Page 105 of On Merit Alone
I needed another opinion on it. But I had no idea who to ask. I know some of the girls on the team sometimes talked about this stuff with each other, but that’s because they were friends. I think the closest I had to a friend might be Emily, or maybe Charlie. I could text her, and maybe invite her out to grab coffee.
And what? Tell her about your boy problems? Get a grip, Mer.
But I had to do something. Being with Ira was showing me that I didn't always want to be alone. And if he was busy today, I could meet up with someone else.
I think I’d actually enjoy that.
A knock on my door pulled me out of my anxious trance.
I jerked, startling at the sound. I didn’t remember ordering anything, and I don’t think it could be Ira because he would just call out something silly to make me roll my eyes.
Setting my phone on the counter, I moved over to the door, and just as I reached for the handle I paused. What if it was Ira. What if he was knocking because he needed to tell me something serious. Like he’d changed his mind.
Another knock on the door forced me into action. I yanked it open, ready to get it over with and…
There was nothing. No one was out there. The hallway was clear, the only thing visible was the door of the apartments on the other side of the hall and?—
A whine broke through my thoughts. Glancing down, I think I choked as I took in the basket on the ground in front of me. It wasn’t the weaving that got my attention, but the small black and brown figure sitting inside.
I definitely choked, and maybe broke out in a whine of my own as I immediately went to my knees in front of the bundle.
“Who are you?” I asked in that cooing voice you used with little things that pulled at your heart strings.
It whined again, pointy ears going up at attention, little head cocking as big brown eyes stared up at me. Reaching forward, I scooped up the little ball of wrinkles and short fur. He was smooth and soft and smelled like new puppy. Holding him up in front of my face, I asked, “Where did you come from, baby?”
Unsurprisingly, he whined his response, pedaling his big paws slightly in a motion that looked like he wanted to walk toward me. I automatically tucked him close to my chest, the light blue outfit I was wearing be damned. I could dust off a little fur, I could not relive the snuggles this puppy was giving though.
Sitting back on my heels, I got to my feet and took a step over the basket as I watched the little Doberman puppy melt into my body. Slipping a finger under a paw, I lifted it to test its weight. They were so big. He was going to be a large dog. And a sweet one, judging by the way he pushed his snout into the crook of my neck as he sniffed and snuggled, punctuating his little inspection with a lick. “Let’s see who you’re supposed to be left for. Oh, but would it be terrible to say I really want to keep you?—”
My voice caught, my words stopping as I took in the form leaning against the wall. Tall, casual, familiar.
Ira.
It took me a second to fully recognize the expression on hisface. The look of smug triumph as he took in the sight of me holding a puppy with no alarm whatsoever. And then it clicked.
“Did you do this?” I asked.Screeched. Same difference, right?
Ira winced as he rubbed his ear. “Please, Six, use your nonalien voice.”
“But it’s a puppy—a real puppy—and he was at my door… does that mean he’s mine?” I asked, my voice becoming more hysterical. The amusement in Ira’s eyes just kept growing. So much in fact that he started laughing.
My face started to sting. Probably because I was holding the cutest dog in the world because of the best guy in the world. My emotions were no match for this.
Taking a much shakier breath, I wobbled out, “Ira, please. Tell me the truth, okay? What’s he doing here?”
He smiled as he sidled up to me, taking me by the shoulders before cupping my cheek in one hand. “Is that a tear, Six?”
“I can’t help it. Is he mine?”
“Yes, baby, but he’s here so you wouldstopcrying. Not so you would cry more,” he said, wiping that one tear away.
“But how am I going to take care of him? I’m gone every other week, and I have practice during the day, and he’s just a baby and?—”
“Hey, hey. Easy, Six. He’s a dog not a toddler. We’re not sending him to private school or anything. You can get a dog sitter for the times when you’re away and you can drop him off with me anytime you want,” he soothed.
I shook my head. Looking down at the little dog in my arms and bursting into a tear dripping laugh. “Why a dog?”
“Oh it’s for my own benefit, believe me,” he said, slipping his hand down to hold me behind the back. Holding the three of us up in a close embrace. “You don’t have to see your poor longing face every time you see a dog out in public.”
