Page 58 of Riot

She smiles. “He might like that. Milk and biscuits, that’s so sweet.”

You’reso sweet. “We can get him a variety of things, see what he likes as time goes on.”

She points at me. “Good idea. I’m also thinking he’s going to have a hard time with that leg of his. Will he be able to go for walks?”

“Could start off with short ones around the block so he gets exercise, it’ll be good for him once Nina gives him the all clear. Or we could take him to the dog park.”

She chews on her lip. “Yeah, he seemed pretty friendly. We’ll have to work out if he’s okay with other dogs.”

I don’t think other dogs are the issue. I think maybe humans are after the way he was treated, but I don’t speak my thoughts out loud. I also know dogs happen to be pretty resilient. He was completely trusting and calm in the truck last night, surrendering to us. That may have been because he had noother choice, but still. He could’ve kicked up a fuss and acted aggressive. Honestly? I wouldn’t blame him. I’d do the same.

But no. He lay there like a trooper, completely submissive and trusting.

“I think he’s gonna be pretty happy when he sees all of this.” I nod to the overflowing cart.

She grimaces. “Too much?”

I lift the giant purple octopus plush toy that’s twenty-five dollars. “Nothin’ is real unless you have a giant octopus squeaky toy that glows in the dark.”

Her frown turns into a smile. “Wise ass.”

“What? I’m serious. He’s gonna be droolin’ just at the sight of it.”

“Cut it out. If I were a dog, I’d think that this was the best thing since canned dog food.”

“Funny, I only see freeze dried biscuits from the mountains of New Zealand that cost more than my first apartment rental.”

She bats her eyelashes at me. “These say straight on the packet they’re a crowd pleaser, plus it has all the nutrients and minerals a dog needs, plus no grains which can be hard to digest and a menace on the digestive tract.”

“I had no idea you were into dog nutrition. I’m impressed.”

She bumps me with her hips and I laugh. I like Halo happy. I like Halo very happy. “You can scoff now, but Pepper used to love these.”

I think back to last night when she told me about her beloved dog who’d passed away a few years ago. Charles had a dog while we were growing up, but he was grumpy and didn’t really like kids. I know how attached people get to their pets. Take Priest for example, the club’s spiritual advisor. He has a couple of cats he’s nuts about; one is weird looking and hairless but that doesn't seem to stop his ol’ lady Bella and him doting on the damn thing. I get it though, people need to put themselvesinto something. And for Halo, it’s nurturing something back to health, taking care of a creature who is essentially defenseless and reliant on us. It makes me even more determined to make this work. I just hope that for Cookie’s sake he settles, because if he doesn't, it’s gonna break her heart to have to take him away. We’ll have to see how things go later today. Nina won’t be there for another hour, so we have time.

“How come there’s two of those?” I nod to the squeaky elephant — the same brand as the octopus.

She gives me an eye roll. “He’s going to need two of everything if we’re sharing custody. When I’m at work for example, he can’t be by himself. What if he needs to go out and pee.”

Sharing custody.

“We’ll get him some pee mats. And I’ll make sure I’m there when you can’t be. My job is flexible, and I can take him with me to the shipping yard when I’m workin’ there.”

At the moment, I’m here, there and everywhere. Whenever the club needs me. Sometimes it’s at the shipyard where we have a large shipping container business. Or I work security at the Vault; the gentleman’s club downtown, or behind the bar when they get busy. Sometimes the job can be boring, other times I’m strapping my rifle on my back to take down the bad guys. I guess you could say no two days are the same. I like the versatility. Going to the same job every single day would drive me bananas.

She turns to me, her face worried as she chews on her lip once more. “Do you think we’re doing the right thing?”

“By givin’ him a foster home?”

“Wait, does that mean he’d go up for adoption?”

She’s already attached, I can sense it. “No, it just means we can trial him and see how he fits in.” I place my hands on her shoulders as color rises up her neck. I notice that happens sometimes when she’s anxious, nervous or turned on. And inthis case, she’s getting anxious. “Then bigger decisions can be made.”

“But nobody can take him away, right?”

“Remember, he’s not chipped, babe, and he was dumped with a broken leg. No judge in the world is gonna make him go back to an environment like that. Breathe.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighs. “I just really felt a connection with him, I know it’s silly.”

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