Holiday Cheer from Andrew Grey and Amy Lane

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

ALEX CONTINUED petting Rudolph, looking halfway down toward his feet while Luther led the couple away. What had he done? Alex slowly realized that he had committed to a dog. He had to be out of his mind, and yet Rudolph sat on his lap, soaking up attention—and what was even more shocking, Alex liked having him there.

“Do you really think you’re up to this?” Luther asked once the couple had left with Dolly cradled in the woman’s arms. They seemed happy, and Alex hoped they were, but they weren’t going to be taking his dog. Alex registered the thought and stifled a gasp.

“I really wish I knew. They looked at Rudolph here, and I just knew they weren’t going to be taking him. Not that I have the first clue how to take care of him.” Still, he petted Rudolph and realized he had done the right thing. Alex had no illusions that a few hours in the shelter had cured him of his issue with dogs—or his anxiety—but this dog seemed to soothe something inside him, and that was way too valuable to walk away from.

“Well, I can give you a list of things you’ll need to get for him, and there are some forms you’ll need to fill out.”

“They didn’t do that,” Alex said, referring the earlier couple.

“This wasn’t their first visit. They have been looking for a dog for a few weeks and stopped in before and registered. They actually saw Rudolph last week but passed him by.” That explained why they were so methodical and kind of aloof.

“Well, they can’t have my dog.” Alex still didn’t know how he was going to live with Rudolph, but the little guy seemed so happy, and that was catching. There hadn’t been a lot of joy in Alex’s life lately, and this dog seemed to have brought some light into it. That was precious.

“Luther,” a man interrupted. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, Mitchell. This is Alex, and he’s been sitting with Rudolph here. The Dobsons just left with Dolly, and she’s happy. Alex here is interested in adopting Rudolph.”

Mitchell narrowed his gaze. “Aren’t you the man who called because he was trying to get over a fear of dogs?”

Alex nodded. “I have a lot of anxiety issues, and dogs are part of it. But Rudolph makes me feel better and less jittery and stuff. Nothing else seems to, and….” Alex stroked Rudolph as Mitchell smiled.

“You two seem to fit together,” Mitchell said before turning to Luther. “I’m about to close up for the night. There’s some snow expected in an hour or so.”

“Then let me get these forms filled out.” Alex didn’t want to get up, but he had to get this done and home before the snow hit. Though he didn’t have anything for Rudolph—Luther had said there was a list of things and…. The anxiety returned big-time. Alex liked to do things a certain way.

“Luther will help you with the forms, and I’ll check over Rudolph one more time. There’s a pet mart in town. They close in a couple hours.”

“Okay.”

“I’m finished here for the night,” Luther said. “I can follow you to the store and help you get everything you need to make Rudolph feel right at home.” His smile had Alex’s belly doing little flips, and Alex nodded slowly.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Luther said as Mitchell lifted Rudolph off Alex’s lap and carried him through to the back. Luther helped Alex with the forms. Then he went over how to care for Rudolph, how much to feed him, and how often he needed to be walked.

“Where does he sleep?”

Luther’s eyes widened. “He spent four years with a retired lady before she died, so I expect he slept with her. You should get him a dog bed of his own anyway so he has a place that’s his.”

“Is him sleeping with me safe? What if I roll over and hurt him?” Alex was horrified at the thought.

“Rudolph will most likely sleep curled up near your feet. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Are you used to sleeping alone?” Alex narrowed his gaze, and Luther’s cheeks colored and he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I wasn’t coming on to you or anything.”

Alex wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Part of him wished Luther had been. It would be nice to know that all his anxiety issues hadn’t driven away the entire male population of Pennsylvania. “I didn’t think that exactly.” It had been a while since anyone had bothered to try to chase him, with his bundles of anxiety and almost obsessive ways of doing things.

“This guy is in real good health,” Mitchell said as he brought out Rudolph, complete with a little red bow on his collar. He looked so cute, and Alex pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. He still couldn’t believe he was adopting a dog, and yet when Mitchell handed Rudolph to him, he snuggled right up against his chest and Alex calmed once more. “I have a leash for you, as well as a small seat belt for him.” Mitchell walked Alex out to his Prius, and once Rudolph was settled in the back, Alex said thank you and waited for Luther to get into his car so he could follow him into town.

THE PET supply store was big and bright, and filled with fish, reptiles, and turtles. The animals in tanks didn’t bother Alex at all, though he had no intention of actually touching any of them. He had Rudolph on a leash, and they stood inside by one of the windows, waiting for Luther. In traffic they had gotten separated. Rudolph’s tail wagged harder when he saw Luther.

“This place has so much stuff,” Alex said once Luther joined him. “How am I going to find what I need?” The anxiety rose once more, and he went through all the things he needed again in his head just so he wouldn’t forget anything.

“Don’t worry, I have the list of what I went over with you.” Luther got a cart, and they started through the store. That is, until Alex nearly tripped over Rudolph’s leash. At first Alex thought it was because he had been paying more attention to Luther than to where he was going, but as soon as he untangled the leash, Rudolph ran around his legs and got him tangled once more.

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked Rudolph, who looked up at him, wagging his tail as though there was nothing amiss and Alex hadn’t nearly fallen on his face.

“Dogs will do what comes natural to them. That’s always their go-to. You need to remember that when Rudolph misbehaves, most of the time it’s your fault. But you have good instincts. You didn’t get mad at Rudolph just now, you tried to figure out what was wrong. That will do you well.” When Alex turned to Luther, he got one of those gentle smiles, and Alex wondered what it would be like if maybe it was possible that Luther could sort of like him. God, that had to be the most roundabout jittery thought in history.

“I don’t know about that. I spent my life afraid of them, and now I have one,” Alex said after he transferred the leash to his left hand. Now Rudolph happily walked between them, occasionally looking at Alex and then at Luther.

They went up the various aisles, with Luther helping him pick out food and bowls, as well as a mat. Alex squeaked various dog toys and got a number of them that Rudolph seemed to like. Flea treatments and a bed, along with a few other items, completed the list. “Who knew a small dog needed so much,” Alex said as Luther pushed the full cart to the checkout.

By the time Alex had paid for his purchases and they were ready to leave the store, snow was falling heavily. “Thank you for all your help,” Alex said as they went out to the car. He got Rudolph in the back first to get him out of the snow. Then Luther helped him get his purchases stowed and closed the trunk lid. Alex stood across from Luther as snow caught in his dark hair. Neither of them moved right away, and Alex knew he was going to say something stupid at any moment just to break the tension he didn’t seem to understand.

“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner sometime?” Luther asked. “Or maybe we could meet in the park when you take Rudolph for a walk?”

Alex knew he was dense at times. “Are you asking me out on a date?” His social skills weren’t the best, so he wanted to be sure. Except now maybe he was coming off as kind of dumb. He wished he had kept quiet.

“Yes,” Luther answered.

“Oh, okay, then,” Alex said before going around to the driver’s side of the car.

“Alex…,” Luther said as he opened the car door. “Was that a yes?”

Alex paused. “It was. I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve been asked out, and yes, I’d like to have dinner with you.”

“Good. Give me your number.”

Alex did, and Luther typed the number into his phone. Then Alex’s rang. “Now you have mine. I’ll call you.” He waved and hurried through the falling snow to his car, and Alex got inside his, closed the door, and started the engine to give both him and Rudolph some heat.

“THIS IS your new home,” Alex said after he brought Rudolph inside. The drive had been rough. The wind had come up, blowing around the increasing snow, making visibility worse by the second. He let Rudolph off the leash before returning to the car. Then he brought in all his dog purchases, set up Rudolph’s feeding station, and put his dog bed on the floor in his bedroom. He fed Rudolph and gave him some toys before setting about making himself some dinner—but he only got halfway through before the power went out, plunging the house into darkness.

Since he cooked with natural gas, he finished making dinner and ate using a flashlight. Once he put his dishes in the sink, he got a blanket and pillow, then got comfortable on the sofa with a battery lantern on the table. Rudolph jumped up and settled on Alex’s lap.

“There isn’t much to do except wait for the power to come back.” He petted Rudolph. A night like this would usually leave him feeling very alone, but Rudolph filled the room with life and energy. Rudolph eventually curled into a ball, and Alex reached for the book he was reading, but he had to give up because there wasn’t enough light. Instead, he simply curled under the blanket to wait it out until the power came on.

A ding pulled Alex out of his doze a while later. How is Rudolph? It was a message from Luther. The power is out here.

Us too. Rudolph is keeping me company as we wait it out. He sent the message as Rudolph thumped his leg with his tail. I think I need to take him outside.

Bundle up, it’s really cold , Luther messaged. Are you free tomorrow for dinner? the next message asked. We could go to Café Belgie.

“That would be nice.” He had to work, but hopefully the power would be back on and he could work from home. Otherwise he’d have to go into the office because they had generator power. But then he’d have to leave Rudolph, and he didn’t want him to be alone all day. Other people sometimes brought their dogs to work, which had always bothered Alex because he was afraid of them, but he had never said anything. Instead, he had avoided the dogs when they were there. Well, now he had his own, and they could work around Rudolph. Sometimes his mind went in too many directions.

Text me your address and I’ll pick you up at six. Luther sent a grinning smiley face, and Alex sent his address and added his own excited face. Maybe it was too much, but it had been a while since he’d had an actual date. Setting his phone on the coffee table, Alex pulled the blanket up higher, petting Rudolph and letting his mind wander over thoughts of Luther.

“WHY?” ALEX asked the following morning when he found toilet paper all over the bathroom floor.

Rudolph stood in the middle of the floor, tail wagging, looking as proud as punch. “Did you want to protect me from the evil toilet paper monster, or were you just playing?” He began cleaning up the mess and got his answer. Rudolph chased after each piece that fluttered to the floor. Finally Alex finished disposing of the shredded paper and closed the bathroom door. Rudolph followed him through the house, and Alex wondered if he should take Rudolph into his home office, but decided to give him a few treats and see if he could settle down in his bed, which Alex had moved to the living room.

Instead, Rudolph followed him everywhere, a bundle of energy that never seemed to wane. When it was time to start work, Alex took Rudolph outside to brave the snow and potty. Once he had finished, Alex dried him off and brought Rudolph’s bed into his office and tried to get to work. But Rudoph decided that his lap was where he wanted to be, making it impossible for Alex to get anything accomplished.

“You and I need to come to an agreement. If I can’t work, then I can’t afford dog treats for you.” Alex’s frustration level rose higher as his routine-driven existence seemed tossed out the window by his new four-legged friend. After setting Rudolph down on the floor for the third time, he carried him out of the office, along with the bed, and set Rudoph on it before closing the door. Then he sighed and got to work reviewing line drawings for various product assortments. That was when the barking began, following by a mournful howl that ran up Alex’s spine. Then, as if that weren’t enough, Rudolph scratched at the door.

He didn’t want Rudolph to hurt himself, so he opened the door. His dog bounded inside and up onto his chair, tail wagging and tongue out like he had just won the doggie lottery. Sighing and at a loss, with his anxiety growing, he snatched up his phone, took a picture of Rudolph, and sent a description of his problem to Luther.

He expected a text, but his phone rang instead.

“I take it he’s got a mind of his own,” Luther said, his smooth, mellow voice wrapping around Alex, taking his worry down in a few seconds.

“What do I do? I gotta work, and….”

“It’s cool. He probably has a little separation anxiety,” Luther said, instantly speaking Alex’s language. “His previous owner died and he was brought to the shelter, so he’s probably worried you’ll leave him too.”

“Oh.”

“Can you work in another room of the house? Maybe in a place where Rudolph can sit next to you?” It went counter to Alex’s grain. He worked in his office and lived in the rest of his house, without mixing the two. Still, he had things he had to get done, and this might be a simple solution.

“I’ll try.” Alex unhooked his laptop from its larger monitor and regular keyboard.

Luther chuckled gently. “I can wait here to make sure it works. I have a few minutes.”

Just knowing Luther was on the other end of the line helped. Alex brought his laptop to the sofa and sat down with it on his lap. Rudolph sat next to him, then lay down, pressed close to him.

Alex picked up his phone from where he had placed it on the coffee table. “He seems happy.”

“Good. But the important thing is, are you happy?” Luther asked.

Alex looked down at the white and light brown face, smiling. “I am. Thank you for everything.” He felt kind of dumb now that the solution was so obvious.

“Good. I have to go. But I’ll see you tonight.” The simple thought made Alex smile again, and his belly fluttered a little in anticipation before he ended the call and got to work.

“I THINK we’re done for the day,” Alex told Rudolph hours later, once he completed his last task and closed his computer. Rudolph had been really good all day, but as soon as the laptop closed, he jumped down off the sofa and raced around the room like he couldn’t contain his happiness and had to burn off all the pent-up energy. Alex got a ball he’d bought and rolled it toward the kitchen. Rudolph chased after it, then raced around the room again in a game of puppy keep-away. Once he slowed, he set the ball at Alex’s feet so he could do it again.

Alex played with Rudolph, fed him, refilled his water, and then took him outside. Then he went to change clothes, unsure what to wear on his date but refusing to get too wound up. He decided on a light gray pair of pants, a blue button-down, and a sweater in navy with a touch of white and red in it. He checked himself in the mirror as the doorbell rang. Alex answered it, and Rudolph greeted Luther like a long-lost friend, bounding around his legs until he petted him.

“Would you like something to drink?” Alex asked, trying to think what he had in the house.

“Just some water would be great. I called ahead to make sure we’d have a table,” Luther said, taking the offered seat on the sofa. Rudolph followed Alex into the kitchen and watched as he filled two glasses from the filter pitcher in the refrigerator. When Alex returned, he sat down next to Luther, and Rudolph jumped up next to him, then walked over Alex’s lap before scooching between them until Alex moved to give him room.

“He’s goofy sometimes,” Alex said, gently stroking Rudolph anyway.

“How do you like being a dog parent so far?” Luther asked, his gaze meeting Alex’s in a way that gave his words more meaning and seeming important enough that Alex’s temperature rose. He knew he was being dumb. This was one date, and yet the idea that Luther—with his beautiful eyes, full lips, high cheekbones, and dark hair that flowed to his shoulders—seemed to like him left Alex’s heart racing.

“I think I do. Rudolph slept with me.” He couldn’t help smiling. “And I was calmer. It’s been a while since I wasn’t alone at night.” Alex purposely left it like that.

“He sure seems to love you,” Luther said as he stroked Rudolph. “Dogs are great judges of character. This guy loves people, and yet when he was dropped off by his previous owner’s son, Mitchell told me that Rudolph hated the guy, nipping and growling at him nonstop. Mitchell said he didn’t like the little turd either.” Luther smiled. “I’ve come to trust the instincts of dogs better than my own.”

Alex sipped from his glass. “You seem like a real people person to me.”

“I am generally, but it’s my instinct when it comes to guys that seems to be total crap.” He tensed a little and continued petting Rudolph.

“We have that in common,” Alex said. He hadn’t wanted to discuss his past dating disasters, but Luther had brought it up. “The last man I dated lasted three weeks, and then he said that I was just too much work and effort to deal with. I wasn’t any fun, and everything had to be done my way or else I’d ruin everything.” He knew his anxiety got in the way, and maybe Dewey had had a point.

“How long ago was the breakup?”

“Two years. It was the impetus for me seeing my therapist. After that I decided that I really wanted to work on my issues. Palmer has been really good for me.” He smiled down at Rudolph. “Heck, because of him I have a dog now.” He was still going to be nervous around other dogs, he knew that, but Rudolph was quickly weaving his way into his heart. “I’m honestly trying to work on my other issues, and maybe I can be less… weird.” He knew people saw him that way.

Luther brushed his hand over Alex’s as they both petted Rudolph. Alex stopped moving, and Luther’s hand rested right on top of his, warm and gentle. “You don’t need to be anyone other than who you are. It’s admirable that you’re working on what you think you need to better yourself, but worry less about pleasing others and just be you.”

Alex held Luther’s gaze and smiled. No one had ever said something like that to him. Alex had never fit in. He was too jittery, worried too much, looked too geeky, skipped when the other boys didn’t—you name it. He never seemed to do anything right. He’d worked hard in school but wasn’t a gifted student. So he always felt like he was on the outside looking in… and he worried about it all the time. Hell, he obsessed about everything —but looking into Luther’s deep, incredible eyes, all the other anxieties faded away as he wondered if something with Luther could be possible. Maybe he wouldn’t mess this one up.

“My ex was just a world-class jerk. He drove trucks for a living, and I found out that he was very well acquainted with every truck stop from coast to coast and that the cab of his truck where he slept was very rarely empty.”

“I see.” Alex’s anxiety rose again, only this time it was for Luther. Alex took his hand. Rudolph shimmied around to see what was happening and why he wasn’t getting attention, but then settled down once more, resting his head on Alex’s knee. “How long were you together?”

“That’s just it,” Luther said, confusion in his voice. “He and I had talked about getting a house and a dog. We were going to start building a life. Ken was starting to expand his business and was looking into starting his own company so he could stay home more and have others drive for him. We were making all these plans, and then….” He sighed, and Alex took a chance, leaning against him slightly, their shoulders touching.

“I’m sorry.” He knew how much that had to hurt. “Maybe I’m lucky that none of the guys I dated ever stuck around for too long. I guess my quirks and weirdness scared them off before anything ever got to that point.”

Luther straightened up. “Don’t put yourself down like that. You’re pretty brave. Most folks don’t stand up to their fears. They let them rule their life. You decided to conquer yours, and look… you have a dog now.”

“But he’s Rudolph, the best dog ever,” Alex said with a smile. Luther grinned and squeezed Alex’s fingers. “Is it time for us to go?”

“We’ll miss our reservation otherwise,” Luther said, and they got up to a huff from Rudolph, who jumped down and hurried to the door like he was going to get to go too.

Alex made sure he had water and, since he had already fed him, a few pieces of kibble as a treat. He also brought out his dog bed and toys. Lastly, he got his coat on and then gave Rudoph a dog bone before he and Luther left the house, with Alex less nervous than he had been on his last date with his ex, and damned grateful for it too.