Page 106 of Demo
I grabbed her face and kissed her before she could finish, then I bent down and grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up and spinning her around. “Knox!” she screamed. “Put me down before you throw out your back!”
I gave her ass a swat for that comment before sliding her down my body to the ground and grabbing her face in my hands again. “You see it?” I asked.
“I see it,” she said, her eyes dancing with excitement. “It’s beautiful, Knox. I love it!”
I leaned in to kiss her again, but she pulled back slightly. “But do something like this again without consulting me, and I will throat-punch you.”
“Duly noted,” I said with the biggest smile I may have ever had. Pulling her into me, I looked around the property and felt like I was home. Into my chest, Lizzie mumbled, “So what’s the other surprise?”
***
The ride back to the apartment was full of energy as Lizzie squealed with all the possibilities of our future home. She bounced in her seat as she clapped her hands together with every idea that popped into her head.
“Oooo we could do a big bay window in the front, with a bench seat where I could sit and read. Oh! And we could put the Christmas tree in front of it every year!”
Her excitement was contagious. “That would be awesome, babe,” I said, looking at her and loving that I did something right. That I made her this happy.
As I pulled into the driveway to our apartment, we both took note of Bram’s truck parked on the street. Lizzie hitched a thumb over her shoulder, in its direction. “Did you know he was coming over?”
“Yeah,” I nodded as I turned off the truck. “He’s helping me with this next surprise.”
Lizzie squealed, still high from the house plans, unclipped her seatbelt and swung the door open. She jumped out and ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time. I quickly followed behind.
As I reached the top of the stairs, I found Lizzie standing in the open doorway, frozen. I came up behind her and took in the scene, which, stupidly, I didn’t anticipate.
The accent table that used to stand at the entrance to the apartment was on its side, the decorative bowl that used to sit atop it was smashed a foot away. To the right, a bottom cupboard door in the kitchen was open and dangling from one hinge, and looking further into the apartment, we could see shoes and a few squeaky toys, and some Kibble strewn about. In the corner, Bram was in a Tug-o-War match with the stray dog I couldn’t seem to shake—figuratively and literally.
The mangy mutt, which was scrawny, missing patches of fur and obviously startled at being in a new environment, had one of Bram’s long sleeves clenched in its jaw, pulling my brother steadily across the room as he, crouched the same way the dog was, tried to pull his shirt free, to no avail.
The dog growled, and Lizzie put her hand over her mouth. This was definitely not a good first impression.
I pushed past Lizzie and dropped down on my knees a few feet away from them. “Hey, buddy! It’s me, Knox. Remember? Your pal from the job site?” At the sound of my voice, the dog dropped Bram’s sleeve and came bounding over to me.
Bram, bent over with his hands braced on his knees and panting, pointed at the dog. “You told me he was a sweet little thing that just needed a little attention.”
I was scratching the dog behind the ears and patting him on his back when I looked at Bram. “He is! Look at his face. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Did you not see him nearly rip my arm off?!”
“Oh stop, now you’re just being dramatic.” I grabbed the dog on both sides of his face and in a baby voice said, “Ain’t that right buddy? You’re just a wittle puppy!”
As if just now noticing Lizzie, the dog turned his head sharply in her direction. I followed his gaze and found my wife shooting flaming daggers out of her eyes at us. “That’s Lizzie,” I said to the mutt. “She’s really sweet, and I know she’s just going to love you.”
The dog let out a sound. I wouldn’t call it a growl, but I wouldn’t call it a whimper, either. It was more of a “hmmm” noise, if that’s possible. On light feet, he pranced over to Lizzie, who backed herself right up to the closed door. “Knox?”
“He’s just checking you out, baby. Don’t worry. This dog has been following me around the jobsite for weeks. He’s the sweetest thing, really! Keeps us all company.”
I heard Bram bristle behind me. “Sweet my ass.” I shot him a look.
“Anyway,” he said, patting down his pockets, making sure he had all his belongings. He pointed to the floor. “There’s the Kibble,” then the counter, “there’s the leash you asked me to pick up,” then he pointed around the apartment, “and there are some toys I also got at the store. There was a bone here somewhere, but he chewed through that in about eight seconds flat, so … yeah. I’m gonna leave you guys to it.”
He breezed past me and gently ushered Lizzie away from the door, where the dog was still sniffing around her legs, and, just before the door closed behind him, he stuck just his head back in and said, “Oh and there’s a plastic bag with his steaming pile of shit in your garbage, in case you start to smell something.”
I watched the door close, and I didn’t have to turn my head to know Lizzie was boring a hole right through the side of it with her glare. I could feel it. When I finally did turn my head, she mouthed one word to me. “No.”
“Baby, listen, he’s just a little skittish right now—”
“No,” she said, audibly this time.
