“But I do,” she corrected quickly. “I like him, but when he asked me out, I didn’t know what to say and made up a ridiculous excuse about it being against company policy to date a customer.”
“Oh Maggie, you didn’t need to do that. Nick is going to find out I’ve taken in a boarder sooner or later.”
What Joan said was true. In retrospect, Maggie should have handled this awkward situation differently. Now it was too late.
“From what Kurt said, Nick had tried to give the dog to several other people first before he decided No Name would go to you.”
Joan laughed. “That sounds like my son. As a kid he often got himself into messes he couldn’t find his way out of.”
“I liked him up to that point.”
“Don’t judge him too harshly, Maggie. Nick has a good heart.”
Maggie wasn’t sure she believed that.
Chapter 14
“Come on, No Name,” Joan urged, as the puppy galloped across the front lawn. She swore he smelled every blade of grass before leaping forward to chase after a butterfly.
“This isn’t time for fun and games,” Joan chastised. She tried to sound stern, but the puppy’s antics made her laugh. He was determined to discover this new world. “You’re supposed to do your business, not chase butterflies.”
No Name looked more like a kangaroo than a puppy as he galivanted across the grass, causing Joan to shake her head in defeat. She’d had limited success housebreaking him, which was why she spent more time in her yard than in the house. She hadn’t been outside this much in years, and it felt good.
She’d read on the Internet that the best way to housebreak a puppy was to take the little one outside every two hours, as well as immediately upon waking and after eating. Which made sense. To be on the safe side, Joan had set a timer for every hour. No Name had yet to get the hint, though. What she didn’t want was for him to assume the best spot to pee was beneath the dining room table, which he had already done more than once.
She would need patience and more patience. Sooner or later, God willing, he would understand why she’d brought him outside. All she could hope was that he caught on soon. To this point, No Name had far too much fun chasing butterflies and bees or anything else that captured his attention.
Although she’d protested that she hadn’t wanted a dog, she could see the wisdom in having one. After living basically as a hermit for four years, she was making positive changes, and they all seemed to be coming at once.
She enjoyed having Maggie live with her, and the puppy kept her on her toes. Life had meaning and purpose for the first time in years.
The school bus stop was down the street and the big yellow bus pulled up to let the grade school kids out. It was a lovely afternoon, one of those rare sunny ones in May.
Joan watched as the kids raced down the sidewalk toward their homes, backpacks flapping as they ran. Her boys had once ridden that same bus to and from school and hurried home, knowing she would have a snack on the kitchen counter ready for them.
Two of the children headed in her direction and stopped when they saw No Name rolling around on his back.
“Is that your puppy?” the boy asked. He looked to be in first or second grade, with ruddy cheeks and a head full of red hair.
“He is.”
“What’s his name?” the girl with him asked. No question she was his older sister, possibly in fourth grade, with the same red hair and freckles.
“I haven’t got a name for him yet,” Joan confessed.
“Why not?”
Joan had tried out several, but none of them seemed to fit the adventurous little fellow. “I haven’t found the right one yet.”
“How about Floyd?” the boy suggested. His backpack had his name embroidered on the back. Todd. His sister had the same style of backpack, only in a different color. Her name was Ellie.
His sister slapped his arm. “That’s an awful name.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Yes,” Ellie insisted with a tone of righteousness. Being older, she seemed to assume she was by far superior.
“Then what is it?” Todd challenged.
“Snicklefritz.”
Joan hid a smile.
“What kind of name is that?” Shaking his head in disbelief, Todd looked to Joan for support. “I bet she just made that up.”
“It’s a good name,” Ellie insisted.
“While it’s clever, it’s a bit of a mouthful.” Joan credited Ellie for her imagination.
No Name noticed the two children and scurried toward them, seeing them as his next adventure.
“He’s so cute,” Ellie said, kneeling down on the grass. “Can I hold him?” She looked up to Joan for permission.
“Of course. Just be careful, he’s still a baby.”
“Can I hold him, too?” Todd asked.
“Sure. As soon as Ellie is finished.”
Both children sat in the grass, sharing the puppy. No Name cherished the attention and repeatedly licked their hands.
“I wanted a dog and Dad said I could have one, but we have to get the backyard fenced first.”
“You can come visit No Name anytime you want,” Joan offered.
“Can we really?” Todd’s eyes lit up like twin flares.
Ellie glared at her little brother. “She said we could, dummy.”
“I’m not the dummy. You’re the dummy.”
Their bickering reminded Joan of when her own boys were children. They constantly harped on each other, too. She didn’t remember this much sibling rivalry between her and Emmie, but then Emmie was several years older and had always looked after Joan. Come to think of it, she still did.
“Do you live here?” Todd questioned. “Because my mom said she thought the house was empty.”
“I’ve lived here a long time,” Joan explained. The neighborhood had been populated with young families when Jared and Joan first moved into the house. Several families had since sold and moved away. These days, her neighbors were strangers.
“We moved here last summer,” Ellie said. “Dad said he thought your house might be for sale.”
“I didn’t get outside much,” Joan admitted. Like hardly ever. No reason to venture out, certainly not during the pandemic. All that had changed since her birthday, and she was glad of it.
“What about naming him Oliver?” Todd said.
Joan considered his suggestion and then shook her head. “He doesn’t look like an Oliver to me. I’ll come up with a name soon.” She’d need to; otherwise, the poor puppy would suffer an identity crisis.
“He’s rowdy. You could name him that.”
“Rowdy?” Joan mulled it over in her mind. That might work.
“That’s what Mom calls me,” Todd informed her.
“Well, you are,” his sister concurred.
A harried-looking woman came down the sidewalk as if on a search. The baby on her hip gripped hold of the neckline of her blouse as if she needed to anchor herself. The woman paused when she saw Ellie and Todd sitting on the grass with Joan standing nearby.
“What are you doing here?” she asked her children, clearly frustrated. “You know you’re supposed to come directly home from the bus stop.”