Page 20 of I Could Never

On the way home, I texted Carly.

Josh: Anything you need while I’m out?

The dots moved around for a while before her response came.

Carly: I need you not to kill me when you get back.

What the?

Josh: I wasn’t planning on it. Is there a reason I’d want to?

Carly: Possibly.

Josh: Tell me what it is.

Carly: It’s better if you see it, rather than explaining over text.

Josh: Great. Okay. I’ll be home in a few.

I’d thought things at the house were crazy as they were, but apparently, I had no clue how much worse they could get. I worried her text had something to do with Scottie, but no. When I walked through the door at Wayne’s, he was sitting on the couch as usual, rocking back and forth to his music.

Then a gigantic dog with its tongue hanging out came running toward me.

“Why is there a goldendoodle in this house?” I demanded as it got up on its hind legs to greet me.

“Oh, is that the breed? I couldn’t think of the name of it.”

“Answer my question, Carly. Why the fuck is there a dog here?”

She grinned awkwardly. “Honestly… I don’t know.”

“Okay. You’re gonna need to explain a little better than that.”

“I went out to check the mail, and he was just standing there by the mailbox staring at me. He looked lost and has no collar. Then he followed me inside, and I gave him some tuna fish.”

“Tuna fish?”

“It’s the only thing we have in the house that’s safe for dogs, according to the Internet.” She sat down at the kitchen table, and the rusty-brown-haired dog put his front legs on her lap. She massaged behind his ears. “I have to call the police or something.”

“Orsomething? You haven’t called them yet?”

“Not yet.” She buried her nose in his fur.

“How long has he been here?”

“About an hour.”

Inhaling slowly to calm myself, I tried to reason with her. “Okay, the last thing we need in this goddamn house is a dog, Carly. I don’t need to tell you that. There’s barely enough room for the three of us. We have to contact themnow.”

She flashed a guilty smile. “I’ll get on that.”

She moved into the kitchen as the dog and I followed her.

I pulled out a chair and sat down. “You don’t look like you’re in any rush.”

She ran her hands along the dog’s fur. “He’s so cute and fluffy.”

“And stolen…” I corrected.