Let Me Hold You by Melanie Schuster Page A

panting happily and licking her arm and her hand, whatever it could get to. When she got home she put her new charge inside her jacket and carried it into the house. She kicked off her sneakers at the door and went to the linen closet for some towels to dry the dog.
    “You’re a girl,” she murmured. “You sure are a mess,” she said as she rubbed it all over, searching for any wounds or injuries. The dog was mostly white with back markings, especially on its face. It looked like it was wearing a mask; its bright eyes were surrounded by black and its ears, which were enormous, were also black. It was a small dog, about ten or twelve pounds, she guessed, and had what would undoubtedly be silky hair when it was shampooed and groomed. She was extremely friendly, or at least extremely grateful to be out of the cold rainy night. She had plopped herself in Alana’s lap and attempted to lick every bit of skin she could get to.
    “I’ll bet you’re hungry,” Alana said. “Let’s go find you something to eat.”
    About an hour later, Alana and her new friend were sound asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. Alana had found a petite filet mignon in the refrigerator and cooked it for the puppy, trimming off every speck of fat and cutting it into bite-sized morsels.
    After the puppy ate, she was dry and disheveled, although cute as she could be. Her big eyes stayed glued to Alana and she followed her everywhere as if she thought her new friend would leave her and she’d be out in the cold and rain again.
    “Don’t worry, sweetie. You’re going to be just fine,” Alana assured her. She made a makeshift bed of pillows and cushions on the floor and they cuddled up and went to sleep. It was the best sleep Alana had had in years.
    * * *
    A week later, Alana was in her office working on the weekly payroll when the intercom buzzed and she was told that a Mr. Casey wanted to see her. She frowned slightly and said, “Send him back, please.”
    She looked up as his large body filled the doorway. It was the first time she’d seen him since the night of the party and he looked just as good now as he had then. And he was bearing gifts, as usual: a bunch of her favorite flowers, this time in a gorgeous pink color. She was trying to think of the appropriate greeting but it wasn’t needed. His eyes crinkled in a smile as he noticed her companion, who was peering at him from the play area Alana had set up for her.
    “Who is this? Where did you come from, cutie?”
    “I found her a week ago,” Alana informed him.
    To her surprise, Roland squatted down and held his fingers out to Domino, who wasted no time in trotting over to meet him. She stood up and put her paws on his knee, staring up at him as though he were the most wonderful thing she’d ever seen in her life. Her plumy tail was wagging so fast that it was a blur of black and white, and she smiled at him for all she was worth.
    “Aww, man, she’s a sweet little thing, isn’t she?” He was so absorbed in making her acquaintance that he’d obviously forgotten why he’d come. He practically tossed the bouquet at Alana and said, “These are for you,” in an offhand manner while he and Domino flirted with each other. He finally picked her up in one big hand and sat down with her in his lap. She was shameless, standing up and putting her paws on his broad chest while she tried to give him kisses. He leaned down so she could have her way with his chin and he laughed his appreciation.
    “You found her?”
    “Yes, I did. I was on my way to the drugstore in the middle of the night and there she was. I couldn’t leave the poor little thing.”
    The morning after she’d found Domino, she’d taken her straight to the vet used by Alexis and Sherri for their dogs and had her checked out thoroughly. The vet said she was less than a year old, and she gave her the basic shots and checked her for a microchip. There was no chip in her, but she’d already been spayed. Alana