Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Chapter Eight Mama Bear

Lucy let out a sigh of relief the second she had the lead in place. At the sound, Bear looked up, giving Lucy another big lick on the hand, this time with her mouth dripping with water. Lucy had gotten a quick look to confirm that the dog was indeed a girl.

“Thanks for that,” Lucy said as she gave Bear another good pet on the shoulders. Her hands were dirty from all of the mud that was caked onto the dog’s fur. “Let’s get you cleaned up, sweet girl. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Bear looked at her and it was then that Lucy noticed her eyes were light brown. And in those eyes there was a sadness and exhaustion that Lucy knew all too well.

“I promise I’ll take care of you,” Lucy whispered before she could stop herself. She meant it too, even if Bear didn’t understand her.

Except the dog moved forward, bowing her wet, muddy head and rubbing it against Lucy’s chest. And right then and there, something in Lucy’s heart cracked open. There was suddenly a burning sensation at the tip of her nose—the telltale sign that tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes—but she shook it off.

Lucy wasn’t really a crier, and this was no time to get emotional.

“All right.” Her voice broke a little bit, betraying her. “Let’s go, Bear.” She wrapped the leash in her hand as she slowly stood and turned.

Her eyes landed on Theo first. He was still sitting on the crate, something like shock and awe etched on his face. “That was impressive.” There was an earnestness in his voice that did not help the already growing fissure in her chest.

Nor did it help when she looked to Chloe, who was wiping tears from her eyes, or Gia, who was still filming as she beamed at her like she was a superhero.

But she wasn’t a hero. She’d just been able to get the dog. It wasn’t that big of a deal.

Lucy cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the lingering emotion. It didn’t help that at that moment Bear pressed her body against the side of Lucy’s leg. “Okay, should we take her home?” she asked, her voice just a tad bit shaky.

Theo shook his head, holding his phone in the air. “I texted Oscar. He’s going to meet us at his office. He’ll probably get there before we do.”

That was probably accurate. Mountain View Veterinary Clinic was a few blocks away, and Lucy had no idea how Bear was going to be on a leash.

“Okay, let’s go.” Theo slowly stood, clearly trying not to spook Bear.

“Us too!” Chloe whisper-shouted.

“Yeah! We’re going too!” Gia pressed the screen of her phone as she stopped recording.

Theo frowned as he moved back to the door, knocking lightly. A moment later it opened, this time with Theo’s mother on the other side. “Did you get the dog?”

“We got it.”

Isaac’s head popped up over Juliet’s shoulder. There was a pause as they both looked around, their eyes going wide. “Holy cow.”

“It’s massive,” Juliet finished. “Boy or girl?”

“A girl. Oscar is meeting us at the vet, and Gia and Chloe want to go. Can you guys handle things here?”

“We got it covered.” Juliet nodded. “I’ll put your cakes in the freezer once they cool. Keep us posted, though I don’t think things will be too tough with that dog. Looks like Lucy has a new fan.”

Lucy followed Juliet’s gaze to find that Bear had sat down next to her and was looking up adoringly. “You’re going to be okay, pretty girl.” Bear nuzzled her head against Lucy’s leg, leaving another smudge of dirt behind. “Thanks.” Lucy reached down, petting that spot between her ears, causing those sweet eyes to close in pleasure.

“That dog already trusts you.”

Lucy looked up to find Theo watching her . . . they were all watching her, actually, but it was Theo’s face that she couldn’t look away from. “Well, let’s get her taken care of, then.”

“Let’s.” He nodded.

“I’m going to record you guys as we walk.” Gia already had her phone out again as she and Chloe moved to the mouth of the alley.

“How are you planning to do that without falling over?” Isaac asked.

“Easy.” Chloe—who was facing forward—looped her arm through Gia’s free one. “I’ll guide her.”

It continued to amaze Lucy that these two girls had only known each other since the beginning of the school year and not their entire lives, and apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought it.

“I swear you two have been friends longer than four months.” Juliet shook her head as she and Isaac made to disappear back inside.

“Hey, wait up,” Theo called out, stopping them. “Can you take these?” He grabbed the handles of Lucy’s bags before giving them to his father.

Isaac winked at Theo before stepping back and letting the door shut.

“All right, let’s go,” Theo said as he took up the spot on the far right of the sidewalk, acting as a barrier between the street and Lucy and Bear.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy could see that Theo’s focus was on the dog. Bear was sticking to Lucy’s left side, as far away from everyone else as possible. She was walking along easily enough, but her tail was tucked between her legs again and she kept looking up at Lucy nervously.

“You know,” Theo said as they rounded a corner, “I’ve been a part of many a dog rescue with Sasha and Lorraine and even Oscar lately, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that went as smoothly. I didn’t realize you were a dog whisperer.”

“I’m not.” Lucy laughed as she looked over at him.

He smiled in that way that was just for her. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Oh my gosh, could you two be any more into each other? It’s so gross.”

“Thanks, Gia.” Theo frowned at his sister, who was still being guided down the sidewalk by Chloe.

“So, are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend or what?”

“Do you remember when we talked about things not being any of your business? This is one of those times.”

“Yes, but you’ve never dated someone that I know personally. So, I’m making it my business. What’s going on with the two of you?”

“Do you honestly think I’m going to answer that question while you’re filming?”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Gia looked up. “I’ll be cutting out all of your chatter and putting in a dramatic music montage. So, what’s the deal?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“So grouchy.” Gia grinned before looking back down at her phone. “Will you answer the question, Lucy?”

Lucy paused for a moment, a smile playing at her mouth. “Sorry, kiddo, I agree with Theo.” She looked over at him, his blue eyes brighter.

“What is that? Three times that we’ve agreed with each other, and now it’s documented.”

Lucy leaned toward him, her mouth close enough to his ear so only he could hear. “I think there was a lot of agreeing last night.”

When she pulled away, he was smiling at her again. “That’s a true statement.”

“Fine.” Gia sounded exasperated as they turned a corner. “If you won’t tell me about this relationship, tell me about the last one. Why did it end with that guy in California?” she asked Lucy. “The one you told me you were dating when you visited last Christmas.”

“Gia, stop it.” Theo shook his head.

“No. It’s fine,” Lucy told him before she focused on the girls. “To say that things didn’t end well would be the understatement of the year. He wanted to change me, to make me into something he wanted. I figured it out too late . . .” She trailed off.

Beyond her sister and friends, Lucy hadn’t really talked a lot about what had happened at the end of that relationship. But in that moment, she didn’t care if Theo and the girls knew. She’d made mistakes, and she’d learned from them. She wasn’t embarrassed about what had happened. She was stronger because of it. And if there was anything that she could tell Gia and Chloe to help them avoid being in a similar situation, she wasn’t going to keep it to herself.

“When it started, it was just small things, and I ignored the warning signs.” She looked directly at Gia and Chloe. “Never ignore the warning signs, girls. Always trust your gut.”

Gia looked up from the camera again, a question in her eyes, but it was Chloe who spoke first. “What was it that you ignored?”

Lucy simply said, “That if someone doesn’t like you exactly as you are, if someone tries to change you to fit their standards, they aren’t for you. The problem was, he didn’t try to start changing me until I was in too deep.”

Her ex had thoroughly messed with her head. A master manipulator in every way.

“What do you mean?” Gia asked, stopping when they were in front of the veterinary clinic. “Like you were in love with him?”

Lucy wasn’t looking at Theo, and wasn’t close enough to feel him, but she knew he tensed next to her.

“No.” Lucy shook her head. “It was never love.” She’d never let herself get to that point with any man. The closest she’d ever come was Theo, and that was the reason she’d left Cruickshank seven years ago . . . because it had scared her so much.

“Then what was it?” Chloe asked.

“An infatuation, I guess. I couldn’t believe he was into me and I . . . I opened myself up to him before really learning who he was. In the end, he took all of the vulnerable parts of me and turned them against me. It was a toxic relationship, one I couldn’t be happier to be out of. It’s just sometimes hard to see when you’re in it.”

Gia nodded her head slowly as if she didn’t quite understand. Chloe gave a small nod and looked through the window of Mountain View Veterinary Clinic. “We heading in? Oscar’s here.”

“Yeah,” Theo said. His arm brushed against Lucy as he moved for the door. Even through all those layers of clothes, Lucy’s skin still broke out into goose bumps. She was pretty sure she’d never get over the way he touched her.

Lucy waited for the girls before leading Bear through the door that Theo held open. As she passed him, she couldn’t stop herself from looking up into his face. Those blue eyes of his were focused intently on her, his mouth turned down into a frown.

“What?”

He shook his head slowly, like he didn’t understand. “It’s just that you drive me crazy in absolutely every way imaginable, and I wouldn’t change anything about you.”

Lucy’s mouth fell open on an inhale. It took her a second to remember how to speak. “I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“You sure? I thought I said some nice things last night.” He grinned.

Lucy’s head fell back as she laughed.

“Are you two coming or what?” Gia’s voice cut through the air, but it didn’t break the moment.

Something had changed between them since last night. Something she had no clue if she was ready for. At least she knew she wasn’t ready for it to end.

* * *

It took the combined effort of Theo and Oscar to get Bear into the elevated tub. The second they had the dog lowered in, she moved to the corner, tail tucked between her legs. Bear looked at them with those sorrowful eyes she’d been giving them for the last half hour.

Theo wondered what it would take to get that sorrow out of the dog’s eyes.

“It’s okay, sweet girl,” Lucy soothed, her voice soft and calm as she moved forward and petted the dog under her chin.

Bear’s tail slowly rose, wagging just slightly.

How had she already earned the dog’s trust? It would astound Theo if he didn’t know the woman so well.

Too well.

She was infuriating, and stubborn, and competitive—qualities that would have the tendency to drive a person crazy, especially when they had the exact same ones themselves—but she was also loyal and passionate and brave and so beautiful it was insane.

Why would anyone try to change her?

An elbow into his side had Theo coming back from his thoughts and he turned to see Oscar staring at him. “Go help her wash the dog while I finish up in the exam room.” He handed a bottle of shampoo over before heading out the door.

Lucy was messing with the water, turning it on and adjusting the knobs to get a good temperature.

“How do you want to do this?” Theo asked as he set the bottle on the tub’s ledge.

“We’ll rinse Bear off first. You’re in charge of water,” she said as she handed the sprayer to Chloe. She then turned to Theo and looked up at him. “You don’t mind getting your hands dirty, do you?”

God, he was so close to her. Close enough to smell that spicy vanilla on her skin again. Close enough to feel the heat of her body. Close enough to see the specks of gold in her hazel-green eyes. This wasn’t the dirty he’d like to be getting with her.

“Nope.” He shook his head—trying to clear it—as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

Lucy’s gaze followed the movement, going from his hands to his now bared forearms. She gave a funny little nod before she turned away and looked back to Bear. “Good.”

Well, apparently he wasn’t the only one affected by the other . . . though there would be no acting on it anytime soon. They had other fish to fry . . . or other dogs to bathe, in this case.

It didn’t take long for them to discover that Bear apparently enjoyed baths. Getting the dog into the tub was as far as their trouble went, because when the warm water hit Bear’s back, her whole demeanor changed. She looked like she was in heaven.

Chloe moved around, gently spraying the water while Lucy and Theo scratched and rubbed at the dog’s fur, loosening the dirt and grime. Bear sat down, her head falling back with her eyes closed. Her tail started to pick up speed as it wagged back and forth.

Meanwhile, Gia continued with her filming, getting every adorable moment. It took a good five minutes of scrubbing before the water started to lighten up. As the dirt and grime disappeared, the dog’s coloring became more apparent. She was mostly white but had larger spots of buff and a few areas where she was a darker brown.

Lucy squeezed a generous amount of shampoo onto the dog’s back. It was when Theo started to lather up the soap on Bear’s chest that her back paw began to thump loudly against the white porcelain. “I’ve never seen a dog love a bath more in my life.”

“Wouldn’t you enjoy one if you were that covered in mud?” Chloe moved around to rinse another spot.

“I’m sure it feels good. Doesn’t it, Bear?” Theo asked.

The dog’s answer was to stretch down and lick his arm.

“Look at that.” Gia moved up closer, getting a new angle. “It didn’t take too long for you to win her over too.”

“Yeah, she’s not untrusting, just scared,” Theo said. “It makes me wonder if she belongs to someone.” Theo started to work the soap into Bear’s side and the dog’s back leg began to hit the tub with more force, the echo in the room louder.

“Maybe.” Lucy nodded. “We’re going to have to get a picture of her loaded into the lost pet database. Though maybe the person who lost her already has one up.”

It had been Caro who’d created the database. A website for rescues, shelters, and vets within a couple of counties to access for cases just like this. They’d been able to reunite many owners with their pets over the years. The site was also connected to the Cruickshank Cats and Dogs Rescue and had the added benefit of helping lost and unclaimed animals get adopted sooner.

“Well, you’ll be safe tonight. That, I can promise,” Lucy said as she lathered the fur around the dog’s neck. “You’re so pretty, and sweet.”

Bear’s eyes opened at the praise, as if she understood what Lucy was saying. She moved her head down, nuzzling Lucy’s hand.

“How’s it going in here?” Oscar asked as he walked back into the room.

“Mostly clean,” Chloe answered. “She needs rinsing and conditioning, though.”

“Yeah,” Lucy agreed. “That might help with some of the more matted areas of fur, but we’re probably going to have to shave under her arms where it’s really bad.”

“Let me see,” Oscar said as he took up the space toward the middle of the tub. His hands moved over Bear’s back and sides before moving to her belly. He felt around for a second before saying, “I think she might be pregnant.”

“What?” Lucy looked over in shock.

“Once she’s dry, we can do an ultrasound and find out for sure.”

It was another ten minutes before Bear was done with her bath. They all tried to towel her off as much as possible in the tub before carefully lifting her out again. Once she had all four paws on the ground, she took over the task of getting dry. Bear was all over the pile of towels, rolling around on her back, rubbing each side of her head, and scooting along her side.

“Come here,” Lucy said as she grabbed a dry towel from the counter and held it open wide. Bear came to her immediately, letting Lucy rub it all over as she spun around in circles.

Theo moved to the side of the room, giving the dog space to move and roll around. But it wasn’t long before Bear was crossing over to him. At first, he thought it was because she wanted to be petted, but as it turned out, she was heading for the bowl of water at his feet. She took a good long drink, and when she finally lifted her head, she moved to him and rubbed her sopping-wet mouth across his jeans.

“Thanks,” he said as he bent down and scratched her neck, but he couldn’t stop the little smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Bear closed her eyes, her head falling back like it had in the tub, her leg starting to thump against the floor.

“See, she really does like you.” Lucy patted him on the shoulder. “No need to have your feelings hurt anymore.”

He looked up at her. “My feelings weren’t hurt.”

“Yeah, they were.” Lucy smiled as she slipped a new lead over Bear’s head, guiding her to the door. “Come on, Bear. Let’s get you to the exam room.”

Bear didn’t need more than a gentle tug to follow behind Lucy, but she hesitated in the threshold, looking back at Theo. If he didn’t know any better, the dog’s expression seemed to say, Are you coming?

* * *

It took about forty minutes for Oscar to get Bear all checked out. She had an ear infection as well as hot spots where her fur had been matted and was now shaved away. She had not been a fan and cried and flinched through most of the process.

Lucy did her best to try to calm Bear down, talking to the dog while rubbing her back and attempting to soothe her. Bear stared up at Lucy, and the more Lucy looked into those soft brown eyes, the more she was a goner. There was something about this dog . . . something that pulled at her heart more than usual.

It was pretty clear that she’d be breaking her no-fostering rule.

As Oscar continued on with the exam, he found good news—Bear was heartworm negative—but was concerned with her weight. She was too lean for his liking, especially because she was pregnant. With the help of the ultrasound, he guessed there were about eight puppies.

“Eight?” Chloe’s eyes went wide. “Isn’t that a lot?”

“It is, but it could be more.” He moved the wand around Bear’s stomach. “She’s a big dog, which means she could have a very large litter. On average dogs are usually pregnant for about nine weeks and I think she’s about four. We’re going to have to watch her closely.”

“Yeah, we are,” Chloe agreed.

“Oh, are you helping?” Theo asked, his eyebrows raising high.

“Yes. This is now a group effort.” Gia waved her hand around at everyone in the room.

“How do you know she doesn’t have an owner?” Oscar looked to the girls.

“If she does, they clearly aren’t looking very hard, and they don’t deserve her.” Lucy’s words came out a lot harsher than usual . . . but she meant them, nonetheless. She’d taken a second during the exam to pull up the lost-pets website, and Bear was not on it. She also didn’t have a microchip.

“Well, that might be the case,” Oscar agreed. “But we’ll deal with that at a later time. As for now, who’s taking her?”

“I am,” Lucy said before anyone else could answer. “I’ll get her settled in tonight.”

“Can we come over too?” Gia asked Lucy.

“I can’t go.” Chloe shook her head. “It’s family dinner night and I have got to get my homework done.” She gave a sheepish look at Lucy. “I still haven’t started my history paper for Mr. Damon’s class. And it’s due Monday by five o’clock.”

“But you guys are off for the week.” Lucy looked at them in confusion.

“They were due on Friday, but he gave us an extension because of the football game. He said he didn’t want to stress any of the players out so we could email it to him.”

“Well, that was nice of him.” Theo turned to his sister. “Have you finished yours?”

“Noooo.” Gia dragged out the word as she shifted on her feet. “But I need more footage.”

“We’ll film some stuff tonight and send it to you,” Lucy promised.

“We will?” Theo looked over at her, his eyes alight. “Is that an invitation?”

Dammit. She’d walked right into that one. “Do you want it to be?”

“Do you want me to want it to be?” Theo countered.

“Wow is it weird when you two are openly flirting.” Gia’s expression turned pained.

“They’ve always been openly flirting,” Oscar said. “There just isn’t all of that hostility behind it. Now they’re being nice to each other.”

“Yes, well, it’s weird.”

“Fine.” Lucy frowned at Gia. “I don’t like his shirt. Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes, that does make me feel better.”

“What’s wrong with my shirt?” Theo was clearly affronted as he looked down at what he was wearing.

“It’s mostly brown.” Lucy shrugged. “Blue and green always make your eyes pop.”

“And now you’ve ruined it again.” Gia waved her hand in the air as if to erase Lucy’s words.

Theo was full-on grinning now. “So, is it an invitation or not? Because if you take Bear home with you, you’re going to have to introduce her to Estee, and you might need help.”

If Lucy was being totally honest, she hadn’t even thought about how her cat was going to react, mainly because she hadn’t thought beyond the fact that Bear wouldn’t be going home with anyone but her. Her cat had always been good with dogs . . . but that didn’t mean Bear was good with cats.

If they didn’t get along, she’d have to reevaluate the situation. Count on Theo to be prepared three steps in advance. He always had been a Boy Scout.

“Fine. It’s an invitation.”

His mouth twitched behind his beard. “Good.”

Lucy moved her focus from Theo back to Gia. “We will send you videos as we record them. And you guys can come over after you turn in your paper. Deal?”

“Deal,” Gia agreed begrudgingly.

“Well, now that that’s all sorted”—Oscar rubbed his hands together—“let’s finish up so we can get everyone on their way. You two aren’t the only ones who have a date.” He nodded at Lucy and Theo.

“Who said it’s a date?” Lucy asked.

“Is there going to be dinner involved?”

Before she could answer, Lucy’s stomach let out a very audible growl. She’d been hungry when she’d headed for the bakery more than an hour ago. Now she was starving.

“It’s a date.” Oscar grinned.

“How much longer do you need?” Theo turned to Oscar.

“Probably thirty minutes.”

“Okay, we’re going to go back to the bakery,” he said, indicating Gia and Chloe. “I’ll get them home before it starts really raining, and then come pick you and Bear up. That sound good?” he asked Lucy.

“Yeah. That sounds good.” She nodded.

“Okay. See you in thirty,” he said before he ushered the girls out the door.

Lucy watched them go, her eyes lingering on Theo’s broad shoulders and up to the back of his neck. His hair was getting long, and as he disappeared down the hall, she couldn’t help but think about how soft it had been under her fingertips.

“You going to be okay?”

Her friend’s words pulled her out of her slight daze, and she shook her head as she looked over at Oscar. “I’m fine. What are you talking about?”

An amused smile was turning up the corners of Oscar’s mouth. “The two of you have got it so bad for each other. I always thought there was something going on, but I didn’t realize it was this. I’m ashamed that I missed how intense it was.”

Heat filled Lucy’s cheeks. “It isn’t intense.” A lie. Such a big lie.

“Sure, it isn’t.” He gently patted her on the shoulder. “I’m surprised you didn’t rip that shirt off him that you hate so much.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Remember when we talked about payback last night? You’re now on the list with Sasha and Gavin. I’m going to be unbearable when it comes to you and Edward.”

“Okay, okay.” He held his hands up in surrender, but that smile of his was still firmly in place.

“Speaking of you and Edward . . . where are you going tonight?”

Oscar’s grin was now one of excitement. “I made reservations at Bernardine’s.”

The little French bistro had absolutely amazing food. “Ohhh, fancy. What are you wearing?”

“Well, since you have such strong opinions about fashion, any ideas?”

“Your brown leather jacket. You always look sexy as hell when you wear it.”

“Oh, I do, do I? Do I need to tell Theo he has competition?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “You know I stopped having a crush on you when you figured out you were gay. I’m still slightly devastated about it, but here we are.”

“Here we are,” Oscar agreed. “Let’s finish up with Bear so we can both get on with our evenings.” He dropped his hands and his focus back to the dog.

* * *

Theo was pulling up in front of Mountain View Veterinary Clinic with three minutes to spare. Considering he’d added an extra stop on the way back, he thought that was pretty damn impressive.

The rain had finally started in earnest—a cold steady drizzle—so he grabbed the large umbrella from his back seat before heading inside. Everyone was in the reception area, Lucy and Bear standing in front of the desk while Oscar sat behind the computer on the other side. As there was no one there to run the office on the weekend, he had to do it.

“How about we schedule Bear’s next appointment for the Wednesday after Thanksgiving?”

“That works.” Lucy nodded. “And I’ll keep you posted if we find her owner.”

“Same here.” Oscar typed a few keys before clicking the mouse and standing up. “Here you go,” he said as he handed Theo a bag of medicine before rounding the counter and walking them to the door. “Let me know if you need anything with her.”

“Will do.”

Oscar locked the door and gave them a little wave before he disappeared back into the office.

“Ready?” Theo asked as he popped the umbrella over Lucy and Bear, huddling in closer. He got a hit of the vanilla chai scent and it made his head swim a little.

“Yup.” She glanced up at him, and he couldn’t help but pick out those gold flecks in her hazel-green eyes again.

Why did he have the sudden urge to count them? There were far too many; he’d have to stare into her eyes for ages . . .

“Then let’s go.” Theo nodded, forcing himself to turn away before he did something embarrassing, like say what he’d been thinking out loud. They rounded to the passenger side of his truck, and he opened the back door before handing the umbrella to Lucy. “I’ll get her up.” His truck was a bit high off the ground, and he knew the dog would have a tough time getting in. He slowly bent down, wrapping his arms around Bear and lifting her up in one easy move.

“I’ll sit back here with her,” Lucy said as she handed the umbrella back to Theo. She made to reach up for the truck’s interior grab handle; instinctively his free hand was at her waist, guiding her into the back seat. She looked at him as she settled in the seat, her cheeks pink. She let out an awkward little throat clear before saying, “Thank you.”

Theo nodded as he shut the door, fisting his hand around the feel of her that still lingered on his palm.

He took a deep breath of the cold, crisp air, trying his best to clear his head as he rounded the truck. It worked for about a second, and then he was climbing inside and closing the door behind him. He’d never thought that his truck was small until that moment. His only saving grace was that the cab didn’t smell like her.

“Oh my gosh. Did you pick up food from Quigley’s? It smells like Nari’s kimchi fried rice.”

“That’s because it is Nari’s kimchi fried rice. Gavin told me his mom was making it today, and since it’s my favorite, I went and got us some.” He glanced up at the rearview mirror, catching her gaze. “And since I know that you love her japchae, I got an order of that too.”

“How do you know that’s my favorite?”

“Because you always order it when it’s available.” He started the engine, music filling the cab. He was only just able to hear her say “thank you” again over the sound of the guitar.