Secrets, Adventure, Fear, & Love: Book Two
What follows is an excerpt from my short story, Race To Adoption.
"Damn, lost again." Jake dropped onto the couch, flinging unused
papers to the floor. "And we were so close this time."
"We'll get the next one." Trudy massaged his shoulders.
"After six months of trying, I'm not inclined to agree with your
optimism. My job is interfering with our chances for success."
"We'll plan better next time."
"Planning can't make up for emergencies and shift work. Let's
face it, our search for the right pup is cursed."
"I'll never believe that. We just haven't found the right one for
our family." She rubbed the small baby bulge stretching her T-shirt.
"Alright, I won't give up hope. You keep searching the shelters
and rescues. I need to sleep before my shift." He headed for their
bedroom. His shoulders slumped from another disappointment.
Trudy watched him walk away. His twelve-hour shifts were
tiring and taxing. They added to his stress.
This is all my fault for suggesting we find him a hunting dog
and then pushing for adoption from a shelter or rescue rather than
buying from a breeder. I must do better.
She pulled out their laptop and began yet another search. The
usual sites populated as she searched for the desired labrador, golden
retriever, or golden lab mix puppy.
***
After kissing Trudy goodbye before she headed to bed, Jake headed
for work at the Air Force base.
"No luck?" Tim asked when Jake tossed his gear in a locker
and slammed the door.
"We rushed to the shelter but missed him by half an hour. If
only my shift ended sooner."
"You both had to be there?"
"For that rescue, yes. They're particular about meeting the
entire family before agreeing to an adoption."
"Sounds more difficult than getting a kid."
"Tell me about it."
"The boss might agree to let you off early if you explain how
important this is to you and Trudy."
"I could see him agreeing if we were talking about a baby, but
a puppy? Not likely."
"Well, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks, we need all the luck we can get."