Robin
I hold Denny's hand as we step into the dog shelter. They're having a Christmas Eve adoption event, and Denny thought that while we wait for our first gingerbread baby, we could get our gingerbread dog.
"I'm going to try to find someone to help us," Denny decides. "Look around, okay, babe?" He gives me a quick kiss and then vanishes.
There are dogs and people everywhere. I have no idea how we're going to find anything in all of the chaos.
Then an excited bark erupts from near my feet and I look down at a beautiful dog bouncing excitedly. He looks like he's wagging his tail, but he doesn't really have one, so his butt is just sort of wiggling.
I laugh and bend to check his collar. "Hi, Cooper," I greet him. "That's a nice name." He barks again, softer this time, then puts his chin over my thigh and presses his head against my belly. "Aw, what a sweet boy," I whisper, petting him.
He glances up at me and I notice that he has one blue eye and one brown eye. His fur is three-toned; he's white and copper, along with a beautiful mix of black and gray that ends up looking blue.
He stays snuggled up against me and I feel a hand brush against my back as Denny returns and joins me. "Well, who's this little guy?" he asks, reaching out to pet Cooper. Cooper gives another soft bark, but stays where he is.
"Ah, I see you met Cooper." A woman kneels on my other side and pets him too. "What are you doing all the way out here, buddy? He's usually a little shy," she explains to me.
"Really? He came right up to me." I rub his ear gently.
"Tell us about Cooper," Denny requests. I can tell that he's already just as enamored with him as I am.
"Cooper's about two years old, we think. He's an Australian Shepherd. They're very high energy dogs. We picked him up as a stray. There weren't any signs that he'd been mistreated beyond that, but it's likely that he was abandoned because his owners just couldn't keep up with him." Cooper whines and I hug him.
"Hey, it's okay, Cooper," I murmur, kissing his head. "You're safe now."
"So he needs a lot of exercise?" Denny wonders.
She nods. "Aussies are great at organized sports. Flyball, frisbee. There are plenty of local competitions here in Seattle. If you're interested, I can give you more information. He'd need lots of regular walks and room to run around no matter what. He'll respond more to toys and playing then just being let out into a yard. And that means he'll have a healthy appetite too."
"Yeah?" I rub his ear again. "I bet I can figure out how to make homemade dog biscuits, Cooper. You could be my official test dog."
His ears twitch at the mention of biscuits and he barks again, a little louder this time.
Denny chuckles. "And you can exercise with me, buddy. I need a lot after my heart transplant." I reach for his hand again, giving it a squeeze as he continues. "Is he going to get bigger? And would he be good with kids? We're starting a family."
"He'll stay this size," she answers. "A good weight is between forty and fifty pounds. And Aussies tend to be very protective of children."
"He likes you, babe," Denny observes. "We should get him."
"We should." I kiss Cooper's forehead. "What do you think, little man? Want to come home with me and Denny?"
He barks happily, wiggling again. "We'll take him," Denny confirms as he laughs.
"Great! I'll get you the paperwork. We're selling accessories if you need anything. All of the proceeds go to the shelter so we can find more dogs homes."
I stand. Cooper follows me right away. "Let's pick some stuff out, okay, buddy?" He barks in agreement and Denny laughs again, leaning over to kiss me.
"I'll get the paperwork, babe."
Fifteen minutes later, we're walking Cooper home. He barks and jumps in every snowdrift on the way. We go slow, letting him tire himself out since it's getting late.
Once we're inside and sitting in front of the fireplace, he joins me on the couch, resting his head against my belly again. I pet him, glad that he already seems content.
"This was a great idea, Denny," I tell him. "Thank you."
Denny grins. "He's going to be a great dog, aren't you, Cooper?"
Cooper barks softly in agreement. I lean against Denny, happy to have a few moments to relax before the holiday tomorrow.
