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Epilogue
Zack heard the kids playing in the backyard. From their shrieks of joy he suspected they were on the jungle gym they’d bought a week ago. It was a beautiful October afternoon, warm but with fall leaves turning shades of orange, gold and red. He heard Laurel’s laugh and smiled. She laughed a lot now. She’d cut back on her hours at Kelly Boots and while she was still the accountant for the airport, she’d been able to spend a lot more time with Cody and Katrina.
At six months pregnant with the twins, she tired more easily, but she took it in stride. He just hoped she didn’t freak out when she saw what he’d brought home. He’d come in through the kitchen so he could surprise her. “I should have checked with her,” he told the black and gold puppy under his arm. “But better to ask forgiveness than permission, right?”
The puppy yapped and licked his hand. “Let’s go find Mom.”
She was sitting on the porch with her back to him. He opened the door and walked up behind her, covering her eyes with one hand. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Zack, when did you get home? What are you doing?”
“I told you, giving you a surprise. Close your eyes and hold out your arms.”
“It better not be something slithery.” She held out her arms.
“Slithery, no.” Wiggly, you bet. He set the puppy in her arms.
“What’s this?” she asked, opening her eyes and staring at the black and gold bundle of energy.
“It’s a puppy,” he said, stating the obvious.
The puppy yapped and licked Laurel’s face. “I suspected that,” she said dryly. “Why did you bring home a puppy?” She scratched it behind its ear and spoke to it. “Yes, you’re a good dog, aren’t you?”
“One of the airport workers adopted a pregnant dog and this is one of her puppies. He was trying to find them homes so he didn’t have to take them to the shelter. He said his family couldn’t afford to keep more than one of the puppies. There are twelve of them,” Zack added. “Isn’t she cute?”
“Of course she’s cute. She’s a puppy. And she’s going to be big. Look at the size of her paws.” She held one up for Zack to look at.
Big paws. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through. The kids spied him and came running toward him. “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” They hurtled up the stairs and threw their arms around his legs. He ruffled each child’s hair.
“Hi, guys. How’s it going?” He and Laurel had been married two months and Cody and Katrina had been calling him Daddy since that day. It gave him a rush every time he heard either of them say it. Adoption plans were in the works and he and Laurel hoped the adoption would be final before the birth of the twins.
“We’ve been playing,” Cody said.
Katrina added, “On the jungle thingy. We love it, Daddy.”
“Oh, yeah? I’m glad.”
“Look,” Cody said, releasing Zack’s leg. “Mommy’s holding a puppy!” They gathered on either side of her, talking excitedly and letting the puppy lick their hands.
“A puppy,” Katrina said, stroking the little dog’s fur. “Is he for us?”
Oh, man, he’d really screwed up. If Laurel didn’t want the dog the kids would be heartbroken. And he’d be the cause of it. What the hell had he been thinking? He looked at his wife over the children’s and puppy’s heads. She was shaking her head but smiling. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“You are such a softy,” she told Zack. “Yes, she’s for you,” she said to the kids. “Take her out in the yard. I’m pretty sure she just peed on me.”
“What’s her name?” Cody asked.
“You and Katrina are in charge of naming her.”
“Yay!”
“I’ll go get a towel,” Zack said. He came back with it shortly and handed it to Laurel. “Am I in trouble?”
She wiped at the shirt covering what was left of her lap. “You realize we’ll have two infants in less than three months.”
“Yes. But…puppies, Laurel. Twelve of them. And I only took one,” he added virtuously.
“You should probably have gotten two.”
