Page 24 of Anywhere with You
“Now for the important question,” Cara said. “How did you meet Badger?”
“Oh, the real love of my life? The one who didn’t borrow my shirts and then assume they were hers when she moved out?”
“I don’t think you and Badger wear the same size.”
“Bridget and I didn’t either. She’s half my size, but that never stopped her.”
Cara rolled her eyes. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“What was…? Oh, when I met Badger. Well, it was a dark and stormy night.”
“Of course it was.”
“I was just getting home from work, and it was pitch black outside. Our neighborhood has lighting problems even when the power’s working, and a strong breeze is enough to take out the rest.”
“Yes, I’m familiar. I also live in Houston. So, what happened?”
I thought for a moment, reliving the memory. “I tripped over a wet gremlin.”
“Aww,” Cara said.
“Yes. Aww. I scraped a knee and both elbows, and I lost my umbrella. But there was the gremlin, licking my face. I was pretty sure it was a dog.”
“What else would it have been?”
“Rat. Possum. Baby raccoon.”
“Ooookay.”
“So I picked it up, and it was very wiggly, but I got it into the house, and Bridget said,There aren’t enough shots in the world.”
“Like vaccines? Or like vodka?”
“You know, I never asked. Let’s say both.”
“So, Badger…?” she said.
“I washed it, and it turned out to be a dog!” I made jazz hands. Or one jazz hand. The other was on the steering wheel.
“No way,” Cara said flatly.
“Yes way. It took about ten seconds of being clean before Bridget decided she loved him and that he was ours forever.”
“But you named him,” Cara guessed.
“Yes, Bridget wanted to name him something stupid.”
“Spot? Max? Shadow?”
“Yes, can you believe that? I gave her two options.”
“What was the other?”
I glanced at her, relaxed and smiling in the passenger seat, putting a single jelly bean into her mouth at a time. “BBQ Chicken.”
Cara snorted and almost choked on a jelly bean.
* * *
