By the Numbers Read Online Free
back in, wondering if he should hire a puppy-sitter for the night.
***
By six fifty-five Deuce had showered, shaved, changed his shirt twice, and cleaned up the puppy area twice. He'd bathed one puppy and fed Q, and had taken her for a walk around the block, both of them sauntering in the relative quiet.
"Now," he said, sitting on the floor and looking at seven dog faces, "I want you all to be very nice to the man who saved your lives. He's a hero, okay? And he's your godfather, and he's really hot. Be good for me. Hear?"
Q's tail thumped, and Deuce took that as a solemn promise. "Good girl." He glanced at his watch. "I hope he's prompt. I hate waiting around when they're late." He always wondered if he was being stood up and that made him cranky. Promptness was a thing of value to Deuce and had been since he was in school. Someone had once accused him of being turned on by the bell, he moved so quickly for the ring.
The minute hand had just eased past the twelve on his watch when the knock at the door came.
Deuce wondered if it would be too forward to offer praise, or merely make him look like an arrogant schmuck. Deciding to err as far away from "schmuck" as he could, he held his tongue and just smiled as he opened the door. The dogs were speaking loudly on his behalf anyway, and he doubted he'd be able to top their greeting.
"Hi," Trey said, then blinked and peered behind Deuce. "Holy crap. How many dogs are actually in there?"
"Uh, one mom and six babies. I know it sounds like more." Deuce smiled ruefully. "Come on in. They'll settle down if we go and see them."
"Okay, sure," Trey laughed. "Wow. You have your hands full." He came inside and closed the door behind him, shoving keys into his front pocket.
"I do." Deuce nodded as he led the way to his borrowed room. "You'll note the lack of friend around? Poor guy has fled to his girlfriend's for a while. I guess I better work on finding a more workable crash pad." He put his hand on the door knob and grinned. "Ready? They're in one of those old fashioned playpens for babies, so they won't come rushing at us or anything."
"Too bad. I've never been rushed by puppies, only people." Trey looked like he was steeling himself anyway, just in case the dogs had broken through their barrier or something.
"Maybe when they're bigger and can leave their momma." Deuce opened the door wide and stepped in, pleased that no one had taken the two minutes he was away to relieve themselves. "Look who's here," he said to Q. "Your hero."
Q lifted her head and offered a soft "woof", her tail thumping on the floor. Three puppies crawled over each other and tumbled around, trying to get to the side of the play pen.
"Hi, pretty girl," Trey murmured to her. He crouched down and stroked her soft head. "You look tired."
If a dog ever rolled her eyes in agreement that was what Q did. Her tail thumped again and she licked at Trey's wrist, but mostly she just relaxed and let her puppies get their milk -- the ones who weren't trying to get Trey's attention, anyway.
Trey reached out to run a finger down one of the puppies' silky fur, then stopped. "Can I touch them? Is she possessive or anything? I don't want to upset her." Truth be told, Q just looked glad for the distraction of people, but Trey sounded unsure.
"Go right ahead," Deuce encourage. "Watch the teeth, though -- they're sharp even if they are tiny." He had the sore finger to prove it, too.
"I've got tough skin." He reached out and cradled one of the non-nursing puppies into his palm. The puppy looked even tinier in Trey's big hand. It snuffled around in there until it found the edge of Trey's pinky finger. The puppy closed its mouth and began to suckle on Trey's finger, seemingly unaware that it wasn't receiving any milk for its troubles. "Oh, hey," Trey marveled. "Look. Look at it."
Deuce smiled and nodded. "I think they do it just because they can, you know? And they smell good, when they're clean." He wasn't sure how
***
By six fifty-five Deuce had showered, shaved, changed his shirt twice, and cleaned up the puppy area twice. He'd bathed one puppy and fed Q, and had taken her for a walk around the block, both of them sauntering in the relative quiet.
"Now," he said, sitting on the floor and looking at seven dog faces, "I want you all to be very nice to the man who saved your lives. He's a hero, okay? And he's your godfather, and he's really hot. Be good for me. Hear?"
Q's tail thumped, and Deuce took that as a solemn promise. "Good girl." He glanced at his watch. "I hope he's prompt. I hate waiting around when they're late." He always wondered if he was being stood up and that made him cranky. Promptness was a thing of value to Deuce and had been since he was in school. Someone had once accused him of being turned on by the bell, he moved so quickly for the ring.
The minute hand had just eased past the twelve on his watch when the knock at the door came.
Deuce wondered if it would be too forward to offer praise, or merely make him look like an arrogant schmuck. Deciding to err as far away from "schmuck" as he could, he held his tongue and just smiled as he opened the door. The dogs were speaking loudly on his behalf anyway, and he doubted he'd be able to top their greeting.
"Hi," Trey said, then blinked and peered behind Deuce. "Holy crap. How many dogs are actually in there?"
"Uh, one mom and six babies. I know it sounds like more." Deuce smiled ruefully. "Come on in. They'll settle down if we go and see them."
"Okay, sure," Trey laughed. "Wow. You have your hands full." He came inside and closed the door behind him, shoving keys into his front pocket.
"I do." Deuce nodded as he led the way to his borrowed room. "You'll note the lack of friend around? Poor guy has fled to his girlfriend's for a while. I guess I better work on finding a more workable crash pad." He put his hand on the door knob and grinned. "Ready? They're in one of those old fashioned playpens for babies, so they won't come rushing at us or anything."
"Too bad. I've never been rushed by puppies, only people." Trey looked like he was steeling himself anyway, just in case the dogs had broken through their barrier or something.
"Maybe when they're bigger and can leave their momma." Deuce opened the door wide and stepped in, pleased that no one had taken the two minutes he was away to relieve themselves. "Look who's here," he said to Q. "Your hero."
Q lifted her head and offered a soft "woof", her tail thumping on the floor. Three puppies crawled over each other and tumbled around, trying to get to the side of the play pen.
"Hi, pretty girl," Trey murmured to her. He crouched down and stroked her soft head. "You look tired."
If a dog ever rolled her eyes in agreement that was what Q did. Her tail thumped again and she licked at Trey's wrist, but mostly she just relaxed and let her puppies get their milk -- the ones who weren't trying to get Trey's attention, anyway.
Trey reached out to run a finger down one of the puppies' silky fur, then stopped. "Can I touch them? Is she possessive or anything? I don't want to upset her." Truth be told, Q just looked glad for the distraction of people, but Trey sounded unsure.
"Go right ahead," Deuce encourage. "Watch the teeth, though -- they're sharp even if they are tiny." He had the sore finger to prove it, too.
"I've got tough skin." He reached out and cradled one of the non-nursing puppies into his palm. The puppy looked even tinier in Trey's big hand. It snuffled around in there until it found the edge of Trey's pinky finger. The puppy closed its mouth and began to suckle on Trey's finger, seemingly unaware that it wasn't receiving any milk for its troubles. "Oh, hey," Trey marveled. "Look. Look at it."
Deuce smiled and nodded. "I think they do it just because they can, you know? And they smell good, when they're clean." He wasn't sure how
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