The pooch party was a hit. We had training sessions every hour on the hour, showing off the dog’s skills while allowing potential adopters to engage with the dogs through mini training and play. Hours into the first night, Hayden showed up with a familiar person holding her hand.
Justin blushed. “How’re you feeling Mrs.—Missy?”
“Apparently not as happy as you.” I couldn’t help myself, mostly because I was just as happy to see them holding hands as I knew he was.
“Mom.”
“What? This is a dream come true for me.”
Hayden smiled and pushed her shoulder into Justin’s. “I kind of feel that way, too.”
“Your father would be thrilled.”
We all stood there thinking about Sam and what he would have felt in that moment.
As we made small talk, Mary from the shelter signed the papers for another adoption process. In all that first night, we had four applications for adoption. I considered that a success.
When Rick Morring approached the pooch party area with his wife and two children, I had to force myself to be kind to the man. While his wife supervised his children playing with the dogs, he approached me.
“This isn’t over, Mrs. Kingston.”
I adjusted the collar on one of the dog’s necks and stood. “I have no doubt about that, Mr. Morring. I mean, look at them.” I flicked my head toward his children, smiling as his daughter, who wasn’t over seven years old, was attacked with kisses by Allie. “They’re so dangerous.” His family laughed as the children rolled around with the pups on the ground. Allie was in heaven.
Rick Morring shook his head and called out to his wife. “Come on, babe, let’s get these kids some funnel cake.” He nodded at me. “Mrs. Kingston.”
I gave him a snarky smile, but that was it.
Allie and Bandit fascinated visitors by playing together with their Kong as a volunteer trainer tossed it around. That trainer approached me as the festival ended that first night.
Her face full of worry, she whispered in my ear, “Mrs. Kingston, someone wants to adopt Bandit.”
I pushed myself from my kneeling position. “Bandit?”
She nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She aimed her eyes toward a red-haired woman sitting at the table with the adoption applications. “What should I tell her?”
I smiled. “I’ll take care of it, sweetie. Can you do me a favor and start walking the dogs to the shelter van?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I ambled over to the desk and greeted the woman. “I understand you’re interested in adopting a dog?”
She smiled. “Yes, I’d like to adopt that black one, Bandit. Though I’d definitely have to change that name.”
I pressed my lips together. “We received an application for him already, and I suspect they’ll be approved. We could contact you, or you could consider another dog?” I didn’t tell her that other application was mine just waiting to be signed.
“Oh, that’s too bad, but I did love that little Corgi mix. It looks just like a Husky, but with a Corgi body. I noticed another couple with her though. Is she being adopted?”
I pulled an application from the file folder to my right. “No, ma’am. Willie is available. Go ahead and fill this out, and we’ll start the interview process tomorrow.”
After she completed the application and left, I finished the last of the items on my closing list and hugged Bandit. “First thing in the morning Monday we’re signing those adoption papers. Time to make it official.”
I was exhausted, but we’d got everything set up for the next day, and I could finally go home and fall into bed.
Max met me at my car.
“Oh, hey. It’s late. What’re you still doing here?” I asked.
“Figured I’d stick around and make sure you got home okay.”
I smiled. “Max, thank you, but really, I’m fine.” I loaded the dogs into my car and checked to make sure the shelter van had already left. I was relieved to see it had. After I closed the door, I started my vehicle with my key and popped open my door to roll the windows down for the dogs.
“Missy, I…” He shifted his body weight from one leg to the other and ran a hand through his short hair. He smiled, and my breath quickened.
“Max, I think I know what you’re going to—”
He stepped closer and I froze. I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t lift my eyes from his chest to his face, but that didn’t matter. He used one finger and lifted my chin for me. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
I licked my lips.
“I really want to kiss you, you know that?”
I wasn’t sure what to say, which didn’t matter because I don’t think my voice could have made it past the huge lump in my throat. “Max, I…I can’t.”
He smiled as he removed his finger and stepped back a step. “I understand.” He glanced at the ground and then up at me again. “You’ll get home okay?”
I blinked. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll follow you just in case.”
“Max, you don’t have to do—”
“Sam would want me to. And Missy, he’d want you to be happy.” Before I could say anything, he continued. “I can wait.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, Max.”
“Maybe not, but you’ll always have me looking out for you.”