Page 22 of Pretty Wild

“Surprisingly well. It’s as if he’s been trained and ridden in one many times before.”

“He was probably someone’s pet, and for whatever reason, they let him go. But as skinny as he is, he’s been on his own a while. The only lost pet posters I’ve seen in the store are for cats,” Logan states.

“Where’d he sleep?” Gavin asks while I take a bite of my brat.

I can feel my face blush, and I don’t want to answer, but since all eyes are on me, waiting, I know I need to give them something. “I put an old comforter in the utility room for him to sleep on.” I pray they drop it, but luck is definitely not on my side.

“He stay?” Gabe asks, now rubbing Buddy’s belly. I can’t help but notice his touch has a bit of an exam look to it, as if he’s checking him over for injuries or issues.

“Uhh, he did whimper quite a bit when I closed the door,” I confess, recalling how I lay there in bed for about ten minutes listening to the dog cry.

Logan stares at me and smiles. “You went and got him, didn’t you?”

I sigh before nodding. “Yeah, I went and got the blanket and put it in the corner of my bedroom. He did much better when he could see me.” I leave out the part about waking up with him snuggled against my side in bed later in the night.

“Oh my goodness, is that a puppy?” Gavin’s daughter, Annabelle, hollers. She comes running straight for us.

Buddy moves, jumping behind my legs as if to hide from the excited young girl.

“Hold up, Annabelle, he’s pretty shy. You gotta go easy with him, okay?” Gavin says, helping slow his eleven-year-old daughter down before she reaches the dog.

“Can I pet him?” she asks with hopeful, love-filled eyes.

“Sure, you just gotta make slow movements. He’s a good boy,” I tell the girl, glancing over at Gavin to make sure he’s okay with it. I’m still a bit hesitant. Even though he seems to be a pretty mellow, easygoing dog, I don’t know him well enough yet, and the last thing I’d want is for him to hurt Annabelle.

But the moment she drops down into the grass, Buddy gives her his nose to pet. The next thing I know, he’s licking her face and giving her all kinds of love, which makes her giggle. “He’s so cute. What’s his name?”

“Buddy.”

“Is he yours, Marcus?”

I open my mouth to say no, but to be honest, I kinda like him. A lot. And the thought of keeping him doesn’t bother me as much as it should. I wasn’t joking when I said my work schedule isn’t exactly pet-friendly, but as good as Buddy is, it may not be so bad. He may make a great shop dog too, going with me to work every day. And as long as he keeps up his good behavior in the truck, he can ride along with me for tow and plow jobs.

Of course, I’m putting the cart before the horse. Just because the vet at the pet store didn’t find a chip doesn’t mean Buddy doesn’t belong to someone. Though, the fact he has been on his own for a bit now doesn’t sit well with me either. If someone did lose him, they sure as shit aren’t too concerned with getting him back. I just need to take it day by day and do what I can until the vet gives me a little more information.

“For now,” I finally answer the young girl as she continues to shower Buddy with love and attention. “Can I take him for a walk?”

“Sure, but hold on to his leash.”

“And stay where we can see you,” Gavin adds.

Annabelle takes the leash and starts to walk around the property with the dog, who stops to sniff different sections of the yard. The women must notice the addition, because someone squeals, and the next thing I know, Annabelle is leading the dog toward where they all sit.

I finish eating my food, while keeping an eye on Buddy and the women. Gabe walks over and takes his baby daughter from Blair, who gets up and fills a plate with desserts. Gabe makes his way back over to where I stand, the tiny girl nestled in his arm. “How’s she doing? Sleeping at night yet?” I ask, gently running my finger against Wrenlee’s cheek.

“Not even close. Still mixing up day and night, but,” he says, shrugging his shoulders, “I don’t care. I’ll take all the sleepless nights, because she won’t be little forever.” He moves his daughter up and bends down, placing a kiss on her forehead.

I’ve never pictured myself in his shoes. I’ve found comfort in my solitude. Not that I don’t seek out female companionship every now and again. I’m not a monk. It’s actually pretty easy. There are a few different bars I can hit in Hudson that are always full of eager, willing ladies looking for a little no-strings fun. We go back to her place, spend a few hours together, and then I’m back home and sleeping in my own bed. It works.

I’m not saying I haven’t had relationships in the past, but they never seem to go much further than a few months. And that’s fine. Happily ever after and together forever isn’t a life goal for me. I’ve witnessed both sides of marriage. My parents, whose relationship was more out of duty than that forever kind of love, weren’t exactly the best example for me. I was too young to even remember them together, but my grandparents were very forthcoming with information when they felt I was old enough to handle it. They told me all about my father’s death inthe military and my mother’s decision to drop me off to be raised by my grandparents.

And, yes, before you ask, my grandparents had a great relationship. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but they made it work and, at the end of the day, were completely in love and devoted to each other. So that brings me to the other side of relationships. I watched my grandma wither away to nothing from cancer and the devastation it caused my grandpa after she was gone. Why would I want to willingly go through that kind of pain?

“So, Jade is staying at your cabin, huh?”

I’m pulled out of my own head by his question, but I don’t know how to answer.

Who the fuck is Jade?

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