Page 89 of Echoes of You

My heart clenched at the mental image.

“I took him to see Dr. Fitzpatrick. He’s got a bad case of ear mites and worms. He’s way underweight, too. Other than that, he’s healthy. But he’s really timid. Doesn’t seem to be a big fan of men. I won him over a little with a few hamburger patties, but I thought you might be a good foster for him.”

Tears filled my eyes. “Do you have some sort of bug on my phone?”

Nash’s brows pulled together. “Huh?”

“Aspen’s daughter, Cady, was just giving me a stern lecture about how I needed a dog. It made me lonesome for one.”

Nash closed the distance between us, brushing the hair out of my face. “Why didn’t you tell me how much you wanted a dog?”

I shrugged, burrowing into him. “It didn’t seem like the best timing. We’ve had our share of drama lately.”

He pressed a kiss to my temple. “That’s all the more reason for a good distraction.”

I looked over his shoulder at the SUV. The windows were tinted enough that I couldn’t really see what was inside. I only caught occasional movement.

“Want to meet him?”

A trill of excitement swept through me. “Yes.”

Nash released me and walked back to the SUV. He opened the door and crouched low. “It’s okay. No one’s gonna hurt you here.”

I moved in behind him and took in the dog. His coat was a matted mess, making it difficult to see exactly what kind of breed he was, but he looked like he might have some wolfhound in him. He was massive, but his long, gangly limbs accounted for half of that. He didn’t show any signs of wanting to come out of the vehicle.

“Can I try?” I asked.

Nash pushed to his feet. “Have at it. I stopped by the feed store and got all the supplies we’d need, so I’ll get those out of the back.”

I took Nash’s place at the door to the back seat. “Did you get any treats?”

“Yeah, a few kinds.”

“Grab me the smallest ones.”

A few seconds later, Nash handed me a bag. I ripped it open and poured a few into my hand. I placed one on the seat close to the dog. At first, he backed away at my movement, letting out a whimper that broke my heart, but then his nose twitched, and he sniffed the air. Finally, he lowered his muzzle and sought out the treat, gobbling it up.

I repeated the same steps again, moving the treats closer and closer to me each time. As the dog neared, an odor came with him.

I scrunched up my nose. “He smells like rotten fish.”

Nash snorted. “Why do you think I left my window rolled down?”

“He’s going to need a bath.”

“I asked John at the feed store for the best shampoo for stinky dogs.”

“Good thing we’ve got extra bathrooms in this place.” I held out my hand with a treat in it. The dog hesitated for a moment and then gingerly picked it up from my palm. “What a good boy.”

Slowly, I reached out and scratched under his chin. After a few seconds, he leaned into the touch. “There you go. We’re gonna get along just great.”

“You’ve always had a way with them.”

“They have a way with me, too.” A pang lit somewhere deep. This was a chance to reconnect to the part of myself I’d lost. I took the new leash that hooked to a collar Nash had obviously gotten him. “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you inside and clean.”

The dog looked around for a moment and then jumped from the back seat onto the ground.

“Good boy.” I made sounds of praise as I encouraged him inside. The dog sniffed like crazy, exploring every nook and cranny as I guided him toward the guest bathroom with the largest tub.

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