yard. Five white puppies trotted after her.
The papillon pups were eight weeks old and ready to go to their new homes. Alayna’s absence made the day extra special for Luke. Because school started next week, she’d gone shopping for school clothes.
Luke had visited the pups almost every day since they’d been born, watching and analyzing the litter. He’d like to keep them all. Each dog wore a different-colored collar. But Luke didn’t need the colors to identify them. These pups were as familiar to him as the weather patterns. Each puppy had a unique personality. A distinct bark. Different markings.
The pups had been coming to the yard this past week to see what they would do. No serious training, just fun and games and treats scattered around for them to find.
The pup with the red collar headed right to Luke. Her pure white coat was unmarked along her body, but her butterfly ears and face were solid black. Grinning, Luke knelt in the grass.
“Who’s a pretty girl?” He scratched behind her ears just the way she liked it.
She peered at him with quick inquisitive eyes. Unable to resist, he picked her up, and she licked his cheek. She’d been the first pup to climb out of the whelping box, driving Willajean crazy with her escapes.
When Luke put her down, she darted quick as a whippet out to the field where the corn was as tall as Willajean. Reappearing, the dog skimmed the ground with her nose, heading straight for a treat.
“She’s got the best sniffer of the pack, but she’s a handful. Willful, determined, and outright stubborn. She’ll either cause an ulcer or be the best tracker I’ve seen in awhile.” Willajean rubbed her fingers on her temple.
“Do you want to keep her?” Luke asked. Although he had first pick of the litter, he didn’t want to upset Willajean. She planned to keep one of the pups.
“No way. I’m not that crazy.” She grinned.
Relief filled him. “Then I’ll take her.”
“I thought so. Do you have a name yet?”
All the clichéd names had been rolling around his mind for the past month. Marshmallow. Sugar. White Chocolate. Angel. Nothing seemed to fit. Luke studied the puppy. Suddenly, she shot forward, beating one of her brothers to a hidden treat, then bolted past another. She was quick.
“Lightning.” The name popped out of his mouth.
“Perfect. After all, she was born at Storm Watcher Kennel.” Willajean’s smile turned thoughtful. “I was running out of butterfly species names. Do you mind if I copy you?”
“I don’t mind,” Luke said, flattered. He mentally applied cool storm names to different dogs. Thunder. Blizzard. Cyclone.
Soon, Megan joined Willajean and Luke in the training yard, Lance by her side. Megan had convinced her mother to let her have him.
“You picked Red Collar, didn’t you?” Megan asked.
“Yep. That obvious?”
“Oh yeah. What’s her name?”
“Lightning.”
“Cool! But she’s going to be trouble.”
“He chose the best,” Willajean said. “I’m keeping Black Collar. Luke, can you name him for me?”
“Okay.” Wow, she really trusts me.
“Thanks.” Willajean, her expression sad, petted Lance.
Luke wondered how he’d feel if six months from now he had to give Lightning up. Awful. Sick to his stomach. Lousy.
Did Megan notice her mom’s grief? He glanced at Megan, but she was watching the pups. Did she know Willajean was a great mom to let her train Lance? Or would she only realize it later? Like him. He remembered the time Mom bought him a Hershey Bears sweatshirt with her teapot money. She’d been saving for a laptop.
“I can wait a few more weeks,” Mom had said, waving it off.
He’d thanked her, but now he understood she never would have gotten that laptop. Every time Luke or his brothers wanted something that they didn’t need, Mom dipped into her teapot and bought it.
If only he could have one more day with Mom. Just one day to tell her how much she meant to him and to apologize.
I was
The papillon pups were eight weeks old and ready to go to their new homes. Alayna’s absence made the day extra special for Luke. Because school started next week, she’d gone shopping for school clothes.
Luke had visited the pups almost every day since they’d been born, watching and analyzing the litter. He’d like to keep them all. Each dog wore a different-colored collar. But Luke didn’t need the colors to identify them. These pups were as familiar to him as the weather patterns. Each puppy had a unique personality. A distinct bark. Different markings.
The pups had been coming to the yard this past week to see what they would do. No serious training, just fun and games and treats scattered around for them to find.
The pup with the red collar headed right to Luke. Her pure white coat was unmarked along her body, but her butterfly ears and face were solid black. Grinning, Luke knelt in the grass.
“Who’s a pretty girl?” He scratched behind her ears just the way she liked it.
She peered at him with quick inquisitive eyes. Unable to resist, he picked her up, and she licked his cheek. She’d been the first pup to climb out of the whelping box, driving Willajean crazy with her escapes.
When Luke put her down, she darted quick as a whippet out to the field where the corn was as tall as Willajean. Reappearing, the dog skimmed the ground with her nose, heading straight for a treat.
“She’s got the best sniffer of the pack, but she’s a handful. Willful, determined, and outright stubborn. She’ll either cause an ulcer or be the best tracker I’ve seen in awhile.” Willajean rubbed her fingers on her temple.
“Do you want to keep her?” Luke asked. Although he had first pick of the litter, he didn’t want to upset Willajean. She planned to keep one of the pups.
“No way. I’m not that crazy.” She grinned.
Relief filled him. “Then I’ll take her.”
“I thought so. Do you have a name yet?”
All the clichéd names had been rolling around his mind for the past month. Marshmallow. Sugar. White Chocolate. Angel. Nothing seemed to fit. Luke studied the puppy. Suddenly, she shot forward, beating one of her brothers to a hidden treat, then bolted past another. She was quick.
“Lightning.” The name popped out of his mouth.
“Perfect. After all, she was born at Storm Watcher Kennel.” Willajean’s smile turned thoughtful. “I was running out of butterfly species names. Do you mind if I copy you?”
“I don’t mind,” Luke said, flattered. He mentally applied cool storm names to different dogs. Thunder. Blizzard. Cyclone.
Soon, Megan joined Willajean and Luke in the training yard, Lance by her side. Megan had convinced her mother to let her have him.
“You picked Red Collar, didn’t you?” Megan asked.
“Yep. That obvious?”
“Oh yeah. What’s her name?”
“Lightning.”
“Cool! But she’s going to be trouble.”
“He chose the best,” Willajean said. “I’m keeping Black Collar. Luke, can you name him for me?”
“Okay.” Wow, she really trusts me.
“Thanks.” Willajean, her expression sad, petted Lance.
Luke wondered how he’d feel if six months from now he had to give Lightning up. Awful. Sick to his stomach. Lousy.
Did Megan notice her mom’s grief? He glanced at Megan, but she was watching the pups. Did she know Willajean was a great mom to let her train Lance? Or would she only realize it later? Like him. He remembered the time Mom bought him a Hershey Bears sweatshirt with her teapot money. She’d been saving for a laptop.
“I can wait a few more weeks,” Mom had said, waving it off.
He’d thanked her, but now he understood she never would have gotten that laptop. Every time Luke or his brothers wanted something that they didn’t need, Mom dipped into her teapot and bought it.
If only he could have one more day with Mom. Just one day to tell her how much she meant to him and to apologize.
I was
Similar Books
