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“Hey.”
She tugs hard on the leash, and he’s clearly not ready for the tug as she makes a break for it.
He lunges toward her, and she barks, easily dodging him. Then, of course, she thinks he’s playing with her.
“Listen here, little lady.”
I throw my crossbody over my body and move to secure the tiny little terror.
Once she realizes I’ve got her, she turns and looks at me.
I squat down, grab her leash, give her some pets, then push gently onto her backside. “Sit pretty.”
She does so, and I give her a scratch behind the ear.
“You need to train your human better.”
Eyes wide, he asks, “How did you do that?”
“Magic,” I deadpan.
To this, he grins and flashes two deep dimples. “I like you, neighbor chick.”
“Turn it off. It’s wasted on me.”
He points to himself then motions up and down his body. “I can’t turn this off. There’s no off switch. I’m turned on all the time.”
Hudson’s voice is as big as he is, so there’s no way someone near us didn’t hear what he just said. I glance around and find I’m not wrong.
“Oh no, no, no, not like that. My bad,” he says to the older woman beside him, who looks scandalized. “Not like that. I’m always turned up to wow, you know, loving life.” He glances down, and bless her heart, her eyes follow his. “See? All good.”
“Oh my God.” I turn and begin walking away.
“Hey.” He laughs. I glance back and see him walking toward me, pushing my giant cart. “You forgot something.”
I stop and try to hand him the leash, offering up some much-needed advice. “She’ll do better with a harness.”
“You think they sell them here?”
“They sell everything else, so I’d go with yes.”
He nods to the cart. “I’ll push this thing around if you’ll help me find a harness and show me how it works. I don’t wanna end up in another tug-of-war comp.”
* * *
Walking out of the store, Elle is rocking her new pink harness and is right beside me, walking pretty, while Hudson is behind us, pushing the cart that’s heaping full of my things and all the correct foods and supplies Elle will need, including a cage, which he told me seemed cruel. To this, I gladly spent the entire shopping adventure explaining the reason crate training, consistency with command words and schedules, will actually make her a happier dog. I did so in great detail, in hopes of avoiding any conversation about his brother while also wondering why he wasn’t with them.
“Where are you parked?” he asks as we wait on the sidewalk for cars to pass.
“We’ll unload you, and then you and Elle can head on your way.”
“No can do. My mother raised a gentleman. Ladies always come first.”
I’m not sure he’s capable of saying anything that doesn’t sound sexual, and then there’s a part of me that thinks he does it on purpose.
He nods in the direction of my vehicle. “Black Outback?”
I eye him skeptically.
