Tim’s hands trembled as he sat in the back of Master Sam’s 2023 BMW X3 SUV he’d gotten last month. He’d given Aaron his older one, and they’d in turn donated Aaron’s at auction. Tim had been looking online for more than a month, trying to find a dog or cat that spoke to him. This morning he found her. She was honey coloured, with an odd set of greenish eyes and a pleading expression that screamed ‘please adopt me!’ As soon as he’d seen her, he printed the information and flew down the stairs to where Masters Sam and Aaron were having a cup of coffee.
“Master Sam!” he cried.
Sam turned and smiled at him, and the sight made Tim’s heart stutter a bit, just like it always did.
“Good morning, boy.”
Tim dipped his chin. “Good morning, Masters.”
“What’s that in your hand?” Aaron asked.
Tim held it out. “Her name is Opal. She’s five months old. She’s new at the shelter. Her bio said they’d had her elsewhere for almost a month, which makes no sense, because pups are always adopted so quickly, and….” He bit his lip to keep it from wobbling. How was it he’d fallen in love with a dog with nothing more than its picture?
“Is it because she’s so laidback?” Aaron asked. “Perfect for cuddling with?”
That was it exactly. As soon as he’d seen her, a scene popped into his head. One he wanted more than he imagined.“I want to take her on walks with Olly and his dog, Parker. We could go to the park and stroll around and…”
Sam smiled. “You’re in love, aren’t you?”
Tim nodded, too overcome to speak.
“Then get your jacket and let’s go.”
Tim snapped his head up. “Really?”
“Didn’t we say you could have a dog? We’ve been waiting for you to decide. Now that you have, let’s go get her.” Sam grinned. “Are you keeping Opal as the name?”
Tim shook his head. “She doesn’t strike me as an Opal. Wrong color. What do you think of Amber?”
Aaron nodded. “I think that would fit her perfectly.”
And after getting his coat, they were now on the way to adopt Amber. Or at least Tim hoped. He’d always done his best not to get too excited, because things seldom worked out the way he’d hoped. With his luck, they’d be walking in, and someone else would be heading out with Amber.
“It’ll be okay, Tim,” Aaron promised, reaching back and squeezing Tim’s knee. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
That’s what worried Tim the most. It was always those few minutes that did him in. Life changed too rapidly in the space of ‘a few minutes’. He’d been beaten and thrown out of his house in ‘a few minutes’. He’d been found on the sidewalk by Master Aaron and taken to live with him and Sam in ‘a few minutes’. So yes, not all changes were bad, but too many had been in Tim’s life. He wanted—needed—this one to be good.
“If she’s not there, we can look at others,” Sam told them.“But I—” Tim sighed. “Yes, Master Sam.” He leaned back in the seat. Yes, they could look at other dogs. It would be fine.
“What Sam’s saying is, don’t get too attached yet, Tim. We don’t want your feelings hurt.”
And Tim knew that. Truly he did. But Amber had already wormed her way into his heart, and it would devastate Tim if she couldn’t be his. He seldom wanted anything for himself, and this once he held out hope he could have his wish.
“We’re here,” Aaron announced, pulling Tim from his musings. “Let’s go see your pup, Pup.”
He winked, and Tim tried to smile. Really. The problem was his heart wasn’t really in it. She wouldn’t be here. She would be with some other family, and Tim’s heart would break with the loss of a dog he never even met. His mind kept flashing back to him and Olly walking together. True, Olly was more Rob’s friend, but they’d all tried to make him feel at home with the rest of the guys. Tim was more… shy. He wasn’t like Rob or Ellis. He didn’t make friends easily. The idea that he and Olly could bond over their love of the dogs in their lives gave Tim hope that he could show Olly he was fun too. Just…not in the same way as Rob and Ellis, or any other guys from SubSpace.
His door opened, and Master Aaron held out a hand. Tim took it, grateful for the connection. Aaron led him to the doors of the shelter, and kept his grip as they entered the building. Master Sam followed behind them, a powerful presence that Tim needed. As they approached, Tim’s heart started racing. He was minutes away from another disappointment, he knew it. He’d fallen in love, and his hopes and heart would be crushed. He knew Masters Sam and Aaron would be there to comfort him, but he didn’t want comfort. He wanted Amber at home, where Tim could train her. Love her. Show her life outside of a kennel. Introduce her to Parker and Olly. Maybe they could make it a regular event. Maybe he could talk Rob and Ellis into getting dogs. Maybe…. No, he wanted this for him. He had no right to assume others would want a dog. They all worked such long hours, they’d never be home, and the dogs would be lonely, just like Tim had been.
The lady at the counter was adorable. She was dressed in a T-shirt that had seen better days. Splotches of various colors dotted the garment, and Tim thought it best not to wonder where they’d come from. Her face was open, expressive, and when she smiled, it lit up the room.
“Hi, I’m Callie. Welcome.”
“It’s good to meet you, Callie. I’m Sam, and these two reprobates are Aaron and Tim. We’re here hoping to look at a specific dog, if that’s okay.”
She nodded eagerly. “Go through those doors, and it’ll take you to our dog room. You can look and, if you want, ask someone there to take you to a meet and greet room.”
“Thank you. Let’s go, guys.”
The paperwork Tim had said Amber would be in kennel D-6. Every step he took, he was sure his legs would collapse. His entire life, Tim had never asked for anything of his own. He’d always taken what was given to him, even by Sam and Aaron. This time—this one time—he wanted something that would be his. They turned the corner that led to the kennel, and when they got there, Tim’s heart sank.
“She’s on hold,” he whispered. “Someone else is going to adopt her.”
If his heart could crack, it would. He turned and buried his face in Aaron’s chest. A strong hand stroked over Tim’s back, but the comfort he always felt when one of his men touched him was missing. Why? What was it about this dog that had him so worked up in knots? He might not even like her. She might not like him.
“Can we go home?” he asked.
“Hi, I’m Bailey,” a young man said. Like Callie, he was very chipper.
“No, thank you,” Tim said. “We’re going home.”
“We’d like to spend some time with this dog, if that’s okay?” Sam said in a pleasant tone.
“Of course it is.” Bailey reached into his pocket and withdrew some keys, and once he found the one he wanted, opened the door. Amber—Opal—lay on a cot and looked at the door, those pleading eyes focused on Tim. He was aghast. How could Sam be this cruel to do something like this?
Tim turned away, not able to stand looking at Opal. “Master Sam, can we go home? Please?”
“No, we can’t,” he said adamantly. “Get in there and meet the dog.”
Tim didn’t want to. He knew he’d fall even more deeply in love. “I can’t,” he admitted. “I don’t want to see her if I’m never going to be able to hold her.”
Aaron chuckled. “Tim, did you read the sign on the door?”
He nodded. “It says she’s on hold.”
“And did you look at the name on the sign?”
He turned and widened his eyes. There, on the sign, was his name. “I don’t understand.”
Sam slipped an arm over Tim’s shoulder. “When you were getting ready, I called and asked if they could put a sign on the door, holding the dog until we got here.” He brushed his fingers through Tim’s hair. “We wanted this for you too, you know.”
“I can really meet her?”
Bailey chuckled. “Yes, she’s here for you to meet. If you like her, we can discuss her going home with you.” He peered down at a board in his hand. “She’s not… most dogs are energetic, but not Opal. She’s a homebody. She likes walks, but to her it doesn’t matter if she goes or not. She likes to sit at home, and wants that one special person to love her forever.”
Tim stepped into the room, his mind swimming. Master Sam had done this for him? He’d have to give him an extra special blow job in the morning.
“Opal is—”
“Amber,” Aaron said. “If Tim loves her—which he obviously does—she’ll be named Amber.”
That seemed to make Bailey insanely happy. “Amber it is, then. Anyway, Amber is shy around new people. It’s hard for her to open up. Because of this, people are hesitant to take her. She was rescued by someone who called the police because her owners kept her chained outside all night, regardless of the weather. The woman said she couldn’t stand to hear Op—I mean Amber—crying all night, so she called and when the police came, they found her in the yard with no food or water. They took her away and gave them a fine.”
“A fine?” Sam snarled. “How can they get off that easily?”
Bailey frowned. “It’s the best we can do. Dogs aren’t a high priority compared to property and the like. The fact they got a £250 fine was surprising. Usually it’s just a slap on the wrist, and a promise not to do it again.”
Tim didn’t want to hear anymore. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, holding out a hand. What he wanted was to show Amber she was safe with him. He would protect her. She’d never have to sleep outside again, and she’d always have fresh water available.
“So don’t be offended if she doesn’t come to you right—”
Amber stood and took a few tentative steps toward Tim, then stopped.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “I promise I won’t hurt you. My name is Tim, and I want us to be friends.”
Amber moved a bit closer, then lifted her nose to sniff Tim’s hand.
“I’ll be damned,” Bailey said. “She doesn’t do this with anyone. Ever.”
“Our boy has a knack,” Aaron said, pride obvious in his voice. “She can probably sense he’ll never hurt her.”
With that said, Amber pressed her muzzle into Tim’s hand. He stroked his fingers over it, and then Amber dropped onto her back, allowing Tim to rub her stomach, which he did with glee. Afterward, Amber got up and lay back down with her head in Tim’s lap. He stroked her ears, her head, and she soaked up the affection like a sponge.
“Pretty sure we’re taking her home with us,” Sam rumbled. “And no one is ever going to hurt her again.”
Tim loved his men. He’d always loved them. But to hear Master Sam speak the words that were in Tim’s heart? Nothing could be more amazing than that.
“Want to come home with us, girl?” Tim whispered in Amber’s ear.
Her tail thumped against the tile floor, and she pushed herself more on top of Tim, wanting to get closer. With each effort, Tim found himself being more in love with this dog who’d captured his heart with nothing more than a picture.
Because it did something the dog never could. Spoke a thousand words.
