Chapter 15 #2
“That I am, but hopefully being back here and not having to look over my shoulder every minute of the day will help me sort through that. I gotta find myself again, and what better place to look than home?”
“And you take all the time you need.”
“I definitely will. Maybe that brother-in-law of mine can introduce me to an oil tycoon or something and I could live in a palace and be loved on just like you.”
“Oh, so we’re back on men?”
She laughed, falling back against the bed. “Never left them. Sexuality is fluid, and honestly, I feel like women don’t set out to hurt you while men live in their hoe phase.”
I nodded, deciding not to ask her to explain any deeper. “Everybody has a hoe phase, but I get it. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“I am too. Thank you for being you, seriously Pat.”
“Stop thanking me, Paige. You’re my sister and I’m here for you. Especially since it seems like I’ma have a lil live-in auntie situation.”
“Bitch, you’re gonna have a nanny. Calm down.”
“Oh no. I don’t want a bitch in my house who may wanna do more than care for my child. I watch too much Lifetime Movie Network.”
She busted up laughing. “You know what, I feel you.”
She and I talked for a while longer before I was due for a nap. I could tell by the random yawning and desire to lay down.
My eyes were closed for all of what felt like ten minutes when I heard my phone ringing. I lifted it to my face, looking at the screen.
It was a FaceTime request from Otto, which I found to be strange, but I answered immediately. He called to check in these days, but never requested to FaceTime.
“Sis, I was just driving up the road and found a cage with four fucking dogs in it. They don’t look dead, but they don’t look too good,” he explained, right before he flipped the camera.
He aimed it at a black iron cage sitting on the side of the road in the grass.
I sat up immediately. “Otto, where are you?”
“’Bout three blocks from the house. I was on my way to meet Hon when I saw it.”
“Oh dang. Are you gonna take them t—” I started to speak but he interrupted me, hype as hell.
“Yeah, I didn’t know what to do so I called the only other animal lover I know. I’m on the way over there. I’ma scoop them up and sit them in the basket in my trunk,” he said with the straightest face I had ever seen.
“Otto. I’m not a vet.”
“But you know your shit with animals. We’re on the way.” He then hung up before I could respond. He and his brother had that hanging up shit bad. Hondo just thought it was alright because he’d tell me he loved me right before.
I didn’t know what to say, but I was up, moving around, preparing to see what he was pulling up with.
I was standing on one of the three steps in front of the house when a black-on-black Range pulled around the half circle and stopped in front of me. The trunk popped and the front driver’s side door opened immediately.
“Yo, sis. The shit was like one of those Tik Toks. Before I knew it, I loaded them into the truck. What do I do?” He looked from the cage to me. He looked so excited yet petrified.
I moved down the stairs and approached him. In his trunk, wrapped in what looked like a beach towel, were four scruffy, long-haired, black dogs. Their nozzles gave shepherd, but I wasn’t sure. These could have very well been wolves and Otto’s ass brought them here.
After monitoring their lack of movement for a few minutes, they seemed dehydrated, so I had him put them on the grass and I grabbed bowls from the house.
Then I leaned down and inspected their skin as I looked at them.
Honestly, they didn’t smell bad and actually seemed well taken care of minus the abandonment.
“They don’t seem unhealthy or sick. Gotta get a vet to check them out,” I said, looking from Otto to my sister.
She had joined the party after I had Otto get dry towels from the house so we could clean them with Dawn and make sure there were no fleas.
“I know a vet. Lemme see if she’ll come through and check them out,” he said randomly, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Then why didn’t you take them to her?” Paige asked, looking up from the one in her lap toward Otto.
He waved her off. “Because my sister is an animal lover and I don’t know if Shawnee is even fucking with me like that right now.” His phone was against the side of his face.
“They’re so cute.” Paige smiled.
“They are. I think they’re German Shepherds. Or maybe some sort of mix.” I shrugged, rubbing the little one in the towel in my arms.
“You gonna keep them?” she asked, making me look up at her like she was crazy.
I was about to respond but Otto started talking before I could. “She said she’ll come through and check them out, but if we don’t see any fleas or ticks, that’s a good sign.”
Since Otto obviously wasn’t going anywhere and neither were the puppies, we moved the party to the back patio where I found myself lying on the sectional chaise while Paige and Otto talked.
I gave minimal input because I was tired as hell.
I was almost into a good, deep sleep when Alysia called for me from the doorway then handed me a phone.
It wasn’t mine because mine was silver with a pink case.
“Mr. Carter is on the line for you.” She smiled, also holding a chilled bottle of water.
I sat up, seeing that Otto and Paige had moved the puppies and themselves into the grass. Maybe I had fallen asleep. I then accepted the phone and water. Once it was mashed against my ear, I spoke.
“I do have a phone, Hondo.”
“You do, but you damn sure wasn’t answering that motherfucker. You good?” he asked, concern in his tone.
“I must’ve left it in the house. Between Otto, Paige, and these puppies, I fell asleep on the patio.” I pulled the phone from my face and looked at the time.
“Puppies. What puppies?”
“Otto found dogs on the side of the road and brought them to me. He’s getting them checked out and abo—”
“Make sure he takes those motherfuckers with him when he leaves. He used to do that shit when we were little, always bringing shit home.”
I giggled. “But what if I want one?”
“Do you want one? Are they mutts?” He sighed into the phone. “Yo, didn’t I just get you a whole ass tiger cub?”
“That you did, but I can’t bring my tiger home. And no, they don’t look like it. They look like German Shepherds.”
He was silent for a minute on the other line. “Fine.”
I smiled. “Why do you sound disgruntled?”
“I don’t. You want a dog; we’re getting a dog. I don’t tell you no.”
“Unless it has to do with pregnancy pillows, huh?”
“Only then.”