Chapter Twenty Nine
June Seventeenth
Juniper
June rolled over to find the rest of the bed bare, she sat up wondering where Wolfie was. Her vision adjusted in the dark to see the room was empty. Only in shorts and a bralette, she wrapped the comforter around her and opened the door. She looked to the right and the bathroom door was dark, so she paced to the railing. Sitting in the middle of the couch was Wolfie, shirtless, arms relaxed, along the back and his legs apart and staring out the window at the peach sliver of glow, waiting for the sunrise. She tiptoed down the stairs as his eyes followed her. “Hey.”
She whispered. “What are you doing?”
“I couldn’t sleep and figured I could sit down here with my thoughts.”
She stopped in front of him, “What are you thinking about?”
“Life.”
His eyes intensified.
“Good life or bad life?”
“Depends on your next move.”
He snatched the sides of her blanket pulling her onto his lap and let the blanket drop behind her.
“Is this good?”
Her hands moved along his arms.
He looked up at her with a sigh and a smirk, “It sure as hell isn’t bad.”
“What?”
He stilled longer than normal, worrying her.
“The stardust in your eyes has always felt familiar. I’m right where I need to be in my life. Everything that’s happened led me to you and you to me.”
He assured himself.
“Hm, you think so?”
She relaxed her weight across his lap.
“June, June, June.”
He moaned, dragging his hands down her back. “You’re my favorite place to be.”
He kissed her gently, “I could have only dreamed you existed.”
His lips moving down her chest, looking up at her with darkened eyes. “I will never forgive you for ruining my life.”
Her eyes locked onto his “Ever?”
Juniper's hands grabbed the lacy elastic band on the sides, pulling it over her head.
“Never,”
His lips and beard found her skin again.
Wolfie kissed her bare shoulders, she bowed to his ear, “Show me how bad I ruined your life.”
Instantly his body stiffened with built up tension, pausing before smashing his lips into hers. “I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
He breathed between heavy kisses.
Her hands rubbing from his chest to his back, “That bad?”
“You have no idea.”
His hands slid up the bottom of her shorts pawing her ass with each hand and moving his mouth down, he caught her nipple in his teeth tenderly and she jerked back. Wolfie looked up at her almost concerned by his choice to find her smirking down at him. Briefly removing his hands, she curled in one leg, letting the shorts fall down the other, resting her bare body back on top of him. He kissed her lips making his way down her chest and felt her arch her back falling away from him as he continued, enjoying his mouth and beard on her body. He grabbed her gently by the neck getting her attention and pulled her back up to him, “Hold on tight.”
His voice was low and his arms wrapped around her.
June latched around his neck as he stood, wrenching his pajama pants to his thighs. She heaved her chest to his and tightening her grip with her thighs. Wolfie gripped her ass again, using her hips to guide himself.
She sharply inhaled, “Show me.”
*****
“Wolfie?”
June stood at the sliding side door with it open but the screen closed.
“Yeah?”
He vocalized from the bedroom upstairs.
“There’s a dog out here.”
“What?”
“There’s a dog.”
He appeared over the banister upstairs. “Huh, is it just sitting there?”
“Yes, should I let him in?”
She put her hand in the screen door slot ready to meet him.
“No, we don’t know anything about dogs.”
She thought about her time on the island and didn’t recall seeing any dogs. “Wait, are there no dogs on the island?”
“I don’t think so.”
He walked down the stairs.
“Why?”
Wolfie shrugged, “I’m not sure. He probably belongs to someone, he’ll find his way home.”
He closed the sliding glass door.
“What if he is lost?”
“He’s not my priority, you are.”
“Can he be my priority?”
She continued looking out the glass.
“No. Juniper, come here.”
He grabbed her arm gently and she stepped towards him. “You don’t want a repeat of this morning do you?”
She smirked at the thought, “Let’s make lunch.”
and spun towards the kitchen.
“That’s what I thought.”
He followed behind her “What are we having?”
“Let's just make sandwiches.”
She opened the fridge, threw stuff on the counter and started two sandwiches.
“How can I help?”
Wolfie dried his hands.
“Wanna grab chips from the laundry room?”
“Sure can.”
He turned.
Juniper grabbed a few slices of ham and a slice of cheese and briskly walked to the back sliding door, slipping it out to the black dog waiting. “Hi bud.”
She hand fed him.
“What are you doing?”
He dropped the bag to the counter and darted around the island.
“Stop it.”
She closed the door leaving the screen open. “He’s friendly.”
June looked at his face. “Have you ever pet a dog?”
He didn’t respond. “Never even been in the same room as one?”
“I already told you the island doesn’t have dogs.”
“Do you want to meet one?”
She gestured to the door.
“June, How are you so confident there’s nothing wrong with it?”
“What would be wrong with him?”
“Rabies? Aren’t they naturally aggressive?”
“Wolfgang.”
Her brow dropped and she put her hand on the handle slowly opening it.
“Juniper, don’t.”
He stepped to her and she cracked it open and the dog pressed his nose inside, curious.
“Look.”
Her hand dropped to his nose with a lick. “Don’t be afraid, he’s not even that big.”
“Fine.”
He said sternly.
Juniper slowly opened the rest of the door, letting him slink in. His body wiggled around her while his tail whipped back and forth, “Hi bud.”
She dropped down letting him lick her face. “Look at you. You have no home, little friend.”
“We don’t know that.”
He said, getting the dog's attention. He circled his legs looking up at him, Wolfie placed a hand out getting a ‘kiss’ and pet him between the ears. “Hello.”
“Look at him, he’s dirty and thin. If he isn’t homeless, he’s definitely lost or not taken care of.”
She defended the pup.
“Juniper.”
He looked at her knowing he wouldn’t get his way. “We cannot keep him, Jay will be here in one month.”
“I know.”
She pouted. “We’ll keep him for now.”
June Twentieth
Wolfgang
He realized the days were getting warmer as he finished his coffee on the deck next to Juniper and her new friend. He wasn’t going to lie, the little guy was growing on him and he hadn’t left the house despite him sleeping outside. It probably didn’t help that June had washed him and given him breakfast, lunch and dinner for the last three days.
Juniper nudged him, “Wolfgang.”
“Hm.”
He was unbothered.
“There’s a guy over there.”
“What?”
He looked in the direction of her gaze and stood. An older man was staring at them across the tree line. “Hey!”
He shouted, “Are you looking for your dog?”
The man shook his head “No. That Kelpie's been wandering around these parts for a few months. Nobody has claimed him.”
“Can I help you with anything?”
He shook his head no and retreated back into the tree line walking to the distant cabin.
“That was weird.”
Wolfie said, grabbing Juniper's empty mug with his. “What’s a Kelpie?”
June shrugged, “So,”
and followed him into the house, “He’s homeless.”
He sighed knowing where this was going.
“Do you think we can keep him? Take him to the island?”
“I will ask but please don’t get attached if the answer is no.”
He rinsed both cups as Juniper sat next to the dog on the floor.
“What should we name him?”
“Isn’t that part of ‘don’t get attached’?”
Wolfie placed both cups face down on the drying rack.
She looked around the room and spotted the record player, “How about Zeppelin?”
“June.”
He dried his hands and walked to her, “Are you not listening?”
She stood, squaring up to him. “Who says I can't have a dog?”
“Uh, Margaret?”
June bent down to pet him, “She’ll say yes.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Luck.”
She smiled at him. “The same thing that brought me to you.”
He kissed her, “Zeppelin it is then, for now.”
June Twenty First
Wolfgang
June sat behind the bathroom door. “Wolfie?”
“Yeah, are you okay?”
He grabbed the door knob feeling it was locked and released it.
“Yes, can you do me a favor?”
Her voice was muffled.
His face inches from the door, “What?”
“Can you go to the general store up the road and buy me tampons?”
“Really?”
He was surprised she asked, but then again, she may not have a choice.
“Yes, if you don’t want to, could you at least drive me?”
“Of course I will go, do you need anything else?”
“A dark chocolate bar and chips with nacho cheese from the concession area.”
He smiled, “Okay.”
“Hey!”
she alerted him, “regular.”
“Regular cheese?”
“No! Regular tampon size.”
She quietly chuckled to herself.
He placed his palm to his face for feeling stupid.
June Twenty Second
Juniper
Zeppelin and her walked along the exterior of the cabin, kicking pinecones for him to chase while Wolfie showered. She enjoyed watching him run and his goofy personality cheered her up, he had to have been under two years old. Circling the cabin for the third time she saw the old man again, in the same tree line, in the same spot, staring in her direction. Unsettled, she didn’t call out to him, she pretended she didn’t see him and rounded Zeppelin inside, locking all of the doors. “Wolfie?”
She hit the top of the stairs. Zeppelin entered the room before her and jumped on the bed.
“Off.”
he directed him. “I don’t like him on the bed, that’s where we sleep.”
“Okay, well I saw that man again.”
She grabbed Zeppelin's attention, calling him off the bed.
He looked up to her, towel drying his hair, “Really?”
“Yes. Maybe he’s a neighbor but he’s really creeping me out.”
“Is he still out there?”
He pulled his shirt over his head.
“I’m not sure, I locked all the doors and came upstairs.”
“Good thinking,”
He walked past her and headed down the stairs exiting the sliding door barefoot. She stood upstairs looking over him as he came back in, “He’s gone.”
“Okay. Let's just keep the doors locked when we are inside and if you could double check them at night?”
“That’s fine with me but another thing I wanted to tell you, if you want Zeppelin in at night, let's put him in the laundry room or something.”
He walked around the couch heading towards the stairs.
She turned with his movement,“What? That’s so far, why can’t he sleep with us, he would be good protection.”
“I need alone time with you at some point. The closest I will allow will be the upstairs bathroom.”
“Fine.”
She pouted looking down at him as he walked back up the stairs.