walk out the door when Fred bolted past him toward Veronica, barking menacingly. She spotted the dog and hopped back in the cab, slamming the door just as he rounded the truck. He threw himself against the door, barking and growling.
“Fred! What the hell?!” Jess rushed out and tried to reign him in, tugging on his collar to little effect. “Down, Fred! Heel!”
He couldn’t figure out what had gotten into his normally cheerful and happy dog. He finally managed to pull him back from the truck and held him with both arms. He looked up to plead with Veronica to not leave because his dog went all Cujo on her, but she was smiling, if a bit nervously.
She cracked the window and said, “Sometimes dogs need a bit of time to get to know me.”
Fred bared his teeth at her voice and Jess hugged him tighter.
“Shh,” he shushed at the dog. “I’m sorry, Ronnie. He’s never acted this way before. I have no clue what happened.”
“Can you hold him tight enough that he won’t break free?”
“Yeah, I’ve got him now.”
“Okay, I’m going to slowly get out of the truck and sit down in front of him. Don’t let him go until I tell you, got it?”
Jess nodded, wondering if she was some kind of dog whisperer or just plain crazy.
Slowly, Veronica slid from the cab — Fred growling and straining against Jess’ arms — and sat cross-legged in front of them. She lowered her head and her gaze, looking up at the dog from beneath her eyelashes. She made some grunty-whiny noises and then laid her torso on the ground, head sideways on her folded arms, gazing up at Fred with adoration.
Jess felt the dog’s body relax little by little. He seemed to really be responding to the sounds she was making. It wasn’t long before he was tugging against Jess’ hold but his tail was wagging and he was panting.
“I think it’s okay now,” Veronica finally said, so he let loose of the collar.
Fred approached her cautiously, sniffing and keeping an eye on her. She stayed perfectly motionless, whining and panting a little. Fred sniffed along her entire body, jerking away if he heard a noise but always coming back to continue his investigation. Jess was embarrassed at his dog’s rude behavior but also impressed by Veronica’s patience and skill at calming him.
Fred skittered away when she rolled onto her back and twisted around to look at him. He approached her again, snuffling along her belly up to her face. He gave her a tentative lick and then the pooch he knew and loved was back. One friendly bark and he was tearing around the property, leaping and doing somersaults. Crazy dog , he thought.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he reached a hand out to help her up. “Are you okay?”
She popped up and right into his arms. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and laid her cheek on his chest. “I am now.”
They held each other for a moment before Jess pulled back. “I have wine, cheese and smoked salmon in the cabin.”
Veronica’s lower lip disappeared between her teeth — a gesture that drove him wild — as she gazed into his eyes. He could easily lose himself in her hypnotizing eyes and he wanted to get her inside before things went any further. He tugged on her hand and led her up the steps, closing the door behind them.
“What about Fred,” she asked, her voice husky.
“Let him chase squirrels and deer for a while. Wine?”
She nodded as she looked around the small cabin. Jess had a moment of shame at how dinky and plain the place was, but Veronica seemed entranced. As he poured the wine, she peered out the small paned window and lingered at the modest fireplace, admiring the mementos he kept on the mantel. She picked up a small pink porcelain bunny and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Umm…”
“It was my mom’s,” he laughed. “She passed a few years ago and I take that with me on assignments to remember her.”
She replaced it carefully, her thin fingers brushing along the other keepsakes
“Fred! What the hell?!” Jess rushed out and tried to reign him in, tugging on his collar to little effect. “Down, Fred! Heel!”
He couldn’t figure out what had gotten into his normally cheerful and happy dog. He finally managed to pull him back from the truck and held him with both arms. He looked up to plead with Veronica to not leave because his dog went all Cujo on her, but she was smiling, if a bit nervously.
She cracked the window and said, “Sometimes dogs need a bit of time to get to know me.”
Fred bared his teeth at her voice and Jess hugged him tighter.
“Shh,” he shushed at the dog. “I’m sorry, Ronnie. He’s never acted this way before. I have no clue what happened.”
“Can you hold him tight enough that he won’t break free?”
“Yeah, I’ve got him now.”
“Okay, I’m going to slowly get out of the truck and sit down in front of him. Don’t let him go until I tell you, got it?”
Jess nodded, wondering if she was some kind of dog whisperer or just plain crazy.
Slowly, Veronica slid from the cab — Fred growling and straining against Jess’ arms — and sat cross-legged in front of them. She lowered her head and her gaze, looking up at the dog from beneath her eyelashes. She made some grunty-whiny noises and then laid her torso on the ground, head sideways on her folded arms, gazing up at Fred with adoration.
Jess felt the dog’s body relax little by little. He seemed to really be responding to the sounds she was making. It wasn’t long before he was tugging against Jess’ hold but his tail was wagging and he was panting.
“I think it’s okay now,” Veronica finally said, so he let loose of the collar.
Fred approached her cautiously, sniffing and keeping an eye on her. She stayed perfectly motionless, whining and panting a little. Fred sniffed along her entire body, jerking away if he heard a noise but always coming back to continue his investigation. Jess was embarrassed at his dog’s rude behavior but also impressed by Veronica’s patience and skill at calming him.
Fred skittered away when she rolled onto her back and twisted around to look at him. He approached her again, snuffling along her belly up to her face. He gave her a tentative lick and then the pooch he knew and loved was back. One friendly bark and he was tearing around the property, leaping and doing somersaults. Crazy dog , he thought.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he reached a hand out to help her up. “Are you okay?”
She popped up and right into his arms. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and laid her cheek on his chest. “I am now.”
They held each other for a moment before Jess pulled back. “I have wine, cheese and smoked salmon in the cabin.”
Veronica’s lower lip disappeared between her teeth — a gesture that drove him wild — as she gazed into his eyes. He could easily lose himself in her hypnotizing eyes and he wanted to get her inside before things went any further. He tugged on her hand and led her up the steps, closing the door behind them.
“What about Fred,” she asked, her voice husky.
“Let him chase squirrels and deer for a while. Wine?”
She nodded as she looked around the small cabin. Jess had a moment of shame at how dinky and plain the place was, but Veronica seemed entranced. As he poured the wine, she peered out the small paned window and lingered at the modest fireplace, admiring the mementos he kept on the mantel. She picked up a small pink porcelain bunny and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Umm…”
“It was my mom’s,” he laughed. “She passed a few years ago and I take that with me on assignments to remember her.”
She replaced it carefully, her thin fingers brushing along the other keepsakes
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