This is Effortless (Checkmate Duet 4)

“So, what kind of dog is he?” I ask, breaking the tension.

“A Heinz 57!” Courtney says.

“He’s a cocker spaniel-golden retriever mix, from what I can tell,” Kayla giggles.

Courtney slides the paperwork across the desk and I give Kayla my credit card to pay the adoption fee. “Now make sure not to let him out without a leash. He really likes beef treats and running.”

Courtney’s mouth falls open. “We get to take him home today?”

Kayla winks. “I’m the doggy dealer, remember? You want a dog, I’ll make it happen.” She stands up and pulls a leash out of a drawer in her office. “Buddy gets a pet license, too, so if he breaks out, he gets a free ride home. So you won’t get fined if he’s caught roaming. Come back in the next few days, and I should have it ready for you.”

Now I’m the one laughing. “No way. A dog license?”

“Yes, and he has a microchip. He’s been neutered and is up to date with all his shots. In this little goodie bag there is a voucher for a free checkup with the vet. I’d probably take him in a few months once he’s settled.” Kayla hands Courtney the bag and then they hug. They release their embrace and we follow Kayla back outside with a leash in hand. Buddy is lying on the ground in his cage. This will be the last time he’s locked up like this.

“Told you we’d be back,” Courtney says as Kayla bends down and puts a tag on his collar and clips the leash.

Before I can even brace myself, Kayla pulls us both into a big hug. “Thank you so much. I know you guys will take good care of each other.”

Buddy is so excited as he walks out of the shelter on the leash and I swear he’s doing a victory dance. I bend down and pick him up and set him between us in the front seat of the truck and Courtney looks at me with tears of happiness in her eyes as she buckles in next to him. “Thanks, babe. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I think I do.” I give her a smile as I crank the truck. “But I can’t believe we only walked out with one dog. Viola warned me about Kayla when we chatted about it.”

“Viola knew the whole time you were doing this?” Courtney is twirling her fingers in Buddy’s brown fur.

“Yeah, she said something about first comes a dog and then comes a baby?”

Courtney’s eyes widen and then she bursts out into a big laugh. As we travel home, Buddy sits between us with his lazy tongue hanging out and I can tell he’s just as happy as Court.

We did a good thing today. We saved a life.

COURTNEY

Never did I imagine this is how my Thursday night would play out. I’ve got the cutest dog I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s all because of Drew. I haven’t had a dog since I was in high school, and as much as I joked with Kayla the other night at the restaurant about it not happening, deep inside I knew it would be a good idea. Buddy and I will be the best of friends, especially when Drew is on nights. As soon as I saw his messy fur and the sparkle in his eyes, I knew he was meant to be our first fur baby.

Drew pulls up to the house and gets out. I make sure the leash is on Buddy as he jumps out of the truck. Drew unlocks the door and walks right to the mudroom then returns with a big bag of dog food in his arms with a bow wrapped around it. I can’t stop smiling.

“Oh, I got dog food and water dishes, too. I called the shelter before we went to see what kind of food I should pick up, so we’re stocked up on that.” I love seeing him so excited about this.

Drew fills one bowl with water and the other with food and sets it down. Buddy walks over to him with his tail wagging and begins eating right away.

“So…” I walk over to Drew and run my finger up his chest.

He places a finger over my lips with a smirk. “Not in front of the fur kid.”

We both burst out laughing and Buddy looks over at us like we’ve lost our minds, which I feel like we kind of have. We move to the couch and I can’t stop kissing Drew. Minutes pass and we get lost in the moment. Knowing this is going to the next level, I stand ready to lead him to the bedroom. Just as he places his hands on my hips there’s a knock at the door. We stand there frozen, and Buddy takes off running and hides behind us.