Chapter 24

Maggie

At first, Maggie thinks something has happened to Harvey. Why is he lying down in the middle of the entrance with Austin and Artie crowded around him? Her heart jumps to her throat and she breaks into a run. As she gets closer, she sees he’s sitting like a Sphinx guarding an ancient Egyptian tomb. Her steps slow and she exhales with relief. “What’s going on?”

“Harvey found a puppy,” Austin says. And then Maggie sees it, tucked against Harvey’s side. It looks impossibly small.

“What do you mean? Where?”

“In an alley, a few blocks away. He smelled it, I guess. He dragged me in there and then started sniffing through the trash. It was in a box under a bag of garbage.”

Maggie leans in. “Is it okay?”

Austin nods. “I think so.”

“Awww,” Maggie coos. “How old do you think it is?”

“Can’t be more than a couple of days,” Artie says.

Maggie wilts at the thought of someone tossing out a newborn puppy like a piece of garbage. “What are you going to do? Is there a vet nearby?”

“They’ll tell you to take it to the Humane Society or a shelter,” Artie says.

As they talk, Harvey puts his head down and curls his body around the puppy. Maggie feels a rush of love for him and reaches out to stroke his back.

In the end, Artie makes some calls and the shelter a few blocks away agrees to take it. “I’ll go,” Austin says. He knows Artie can’t leave work and Maggie’s mom will be here any minute to pick her up.

“Do you know where it is?” Maggie asks.

Austin nods. It’s where I should have brought Harvey last year, he thinks, but doesn’t say. He looks at the puppy and wonders if he’ll be able to do it, just leave it there. But it’s so helpless and small; he has no idea how to care for it.

“My mom could drive you,” Maggie offers.

Austin shakes his head. Walking with the puppy cuddled against his chest will give him a few more minutes with it. “I wish I could keep it.” He sighs.

“Why can’t you?” Maggie asks, although she suspects what the answer will be.

“There’s no way my mom will let me.”

Maggie feels a twinge in her chest. If anyone deserves to have a dog, it is Austin. She can practically taste how hard giving up the puppy will be for him. “It’s really little,” Maggie says, trying to make him feel better. She can’t imagine what her mom would do if she came home with a stray newborn. Maggie runs a finger along the puppy’s snout. The pink nose wiggles and it looks like the puppy is trying to open its eyes but doesn’t have the energy.

Outside, Maggie sees her mom pull up to the curb. She sighs and wishes she didn’t have to go. “Come on, Harvey.” Maggie stands up, expecting Harvey to do the same, but he stays where he is. “Har-vey,” Maggie says. “We have to go.”

Harvey doesn’t budge.

Maggie knows how he feels; she doesn’t want to leave the puppy either. She and Austin exchange a look. Austin reaches down and gently scoops up the puppy. It fits comfortably in his hand and when he holds it against his chest, he can feel its heart beating. Little claws poke out of pink paws, the pads still velvety soft.

Finally, with the puppy safe in Austin’s arms, Harvey stands up. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride to the shelter?” Maggie asks.

“I think I’ll just spend a bit more time with it,” Austin says looking down at her. “Make sure it’s okay.”

Artie shakes his head. He’s got the Animal Shelter website open on his phone. “Says here newborns should be brought in right away.”

Austin’s face falls.

Maggie knows how easy it is to fall in love with a puppy. She felt the same the moment she laid eyes on Harvey. The difference was, she knew she was bringing Harvey to his forever home and not leaving him in a shelter.