Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(80)

The only female was the smallest pup, less than half the size of the alpha. She was deep red, with a nearly-black marking over her brow that looked very much like an “M.”

But one, the one now curled contentedly on Adrienne’s lap, getting his ears stroked and watching the fracas but not participating in it, looked a lot like an Australian Shepherd—blue merle markings and blue eyes. So there were a few flavors in this gene soup. They looked like they’d end up being massive dogs, though, all but the little girl.

Badger watched Adrienne as she loved on the pups. It had been ages—since long before she’d moved here—that he’d seen the kind of naked joy she was wearing now on her pretty face. Her eyes sparkled with it. Her cheeks were round and rosy with it. And he was so suddenly suffused with his love for her that he actually put his hand over his heart.

He would do anything for her, give her anything, everything he had, everything in his power. He would make her happy. He would love her forever. No matter what.

A wet nose pushed under his hand where it still lay on his chest, and he looked down to see the blond pup demanding his attention. When he looked up again, his hands full of puppy, Adrienne’s brightly happy eyes were on him.

“I love you.”

Her smile stretched wider. “I love you.”

Thumper coughed and stood. “Uh, I’m gonna get some newspaper. Isaac’ll tear me another * if they piss and shit all over the floor.”

That made Badger think. “Yeah. We need water for them. And food. Damn.” It was far too late to get puppy food tonight.

Adrienne put her hand on his knee. “It’s okay. We can do water just with bowls from the kitchen for tonight. And they’re not starving. They’ll be okay until tomorrow. They need a vet, though.”

“Yeah. I’ll call Isaac in the morning, and then the vet. Um. For tonight…I don’t know.”

“Can we take them back into your old room and keep them with us there tonight?”

“You want to spend the night in the clubhouse?” He didn’t like the thought of her undressed here. But maybe that was an overreaction. Tasha had lived here with Len for months, from the time of Havoc’s death until several weeks ago, when their house was finished. The anniversary of that day spent in Hell was less than two weeks away.

Badger set that thought aside, and right quick. This was a good night. It had been a good day.

“I don’t mind it, as long as the bed is clean. It’ll be fun. We can use that box for them to sleep in. Just bring it back to your room.”

He smiled, easily convinced. “Okay. Thumper—help us set it up.”



oOo



The puppies thought the box was a uniquely horrible idea, and cried and whimpered pathetically. After about twenty minutes, there was an emphatic pounding on the door. Badger answered to find a rumpled Zeke, and Double A, and Dom, all standing in the hallway in assorted stages of undress. Zeke was full monty. Badger pulled the door mostly closed, leaving only his head pointed into the hallway. Adrienne did not need to see Zeke’s full monty. Nobody needed to see that.

Though Zeke was front and center and had probably done the pounding on the door, it was Dom who spoke. “What the f*ck, man? What you got in there?”

“Sorry. Puppies. Long story. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll get ‘em quiet.”

“Yeah. Please.”

Badger closed the door and turned back to Adrienne. “I don’t think the box is going to work. Not here.”

Her relief was obvious and immediate. “Good! I feel bad with them trapped in there.” She freed them one by one and then turned the box on its side. “Maybe they’ll like it better like a fort, so they can come and go.”

And sure enough. After several minutes of petting, kissing, exploring, and tumble-bumbling, the blonde pup wandered into the box and lay down. He got up, turned and lay down again. He scooted and was still.

Then another pup went in. And another. The little girl was next, and she scooted around the edges of the growing mound of pups until she found a spot, her nose buried under the bodies of her brothers. The alpha went in last. He turned and lay down, a few inches away from the pile, nose out of the box, his eyes open.

On watch. Badger felt something give in his heart.

“He’s taking care of his family,” Adrienne whispered.

“Yeah.”

“He should live with Isaac and Lilli. He should be Isaac’s.”

Badger turned to her. She was watching the pups and didn’t notice the change in his attention. He studied her profile, sweet and perfect. She understood. He thought she understood more than she realized.

“Yeah. That’d be good.” He reached out and slid his hand under her magnificent hair, cupping his palm over the back of her neck, and pulled her to him. As he came in to kiss her, she opened her mouth. He covered her lips with his and laid her back on his crappy clubhouse bed.

As he lifted her skirt, his hand sliding gently, lightly over the uneven skin of her right leg, he asked, his lips at her ear, “Which one is ours?”

She turned her head and nuzzled her nose into his beard. “The one with the beautiful eyes. He’s quiet and strong. He’s a watcher, too.”



oOo



There was not a lot of sleeping that night, by the canines or humans in that room, but the humans managed to f*ck three times. And they’d gathered up all the pups twice for a trip out back for their business, which did not get done. They preferred to take care of that in Badger’s room. Near, but of course not on, the paper. His room was going to need a thorough airing out.