Chapter 83

As he held up a pale blue sweater, he sighed in defeat. That was not something Wade would wear. Lance would love it, but it wasn’t right for his husband.

“Nope.”

He turned to Allyson and frowned. “I know. I’m giving up. Maybe the bow idea was the way to go.”

Allyson shot him a sympathetic smile and put her arm around his waist. “You can’t give up, Lance. We’ll find something perfect.”

“I think you’re expecting the impossible.”

“I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then come with me.” She slipped her hand into his, tugging him along as she weaved through the crowds, pulling him out of the store and into the interior hall of the large mall. He didn’t dare say a word, as Allyson was clearly a woman on a mission.

Holiday music poured from the speakers, but the echo within the massive, open tiled halls created a tinny sound that grated on his already frazzled nerves. He could smell cocoa coming from a kiosk and he tried to pull Allyson that way, but she marched on. And on. She didn’t stop until they’d reached the opposite end of the mall. The storefront didn’t have a name hanging above it and too many people stood clustered in the front. “Where are we?”

She tilted her head toward a tall vinyl sign set up at the far side of the entrance. Bright orange letters announced it was Adopt-a-Pet Day. “You know how much Wade loves Charlie’s dog, Scooter. His dad never let them have a dog of their own. And these animals need a home. Someone to love them.”

He thought about that for a moment. You give someone a dog, it screamed “commitment,” which was something he was trying to impress upon Wade—that Lance was there to stay. And Wade loved dogs. Plus, Lance was a dog lover, himself. “They look pretty busy.”

Allyson grabbed his elbow. “Come on.” She led him through the store, passing rabbits, cages of cats, and some birds, until they reached the back of the space, where the dogs waited.

His heart cracked a little as he stared at cage upon cage of dogs—a mixture of puppies and full-grown dogs. So many just waiting for love. How did he choose?

He walked along the row of cages, peering in. Some dogs wagged, some yipped, and others seemed oblivious to what was going on, choosing to nap through the chaos. Each cage held one dog, until he reached the end of the row, where he found two sharing a cage.

A beautiful border collie with black and white fur stood in the center, blocking his view of the other dog. He pushed his nose through one of the openings and wagged his tail, his chocolate brown eyes staring at Lance. His heart melted a little.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Would you like to meet him?”

He smiled at the tall guy in the denim overalls. “Definitely.” He gestured to the other dog. “What’s the deal with that one? Is he okay? This one isn’t letting me get a good look at the other.”

“Yeah, he’s been his protector. They were rescued together from an abandoned farm. We’ve been calling the border collie Sammy, and the Jack Russell Jack. They’re both about three years old and Sammy seems to have taken on the role of Jack’s guardian. He’s blind in one eye.”

“Jack?”

“Yeah.” He unlocked the cage and Sammy walked out, pushing his nose into Lance’s hand.

“Oh, he’s so cute,” Allyson exclaimed.

A quiet cry came from the cage and Lance leaned down to get a better look at Jack.

A sharp bark from Sammy made him straighten up quickly. But he’d seen how the dog was shaking. “They need to stay together,” Lance mused. “Surely, you’re keeping them together, right?”

Sammy darted in and out of the cage, nudging his friend, then sniffing Lance’s shoes. Lance squatted and rubbed Sammy’s head. A warmth spread though him and he knew, knewhe needed to take them both. He reached in and let Jack sniff his hand. When Jack’s tail thumped, Lance smiled.

“We’re hoping to do that, but, you know…” The employee threw up his hands. “It’s not always easy to do that. Jack needs someone who will understand his special needs. He’s got some abandonment issues.”

“We live on a ranch and there’s always someone there. He’d never be alone.” There was no freaking way he would allow these dogs to be split up. Not when they had enough room and enough love for both of them.

Allyson nodded, hands on her hips.

Sammy nuzzled Lance’s hand. Oh, yeah. Definitely taking these dogs home.