Page 5 of Zale's Little Girl
Rexy sniffed her carefully. He checked out the bandages on her wrists before moving a bit closer. When Pippa hesitated to pet the gigantic beast, Rexy nudged her with his massive head.
Pippa slid a hand over his spine, enjoying the play of the powerful muscles under the silky coat. “You are a sweetheart, aren’t you?”
Rexy woofed an affirmative answer and turned to stand next to her. He’d made his decision.
“What kind of dog is he?” Pippa asked, petting him.
“He’s part mastiff and part Great Dane,” Aspen answered.
“And part wrecking ball and lawn mower,” Jerico added.
“He didn’t mean to chew up your slippers,” Aspen rushed to assure him.
“Right,” Jerico answered skeptically.
“You wear slippers?” Koa asked, overtly laughing.
Pippa’s gaze bounced back and forth to the team members. Jerico wasn’t mad that Koa was chuckling. They enjoyed each other. How would it feel to have a supportive group around you?
“I’m Aspen,” the young woman with shoulder-length brown hair told her.
“Hi, Aspen. I’m Pippa. I hope you don’t mind having company today? Zale seems to think I need a safe place until he’s off work.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Pippa. I couldn’t be happier. Rexy is a noble companion, but his conversational skills are…” Aspen allowed her voice to trail off.
Rexy lifted his head and stared at Aspen, openly assessing her.
“Rexy, I’m sorry. I said you’re a great companion,” Aspen said quickly.
The massive dog sneezed and then moved back to his owner’s side, obviously forgiving her. Aspen ruffled his fur in a loving reward.
“Time for Pippa to get out of sight,” Zale announced.
“Good idea. Rexy doesn’t enjoy being away from home for too long either. Do we need to pick up anything for you on the way?” Aspen asked.
“Take her straight home, sweetheart. She needs to stay out of sight,” Jerico told her gently.
“Sorry. Not thinking,” Aspen excused herself. “Come on, Rexy. Back in the car.”
As they got the dog settled, Zale asked, “Are you okay with this?”
“Yes. They seem nice,” Pippa answered. This made sense. Jacob couldn’t find her with Aspen.
“Ask to use Aspen’s phone if you need to call me. She’ll be glad to share,” Zale assured her as he opened the passenger door for her.
“Thanks.” Impulsively, Pippa stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist. She hugged him tight before retreating to the car.
Zale wrapped one large hand around her shoulder and squeezed. When she looked up at him, he assured her, “I’ll come get you soon.”
It was tough to watch him disappear behind them. Pippa settled back against the seat. She hurt inside like she’d lost her best friend. She glanced at the woman next to her.
“This is really nice of you.”
“I know how it feels to need help. Jerico saved Rexy and me from the violent man who lived next to me,” Aspen shared.
“Really? I’m sorry,” Pippa said truthfully.
“It turned out okay. I got away with stealing the jerk’s dog and keeping him safe. Jerico was a super nice bonus.”
