Chapter 53: A little companion

Janice yelped as she came awake.

She was woken by someone prodding her side and nudging her face with a wet cloth.

Her eyelashes flutter while trying to adjust to the bright light in the room.

She wondered why it was this bright in the morning and why the blurry figure of Jules was hovering above her head.

She furrowed her brows as her eyes got accustomed to the room lighting. And then she noticed it wasn't Jules alone that was watching her.

The other wasn't a human but a four-legged being.

Janice shrieked and almost leapt out of bed as it came down on her. "Jules!"

"I thought you would like it." He shrugged, picking up the cutest brown-eyed puppy she had ever seen.

It looked like a golden retriever, or maybe she was wrong because she couldn't tell the breed of most dogs, and she tended to mix them up all the time.

The puppy whined and struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Should I take it back?" He asked, caressing the white and brown fur.

The puppy stopped struggling, and its ears perked up. It stared at her while tilting its head.

Janice wondered if it knew what they were talking about. Or maybe it was just curious.

But she could sense the puppy knew they were talking about whether to take it back because it whined again.

Its whining wasn't to be put down this time. Instead, it sounded more like, 'Why take me back when I have gotten a place to stay?'

Janice rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her silly thoughts about the puppy.

She wasn't an expert regarding animals, but she could tell how they felt since she had once had a dog. So, she studied their behavioural pattern.

"Do you want it, Madame, or should I take it back? I thought you needed a little companion to keep you company while I'm busy."

Janice's eyes flitted to him, and she tilted her brows. "Are you going on a business trip again?"

She continued as he didn't answer right away.

"Because you sound like you will be gone for a long time."

"I am not going anywhere currently. I am just saying you needed a companion." He explained.

Janice sighed, nodding her head. He was right; she needed a companion.

Though Maggie was around- She had come to stay because the Queen had said she would not be going anywhere soon due to her current state- Janice knew Margie wouldn't come to her room all the time when she progressed in her pregnancy.

It seemed she was going to have it worse than her as the morning sickness for her had begun, and she wasn't even up to a month yet.

Also, she looked pretty awful. Even worse than she had been during her first trimester.

"Of course, silly. I need a companion!"

"I thought you didn't want it." Jules halted at the door. "You weren't saying anything, and I feel like you were about to murder me with the glares in your eyes."

"That is because you startled me." She said.

Jules walked back to the bed and dropped the little creature on it.

It yapped happily, wagging its short tail. The puppy hopped around on the bed before sitting on her lap.

"Does it have a name yet?" Janice grinned as the little creature began to lick her fingers.

"Now I am jealous you won't be thinking about me much," Jules said, watching as the puppy rolled on her lap.

"Jealous of an animal?"

"Of course. It doesn't look like an animal to me." He said. "It looked like a family."

Janice stared at Jules for a while. She didn't know if she imagined it, but she saw how soft he looked at the puppy.

She couldn't believe he would be affectionate to an animal. At least, not an animal the size of a puppy.

She had seen how he cared for his horse while it was sick.

She had felt that way about her Mare, too.

Also, she believed Jules and his horse, Dillion, had the same personality; they were broody.

So they could relate to one another.

However, the puppy was different. Janice didn't mind that Jules was feeling that way towards it.

Heck, it made her curious about what other affection he was trying to hide from her.

Most significantly, the affection from her.

"Madame."

"What?!" Startled by how he had gripped her, Janice smacked his hand.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled with a small smile. "I was far away with my thoughts."

"I can tell." He nodded. "What will you call it?"

"I don't know." She said, staring at it.

The puppy was also watching her expectantly.

Jules frowned. "Maybe it can be Bessie?"

"It's a female?" Asked Janice.

"Of course. Do you expect me to get you a male?"

"I don't mind," Janice replied with a shrug. "But, I'm glad she is a female. She looks so beautiful."

Janice hoisted the creature to her face level. "I believe Bessie sounds good."

The puppy yapped as if agreeing with what they had named it.

"Bessie likes her name." Janice giggled, setting it down.

"Thank you." She said, staring at Jules.

"It's nothing. I just wanted you to be happy, and I am glad you like it." Jules sat on the bed, and she moved closer to him.

Her lips brushed the scruff on his cheeks before his lips.

The kiss began slowly at first, and then it grew intense.

Janice moaned into his mouth as he kissed her. She groaned while Bessie stepped into their middle, trying to get their attention.

"Geez, such a little attention seeker." She said as soon as Jules released her lips from his.

"It's just like you," Jules chuckled. Then he dodged a pillow that she hurled at him.

"Ha Ha, that's very funny." Janice rolled her eyes.

"It is." He affirmed, dodging yet another pillow. "I'll see you soon, darling."

Jules blew her a kiss and dashed out of the room.

Janice scowled at where he stood a while ago before staring at Bessie. Her frown was instantly replaced with a smile, and she rubbed its fur.

"We are going to have a great time together." She murmured with a smile.