Page 30 of You and Me, For Real
“Ashton, this is my cousin, Luke. You sort of met him the other day.”
“I remember. The man who almost hit me with the fancy SUV.”
“Right. That’d be the one.” Griffin rubs his forearm where claw marks are visible. “He’s filling in as my personal assistant for a while.”
I wave. “Hi, I’m Ashton.”
Luke’s lips pull to the side in what I assume is his version of a smile. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” His southern drawl is extremely prominent. He holds on to Roxy’s midsection, attempting to keep her still. “I’d shake your hand, but it’s a bit difficult with this girl squirming all over the place.”
Before I can respond, Griffin steps closer to me.
“And who’s this big fella?” He stretches his hand toward Teddy like he wants to pet him but hesitates.
Teddy remains at my side, waiting for my signal on what to do. I nod to him, and he moves from his sitting position to approach Griffin, quietly sniffing him.
“This is Teddy Bear.”
Griffin continues to hold out his hand, allowing Teddy to get a good whiff. “Teddy Bear, huh? Bear seems fitting for this tough-looking guy. I don’t know about the Teddy part. I’d expect him to be a bit more...soft, or fluffy at the very least. This guy is a beast.”
I laugh. A German Shepherd can look rather intimidating. “He’s my protector—when needed. He’s supposed to look menacing.”
Griffin takes a step back, eyes on me, a hint of a smile teasing his lips. “Oh, I see. Guardian of the lady. I can respect that.” He turns his attention back to Teddy. “I promise not to hurt her. Okay? Are you going to be cool if I get close to her?” Griffin stands a good five feet away.
My heart races at the mention of getting closer. “He’s a gentle dog and well-behaved. I promise he won’t be a problem. Teddy, sit.” He does as I command, and I pat his head and reward him with a treat from my training pouch. “Good boy.”
Griffin’s eyes widen. “Impressive. I can’t wait to see what you can do with Roxy.”
Me too. This is my first test of training outside the shelter dogs I’ve worked with. Hopefully she’ll be receptive to my training techniques.
I step toward Luke. “You can put her down now.”
Luke places her gently on the ground and hands me her leash. “Good luck.”
I smile and attempt to infuse bravado into my voice. “We’re going to have a great day aren’t we, girl?” I let her stretch as much distance as the leash allows her. “I brought you a friend. Teddy, come.”
He heeds my command. I hold my hand out to him, signaling to approach slowly. I ease into a squatting position. Teddy allows Roxy to sniff him. Once they meet each other’s approval, both of their tails wag, and their paces circling one another increase inexcitement. I stand, comfortable with their interaction with one another.
Griffin leans toward me. “Well, it’s nice to know Roxy likes someone.”
“Some dogs are more trusting of humans. Some dogs are more trusting of other dogs. It just depends on their experiences. As I said before, Roxy was probably abused or, at the very least, neglected by her previous owners, and therefore suspicious of strangers. You’ll have to earn her trust. She appears to have no previous trauma from other dogs. I think she’ll learn more quickly by seeing Teddy follow commands as well. Also, by having Teddy here, Roxy will witness how accepting he is of you, and in turn, perhaps you’ll earn some of her trust today.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Just some?”
“Yes. A wound doesn’t heal overnight—especially the internal kind. Those run deep, and for a long time. They’re the hardest to heal from.” I would know. “Now, shall we begin?”
“First, I’d like to pay you.” He strides toward Luke, who hands him a small, folded envelope from his back pocket. “I also added a tip. If you don’t feel like it’s sufficient after the session ends, just let me know.”
I resist the urge to bug my eyes out. As if five hundred dollars an hour isn’t enough already?
“It’s plenty sufficient. Thank you.” His fingers brush mine as he hands me the envelope.
I clear my throat and slip the envelope into my back pocket without looking at the contents. Part of me feels icky taking it. It’s too much, especially for my first official session as a dog trainer. What if the session doesn’t go well? Would it be fair for me to take this much?
Roxy stares up at me with her almond eyes.
If this money means helping other dogs like Roxy, then yes, it’s absolutely worth it.
“Let’s get to it then.”
