Page 117 of Cautious Love

“Letting me keep him.”

I look at the puppy who looks like he’s about to collapse from all the excitement of his day. The dog makes her happy, and I’ll do whatever I can to make her happy. Even if that means caring and training a dog I didn’t intend on having.

“You’re welcome.”

She stands up and rounds the island to me, placing both of her hands on my chest, and tilts her head up.

I stoop down, sweeping my mouth over hers. It’s lazy and slow. It’s comfortable, feels like we’ve been doing this for years now.

I’ll do it until my dying breath if I have my way.

She pulls away and rubs her thumb over my mustache. “I’m going to get ready for bed, got an early shift.”

I peck her on the lips and release her.

“Alright,” I mumble and watch her disappear.

Am I missing something? Or am I not taking the action she’s waiting for?

The door closes and I head to my room to get ready for bed, but I wish she was here with me.

It’s midnight. I should be asleep, but the dog won’t stop crying.

Sometimes they’re like babies and they have to cry it out, but it’s been an hour and he won’t give up.

Sighing, I get up and go to the dog, who immediately stops the moment he sees me. I take him outside to let him pee. Then puthim back in his kennel. The moment I close my door, he starts up again.Wonderful.

I open my door to get him, but Shiloh throws hers open, muttering to herself. Hair flying, she stomps over to the dog, picks up the kennel, and waddles with it into her room. She sees me and huffs. “I’m sorry. Hopefully he’ll shut up now.”

I nod, and she closes her door a minute later.

Crawling back into bed, I'm almost asleep when he starts up again.

This is not going to work.

I groan and turnover, then he stops, and my door flies open.

Shiloh stands there with Dozer still in his crate and a dazed look on her face. “He won’t shut up.”

“I’m aware,” I mutter.

She sets the kennel down, and the dog looks at both of us. Then he circles in his bed a few times and drops down, satisfied with the new arrangement.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she mumbles.

Exhausted yet thoroughly entertained, she huffs and doesn’t say a word to me and leaves my room, closing the door behind her.

Curious what he’ll do, he looks at me and starts howling again.

“Shy, I think he wants you in here too.”

My door opens and she stomps in there with a blanket and throws herself onto my bed.

Then she stops. “Is this okay?” she asks.

I nod and push back the covers.

She wiggles under them and gets herself settled. It’s not like she hasn’t been in my bed before. Only we weren’t doing a lick of sleeping.