but the person was persistent. I didn’t want to see anyone or get any more gifts from Oliver, so I finally yelled, “Go away.”
“My instructions are to stay here until this… umm… package… is safely delivered,” the young man answered.
With a huff, I got up and stalked across the room. After I flung the door open, I gawked at the squirmy, adorable puppy he was holding.
“Violet Markle?” The man asked.
“Yes, but that’s not mine,” I answered, already backing up.
“He’s yours now,” the man said as he shoved the wiggly puppy in my direction.
If I’d been thinking straight, I would have refused to hold the little furball, but the way the man pushed him into my chest left me little choice. As soon as I accepted the weight of his little body, the man released him and stepped away.
“Wait!” I called to his already retreating back. “You need to take him back where he came from. This is not my puppy.”
“Sorry, ma’am. My instructions were clear to leave him with you.”
I stood there gawking as he walked quickly away from my apartment door.
Deciding the young man wasn’t going to be any help, I turned to go back inside my apartment. In a firm voice, I told the small dog in my arms, “Don’t get too comfortable because you are not staying.”
The soft puppy burrowed into the crook of my neck, gave a stuttered sigh, and promptly fell asleep––already trusting me completely.
42
Oliver
I knew it was heavy-handed and presumptuous to send a puppy to Violet, but she had mentioned to me that her apartment had seemed too quiet and depressing over the past year. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t sad or lonely. Since she refused to allow me back into her life, I sent a proxy who would love her, snuggle with her, and make sure she got outside for some fresh air.
Vi was my top concern, and she needed a puppy––whether she realized it or not. It wasn’t my place to force it on her, but I knew she wouldn’t get one on her own. Besides, she already hated me anyway, so what was one more misdeed going to hurt? I wanted only what was best for her, and a furry friend would bring some joy back into her life. She already thought I was a controlling dick, anyway, so I might as well act like one.
On the upside, if she was able to open her heart to this little dog, he would bring her years of loyal companionship and unconditional love. Plus, every time she looked at him, she would be reminded of me. Perhaps, with time, he would help soften her anger towards me. I would do anything to get back into her good graces, and I would wait as long as it took.
I grinned when I saw her text buzz through. She was seriously pissed, but she was reaching out to me, which was more than I’d gotten before. The puppy was already working its magic.
Opting to ignore her creative name-calling and cursing at me, my texted response addressed her concern about not having any puppy supplies. She went dark for a long while after I sent the “Look outside your door” message.
I pictured her digging through the bags of top-of-the-line puppy supplies I had outfitted them with. The delivery included a big bag of large-breed premium puppy food, ceramic dishes for food and water, chew toys, a huge doggy bed that the pup would grow into, grooming supplies, and a royal blue leash with a matching collar.
I had tried to think of anything the two of them might need, and I’d had a blast picking it all out. She remained silent for a long time, so I sent her a string of texts. “Did the supplies arrive okay?... Do you have everything you need?... He’s a chocolate lab mix, which I thought was perfect for you.”
When an hour went by without a single response from her, I finally texted, “If you really don’t want him, I’ll make sure he gets safely returned to the shelter.”
The three dots immediately lit up, indicating she was responding. I sat on the edge of my sofa, anxiously awaiting her verdict.
It seemed to take forever for her to answer, which made me think she was typing, erasing, and re-typing. I took that as a great sign that she must be at least somewhat torn about sending the little guy back.
When her response finally buzzed through it was rather abrupt, but it