I shook my head at the sound of the back door opening and closing five minutes after being home. How she managed to change so fast amazed me.
Putting my purchases away, I pulled the tags off the bikini. Pale from spending most of my summer working, Rachel had talked me into getting a bright pink number with vibrant yellow straps. Normally, I’d be reluctant to wear anything that called attention to me, but Rachel had been adamant that people our age didn’t wear one pieces with built in skirts, the style I’d deemed safe. The top with its strings and triangle coverage concerned me, but I’d given in because of the boy-shorts style bottom. When she’d held up a different option with even less material, I’d quickly judged the pink and yellow suit the safer option.
I twisted and turned in front of the mirror in my bedroom, worrying. The string top covered me decently. The boy-shorts bottoms hugged my backside. A lot of skin reflected back at me. I did like the suit, just needed to get used to it.
Grabbing the sunglasses I’d bought, I left my room puzzling over the sound of Rachel’s crooning voice. Was someone here? Did I want to go out there in this?
I looked down at myself. Better to find out now, at home, if I could wear it in front of someone else than to go to a beach with it. I straightened my shoulders and walked out.
“Gabby!” Rachel squealed when I pushed open the screen door, startling me.
On the deck, Rachel reclined on her side stretched out on a beach towel. Between her towel and the one she’d set out for me lay a monster of a dog, relaxing in the sun.
“Look, a dog!” she cried excitedly.
At least seven feet from nose to tail, the dog’s shaggy brown coat gave it a wild look. Rachel didn’t seem to mind. She continued to pet its head affectionately. What was that thing? Although the size of a mastiff, it looked nothing like one. Hearing me, it turned its head, moving out of Rachel’s reach. Its soft brown eyes met mine.
Rachel shifted to a sitting position to reach its head again and said, “It just walked up the porch steps and laid right down. I nearly peed myself. Have you ever seen a dog this big before? What kind do you think it is?” She continued to pet it lovingly.
I remained glued in place, my stomach sinking. Any lingering homesickness left from watching Sam drive away died as my suspicion grew. What are the odds that an extremely large random dog just appears at my door scant hours after Sam dropped me off? Improbable odds. When I’d said I would get a dog, I’d meant it as a joke. I couldn’t afford a dog.
She continued speaking not caring that I hadn’t answered her questions, “And you’re not going to believe what its tag says.” She reached around him digging in the thick shaggy fur around his neck until she found his tags and turned the collar so she could read, “‘If found, please provide a good home.’ Isn’t that funny?” She let go of the tags and ruffled his neck fur back into place. The dog continued to watch me not paying attention to Rachel’s ministrations.
“Yeah,” I mumbled still furiously thinking. The size of the dog would ensure men didn’t bother me. But a dog half its size would do the same. Why get one so big? Its size compared to Sam in his fur. Did Sam think some of his kind might bother me? If so, I didn’t see how a plain old dog would help. Not a plain dog. My eyes widened as my own idiocy dawned on me.
I needed to call Sam, find out what he’d been thinking, and then give him an earful for sending someone to keep an eye on me.
About to turn and go back into the house, Rachel added, “His tag also said his name is Clay. What do you think? Should we keep him?”
Chapter 6
I turned to look at Rachel, eyes wide with shock. “What?” I croaked out, flicking a glance down at… him. He continued to watch me, his eyes not wavering from mine. He’d left me alone the whole summer. I’d thought he truly let me go, despite Sam’s ominous warning, and forgotten about him.
“Aw,” Rachel pouted, “You aren’t allergic are you? The lease says a single pet is allowed as long as it’s licensed.”
I doubted the lease had taken in consideration that Rachel would fall in love with a freakishly large monster baring similarities to a dog.
“No, I’m not allergic,” I distractedly clarified. He had all summer to make his move. Why now? And why when I wore a bikini for the first time ever? Briefly, I considered grabbing the towel and wrapping myself in it, but disregarded the idea thinking how it would look to Rachel. Instead, I continued to stare at the frustrating dog until he huffed out a breath turning away from me to lay his head on his paws. Clay had finally shown up and, apparently, he still didn’t want to talk.
“He’s so cute!” Rachel reached over to scratch his ears and he closed his eyes.