out of the car and walked inside the mini-mart.
Taken aback by his abrupt departure, Ashley petted Little Blade and continued to feed him part of her sandwich. Dash was gone less than five minutes, and when he returned he had a large bag in his hand.
“What’s that?” she asked, when he set it inside the car on the backseat.
“Puppy food. You don’t want to get Little Blade hooked on people food. It’s not good for him.”
“You bought him dog food?” She hadn’t thought to look for it while inside. Dash was right, Little Blade would need the proper nourishment. “That was sweet of you.” Thoughtful, too. She was grateful they’d agreed to share the car and the ride. It would have been a long, lonely drive if she’d been alone.
He frowned as if he found her praise disconcerting. “Don’t go all mushy on me.”
“I’m not,” she insisted, but she had and it was useless to deny it. “Come on, say it: You like Little Blade.”
Dash shrugged, but reached over and rubbed the puppy’s head. “I’ll admit he’s a cuddly little thing. I can see why you wanted to adopt him.”
This was yet another opportunity to tell him she was right. If he’d done as she’d suggested and gone to see the puppy they could have avoided the craziness that followed.
Dash’s gaze narrowed. “Stop,” he insisted brusquely.
“Stop what?”
“Looking at me like I’m some white knight—I’m not.”
“I’d disagree, but it would lead to another senseless argument.”
“Yes, it would. I’m no hero, so don’t go thinking I’m the kind of guy who’d rush into a burning building to rescue you and Little Blade.”
She suspected he would, but again she wasn’t going to argue. Instead, she changed the subject completely. “I better take Little Blade out so he can do his business before we leave.”
“Good idea.”
She climbed out of the car and took Little Blade over to a grassy area and set him down. The puppy went about sniffing every single inch of grass while Ashley whispered encouragement.
“You can do it. Don’t you smell where other dogs have been? See how this grass needs watering? That’s your job and you need to take it seriously.”
Dash got out of the car. “What’s taking so long?”
Ashley turned to answer. “He’s sniffing the grass.”
“Tell him to hurry.”
“You tell him,” she shouted back, hands on her hips. Of all the ridiculous suggestions! How was an eight-week-old puppy supposed to understand anything yet? Every good thought she’d entertained about Dash flew out the proverbial window. The man had no patience. Surely he realized these things took time.
Dash didn’t roll his eyes. Instead, he threw back his head and glared up at the sky.
“Do something” was his next useless suggestion.
“What would you like me to do? Pull down my pants and show him what I want him to do?” she yelled back. “Little Blade is a boy. You show him, and be sure to lift your leg.”
Dash muttered under his breath and stalked across the parking lot to where she stood. He looked down the grassy incline and then back at her. “Where is he?” he demanded.
“What do you mean?” Ashley whirled around, and sure enough, Little Blade was missing. “He was here just a minute ago.” Her voice rose an entire octave in her panic.
“He couldn’t have gone far,” Dash insisted.
A chain-link fence separated the mini-mart from a recently plowed field. Checking out the field, Ashley saw movement as Little Blade scrambled over one mound and disappeared behind another. “There,” she cried, pointing in the direction of where she’d caught sight of him.
“This is just perfect,” Dash said, shaking his head.
“How’d he get over there?” she wondered aloud.
“He didn’t get over the fence,” Dash commented wryly. “He went under it.”
Which, of course, was what had happened.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get him,” she promised. “Little Blade is my responsibility.”
Dash
Taken aback by his abrupt departure, Ashley petted Little Blade and continued to feed him part of her sandwich. Dash was gone less than five minutes, and when he returned he had a large bag in his hand.
“What’s that?” she asked, when he set it inside the car on the backseat.
“Puppy food. You don’t want to get Little Blade hooked on people food. It’s not good for him.”
“You bought him dog food?” She hadn’t thought to look for it while inside. Dash was right, Little Blade would need the proper nourishment. “That was sweet of you.” Thoughtful, too. She was grateful they’d agreed to share the car and the ride. It would have been a long, lonely drive if she’d been alone.
He frowned as if he found her praise disconcerting. “Don’t go all mushy on me.”
“I’m not,” she insisted, but she had and it was useless to deny it. “Come on, say it: You like Little Blade.”
Dash shrugged, but reached over and rubbed the puppy’s head. “I’ll admit he’s a cuddly little thing. I can see why you wanted to adopt him.”
This was yet another opportunity to tell him she was right. If he’d done as she’d suggested and gone to see the puppy they could have avoided the craziness that followed.
Dash’s gaze narrowed. “Stop,” he insisted brusquely.
“Stop what?”
“Looking at me like I’m some white knight—I’m not.”
“I’d disagree, but it would lead to another senseless argument.”
“Yes, it would. I’m no hero, so don’t go thinking I’m the kind of guy who’d rush into a burning building to rescue you and Little Blade.”
She suspected he would, but again she wasn’t going to argue. Instead, she changed the subject completely. “I better take Little Blade out so he can do his business before we leave.”
“Good idea.”
She climbed out of the car and took Little Blade over to a grassy area and set him down. The puppy went about sniffing every single inch of grass while Ashley whispered encouragement.
“You can do it. Don’t you smell where other dogs have been? See how this grass needs watering? That’s your job and you need to take it seriously.”
Dash got out of the car. “What’s taking so long?”
Ashley turned to answer. “He’s sniffing the grass.”
“Tell him to hurry.”
“You tell him,” she shouted back, hands on her hips. Of all the ridiculous suggestions! How was an eight-week-old puppy supposed to understand anything yet? Every good thought she’d entertained about Dash flew out the proverbial window. The man had no patience. Surely he realized these things took time.
Dash didn’t roll his eyes. Instead, he threw back his head and glared up at the sky.
“Do something” was his next useless suggestion.
“What would you like me to do? Pull down my pants and show him what I want him to do?” she yelled back. “Little Blade is a boy. You show him, and be sure to lift your leg.”
Dash muttered under his breath and stalked across the parking lot to where she stood. He looked down the grassy incline and then back at her. “Where is he?” he demanded.
“What do you mean?” Ashley whirled around, and sure enough, Little Blade was missing. “He was here just a minute ago.” Her voice rose an entire octave in her panic.
“He couldn’t have gone far,” Dash insisted.
A chain-link fence separated the mini-mart from a recently plowed field. Checking out the field, Ashley saw movement as Little Blade scrambled over one mound and disappeared behind another. “There,” she cried, pointing in the direction of where she’d caught sight of him.
“This is just perfect,” Dash said, shaking his head.
“How’d he get over there?” she wondered aloud.
“He didn’t get over the fence,” Dash commented wryly. “He went under it.”
Which, of course, was what had happened.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get him,” she promised. “Little Blade is my responsibility.”
Dash
Similar Books
