“I asked you to wait a moment!” Suzette cries angrily at the blonde dog walker. “Cooper is in a very important meeting.”
Forgetting the board members, I rush over to Rosco and bend down. He thrusts himself against me, barking and whining and wagging his tail, slobbering all over my face. I can tell by his throaty cries that he’s upset.
“It’s all right, boy, you’re all right. What the hell happened?” I hiss up at Summer.
She scowls, dropping Rosco’s leash so that it falls beside me. “He bit my dog!”
My blood suddenly goes cold, my arms tightening around Rosco. It’s my worst nightmare to hear such a thing. Instantly, every single news story I’ve ever heard about dogs attacking other dogs and what happens to them afterward rushes up in the back of my mind. I scramble for the leash, holding it so hard in my fist that the fabric digs into my palm.
“Is she okay?” I choke out.
Summer seems to only just notice the crowd of people looking on, glancing nervously at them and clearing her throat. “Yes, she’s fine, but obviously I don’t think Rosco is a good fit for my services.”
“Maybe you two would like to take this to a private room,” Suzette offers loudly. “It’s a good time for a brunch break anyway. Gentlemen, can I order something for you? We have a direct line to Chez Flores downtown. They’re usually booked up for a month . . .”
As Suzette speaks, she ushers both me and Summer out of the office, closing the door behind us.
“What happened?” I ask again, leading Rosco and the pretty blonde to a nearby meeting room and gesturing her in.
She paces slightly, reminding me of Rosco when he’s ready to go for a walk. Her expression is like a storm cloud, her brow creased heavily over her small nose.
“He got scared and lashed out. You didn’t tell me that he’s afraid of cars. All it took was one honk and he took off down the road.”
“You didn’t hold on to him?” I snap back, checking Rosco over for any injuries though there are none.
“Of course I did! But it took me by surprise and Rosco is stronger than I am. I chased after him and that’s when he bit Sadie.”
Defensive arguments bubble up my throat but I swallow them back down. I can tell by the way Summer is acting that she’s not mad at my dog, and thankfully she doesn’t seem to blame him. There’s been no threats of calling the police and she’s not rushing to take her dog to the vet, so hopefully this will all blow over. The last thing I want is for harm to come to any of the dogs, and Rosco has never once bitten another person or animal.
“I can assure you that I would’ve told you if he was aggressive. I’ve never witnessed any behavior like that, and I’ve never seen him run from a car.”
She shakes her head so hard her ponytail slaps her cheeks. “This is why I don’t take in random dogs. This is why I require all those steps before I offer to dog sit. Don’t you understand how badly this could have turned out?” she whispers, her voice thick. When I look at her, tears are welling in her eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done if he had gotten hurt or if the bite had been worse.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know about the car horn thing, but he’s always been jumpy. When I told you that he’d been through a lot, I didn’t go into much detail, but he’s from a puppy mill. He was treated horribly for the first year of his life. It’s been over five years now and he’s come so far. He’s always been guarded but gentle.”
“But he doesn’t know me, and he doesn’t know Sadie or Lola. That’s why he reacted so badly. As well as you think he’s doing, he still has a long way to go. You can’t just drop him off with random people.”
“I know, but you weren’t random. I trust Mrs. Donnell with Rosco as much as I trust myself, and when she recommended you, I knew that you were my only choice. That’s why I was so desperate to have you take him in . . .”
Rosco finally stopped trembling in my arms. Despite the heated tone between Summer and myself, he seems to have recognized that he’s not in trouble and that we aren’t going to lash out at him. He snuffles his snout to my cheek once then turns, retreating to Summer. He approaches her much more slowly than he rushed to me, staring at her with those big, imploring eyes as though he’s seeking forgiveness for running away and misbehaving.
She sighs and strokes under his left ear, his favorite spot, his eyes slowly closing. He keeps his head tilted just slightly toward me so that he’ll know if I make a move to leave, but he is visibly content.
“I know you were desperate,” Summer says. She bites her lip, blame rising in her eyes. “I should have been more careful, too. I shouldn’t have tried to walk him to the park. I should’ve just kept him close to my apartment. But you said he usually has energy and I just wanted to make sure he got the chance to work some of it out.”
“Summer, he’s never once acted this way with someone,” I say, gesturing at the way Rosco is leaning against her. “Not even Mrs. Donnell. He likes her but it took him weeks to let her scratch him like that. All it’s taken you is one night. Please, I’m in the middle of a huge meeting. I’ll pay any amount and I’ll do anything if you agree to keep watching him for the weekend. Hell, I’ll triple what I’m paying you now and I know you’re charging me extra.”
“I’m charging you premium pricing because you broke into my house while I was in the shower!” she shoots back.
I smirk. “I wasn’t complaining, just saying that I think every penny is worth it.”
She stares down at Rosco, still petting him. Though she shakes her head, a familiar confidence begins to well up in me, assuring me that I’ve already sealed the deal even though the beautiful woman I’m trying to negotiate with doesn’t think she’s made up her mind yet.
“This wasn’t your fault, Rosco,” she says to him gently. “I know you were just scared. It’s okay.” She glances at me from the corner of her eye. “Even with the bite he was careful. He didn't hurt Sadie at all.”
“Like I said, Rosco might be skittish, but he is not violent. Not to anyone.”
Rosco licks Summer’s nose, pressing his cheek to hers. The small gesture of affection means a lot coming from Rosco, and just the sight of him being so friendly with Summer is enough to warm my whole heart. I know that Rosco deserves to trust and he deserves to love, and every time I see him welcome another person into his gentle dog heart, it makes me so happy—like I’m doing something right.
I can tell the effect is similar on Summer.
Great job, pal! I think. Keep working your magic on her and I’ll seal the deal . . .
“I know that I was wrong to thrust Rosco onto you the way I did, Summer. I know that he has a lot of anxiety. If you just watch him, even for the rest of the day, Rosco and I will be so grateful, and I’ll pay you triple the amount. I’ll even give it to you upfront if you want. You could buy a whole new wardrobe with it.”
“Wardrobe? Please! I work with dogs all day. I obviously don’t give a crap about my wardrobe.” She sighs, ruffling Rosco’s ears. He gives a content huff. “Wait,” her eyes flash back to mine, “are you saying you don’t like my clothes?”