Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
C lara
I rolled over in the bed. The sun was brightly shining through the bedroom window, illuminating my sleepy features. I was still sore from moving Levon's things, but I was happy that it was all over. He was finally with me—and I was finally with him.
I heard panting.
Confused, I rolled over to search the sheets for Levon.
“Baby, are you okay?”
The panting continued as I tried to find him with my eyes barely open. When I found him, he smelled like he had been outside.
“Wow,” I groaned. “Have you been in the garden? Why do you smell like that?”
“Open your eyes, love.”
I blinked my eyes open, rubbing them to get the rest of the sleep out of them. When I finally had them open, I spotted a yellow lab sitting next to me. His mouth was open and he was panting in my face. I squealed and he pounced into my arms, licking my face.
I rolled with him, hugging him close to me.
“I didn't know you could morph into a dog!” I said with a laugh. “But that breath—gross! We'll have to get you some doggy mints.”
“Say hello to Max.”
I smiled warmly. “Hey, Max. Who do you belong to?”
“Well, he belongs to you.”
I perked up, noticing Levon standing at the edge of the bed. He was leaning on the foot board wearing the sweetest smile.
“Really?” I asked. “You got me a dog?”
“I sure did. And he's not just any dog. He's a therapy dog.”
“A therapy dog,” I repeated. “For what?”
“For traveling.”
I grinned. “You got him just so I could travel?”
“Yeah, he's already trained to help with anxiety attacks. He'll know you're panicking and he'll be able to comfort you.”
“That's amazing.”
“He's registered, too, so we can take him into the grocery store and into hotels as well.”
“Do we have that on paper?”
He nodded. “Yes, we can carry those papers with us. He's a certified therapy dog and he'll be able to come with you wherever you go. You can even take him to the office!”
“I bet he'll love that. Will you, Max? Will you love coming to work with me?”
Max huffed and buried his nose into my face. I giggled as I rubbed his fur. He felt warm and soft, already comforting me even before the day had begun.
I sat up in bed and pointed to the ground. Max obeyed and hopped down from the bed. He sat near the bed as I got out, tossing the sheets away from me. I stood up and shuffled over to Levon, wrapping him in a huge hug.
“Thank you, darling. This means the world to me.”
“You mean the world to me. I wanted to show you that.”
I smiled warmly and pulled away from the hug, favoring a kiss. “Do you want some coffee?”
“Sure, I'd love some coffee.”
I went into the kitchen where Max followed me. I pulled the carafe from the coffee pot and filled it with eight cups of water. I poured the water into the back of the coffee maker, grabbed the coffee grounds from the counter, and threw a few scoops into the washable filter.
I closed the lid and turned on the coffee maker. “We should head to the store and get him some dog stuff. I'm sure he needs toys and things.”
“Yeah, we should pick up food, bowls, and a dog bed.”
“I bet he'll sleep with me.”
“Sure, but I bet he would love to have his own bed.”
I laughed and looked at Max. “Do you want your own bed?”
He barked.
“I'll take that as a yes.”
Levon laughed and joined me in the kitchen. “We can head out as soon as we're ready. Do you want me to make you something?”
“Nah, we can pick up biscuits on the way.”
Max barked and I giggled.
“I guess he wants biscuits, too!”
Levon circled my waist. “Does this make you feel better?”
“Oh, it sure does.”
“I'm glad I could help. And, this way, if you decide you don't want to join me on a trip, you'll have your very own housemate to keep you company.”
“I like the sound of that!”
“Just don't replace me with the dog.”
I eyed him playfully, shrugging. “I mean, that's going to depend on you, isn't it?”
“I swear, I'll come back as soon as the trip is over. And if you come with me, we won't stay any longer than we have to. Deal?”
“Okay, deal.”
He grinned. “I'll get the mugs.”
He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and set them on the counter. As I filled them with coffee, he patted Max, encouraging him to stay seated. When he was done, he rose to accept his mug of coffee. We each added creamer and sugar and then went to the couch, relaxing into the cushions.
I threw my legs over him. “Do you want to just have a lazy day?”
“I wish I could, darling, but I have a project I need to finish up.”
“I figured I'd ask. We haven't had a good rest since you moved in.”
“Tomorrow, we can lounge all day. I'll be more than happy to do that.”
I smiled. “That sounds perfect. Maybe we can take Max to the park, too.”
“I would love that.”
I sipped my coffee. “I need to do some work later myself.”
“Oh, don't forget about dinner with my family.”
“I might be a little late because of work, but I swear, I will not miss it.”
He laughed. “Are the tables turning?”
“I mean, how many times have you been late to dinner because of work?”
He hissed. “I think almost every time.”
“You've redeemed yourself lately. At least, I think so.”
“I appreciate that, darling. It makes me feel good to show up for you.”
I smiled warmly. “I'm glad to see you making the effort.”
“I never want to disappoint you again. If I can help it, I won't.”
“Awe, baby.” I wiggled my legs. “I can't wait to see Jennifer and Ryan later.”
He laughed. “As opposed to seeing me?”
“Hey, I see you every day now!”
“Are you getting tired of me yet?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
“Well, you let me know and I'll give you space.”
I wiggled my nose. “I can't ever imagine having to do that.”
“I'm sure we'll find our rhythm. How are you doing on your coffee?”
“I'm not done yet.”
“Alright, just let me know and we can head out.”
I smiled and sipped more of my coffee. I glanced at Max. He was sitting comfortably in the corner of the living room. He would definitely need a bed to lay on. As much as I wanted to hog him in our bed, I knew he would want his own space. I was too excited to spoil him with treats and toys.
“Mom never let me have a dog when I was a kid,” I commented. “Laura wanted one, too. She's going to be so jealous when she sees Max!”
“I bet. Well, now you get to live your childhood dream.”
“It makes me happy. You make me happy, baby.”
He grinned and sipped his coffee. When he set the mug down on the table, he rested his arms on my legs and patted my thighs. “You make me happy, too. I can't wait to expand our family. And it all starts with Max.”
“Dogs are great for protection, too. I'll feel so much better being at home with him.”
“That's the idea.”
I smiled. “I like his name. It's really cute.”
“I thought you would, but I was kind of hoping to call him Zack.”
“Why Zack?”
“It's such a cool name!”
I laughed and shook my head. “You're such a dork.”
“But I'm your dork.”
“Oh, boy.”
He chuckled. “So, we're having dinner at my parent's house. They're making one of their specialties.”
“What's the specialty?”
“It's my grandmother's lasagna. Did she ever make it for you?”
I whistled. “Wow, I think maybe like, a million years ago?”
“You're overdue for it.”
“Will she be there?”
“Nah, but Mom has the recipe. And she does a pretty good job.”
“Well, I can't wait for it.” I drank the last of my coffee and sighed, setting the mug on the table. “Ready, babe?”
“All ready. You go get dressed and I'll collect Max.”
I rose from the couch and bounced into the bedroom. I tore into my closet, unable to pick what I wanted to wear. I settled on a patterned blouse with a black pair of leggings. I slipped on my flats, grabbed my purse, and ran out the bedroom door.
“Come on, Max!”
He ran after me out the door and into the yard. I giggled as he ran with me to the car. I unlocked the back door and let him hop inside, bouncing to the front to jump in. I noticed Levon dragging behind us.
I rolled down the window. “Come on, old man!”
He shook his head as he rounded the car and climbed into the passenger's seat. “You're going to pay for that.”
“Oh, like the way you threatened Ryan? Give me a break. I've been playing chess for years and I can dance circles around you.”
“Alright, that's a challenge. You're in for it, princess.”
I giggled as I maneuvered the car out of the driveway. “It's on, mister.”
I drove carefully toward downtown where the pet store was located. When I pulled into the parking lot, Max noticed the other dogs. He bounced in the back seat, whining.
I chuckled. “Alright, boy. You have to be good around the other dogs. You're on duty, so you have to behave.”
“Oh, I have his vest,” Levon said while reaching down into the bag on the ground. “They said it would help to keep people from interfering.”
“Excellent. Did you bring a leash?”
“Yeah, it's right here.”
He handed me the leash and I stepped out of the car, going to the back door. I popped it open and attached the leash to his collar. Levon joined me to attach his vest. He looked so adorable wearing his vest that I squealed and rubbed his head.
“You're on duty now, Mr. Max.”
“You're so adorable.”
I beamed. “Oh, hush. I'm just letting him know we're going into a store.”
“Yeah, that's why it's so cute.”
I held his leash taut and led him to the double sliding doors. Once we were inside, I guided him down to the dog aisle where we examined the beds. Levon grabbed a cart. I dunked a bed into it, patting it and showing Max how soft it was.
After the beds, we wandered down the food aisle to get him something tasty. Levon tucked a large bag of dog food underneath the cart and then kept pushing it, leading me to the treats. We plucked three bags of bones, soft chews, and crunchy treats that we tossed into the cart with the bed.
“We should get him toys, too,” I said while hopping another aisle down. “I think they're here.”
Levon followed me just like Max. They both stayed close as I reached up to grab a squeaky toy, holding it up for Max to sniff. He huffed.
I smiled. “I think that means yes.”
“Go for it. Get him a few squirrels, too.”
“You mean those soft ones?”
“Yeah!”
I giggled. “Alright, if you say so.”
“The rope toy is always a good one. He'll probably like to play tug of war.”
“You two are going to have a blast. I'm starting to think you got him more for you than for me.”
He smiled. “So, do you want to come to California with me next month?”
I wrapped my arms around Max. “I certainly do.”