Page 37 of Last Date
Did I? I felt like he’d protect me up to a point. He’d shield me, if it didn’t jeopardize his career. But if it was me or his job, I definitely got the feeling he’d pick his job. “I think you care about climbing the ladder more than anything in this world.”
He winced. “Wow.”
“Sorry, but that’s how I see it.” He looked so wounded, it was hard not to feel a nudge of guilt. I wasn’t actually trying to hurt him. But trust had never been an easy thing with me and Merrick, and I truly wasn’t sure what he’d do if push came to shove.
“Okay.” He gave a hard laugh. “Well, on that charming note, I guess I should go do my beloved job. Since it’s all I care about and all.”
“Merrick—”
He ignored me and strode to his car, his face dark and angry. He got in his car and started the engine with a roar. He pulled away from the curb, and I watched his red taillights fade into the night.
I’d been right about one thing: this evening had definitely turned out to be a night to remember.
Chapter Seven
The next few days were hell. The local papers hounded me for a story, and I battled depression. I was grieving the death of a man I barely knew, but the sadness was real. Whether I’d known Allister well or not, I’d liked him. He’d brought some fun and excitement into my life when he’d asked me out on that date. Now everything felt gray and miserable.
I was also guilty about my argument with Merrick. It had left a bad taste in my mouth for sure. I hadn’t meant to hurt him, but I had. Even if I believed the things I’d said to him, I didn’t like hurting anyone’s feelings. If he were anyone else, I’d have probably apologized already.
At the moment, I was on my way to walk Patsy Reid’s dog, Bruno. She’d had to cancel our first meeting, and we’d danced around the schedule a bit because she was so busy as Merrick’s PA, but finally I was going to meet her and her dog in person. It wasn’t even 8:00 a.m. yet, but I’d wanted to walk the dog early in the day, hoping that might make him behave better while she was at work.
Parking in front of her blue bungalow, I got out with my leash. I skipped up her porch, trying to get in a better mood. The dog would sense tension in me, so I needed to shake it off. Once I felt centered, I rang her doorbell. Inside the home, I heard Bruno’s deep bark and her shushing him.
Patsy opened the door, and I opened my mouth to say hello. I stopped short, though, when I found Bruno standing behind her on his hind legs, with his front feet planted on her shoulders.
“Uhhh.” I widened my eyes.
“Do you see what I’m dealing with?” Patsy howled. “He has absolutely no manners.”
Gritting my teeth, I moved into the house. “Down,” I said sharply while stepping gently on the dog’s rear feet. He immediately jumped down and gave me a puzzled look. “You can’t let him do that, Patsy. He thinks he’s the alpha.”
“But how do I stop him?” Patsy ran a hand over her blond pixie cut, looking flustered.
“Have you at least tried?”
“I did in the beginning. He usually only does that when someone rings the doorbell or if he’s excited.”
I laughed, not sure how to respond. I glanced at the dog, who was now sitting, watching us. He didn’t have aggressive energy; he really just struck me as a big, clueless puppy who didn’t understand what his boundaries were.
“Let me walk him to burn off some of his energy.” As I spoke, I slipped the leash over Bruno’s fuzzy head. He was a beautiful dog with silver-blue eyes. Not a pure breed, but the husky side of him was dominant, giving him the appearance of a wolf.
“Okay.” She glanced at Bruno. “Should I come with you?”
“Not today. Maybe next time. I want to get to know Bruno without you around.”
“I see.” She bit her bottom lip. “He’s sweet. I’m sure you can see that.”
“I can.”
She smiled and ruffled Bruno’s grey-and-brown fur. “You have fun on your walk, boy.”
I was glad to see she seemed to like the dog at least. Maybe that meant she’d actually put in the work that would no doubt be necessary. “We’ll be about an hour.”
“I’ll do some work while I wait. I have my laptop with me.”
I led the dog outside and was pleased that he came willingly. I waved goodbye to Patsy, and Bruno and I headed down the street at a fast pace. My goal was to try and wear the dog out. I wanted to see how he was when he had a good long walk. I didn’t think walking on its own would solve all her problems with Bruno, but I had a feeling it would help a lot. Not only was he a high-energy breed, but he was young, and all the pent-up energy would translate into mischief without regular exercise.
I jogged with the dog down all the streets in her neighborhood. We ran into people with dogs and without, but Bruno never showed any signs of aggression at all. He was actually a great dog. He was obviously thrilled to be on a walk, and he listened to me pretty well once he got used to what I wanted from him. I definitely thought he’d be a good candidate for training. It was the aggressive dogs that were harder to deal with. Bruno had a happy energy, thank goodness.
