Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Sam had been looking for a reason to wrap up the banter fast without having to admit that he wanted to get out of the cold. Nick would have teased him about getting soft. Charlie’s abrupt departure was a good reason to follow.
“I think that’s my cue. Call if you need help with the fence later. I know you’ve got a couple guys out on vacation.” Sam turned to follow Charlie.
“I’ll let you know—oh, hey! Before I forget. I heard the Carpenters have a litter of Australian Shepherds that are almost weaned. Weren’t you talking about getting a dog?”
Sam stopped and turned back. He’d mentioned it in passing. “It feels weird to have a ranch without dogs. We used to always have one or two, but Charlie’s father always picked them. It’s been a while now, and I keep thinking I should find a pup.”
“Wouldn’t mind one to chase the coyotes away and help with the herding. Rounding up Bessie’s followers sure would have been easier this morning. Shepherds are good working dogs.”
“True. But I was thinking more that Charlie would love a puppy for the house.” He hadn’t really considered a working dog.
Nick shrugged. “Australian Shepherds love to work, and they have a lot of energy. Not sure that’s the best choice for a house pet, but I wouldn’t mind one for the ranch. I’d be down to handle the training if you decide to look into it.”
Now that Nick had mentioned it, Sam realized what a good idea it was. It had been a couple of years since they’d had a barn dog, and a Shepherd would be perfect. “I’ll give them a call once the sun’s up.”
That suited Nick, and Sam finally made his escape. His breath fogged the crisp air as he trotted to catch up with Charlie. She stopped to wait when she heard him coming.
“Thought you’d both freeze before one of you gave in and went inside,” she commented.
He could just barely make out her smirk in the pre-dawn light. “Funny, brat.” Not that she was wrong…
“Please, you know if I hadn’t left you’d both still be standing there, poking at each, and trying to pretend you weren’t that cold.”
“Yeah, yeah. Well, now we’re bantering and I’m freezing. Let’s go home.” He turned her around and pushed her toward the house. And then, when he heard her snicker, he landed a swat on her backside.
“That’s a waste of time, Daddy. Between the Long Johns and the coat, I didn’t feel a thing.”
“You act like we’re not going to be in a house full of paddles in about two minutes. Move it, Charlie girl. I’m cold and getting crankier by the second.”
She giggled and picked up the pace, but he had a feeling it was less the threat and more that she was desperate to get inside. The warm light through the kitchen windows drew them like a beacon, and soon they were both hurrying up the steps and into the heat.
“Damn, I forgot how much I hate early winter mornings,” Sam said as he hung up his coat. It seemed worse now that he wasn’t used to dealing with it daily.
“Remind me not to volunteer to help next time. Brrr. I’m not sure I’ll ever be warm again.” She hurried over to the coffee pot, only to be disappointed. He’d used it all in the thermos. She muttered under her breath, discarding her gloves and starting a new pot with shaking hands.
Sam pulled her into his arms, lending her his body heat while they waited for the perking to start. “Why don’t you go jump in a hot shower, darlin? Probably warm you up faster than coffee anyway.”
She snuggled against him and let out a sigh as the shivering stopped. “That’s not a bad idea. Except you’re cold too. Want to join me?”
Now that she mentioned it…
Charlie did end up back in bed, but not alone. What they started in the shower, they finished in the bedroom. Afterward, they both got a little extra rest, but Sam wasn’t used to sleeping late in the morning. After a short doze, he crept out of the room.
He took the opportunity to call the Carpenters while she was sleeping. He knew Bob Carpenter slightly. The ranching community was small, but they weren’t close by any stretch of the imagination. Still, the man was friendly enough.
“A puppy huh? Happens I think we do have a couple left. You’ll have to talk to Jean though. The dogs are her special project. Hold on a sec.”
There was a rustling sound as if Bob was pressing the phone against his chest. It wasn’t muffled enough to drown out his bellow though. “Jean! Got a call about the puppies.”
A minute later there was a new voice on the phone, breathless and amused. “Hello?”
“Hi there, Ma’am. This is Sam Mason from the?—”
She cut him off. “Hello, Sam. Of course I remember you. How’s that wife of yours?”
“Charlie’s doing just fine, Ma’am. I?—”
“Jean, please. Ma’am makes me feel old.” She laughed.
“Alrighty then, Jean. I heard you had some puppies and?—”
“Which litter?”
“Well, I heard you had some Australian?—”
“Oh, the Shepherds . Yes, of course. The parents are champions. We have two left from that litter. A boy and a girl. Six weeks now, so it will be a few more weeks before I’m willing to let them go. They have papers, but we’re not selling them as breeders. The contracts are for pet only, so you’ll want to get them fixed.”
Contracts? Apparently buying a puppy was more complicated than he’d thought. Which was fair, since he’d never bought one before. “I’m not planning to start breeding so that’s fine. We’re looking for a good working dog, so?—”
“Perfect then. Australian Shepherds are hard workers. Smart too.”
Sam was getting used to being interrupted. Jean was a fast talker, who didn’t like to waste time. He could appreciate that, but it took his brain a second to catch up. “Wait, do you have other litters besides the Shepherds?”
“Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Those are good ranch dogs too. Protective. Hard workers, though people mostly want them as pets these days.”
“I definitely want one of the Shepherds for the ranch. My foreman has already agreed to take care of the training. But I’ve been thinking about getting Charlie a puppy. She grew up with dogs and has mentioned missing them a few times. Do you think either of those would make a good house pet?”
“Oh, either, as long as you know they need a lot of exercise. If you want something cuddly and affectionate though, I’d probably lean towards the Corgi.”
He’d never been around Corgis. With the average cow weighing most of a ton, Jimmy had always preferred larger dogs. “That’s the breed with the short legs, and the uh, butt?”
Her laughter bubbled through the phone. “They certain have a distinctive back end, and a way of walking that attracts attention. And yes, very short legs—but don’t think that will keep them from getting in trouble. They are climbers. Training is key.”
Maybe Charlie and the puppy could keep each other out of trouble. School kept her very busy, working on a doctorate wasn’t easy, but she complained about not getting out of the house enough. A dog would help with that too. “And you have some Corgi puppies available?”
“I have one sweet baby girl unclaimed. The runt of the litter. I’m only considering a pet situation for her anyway. We’re not sure how big she’s going to get, but currently she’s only half the size of her litter mates. She’s got heart and I’m sure she’d work hard, but Corgis are small to begin with, and she’s going to be even smaller. Not suitable for working, in my opinion.”
He saw no downsides to that. “That sounds just about perfect, Ma—uh, Jean. Charlie needs something she can cuddle. How long before she’s old enough?”
“Well… the rest of the litter will be ready to go next week, but I do prefer to keep the runts with the mother a little longer when possible.”
Sam did the math in his head. “That’s actually perfect. I wanted to give her the puppy for Valentine’s Day and that’s almost three weeks from now. Would that work?”
There was a brief pause. Then, “Yes, that should give her a little more time to put on weight. Normally I’m not a fan of puppies as presents. Too many people aren’t happy about the surprise, but you’re ranch folk. And Jimmy raised more than one of our pups, so I expect it’ll be fine.”
“Charlie probably grew up with some of your dogs then.” That was a nice connection that Sam hadn’t considered.
“Oh, yes. Now, I trust you, but I like to do things by the book. So you’ll need to pop over to sign the contracts, visit the pups, and put down a deposit for each one. That will secure your claim. Otherwise… well, it’s first come first serve. So, when can I expect you?”
Not that he was dying to go back out in the cold, but he did want to make sure he had Charlie’s present locked down. “I can come over this afternoon, if that suits.”
“It does. I’ll be here all day.” She sounded pleased.
Before Sam could say anything else, she disconnected the call. Not much for small talk, apparently. That was fine, he wasn’t either.
He sat back at his desk, satisfied. The puppy hadn’t been a rushed decision. It had always been on the agenda; it was just a matter of timing it. He’d scouted around at Christmas. Even checked the shelter, but there weren’t any puppies available. Not the right kind anyway.
When it came to a ranch, you needed a breed suited to it. Temperament was so important, and you couldn’t always tell with a shelter dog. Jimmy had brought home mutts once or twice, and they usually worked out, but Charlie’s father had been an expert with dogs.
Sam didn’t know enough to be sure he could pick one that would fit in safely. And even though the Corgi was going to be a pet, she would still be living on a ranch. But a working breed, bred by ranchers, was bound to mesh well.
Charlie was going to be thrilled. She’d hinted a few times, and he’d put her off with some vague complaints about all the work they were. He’d been half afraid that she’d sneak out and get one anyway, before he had a chance. With only a couple weeks left until Valentine’s, he was probably in the clear.
After lunch he drove over to the Carpenter’s ranch. Jean greeted him at the door, all smiles, but instead of welcoming him in, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
“I figured we’d meet the babies first. The kennels are around the side. Although we do rotate the dogs into the house, so they all get plenty of people time and socialization.”
The day had already been filled with unexpected events, but ending up on the floor covered in puppies was by far the best of them. They whimpered, whined, nibbled on his hair, wagged their tails furiously, and in general were desperate to get his attention.
The puppy pile was amazing, but after a while she led him to another room so he could have private time with the Shepherds. He chose the boy for the ranch. Though honestly, he couldn’t tell much difference between them.
After Jean took them out, she brought the Corgi in to introduce them. As Jean had mentioned, the runt was a small armful, but what she lacked in size… she made up for in energy. She was chaos on four legs.
Charlie was going to be over the moon in love with her, and she wouldn’t be the only one. Sam was smitten. Putting her back in Jean’s arms was almost physically painful.
Before he left, he took care of the deposit and the contracts which… were a lot more detailed than he’d expected. There was nothing in them to object to, it was just the length of it and all the many stipulations.
“Got any questions for me?” Jean asked, she’d probably noted his surprise.
“No, it’s pretty straightforward. I just didn’t realize there were so many rules.”
“Most people don’t.” She laughed and passed him a pen. “We take the health and safety of our babies seriously. We want the right to reclaim them if they are mistreated, and we definitely don’t want to see any dumped at a shelter. If things don’t work out, they return to us, and we will rehome them. That’s the only ethical way to breed.”
It made sense. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“Frankly… if we didn’t know you, and your ranch, we’d require more than just the contract.”
One eyebrow went up. “More than all this?”
“Oh yeah. We make home visits and vet every person who buys a dog from us.”
Sam let out a low whistle. “I mean, I don’t blame you. That’s a hell of a lot of work though. And these puppies aren’t cheap,”—He was still having sticker shock over the price—“but it doesn’t seem worth it.”
Jean’s mouth quirked up at one corner and she made an amused huffing sound. “We don’t do it for the money, obviously.”
Sam was wearing a silly grin as he got in his truck and headed for home. While the puppy was Charlie’s present, he couldn’t help realizing he was excited too. The next week flew by, and he had to keep stuffing down the urge to tell Charlie the secret.
Hiding it from her was distracting enough that he barely noticed she was still being shifty about her own surprise. He tried not to let it worry him. And he made a point of not trying to guess what she was up to— that was how trust worked. Still, Valentine’s Day couldn’t come soon enough.