Novels 06 One Good Dog by Susan Wilson

Author:Susan Wilson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fiction, Life Change Events, Animals, Nature, Pit Bull Terriers, Family Life, General, Romance, Community Service (Punishment), Soup Kitchens, Human-Animal Relationships, Executives
ISBN: 9780312571252
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2010-03-02T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-six

Adam is startled awake. The dog is facing the door, standing close to where Adam has fallen asleep on the futon. There it is again, a soft knock. Wiping the sleep grizzle from his mouth, Adam drags himself off the futon. The dog barks, one sharp, meaningful yap. “Shut up.”

The dog returns to his table cave, his job done.

It has been another week. The shelter is still closed, a watermain break having shut it down indefinitely. The animals have been dispersed to shelters across the state, stretching limited resources, and, no, Dr. Gil says, he can’t take the dog to one of them. He’d pushed the rules by letting Adam have the dog in the first place. Adam has to return him to Animal Advocates.

Like a bad houseguest, the dog seems to have extended his stay indefinitely.

“I found this on my book rack and thought you might want it.” Gina DeMarco stands outside of Adam’s door. Her polar bear parka frames her oval face, the white of the faux fur contrasting with the olive tone of her skin. She’s a little breathless, and her cheeks are pinked with the cold.

“Come in. Come in.” Adam is embarrassed to be found like some old man in the middle of the day. He’s in his undershirt and jeans, his sockless feet in old slippers. He fingers the remote control to shut off Judge Judy. No one has ever come to see him here. His erstwhile adversary in the animal rights wars is the first person to cross his threshold since his landlord handed him the keys. A latent civility awakens in him. “I was just going to make a cup of tea. Would you like one?” He hopes that his breath isn’t offensive. Rafe served garlic mashed potatoes at lunch.

“I can’t. I’ve left the store. I just wanted to give this to you.” She hands him a thin book: Your Pit Bull, What to Expect and What to Do.

“You know that—”

“I know you’re not keeping him, but you’ve got him till that shelter gets back in operation, so you might as well have it.” She doesn’t sound like a person bearing gifts. “No one who comes into my store is ever looking for a book like that. It was stuck in an order for books on tropical fish. Distributor said to keep it, that it was a mistake. You’re welcome to it.”

To be polite, Adam opens the thin book, which is filled with color photographs of dogs that sort of look like his dog. Like this dog. Except that these are posed and have equal ears. Chapters offer history, breed standards, and training—housebreaking, commands like sit, stay, heel. Adam glances down at the dog, who is happily taking Gina’s petting; he’s rolled over to expose his belly to her fingertips.

“Thanks.”

“Read it.” Gina flips her hood back up. “You should know something about the dog if you’re going to just foist him off on someone.”

“Once the shelter is open—”

“Yeah. I know. And you know that’s death row.

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