“Yeah. I’ve got dish soap inside.”
“Don’t need it.” He went back to the truck and came back with a black dog collar and a bottle of dog shampoo.
“You did get supplies.”
“You’re going to have to hold him. I’ll soak him down, suds him up, rinse him off, but he’s not going to like it.”
“If he bites me, I’m going to hurt you.”
“He’s not a biter. There’s no mean in those eyes. You hold on to him, Slim.”
“I’ve got him.”
The dog was stronger than he lookedbut then so was she. When Xander ran the water over him, he balked, strained, barked, pulled.
But he didn’t snap, snarl, or bite.
Xander pulled a massive dog biscuit out of his back pocket, and the dog settled down to eye it greedily.
“Yeah, you want this. Hold the hose,” he told Naomi, then broke the biscuit in half. “Half now, half when we’re done. Got it?”
He gave the dog the half biscuit, and poured green liquid from the bottle in his hands. Obviously the dog enjoyed the rubbing and soaping, and stood quietly while Xander scrubbed at him.
He didn’t care for the rinsing off, but the second round of soaping had his eyes half closing in bliss. By the end of it, he sat quietlymaybe, Naomi thought, as delighted as she was that he didn’t smell like dead skunk.
“Better stand back when I let him go.”
“Let him go? What if he runs?”
“He’s not going anywhere. Stand back, or you’ll get wetter than you already are.”
She released the collar, then danced back and out of range of the energetic shaking and storm of water.
“He isn’t as ugly as I thought.”
“Get some meat back on his bones, he’ll be a good-looking dog. Might have some Lab in himshape of the head. Probably got a lot in him. Mutts make the best dogs.”
“Now that he’s clean, doesn’t look like he’s going to collapse, and you’ve got the truck, you can take him with you.”
“Can’t do it.”
“You know the vet by name. And”
“I can’t. Look . . .” He turned, went back to his truck for a rag of a towel, and began to rub the wet dog. “I had to put my dog down last month. Had him nearly half my life. I just can’t take this one. I’m not ready.”
The open bag of kibble, the shampoo, the bowls, the collar. She should’ve put it together. “Okay. I know how it feels. We had a dogmy brother’s dog, really. The uncles gave it to him for Christmas when he was ten. He was so sweet, so considerate, we didn’t have to put him down. He just slipped away in his sleep when he was fourteen. The four of us cried like babies.”
The dog sniffed at Xander’s pocket.
“This one’s not stupid.” Xander took the second half of the biscuit, offered it. This offering was taken politely.
“He’s a good dog. It shows.”
“Maybe.”
“You get him to Alice tomorrow. I’ll split the vet bill with you. I’ll get the word out.”
“All right.”
“I’ve got a leash and a dog bedit’s a little worn, but he won’t care. A couple of rawhide bones. I’ll bring it in.”
Naomi looked at the dog, at Xander, at the enormous bag of dog food. “Want a beer? I’d say you’ve earned it.”
“Hang on.” He pulled out his phone, punched in a number. “Hey. Yeah, yeah, I texted I would be. Now I’m going to be later.”
“Oh, if you’ve got a date, don’t”
Xander shifted his gazea deeper, bolder blue than the no-name dog’s. “Kevin and Jenny. Sunday dinner. Naomi found this dog, I’m just helping her get it cleaned up. Don’t know. At least a couple years old, golden brown now that six inches of filth are washed off. Mixed breed.”
“I took pictures. I’ll send them a picture, in case they recognize him.”
“Your boss here’s going to send you a picture of the mutt. No, go ahead. Yeah, later.” He put the phone away, hefted the bag of dog food over his shoulder. “I could use that beer.”
They started toward the house, the dog between them. “He’s still limping.”
“He’s been on the road awhile, I’d say. The pads of his paws are scraped up and sore.”
After unlocking the door, holding it open, she watched the dog limp inside, begin to explore.
“You don’t think we’re going to find his owners.”
“I’d lay money against it. You want this back in the kitchen?”
“Yeah.” She’d keep him overnight, even for a few days while they tried to locate his owners or found someone who wanted a dog. She got out a beer, a bottle of wine, handed Xander the beer, poured wine into a plastic cup.