Harley’s Second Chance – Chapter 4

(Chance)

It’s not that I didn’t like the guy from next door, or even his dog, who to be honest, I thought had a rather large chip on her shoulder. I just didn’t like them hanging out around my Daisy. Every dog probably thinks his or her human is special, but my Daisy is special. She’d already been through so much after what that jerk Simon put her through; the last thing she needed right now was another missile of male testosterone to throw her off balance. I was enough man in her life, at least until she could get her head back on straight.

The stench was finally starting to die down. Had that Mitch character really gone and fixed the drain? I stood and walked over to check it out for myself. I had to admit, I was impressed. He had his sleeves rolled up and was elbow deep in a bucket of grime. Maybe he was better than Simon, but that still didn’t give him the right to barge into our home in the middle of the night.

“There’s my little baby boy.” Daisy scooped me up in her arms and started smooching the side of my neck.

Any sense of manhood I thought I had a moment ago, had instantly vanished. She may as well have just put bows in my ears. I licked her face, which I knew would only encourage her to love on me more, but I figured, better me than the bozo in the bucket.

I knew it was a mistake for her to waltz over there earlier and introduce us to them, but no one ever listens to the Beagle, no matter how loud I howl. Mitch probably saw it as an invitation to just come over whenever he wanted. Hence the 2am impromptu social call.

When Daisy finally released me back onto the floor, I shook and walked toward the backdoor. “You have to go out?” She asked and opened the back door. “Mitch, do you want me to let Harley out? The yard is fully fenced, so she won’t be able to escape.”

“Sure, thanks,” Mitch said. He was starting to clean up the mess.

I looked over at the shelter mutt. “You coming?”

She rolled her eyes and followed me outside. “When are you going to stop calling me a mutt?”

“When you stop interfering in our lives,” I replied.

“Me? You’re the one who couldn’t even wait a day to introduce yourselves to Mitch. We were perfectly happy to mind our own business until –“

“Quiet.” I barked.

I sensed that she was offended, but I didn’t care. I’d smelled something in the distance.

“Excuse me?” She said. “For a purebred, thoroughbred, whatever you are, you sure need to learn some manners.”

“Thoroughbreds are horses, and you’re excused. Did you sense that?” I was still straining to make out the scent.

“Sense what?” She asked. “Your sarcasm? Loud and clear.” She went to the corner of the yard to do her business, but I remained focused. I whiffed at the air, but whatever had made the hairs on the back of my neck stand was either long gone, or had escaped into a moving vehicle. Daisy was safe – for now.

“Chance? Harley? Come on back inside,” Daisy called from the back door. I made my way inside, still sniffing toward the sky, trying to catch a whiff of that scent. Harley followed a few steps behind.

“Would you put your hunting nose down already?” She said. “You don’t have to catch every squirrel that passes through.”

“I wasn’t sniffing for squirrels,” I quipped.

“Raccoons, rats, squirrels, it makes no difference,” she said.

That only showed what she knew. It didn’t surprise me, though, that a dog from a shelter had so little life experience. She was taught to fear men with sticks and loud noises. But when you come from a home where the sticks don’t fall on you, but on someone you love, you learn to listen for the quiet.

The quiet before a storm.

And every hair on the back of my neck sensed the storm was coming. Daisy had driven us nearly across the country, and still, the promise of danger lurked like a shadow that never seemed to give way.

I watched Daisy flirting with the neighbor. She was oblivious, and for now, that was okay with me. Even good. I liked this house and even the yard didn’t suck. The neighbors left something to be desired, but at least the guy was useful.

“His name is Mitch,” Harley said. She was lying down in the corner of the kitchen. The stench was almost completely aired out.

“Is he nice?” I asked, not really knowing why it mattered or why I cared.

“He’s wonderful,” she smiled. “A true gentleman.”

I nodded and laid down a few feet away from Harley, careful not to make eye contact. She may not know much about real life, but for some reason, she could almost read my mind, and that was a scary place to be right now.

“Thank you so much for helping me out tonight,” Daisy’s voice sang out into the silence.

“Not a problem. Maybe now we can all get some sleep before sunrise.” Mitch washed his hands in the sink, letting the water flow all the way up to his elbows.

“I’m going to take Chance to the dog beach again tomorrow. Would you and Harley like to join us?”

No, no, no, I thought. Just when I hoped that all that drama was finally behind us, Daisy was about to invite another man into our lives. This was the last thing she needed.

To my surprise, Mitch shook his head no. “I don’t think so. Harley’s just getting settled and I’m not sure I want to let her off leash on a public beach just yet.”

“I understand,” Daisy said.

I could hear the disappointment in her voice, and a part of me wanted to maul Mitch’s leg for putting it there. “It wouldn’t kill the mutt to get a little sand in her paws.”

“Hey!” Harley growled.

“Easy Girl,” Mitch cooed. “Come on, let’s go home. I think we’re both a little tired now.”

Harley followed Mitch to the door as Daisy walked them out. “Maybe another time,” Daisy smiled.

Mitch smiled as he let himself and Harley out. “Good night.”

There was that scent again. The same one I’d picked up on when Harley and I were in the yard. “That!” I called out, but Harley was already gone, and probably out of earshot.

I growled again, but Daisy just closed the door. “Hush,” she whispered to me. “Ready for bed?” She scratched behind my ear and kept on walking as if it was no big deal.

I followed her into the bedroom and watched her slip into her jammies. She could sleep, but I didn’t plan on closing my eyes for one second.

If Daisy really was going to take me to the dog beach tomorrow, then I had to find a way for Mitch to come, too. If he really was as great as Harley made him out to be, then having him nearby was the only way I could ensure Daisy would be safe.

That meant I had until morning to convince Harley of two things:

1. I wasn’t such a bad guy.
2. There was a bad guy, and he was coming for Daisy.

Sneak peak:

Chance has to open up to Harley, and Daisy finds herself in a compromising position with Mitch.

Harley’s Second Chance continues next Thursday with Chapter 5!