Page 10 of Security and Submission
You’d better!
Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Yasmine sighed and looked down at Hope. Hope wagged her tail.
“Okay, doggo,” she said, heading to the back door to open it. “Let’s see if I can get you to go to the bathroom, and then you’re coming to my house.”
Hope ran out the door, the first signs of energy Yasmine had seen from her. She dashed through the yard once, nose in the air, sniffing wildly… then slowed down to a more sedate walk before squatting to pee.
Getting her into Yasmine’s car was a little more difficult. She needed some help to jump in before she settled in the backseat. Yasmine ran back into the house a couple of times—unlocking the front door to make it easier on herself. She had the thought to take out Sarah’s trash. Then she grabbed Hope’s bed, a blanket, some toys, her leash and harness, the bowls, and packed it all into her trunk, frantically checking the time every couple of minutes.
It was taking a lot longer to get everything done than she’d hoped.
Which was why she was halfway home when she realized she’d left behind something very important… Hope’s food.
“Crap,” she muttered under her breath, then glanced in the back at Hope, who was lying across the backseat on her blanket. Dogs only needed to be fed twice a day, right? Once in the morning, once in the evening.
She could go home, do the call with Ms. Penn, then come back before dinner to get Hope’s food.
“You’re not even my pet, and you’re already a lot of work,” she told Hope.
Hope turned her head to look at Yasmine with her dark, soulful eyes and gave her tail a little wag.
Fine. It was worth it.
Especially because it wasn’t like she had another choice. She couldn’t just leave Hope there all alone for days. She wouldn’t be able to get back and forth to regularly walk and feed the dog without severe disruption to her own schedule. Plus, the thought of Hope alone in the house, waiting for Sarah to come home, with no one to give her any love or attention…
Was it possible that Yasmine was projecting a little onto a dog?
Yeah, maybe.
But for the next few days, at least, she and Hope would have each other. They didn’t have to be alone.
And hey, maybe this was the universe’s way of giving her a test run for having a pet. Since she obviously wasn’t going to ever get a man.
Chapter 4
Yasmine
Finishing up the call with Ms. Penn, Yasmine leaned back in her office chair. Ms. Penn was happy, which meant Yasmine was happy. A furry head immediately appeared on her lap, Hope’s chin pressing down on her thigh as big eyes stared up at her dolefully.
“I needed both of my hands,” Yasmine explained, petting Hope’s head and scratching behind her ears. “I can’t just pet you all day.”
Hope’s fathomless gaze disagreed. Strongly. A little smile curved Yasmine’s face. Okay, so far, having a dog around was definitely not the worst thing. She hadn’t had her for very long, though, and there were still things she needed to do to take care of Hope.
“I guess I need to go get your food so I can feed you tonight,” Yasmine said wearily, glancing at the clock. It was just after five. Another round trip would take at least forty minutes, and she needed to make her own dinner, too. Maybe she should just pick something up on the way home. This was the third trip to Sarah’s house today.
Surely, she deserved a reward for her good deed?
Should she take Hope back to Sarah’s with her? Yasmine hesitated, scratching Hope’s ears as she thought about it.
Maybe not. It wasn’t like she planned on being there long. In to get the food and immediately back out. Hope would be fine on her own for a bit. And she seemed comfortable enough in Yasmine’s place. Once she’d realized Yasmine was paying attention to the computer screen and not her, she’d napped on the bed Yasmine had put beside her.
So far, Yasmine hadn’t been able to interest her in any of the toys. Maybe she’d picked the wrong ones to bring home. She’d grab a couple more while she was getting the food. Or maybe she just wasn’t really into toys. Other than pets and her bed, Hope hadn’t shown much interest in anything.
Which didn’t seem normal.
Grace had thought Hope needed to be put down. Maybe some of this was symptomatic of whatever Hope was dealing with. Yasmine really needed to call the vet. She’d do that on the drive.
“Okay. I need to go. I’ll be back.” Even though she said the words, Yasmine didn’t get up immediately. Part of it was the plaintive way Hope was looking at her. Part of it was that she was so freaking tired, and she just wanted to sit there and not move for another hour. Or maybe go to her bedroom and just faceplant.
