Hound for the Holidays
by
Picture - #10
Disclaimer: Story mine. Characters sorta. Picture #10
Written: November 13, 2008
Madison’s head bobbed in time with the Christmas music blaring through the pet store’s sound system as she pushed her cart happily up one aisle and down the next. “Ya know, Pepper, this is gonna be the best Christmas yet.”
Pepper, a 3 month old black lab looked up at her owner adoringly and yipped her agreement.
“And ya know why?” the petite blonde asked looking down at her pup. “It’s all because of you.” She gently placed her index finger on the pup’s nose. “I’m not gonna be alone this year.” Madison smiled happily to herself continuing to toss items into her cart.
She rounded a corner and pulled up short when she almost careened into another shopping cart left unattended. “Oh,” she squeaked. “What have we here, huh, Pepper? Looks like a lonely little puppy.”
Madison walked over to the other cart. “Hello cutie,” she said, reaching out a hand for the other pup to sniff. The pup did so, quickly deciding that this new human was a friend and licking the offered fingers. Green eyes crinkled with Madison’s laughter and she scratched the pup behind her ears as she bent down to let the golden lab lick her face.
“Glad you like my dog,” drawled an alto voice behind Madison. She spun around at the sound, nearly losing her balance in the process. Strong arms reached out to steady her, causing tingles to course through her body.
“Um… yeah, she’s a cutie,” stammered the petite blonde, getting lost in the azure eyes before her.
“Sam.” At the bewildered look on the smaller woman’s face, the newcomer said, “I’m Kate and this is my dog, Sam. You know, blonde hair, big brown eyes, like Amanda Tapping on that sci fi show…”
Recognition dawned in the smaller woman’s eyes. “Oh, yeah, I like that show. I’m Madison, by the way, and behind you there is my dog Pepper.”
“Nice to meet you.” Turning to Pepper she said, “And nice to meet you too.” She held out her hand for the dog to sniff. Pepper liked what her nose told her so she gave the fingers a lick.
Madison laughed, “Sam did the same thing to me.”
“I’ll bet; she licks anything she can get her tongue on.” Inexplicably this caused a blush to creep up Kate’s cheeks. To hide the coloring she turned back to Pepper and let the dog lick her face. Madison did the same, allowing Sam to be a puppy washcloth.
“Oh isn’t that adorable,” quavered an older woman when she spied the two women and their dogs. “I guess it’s true what they say, a dog really does tend to look like its owner.”
Both women stood up, pointed to the opposite cart and said, “That’s my dog.” They looked at each other and chuckled.
“Oh,” said the older woman, “you could have fooled me.” She smiled at the two women. “Well since your dogs seem to like both of you, maybe you should get to know each other better. So your… dogs can have another playmate?” she said with a twinkle in her eye and wandered off down the aisle.
The two women stared after her, then slowly their gazes returned to each other. Blue eyes locked with green. “You know,” said Kate, “That’s not a half bad idea.”
“Would you like to go out for coffee?” asked Madison at the same time.
They chuckled again. “Sure, I’d love to have coffee with you, but where can we go with the dogs?”
“How ‘bout my place,” the petite blonde said batting her eyes.
“Sounds good to me.”
Two hours and several cups of coffee later Madison had invited Kate to stay for dinner. As she was passing into the kitchen Kate called to her. The petite blonde turned around, a questioning look in her eye.
Blue eyes slowly tracked to the doorframe above Madison’s head and back down to meet her green eyed gaze. Kate closed the distance saying, “Mistletoe.” Slowly she bent her head and briefly touched the lips of the smaller woman.
Madison’s arms came up around the taller woman. When they broke the kiss, Madison asked in a whisper, “I’m not going to be alone for Christmas, am I?”
“Nope.”
Both pups yipped happily and chased each other around the room, glad to have a canine companion at last.
The End
Story by: Akiela Xal
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