Karson nodded. “She sure is.”
They both looked down at where the little beagle puppy was looking up at them, his tail wagging with a little happy dog smile. Jordie knew that Kacey would have liked to be there, but like he had told Karson, he really wanted to surprise her. She had been so lonely lately, and he had plenty of road trips coming up, so it was the perfect idea to get her a little furry companion. He remembered way back when, before Christmas, when she lay in bed with him and told him that she wanted a white picket fence that would hold in a bunch of kids and a couple of beagle dogs. He may have acted like he wasn’t listening, but he’d heard her loud and clear.
She wanted to settle down.
At the time, he wasn’t there yet, but now was a different story. Reaching out, he petted the dog’s head as the lady got the paperwork together. When his phone sounded, he pulled it out to see that it was the woman who was always on his mind.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey, where are you? I thought you’d be home now,” she asked, and she sounded a bit frustrated.
“Karson had some stops to make. I’m on my way in a bit. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just want you home. You promised me sex.”
“Ew, Jesus,” Karson groaned and Jordie laughed.
“Your brother heard that.”
She scoffed. “Don’t care, hurry up. I want you.”
Turning from Karson, he held the phone closer as he whispered, “Oh, baby, believe me, I want you more.”
“I can still hear you.” Karson’s tone was salty and Jordie grinned.
“So bad,” he said, his voice rough. “But I’ll be home soon.”
“Fine, hurry.”
Letting out a long breath, he hung up the phone and said, “Sorry, but are we almost ready?”
The shelter lady looked over at him and nodded. “Yes, but you know it’s not a full beagle. They think it’s mixed with pug. We called it a puggle.”
Karson scoffed. “Puggle?”
Jordie shrugged. “She won’t care. She’ll like that I came here for a dog.”
“Well, we like it, that’s for sure,” she said, handing Jordie some paperwork to sign.
When she turned, Karson said, “I’m still not cool knowing you are doing my sister.”
Jordie scoffed, his lips curving. “Well, know it, bro, that’s my hot little—”
“Stop,” he demanded and Jordie grinned.
“Just saying.”
“No, please stop,” Karson said, shaking his head. “It still doesn’t sit well.”
Jordie only rolled his eyes, and after getting everything filled out and paying her, Jordie walked out of the shelter with a beagle-pug mixed puppy, also known as a puggle, that was still unnamed.
“I think you should name him Ugly,” Karson said as he looked sideways at the dog that sat between them. They were on their way to the pet store for Kacey’s new little friend.
“I can’t name him after you,” Jordie said and Karson scoffed.
“Please, ugly isn’t even in my vocab. I’m a hot piece of ass,” he said confidently and Jordie’s brow rose.
“Um, I don’t know what mirror you’re looking in, but, dude, you ugly.”
“Please, at least I don’t look like Paul Bunyan.”
“I rather look like Paul Bunyan than Neville from Harry Potter before he hit puberty.”
“Damn, really? That’s ugly,” Karson asked, feigning hurt as he grasped his chest. “I thought I meant more to you than that.”
Jordie shrugged. “I mean, you have hope if that kid did.”
Karson laughed. “Whatever, you know I’m hot.”
“No, I don’t know that,” he said as Karson parked and they got out. “But I do know that this little man is not ugly,” he said to the dog and he licked his face happily.
Karson made a noise of contempt, but Jordie ignored him as they shopped for everything they needed. With a brand-new green collar and all the things a puppy would need, they were on their way home when Jordie looked over at Karson.