The morning light wakes her and she yawns, groans, and stretches.
She jumps when her hand meets fur. Then, she turns to find him lying on the bed.
Her voice is stern. "Emmett. Didn't I tell you to stay on the floor?"
His response is to lick her face. She finally fends him off, laughing. "Alright, alright, you big lump." She glances at the clock. It's after eight. "Wow, I slept better than I thought."
He's rolled onto his chest and she scrubs the fur there. "You're just a big ole furry sleeping pill, huh?"
Sunday morning. What to do with the day?
She wanted to get out of the house. She wasn't ready to talk to Ronnie yet.
But, what about Emmett? She really didn't want to leave him in here, didn't want to just put him outside, but she also had no collar or leash.
She brushed her teeth and thought about it. Emmett sat on the floor, watching her.
"Ooo, cold feet." She put on sweats, socks, and slippers and padded downstairs.
Emmett went directly to the back door.
Lyssa looked around carefully, then let him out.
She hummed as she worked on breakfast for both of them.
Emmett takes care of his business, which includes checking the body across the ravine.
It was gone. The Macy pack had probably tracked him down and retrieved the carcass.
It might cause some minor trouble for him but it had been a legitimate challenge. No matter, he was well on the way to claiming his prize.
He went back to the house, spirits high. His injuries were healed, the other male driven off, at least for now, and she was looking to him for comfort and security. He just had to be careful not to spook her.
She let him back in and sat at the table for breakfast.
He went over to the bowl. Dog food. Dry. Yech. He should have hunted something down while he was outside.
She turns when she doesn't hear him eating. He turns his eyes on her and whines.
She sighs. "Just try it, will you?"
The lengths I will go to in courting a female.
He drops his head to the bowl and scoops up a few pieces. Chewing, he ends up with a slimy, pasty mess in his mouth. Revolting!
While he manages to swallow it, it doesn't stay down long.
The small mess lands on the tile; at least he's managed to keep it off the rug.
He looks at her, whines again, and sucks down some water to get the taste out of his mouth.
She drops her head and sighs. "Spoiled already, huh?"
Now he just sits, looking at her.
Dark brown eyes look into chocolate. Another sigh. "Fine." She cleans up the mess and dumps out the bowl.
She takes out more hamburger and portioned some into the bowl. She turns to him. "Do you want an egg, too?"
He gives a light bark of agreement. The egg felt silky and rich on his tongue.
She takes an egg and mixes it in then washes her hands and sets the bowl on the floor. He walks over and drops his head. She scratches his ears. "You big lump." A pause. "We're going out after this, I hope you don't get carsick."
He looks up at her as she turns back for the rest of her breakfast.
She rinses her bowl and glass and sets them in the sink.
She then turns and goes upstairs. "Let me get dressed and we'll go for a ride."
She stops and turns. There was no excitement, no tail wagging, no recognition of the word most dogs are very familiar with. "Huh."
She pulls on jeans, a flannel shirt. Back downstairs, she shoves her cellphone in her back pocket, grabs her wallet and keys and slides into shoes.
"C'mon, Emmett, let's get out of here and go someplace fun."
He looks at her, unsure.
"Seriously. There's a big park about 45 minutes away. C'mon."
She opens the back door and steps out. He follows. She looks up and opens the garage door. He hesitates again at the door.
She looks at him again, hands on hips. "You'd think I was taking you to the vet. I'm not. We're going to a park." She opens the door and he jumps in. Closing it again, she says quietly, "Although I probably get you there sometime soon."
The drive is uneventful although a couple of people do a double take at the animal in the car with her.
After a couple of pointed evaluations, Emmett lays down on the back seat, resisting the urge to stick his head out the window and scent the air. He was well aware that certain authorities might be contacted who could cause problems with his plan.
The drive is longer than he would like and too far from the pack for comfort. In fact, he was in the Ross pack range here. He needed to be cautious as a trespasser.
She looks back at him occasionally, confused by his behavior, but she's enjoying the drive and singing along with the radio. Her voice is a lovely alto.
The windows are partway open and her hair flutters in the breeze. She is a gorgeous creature.
They arrive at the park and she drives to the back of it. Two cars sit there and she turns around. Another trailhead off to the east is empty. She pulls in, closes the windows, and shuts off the car. She then turns to him, "Ready to go for a run, Em?"
Again, a light bark of agreement. "OK, let's go."
She gets out then opens the back door. He streaks out, a blur of grey fur, and into the brush. "Hey!"
She locks the car and whirls, running down the trail to find him. "Emmett!"
Gone. She can't see him.
She walks further, away from the trailhead, scanning for him. Nothing.
About a quarter mile in, she finds a bench and sits. "Damn. Now I've lost him."
He knew exactly where she was, although he couldn't see her. Between her scent on the breeze and her light footfalls, he kept track of where she was.
It was wonderful here, in the woods, and, after a couple of days indoors, he wanted nothing more than to stretch his legs and go for a run. A long run.
First things first.
Damn. She had really liked having him around. He was smart and docile, if a bit spoiled. She sighs heavily. Well, he'd found her, she'd helped him, and she supposed it just confirmed that he was healed.
She stares off into the trees, trying to be happy for him.
And yelps when he appears silently, nosing her palm.
"Shit! God, Emmett, you scared the crap out of me. Where'd you come from?"
The woods, of course.
He sits and is rewarded with her roughly scrubbing the fur on his back and sides.
Damn, it felt good. He groaned.
She kissed his muzzle and he licked her face. "OK. Go on and play. I'll be here somewhere nearby."
As he took off, she took out and turned on her cellphone.
The tone sounded. She had several voice mails. Most, if not all, would be from Ronnie.
With a heavy sigh, she punches in her code and puts the phone to her ear. The messages ranged from apologies to pleading to anger and yelling. She closed her eyes and winced at some of the words. He wasn't making it easier. She was beginning to feel really frightened of him.
They had been together for about four months, having met at Amy's party in the spring. He had been funny and fun to be with. Toward the end of the night they were making out on the couch. He had a nice smile, green eyes, and dirty blonde hair.
And the things he did in bed, or out of it, for that matter. They'd practically drowned each other in the bathtub one night. There had been that incredible quickie with her perched on the kitchen counter.
The best night, however, had been out in the backyard, under the stars and a waxing moon. It had been a sweltering July night and they had both stripped down to almost nothing.
She suggested they go outside and, after a minute's hesitation, he agreed.
They spread a blanket on the grass and enjoyed the limited respite of the little breeze that blew and the slight drop in temperature.
