Page 38 of I Could Never

Carly took the picture from him and examined it. “Wow. Okay. Yeah. That’s definitely Bubba.” She looked up at the officer. “What’s his actual name? Do you know?”

“Hank.”

I stifled laughter. “Hank?”

Carly looked over at me. I couldn’t tell if she was about to laugh or cry. “Hank,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, Carly,” I murmured.

“You have to take him back now?” she asked the officer.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but yes.”

Carly went over to the couch where Bubba was sitting. She buried her face in his fur. “You have to go home, Bub—Hank. I didn’t know that was your name. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll let you say your goodbyes,” the officer said. “I’ll be right outside.”

Tears filled Carly’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around the dog. Was it too much to ask of the damn universe to let this woman keep the one thing that seemed to make her happiest? Not that we should’ve been harboring a missing dog, but Carly worked hard around here to makeushappy. She deserved the joy that dog had brought her in the short time he’d been here. Hadn’t she fucking lost enough in her life? Now she had to say goodbye to him, too.

It’s official. Being here is turning me into a fucking sap.

She sniffled. “Say goodbye, Scottie. Bubba has to go.”

Scottie rocked back and forth, seemingly oblivious to the situation. He held his iPad to his ear and blasted some music. It was probably a good thing not to care one way or the other under sad circumstances. I envied him sometimes.

I sat down on the couch on the other side of the dog. “Bye, Bubba.” Massaging behind his ears, I added, “I’ll miss your extra-special leg rubs.”

The dog leaned in to lick my nose. His breath smelled like biscuits.

“You take him outside, Josh,” Carly said, getting up suddenly.

I stood. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” She paced while wiping her eyes. “I can’t say goodbye again.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

After I handed Bubba to the officer outside, I watched as he put the dog into the back of the car. Bubba—Hank—stared at me from the window. He looked helpless. The freaking dog was making my eyes water now.Damn it.I waved at him and watched as the car took off down the road. Being back in Woodsboro was turning me into a pussy.

When I walked back into the house, Carly was on the couch next to Scottie, looking morose.

She stood, and I walked over, putting my arms around her and bringing her close.

I spoke into her hair. “I’m sorry.”

My chest constricted as I fought the feeling holding her elicited in me. I hadn’t thought it through. It’d just felt like the natural thing to do. But the way my body reacted only confirmed my worst fears.

She looked up at me. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

I moved back. “We’ll always have good memories of Bubba-Hank. I mean, what the hell would we have done with him when we had to leave?”

“I was planning on taking him back to California with me,” she said.

Damn, she was fucking sweet. I should’ve known. “You were a good dog mama, Pumpkin.” I smiled. “Why don’t you get a dog when you get back?”

“I probably will.” Taking a deep breath in, Carly looked up at me. “You don’t smell like smoke. I just realized that.”

“I resisted the entire time I was away.”