Page 12 of A Furry Thing Called Love (Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue #7)

Arlo

“Millie, come.” She looks at me, but when the ball Jordan tosses across the room for Indie and Eli bounces on the floor, she gets distracted. “Millie, come here.” I try again.

She hesitates, but I coax her over eventually. “Good girl,” I praise. Reaching into my pocket, I give her a treat as a reward for finally doing as asked.

Jordan comes over with the ball in hand. “Should we call it a day? She’s done well so far and I don’t want to hinder her progress by making her go on much longer. We can end our day with some more socialization.”

“Sounds good.” I switch from the longer lead that Jordan let me use to the regular, shorter everyday one.

“What do you want to tackle today? Birds or pigs?” Jordan asks with a grin.

I laugh. “Birds, since we’re more likely to run into them on a walk than a pig.”

“Good point, come on.”

We leave the training building Jordan has on his property and head to his house. “How long have you had the training area?” I ask as we walk.

“Only about six months. It’s been a long time coming. It feels so good having space where I can work. I love doing one-on-one, don’t get me wrong, but expanding my program is important to me.”

I remember that from before. Jordan’s passion is palpable, and his joy of helping people and animals connect and trust each other as they work together is beautiful. I love watching him in his element.

“We need to go through the front. I don’t want to stress her out—Juniper and Porter are in the yard, but I shut the gate that connects the side and front yards.”

“Sounds good.”

I follow behind Jordan, all three dogs by my side until we get to the front yard, where Indie practically bounces in front of the gate at the side of the yard, whining and looking back at Jordan with pleading blue eyes.

He sighs. “I’ll let her in; I’m not sure how Eli will do with Juniper. I trust him, but…”

“No, I get it. He can stay out here in front by himself, he’ll be fine. I want to be here when they’re all together.”

Jordan lets out a relieved breath, before going over and letting Indie into the other part of his yard. Eli shakes himself out when I take his harness off.

“Be good.” I rub between his ears and he gives me a happy smile, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“Shall we go see Rodey?” Jordan asks after petting Eli, and Millie waters his front lawn.

“Let’s do it. Come, Millie.” She complies instantly. “Good girl. Gentle,” I warn as I give her a treat and she tries to snatch it from my fingers.

Jordan leads us into his house, and I cough to hide my gasp of surprise. It’s not like I haven’t been inside before, but that was three years ago, when the one-story farmhouse was stripped down to the bones of his vision.

Walking into the house, with its dark floor, light walls, and windows that help make it as bright inside as it is outside… Something unexplainable crashes over me, and it takes me a moment to catch my breath.

The feeling of how right walking into this house is… I try hard not to read too much into it, even as my insides churn with belonging.

I let Jordan leads us to the dining room, where a familiar voice is already calling out. I laugh and look at Jordan. “Still acting like he’s trapped, huh?”

Jor rolls his eyes. “You have no idea, it’s only gotten worse.”

We enter the dining room, which is, to no surprise, not used for its intended purpose, but seems to be a haven for Jordan’s menagerie. Center stage is Rodey’s cage.

“Freeee me!” the bird shouts.

Millie stops in the doorway and woofs . She tries to investigate, but I hold her lead firmly. “No, heel,” I command.

Rodey stops asking to be freed and looks at the puppy. “A baby?” He flaps his wings. “No occupancy!”

I laugh and Jordan sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t know where he gets this shit from.”

Millie barks when Jordan goes over to the cage. “Be nice,” I tell her.

Rodey mimics the sound. “Good little doggie,” he says.

Jordan opens the cage and holds his arm out. Rodey stares at him for a long moment before hopping along his perch and climbing out of the cage onto Jordan’s arm.

Millie tries to move forward again and I shorten her lead, keeping her by my side. “Be nice, Millie. Rodey is a friend.”

The bird squawks. “You got a friend in meee!”

“You’re ridiculous,” Jordan tells Rodey.

“I know you are, what am I?”

Laughing again, I reach down to pet Millie’s head, hoping to encourage positive things in her.

“Don’t encourage him,” Jordan says with a sigh.

“But he’s so cute.”

Rodey whistles and puffs out his chest. “Hello, handsome.”

Jordan rolls his eyes and takes a few steps closer, bringing Rodey into full view for Millie to see. She stiffens and I pet her head again.

“Easy,” I say calmly. “Rodey is a friend.”

“Friend, not food!” Rodey calls out.

I snort.

“I really need to limit your TV time,” Jordan mutters.

He brings Rodey a little closer, until Millie barks and tries once again to lunge forward. Rodey squeaks and flaps his wings, his talons digging into Jordan’s arm if the man’s wince is any indication.

“Millie, no. Friend,” I tell her.

Jordan moves back enough, until she doesn’t seem to want to eat the bird anymore.

“Good girl. Birds are friends.”

Jordan puts Rodey back in his cage, despite his protests. “We can let her get a little closer, see what she does.”

Trusting Jordan, I give Millie a little slack, following her deeper into the room as she goes straight for the cage. She doesn’t do anything, sitting and staring up at Rodey, letting out a small woof as he moves from one perch to another to stare back.

“Hello, baby,” he coos. “Pretty baby. All for Rodey.”

“No,” I correct. “She’s mine. Her name is Millie.”

“Baby, baby, baby!”

“My baby,” I tell him.

Rodey looks at me, then down to Millie. “Pretty baby.” He whistles. “Come home with Rodey.”

“I thought there was no occupancy?” Jordan asks.

“Baby!” Rodey calls out.

I laugh. “Such a sweet baby. She just wants to be your friend.” And possibly eat you, but we’re working on it.

Millie tries to jump up and I pull her back. “No, easy, Millie.”

Rodey flaps his wings and hops a little. “Friends, not food!”

Deciding that we’re pushing our luck for today, I snap and try to divert her attention. “Eyes on me, Millie,” I tell her.

It takes a minute and some persuading, but finally, she follows my command, and I’m able to lead her out of the dining room. Jordan follows us to the entryway.

“She did well, better than I thought.”

“I agree. Thanks for having us, and letting us work on it.”

“No problem. She’ll get there. She’s showing some great promise. I wouldn’t leave her loose around him anytime soon—even in the cage—but it’s going well.”

“Yeah.” I look down at Millie, giving her head another pat as she sits and stares longingly up at me. “We should get going, don’t want to take up any more of your time than we already have.”

Jordan reaches out and brushes his fingers down my arm, making me swallow back a gasp at the touch. “I don’t mind. I don’t have anything going on. I mean, I have a training session later, but right now, I’m all yours.”

Our eyes meet and there’s a charge between us as we stare at one another.

The moment is ruined by Millie whining, and we both look away with a laugh. “Guess we better go.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

Casting one more look his way, I smile gently. “Yeah, see ya later.”

Grabbing Eli’s harness from where I left it, I step back enough so Jordan can open the door for me.

Outside, I whistle for Eli, not bothering to fuss with his harness. Jordan walks us to the gate, opening it. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I will. We’ll see you in a few days.”

For a moment, I think he’s going to say something, but when he doesn’t, I give him one last smile and head for my car.

It’s not until we’re driving home that I let myself examine my feelings from the afternoon.

Realizing that Jordan’s house feels like…

home. The exact sense of belonging I’ve been chasing for three years, but am only allowing myself to feel now, when I have less of a chance to have it than I did before.

Fucking hell.