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She wrapped her arms around Bruce’s thick body. “But, Daddy, I love him.”
Using Taylor Swift lyrics against me…
“Okay, Alice. I know you love him and that’s great. We don’t want to be rude to all these other dogs that are excited to see you. Like that one.” I pointed to a larger dog that had its head tilted to the side. The curious dog sat patiently on the sidelines as if awaiting its turn.
Alice rolled her eyes. “Fine. But I won’t change my mind.”
My daughter planted a big kiss on the top of Bruce’s head before approaching the other dog.
At some point, Luna wandered off, Pepper at her heels, and started chatting with Harper. From the bits of conversation I could hear, it sounded like Luna was requesting all the details about Pepper. The dog continued to stick to her like glue, nuzzling Luna’s leg during those rare moments when Luna paused her petting.
While Luna did that, Sebastian ran in circles with some of the larger breeds, clearly trying to get out some of their energy. The man was a running machine and volunteered to take the dogs out on a run at least once a week. Unlike my daughter, the man showed no favoritism, showering all dogs with equal attention.
Luna waved me over, so I joined her on the bench, and we watched Alice together.
“Having fun?” I asked behind the protection of my reflective sunglasses. Luna wore none, so I had front-row access to the myriad of emotions that flitted across her face.
I slid my hand into hers and squeezed. “Do you need me to take you back to the city?”
Luna startled. “What? No. Not until tomorrow at least when you and Alice go back.”
I nodded, happy with the answer, while wanting to prod more. We hadn’t had a chance to debrief her session with her therapist and I didn’t want to bring it up in front of her friends. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
She gave me an odd look. “There's nowhere I’d rather be.”
That settled my curiosity.
Alice’s laughter sliced through the moment. She’d found another dog and while she was trying to give it attention, I could see her head turning toward Bruce who was now flat bellied on the ground, his head nested between his paws, gazing longingly at my daughter.
Luna gestured at Bruce. “Hate to break it to you, but I think you have a winner.”
“I know. I imagined getting a dog that was more…what's the word I'm looking for?”
“Active?” Luna supplied, her gaze longingly drifting to Pepper.
“I thought we'd be walking the streets of Brooklyn. I'm not sure Bruce could make it around the block.”
Luna whirled back to me. “On the bright side, at least you won't have to feel guilty if you miss a walk or two.”
“Facts.”
Alice finished her rounds, making sure to say goodbye to each dog before returning to Bruce. And the decision was made. “I know what dog is coming home with me. We can fit two dogs in the car in case you want to bring a special someone home too…”
Luna’s smile fell. “I was just talking to Harper about that.”
I slid my hands into my pockets. “And?”
She shook her head, shoulders caving in. “There’s just too much going on right now to bring home a dog that needs love and attention, and unlike your new dog, will actually require daily walks.”
The offer sat on the tip of my tongue. “I could?—”
But before I could finish, Luna lifted her hand to stop me. “No.”
Despite her firm, one-word answer, I sensed that Luna wanted to say yes. And maybe—just maybe—that yes was about more than just the dog.
CHAPTER32
Luna