Page 19 of Driven to Love

Davey bolted from the truck.

Nash shook his head, picked up his son’s backpack, and carried it into the house. Walking outside onto the patio, he texted Cade.

“Hi, Mrs. Dahl.” He waved to his elderly neighbor sitting on her deck.

Davey sat in the middle of the yard, a dozen black and white puppies jumping and rolling around him.

“That boy loves dogs. No doubt about it.” Mrs. Dahl relaxed back in her lawn chair.

Nash crossed the yard, went through the gate, and stepped onto the deck. “They are getting bigger by the minute.”

“So’s your boy. Here.” She pulled a couple of bills from her pocket and handed them to him.

“No. You keep those.” He waved her off.

She huffed. “If you won’t let me pay you for mowing my lawn, at least let me give you a puppy. I mean, look at that boy. Davey was meant to have one.”

“I might take that deal.” Nash totally planned on paying Mrs. Dahl for the dog, but he’d figure out how to do that later, when Davey wasn’t here.

“I have another forever home lined up for one of them.”

“Oh? That would be great. My Molly’s pregnancy wasn’t planned. That pesky Rufus down the block jumped the fence one day.”

“Knock. Knock.” Cade appeared around the corner.

“Hey, Uncle Cade.” Davey jumped up, two puppies in his arms.

“Hey, sport. What do you have there?” Cade ruffled his hair, then took a puppy from Davey and looked it over. “She’s a beauty.”

Nash watched the joy wash over his son’s face, then he leaned toward Mrs. Dahl. “When are they ready to go?”

“You can take one today. Molly weaned them last week.”

“Which one do you like?” Nash asked his son.

Davey’s face lit with excitement. “Really? I can have one?”

“It will have to stay at my house. Your mother is allergic.”

Snuggling the little black and white furball to his chest, Davey raced around the yard, careful not to step on the puppies chasing after him. At the end of his lap, he darted up the deck stairs and hugged Nash, the puppy still in his arms. “Thank you, Dad.”

The surly preteen was nowhere in sight. Instead, an ecstatic kid with excitement in his eyes cuddled the little, squirming bundle of fur. “What do you think, boy? Do you want to come home with me?”

“Hold it one minute. This is a big responsibility. When you are here, you will feed it.”

“Uh huh.” His head bobbed.

“And pick up after it?”

“Yes, sir.” Nash doubted Davey would be this enthusiastic about scooping poop when the time came to do it.

“Okay. What do you say to Mrs. Dahl?”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He nodded to her.

“You’re welcome, young man. Say, can you do me a favor while you are here this weekend? These critters need a lot of exercise. Are you interested in coming over and tiring them out?” Nash’s neighbor lady winked at him.

Davey looked to his dad and then back to Mrs. Dahl, excitement clear on his face. “Yes, ma’am. I’m here all week.”