I'm sure someone will want her, honey. Look how cute she is." I stroked her hair and the puppy's head at the same time. "She's licking you all up."
"I know." Her sobs reminded me of a Macie meltdown. There was an innocence to it, and a devastation that belonged to such a primal force that it stopped me in my tracks. "She's watched all her siblings get taken and got left here to cry alone. Why doesn't anyone want her?"
Tears streamed my cheeks and I blinked them away as I scooted closer to her. "Sometimes the shy puppies get overlooked. But look. She's not shy now." I brushed my finger over her cheek and she looked up at the puppy. Her tail wagged a mile a minute, and she kept licking every inch of Dax's face. Her little eyebrows lifted with both confusion over the liquid coming out of Dax's eyes and a cuteness that made me chuckle. "She likes you. You're making her happy. Know why?"
"No." Dax sniffled, setting her down in her lap. The puppy stood up on her hind legs, her front paws braced on Dax's chest while she continued to lick and nip her all over.
"Because she knows your tears are for her." I glanced over when Macie made to run for us, but Sage stopped her, tugging her away. Her finger went to her mouth as she looked on with a worried expression.
Dax's sobs quieted while she stroked the dog's face, then the full length of her fluffy body. She did this over and over until she calmed down, but the pup's tail never stopped wagging.
"I think someone wants her, honey," I whispered, glancing around us when nearly the entire yard cleared out. Dax looked up, her brow furrowed when she didn't see anyone near us, and she looked at me. I smiled before asking, "What are you going to name her?"
She stared at me, determination smoothing her brow as she pursed her lips. I couldn't wipe the grin from my face as I watched Dax's resolve crumble to bits at our feet.
"Pepper," she whispered, sniffling again as she looked back to the puppy. With its one ice blue eye, and one almost-brown eye, it gazed at Dax as if it knew what was happening. "She looks like someone spilled a pepper shaker on her back."
"She does." I let out a laugh of relief as I kissed Dax's cheek. "Pepper is a great name. I'm surprised you're not naming her after a fruit or comic book character."
"Pepper Potts is a comic book character." Dax looked at me for the first time since breaking out in tears and smiled.
"Hopeless nerd." I laughed as I kissed her, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Happy adoption day to Pepper and her mom."
Dax's smile faded to a smirk as she looked back to the puppy, and pulled her to her chest. Pepper settled against her, as if she belonged draped over Dax's arm.
"C'mon. Let's go pick out her collar and stuff. And give her a Doctor Hart check up right away."
"Okay." Dax stood with me, her arms shaking along with the rest of her. I helped her over the side of the pen, and when we returned to the group by the vendor table, we were greeted with a round of applause. Dax laughed as she looked at me, and our too sappy asses were once again on display for half the town to see.
***
"Do we really have to crate train a farm dog?" Dax stared at Pepper who slept contently in her crate after a bath and some dinner. I sat on the edge of the bed snickering at Dax as she stared at the puppy. She wore nothing save for a pair of blue boxer briefs with a rainbow waistband, and had a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
"Until she's old enough to not get herself in trouble. And she's already crate trained, honey. It makes them feel safe." I grinned as I snapped a photo of her and the puppy in the same shot. She didn't notice at all.
"Okay for now." She wandered back into the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth. I flopped back onto the bed, laughing softly to myself at the exciteme
nt and worry Dax harbored over her newest charge. She returned a minute later, her gaze fixed on the puppy until she climbed in bed with me. She straddled my hips as if it was nothing at all. I slid my hands up her thighs, gripping the waist of her underwear.
"As much as I love how sexy you look in these, I would love to tear them off." I bounced her and she smiled down at me, grabbing my hands and lacing her fingers with mine.
"Are your panties off under that sleep shirt?" she asked, using her feet to tickle the backs of my thighs.
"Yes." I squeaked while squirming under her.
"Shh. Don't wake the puppy." She laughed softly while I wrestled my hands from her grip. I tickled her belly, my gaze on her erect nipples, until my fingers met the buttons of her fly. I popped the middle one, and she bit her bottom lip.
"These are cute."
"I thought you'd like them."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"Am I your good?" I met her gaze again while unfastening the second button.
"What do you mean, baby?"
"In a world with a lot of evil in it, do I remind you of the good in it?"
"Every day." She bent down to kiss me again, stroking my cheeks. "So much so that we now have a puppy."
"We sure do." I cupped her face in my hands.
"Promise me you'll look after her when I have to go to work for long periods?"
"Who better than your local vet to look after your most delicate heart string?" I kissed the end of her nose. "Of course I will."
"How come you don't have any pets, Will? I mean, you love animals. Maybe even more than me."
"I already have pets, baby. At least a thousand." I smiled when I tucked her damp hair behind her ears. "Every single one of my patients is mine to care for."
"I know, but what about a companion when you go home at night?"
"Well, before I hired Harmon and the techs, I had puppies and kittens overnight in my apartment nearly every night. I looked after them on my own when they were sick or following surgery." I shrugged, reveling in the soft expression on her face. "They're all mine."
"That's sweet…" She nipped my lips with hers and pushed my T-shirt up my torso. "You're a good person, Willa. You are my good."
"You're mine, too, Dax. And I love you for it."
"I love you right back." She rolled her hips when I snuck a finger in the flap of her panties and brushed it against her clit. "Shh, the puppy will hear our sex."
I cracked up and we looked over to see Pepper sleeping on her back, her little paws twitching every so often. "She seems just fine with it. But you know, there's one way to keep me quiet." I wagged my brows at her.
"How?" She smirked, giving my nipple a tweak.
I grabbed the waist of her panties, and tugged them down over her hips. "Sit on my face, honey, and shut me up."
Dax laughed hard as she allowed me to pull her boxers off her legs. I grabbed her hips and urged her above my face. She didn't fight it, and with less reserve than ever, her hands made it to her hair the moment my tongue met her silky core.
I never believed that Dax would own a dog again. I saw how she feared for her goats and horse, the way her heart broke for injured animals, and how she mourned the murder of her beloved dog by her abuser. She avoided deeper connections with dogs and I knew why, but something changed for her that day. Maybe it was the two of us doing it together, knowing she wouldn't be alone in loving the fragile creature. Or maybe it belonged to the good she began to see again, and the way she opened herself up to the world. All I could do was hope that it was a sign of her healing, and reconnecting with the things she loved the most, beginning with the farm and ending with allowing herself to love again.
***
Pepper followed the goats around as they trailed after Dax. She was almost the same size as them, and her coat had her blending in at times. Dax and I affixed a GPS tracker to her collar, with a digital leash that connected to our phones. The pup didn't stray far, mainly because the goats didn't, and she respected the startling vibration of the tracker when she edged too close to the affixed parameter. Dax and I spent some time inspecting the fences that day, and introducing Pepper to Carol and Esteban. At first, the horse wanted nothing to do with the little noise maker, but eventually she warmed up to her presence.
In the goat enclosure, the safest for Pepper to run free, she climbed all over the goat toys, jumping and chasing them while Dax and I sat in the grass. Dax urged me between her knees, and I leaned back against her, benefiting from the bit of shade offered by her Stetson. She kissed my shoulder, and I reached back to caress her face.
"Mango likes her best," I said, pointing out the way Pepper played with the goat. It took the puppy all of fifteen minutes before she began herding them.
"Look at that." Dax pointed at them. "Is she herding them?"
"Yup. She's got a lot of Australian Shepherd in her. She'll be a great dog." I smiled as I watched the happy puppy.
"How big will she get do you think?"
"Fifty to sixty pounds about. She's a bit on the larger side. No more than seventy, is my best guess."
"Good size."
"It is."
An SUV pulled up and we looked over to see Sage, Mom, and Macie emerging from the car. Macie bolted toward us, grabbing onto the fence and attempting to climb up.
"Auntie Will! The puppy is so cute!"
"She is." I laughed and pointed to the gate. "Mommy will let you in."
"C'mon, Momma!" Macie raced over to Sage who opened the gate for the three of them.
Mom closed it behind her, and they joined us in the grass. Sage nudged Dax with her elbow after dropping down to sit beside her.
"You realize my kid is never going to want to leave the farm now, right?"
"Yeah." Dax laughed while watching Macie run out to the puppy and goats. "She's a helpful kid."
"She is."
"Hi, loves." Mom smooched both our cheeks as she sat on the other side of us. "I haven't stopped hearing about this puppy for days now."
"Macie is as obsessed as we are," I said, grinning at my niece as Pepper attempted to herd her with the goats.
"Is Pepper joining us for dinner tonight? You know Macie will have a fit if she doesn't," asked Sage, glancing between me and Dax.
"It can be arranged." Dax smiled as she looked on, her fingers running through my hair. Contentment bumbled around us and when Macie raced our way, Pepper followed. She greeted Mom and Sage with just as many face licks and tail wags, before taking off after Macie again.
"She's really gentle with the animals," commented Dax.
"That's all Willa's doing. She's exposed Macie to every kind of animal since she was a baby. Taught her to handle them and everything." Sage gave my arm a squeeze. "Best auntie."
"I have to agree with that." Mom winked at me and I all but blushed.
The sound of another set of tires crunching on the gravel dragged our attention away. I half expected it to be Jake in his pickup, but to my surprise, the pristine white BMW brought a lurch of anger to my throat. Dax tensed behind me, the arm she had around my middle squeezing me.
"Pepper," she called out, followed by the clicking sound of her tongue she'd been training her with. The puppy looked up from her spot in the grass, and bolted toward us at a full run with Macie on her heels.
"Hey, wait!"
When the dog arrived, Dax scooped her up, holding her to her chest with one arm, and me with the other. She clipped the leash from her belt to Pepper's harness, and the sound echoed as if she strapped both of us in to the safety of her arms.
"Is that Rowan?" Mom rose from the grass, her eyes narrowed at the car.
"Yes," I answered, as Sage tugged Macie to her.
"Did you know she was coming?" asked Mom, glancing between me and Dax.
"No." I shook my head, turning slightly so that I could see my girlfriend. "Honey, we're all here with you."
Dax shook her head, her lips pursed as she he
ld on to me and the puppy like someone was coming to take us away from her.
"Excuse me," Mom said, breaking away from us and storming off toward Rowan the moment she appeared from the driver's side of the car.
"Is Gramma mad?" asked Macie, her finger in her mouth as worry quelled her energy. In that moment, both she and Dax wore the same expression.
"I'm not sure, sweetie. Let's stay here for now." Sage's soothing, motherly voice calmed Macie only slightly.
"I don't want to get upset again, Willa." Dax leaned her head against mine, and I heard her breathing picking up.
"We're not leaving you alone with her, honey. We got you." I stroked her cheek while Pepper nipped at my fingers and her chin. "Safe with me."
Dax nodded, tightening her arm around me again. Macie sat in Sage's lap, and Sage scooted closer to us. We all watched the two women by the front gates about to battle it out. I couldn't hear anything they said, but there wasn't any shouting. They gestured and pointed at times, but the words didn't come across as heated yet. The goats in the enclosure continued their grazing and bounding about without noticing much of what went on around them. Carol hung her head over the fence beside us, puffs of breath leaving her nostrils as she watched us. Dax reached up to give her muzzle a stroke.
Mom glanced in our direction when they appeared to pause and Rowan ran her hands through her hair the same way that Dax usually did. My heart clenched in my chest and I realized that Rowan must be upset as well. No one else seemed to pick up on that, but the way Mom glanced at us a second time told me I might've been right. Dax never looked over, instead focusing on Pepper who rested at the crook of my thighs and against Dax's belly. I'd never met a puppy so complacent about lounging on her owner. Dax stroked her fur, and kept her forehead against my head.
My stomach clenched when Mom headed our way, Rowan a few paces behind her. My breath caught in my throat and I rubbed Dax's arm. Sage met my gaze, her expression beyond worried at that point, and she draped one arm across me and Dax, the other around Macie. Dax didn't seem to notice at first, until the squeaking hinge of the gate drew our focus. Dax's breathing nearly stopped as we all stared at her mother. She wore large, dark sunglasses, which made her difficult to read. In her white-on-white cotton pant suit, Rowan lowered herself to the grass in front of us to kneel. Mom came to stand behind us, and crouched with her hand on Dax's shoulder.
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