Sydney's Dogs Ch. 04

She saw the beginnings of a small smile just before his head dropped to hide his expression.

"Anyway, we're here," she announced, pulling her SUV into the department store parking lot. They got out and went inside. She had him try on a few pairs of pants to find the right size—the jeans she had gotten him were a little too big—and then she bought him a full wardrobe. It wasn't quite as elaborate as Talon and Zaide's (there were no suits for starters) but it was serviceable and comfortable. That's what she had intended.

They left the department store with several large bags of necessities and a little extra courage for Brandt.

"Ok, our next stop is something special," she warned with a secretive smile. "And I want you to be completely honest with me. Even though you can talk to me, I actually have no idea what you went through. I can imagine it and sympathize until Kingdom come, but I will never totally understand. Where we're going next, I hope we can find someone who understands and who will give you a little perspective."

"Where are we going?" he asked, curiosity in his voice. Sydney silently cheered a the small victory—he hadn't stuttered or second guessed his words one bit!

"The humane society," she told him. She pulled into the parking lot, found an open space, and turned the car off. "Now, I want you to look at the animals here and see if you can find a kindred spirit. You will be in charge of cleaning up after it—that will be exclusively your chore, the only thing you will be required to do while you live with me. Understand?"

He nodded nervously.

"And if you don't find the right companion for you, that's fine too. Don't feel like you HAVE to take on any responsibility you're not ready for," she insisted. She was kicking herself now for sounding totally wishy-washy on the whole thing. "Lets go inside and see."

He nodded again and, holding his hand for emotional support, they walked into the doors of the humane society.

"Morning!" said the woman behind the desk. She was a comfortably plump brunet in a grey t-shirt and jeans. "Looking to adopt?"

"Yes, we are. I'm actually getting a pet for my...cousin," she replied.

"Oh my goodness, you're Sydney Tobin, arn't you?" the woman suddenly gushed. "You donate so much money to us every year! My name is Maria Hamlin and if there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Yeah, that's me," she sighed. "Can we just see the animals?"

"Are you looking for a cat or a dog?" Maria asked.

Sydney looked expectantly at Brandt.

"Um...Dog," he said.

"This way to the kennels," Maria motioned them to follow her.

When they entered the kennels, dog-filled cages lined the hallway, much like the exhibit rooms at the PPA. Sydney watched Brandt closely, ready to hustle him out of the building if he couldn't handle this. He looked a little shaky, but he kept moving forward. His grip on her hand was so tight it was almost painful, but Sydney didn't pull away.

"We have all breeds. So take a look and see if you can find a best friend," invited Maria, waving her hands to the occupied cages.

Slowly, Brandt and Sydney walked up the row, looking at the different dogs in the cages. Sydney momentarily had the wild idea of adopting them all and bringing them home. The four of them could handle a pack of mutts, right? But she reminded herself that taking care of one dog was going to be a challenge, even if Brandt was going to be the principal care giver. And she'd never really had a dog of her own before. She had been a pet sitter in high school, but she had never had enough space for a dog until she had inherited her father's house, and after that she'd been too busy.

Brandt looked at the dogs, all different breeds and sizes, and his grip on Miss Sydney's hand loosened. Then he came to the last cage. Inside was a dark grey pit bull with a lopsided squint, huge paws, and her tongue hanging out happily. He stared into the dog's one good eye for a long time.

"This one," he finally declared.

"That's Lucky Lucy," Maria told him. "She came to us right after her first fight—just dumped on our back door with her face all bloodied up. Our veterinarian was good enough to save her life, but she lost one eye."

"She's the one," Brandt said with firmness that Sydney hadn't heard before. She knew then that it was a good idea for Brandt to have a companion like this. Someone who would love him unconditionally, who had ben hurt, who he could help and who could help him. They were perfect for each other.

"We'll take her," Sydney confirmed. Brandt glanced at her, gratitude shining in his eyes.

"Do you want to take her for a walk first. Get to know her a bit?" Maria asked.

"I'll trust my cousin's instincts," Sydney assured her.

Maria got a leash and opened the door. Lucy lunged at the opportunity to escape, but Maria was too quick and managed to snap the leash on her collar and restrain her. Lucy pulled and looked towards Brandt. He dropped to one knee and held out his hand. Lucy nosed it, smelled it, and then licked it vigorously.

"Well, it's obvious she likes you. You can walk her out to the front desk and get to know her a little while I get the paperwork together," Maria suggested and handed over the leash. "Since you're a regular and generous donor, I'll wave the adoption fees for you."

Sydney smiled encouragingly at Brandt and they followed Maria out to the main lobby.

"If you want to give Lucy to me for a minute, there's something under the front seat you might like," she suggested. He hesitantly nodded and handed over the leash. Sydney gave him the car keys to unlock the car door.

Taking a deep breath, Brandt left the lobby. Sydney held tight to the leash while Lucy lunged after him.

"Oof! Strong dog!"

"She's only eight months old," Maria told her. "So she's still got some growing to do."

"Good thing Brandt is so big," Sydney replied with a smile.

"Is...there something wrong with him?" Maria asked in a gossip's hushed tones as she pushed the packet of standard adoption papers towards Sydney. "He's kinda out of it, if you know what I mean."

"His last girlfriend was a manipulative bitch," Sydney lied easily. "She basically ground him into the dirt and kept him there for years. That's why he moved out here with me—to get away from the she-dragon. I'd rip her heart out if I could get close enough."

"I don't understand women like that," Maria agreed. "They just use feminism as an excuse to hurt people. He seems like a nice boy."

"He's really a sweetheart. I hope Lucky Lucy can bring out the best in him," she smiled.

"Just get them both into a training program as soon as possible, and you'll be fine," Maria assured her. "Remember, 'Untrained is Unloved.'" She gestured to the sign behind her advocating obedience school.

"Absolutely," Sydney replied patronizingly.

Just then Brandt came back in holding the harness she had bought earlier. "I don't understand," he said as he returned the car keys.

"The harness is for Lucy," Sydney explained. She was grateful he hadn't stolen her car or just run away. It had been a test, of sorts, to see if he could be trusted out of her sight for a minute, and she was glad he had passed it. "That way she can safely ride in the back seat instead of a crate."

Brandt actually smiled at the idea, relief visibly relaxing his shoulders.

"Well, we've just finished the paperwork," Sydney said as she signed the last line. "Congratulations, Brandt. Lucy is all yours. Why don't you put the collar and harness on her so we can give Maria back hers."

Brandt, still smiling, knelt beside Lucy and buckled the harness and collar around her thick chest and neck before removing the old collar. Then he clipped on the new leash and stood, looking to Miss Sydney for direction.

"Thank you, Maria," Sydney said to their hostess as she took hold of Brandt's elbow and walked out the door.

"You're welcome! Good luck with everything!" Maria called back.

Sydney unlocked the car with a click of her remote. "Buckle her in—we're off to the pet store."

Brandt complied and then buckled himself beside her in the back seat. Sydney smiled at them from the driver's seat; they were so cute! Brandt could have been 10-years-old again with his first stray dog. She liked seeing the hope in his face.

They drove to the pet store. She instructed him to keep a tight hold on Lucy, who was eager for any adventure, and she pushed the cart around the store. Sydney had fun selecting the various supplies needed for a dog. Brandt was obviously overwhelmed; every-time she suggested something, he would just nod his head with a little smile.

They got food and water dishes, a large bag of dog food, a kit for a dog house that looked like a log cabin, a fleecy bed, treats, toys, poop bags and flea treatments. She picked out a book about basic dog care for Brandt to study and they also signed up for the weekly dog obedience classes.

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "I'll be here with you every time."

They checked out and a sales associate helped carry their purchases to the car. Brandt sat with Lucy on the way home.

"M-Miss Sydney, I can't—thank you enough—for everything," Brandt tried to express himself.

"No worries, you're very welcome. This is fun for me," she told him. "Besides, it seems like you and Lucy are already best friends."

Lucy licked Brandt's face as if to prove Sydney's point.

"In one day, you have given me more than I have ever hoped for in my entire life," Brandt continued, sounding awed.

"If you want to show your appreciation, make me a promise," she said in her most serious voice. "I want you to promise me that you will never, ever, under any circumstances, try to take your life again."

Brandt buried his face in Lucy's neck. "I...you said...at the agency...you said you were...going to use me," he reminded her, his voice muffled by dog fur. "I...I just can't...attend."

Sydney sighed. "You thought I was telling the agency the truth?" He was silent. "Honey, I would have said anything to get you out of there. I tried to show you my true colors after that. I hope you know now how I really feel."

"I...I think so," he ventured. "But I can't—I can't attend!"

"I believe you," she said softly.

"They tried to make me, but I just couldn't. They tried everything but nothing worked," he babbled. "And I tried—I tried to respond the way they wanted me to. But I can't."

"Brandt, it's ok. I understand," she insisted, worried by his sudden confession.

"They tried drugs," he whispered.

"Like what? Cocaine? Ecstasy?"

"Viagra. And others like that. So many doctors...but none of them could explain why I just couldn't...preform," he continued.

"How old were you when this started?" she wanted to know.

"Fourteen. All the others...they figured out things much earlier that I did...there was nothing wrong with them." He sounded close to tears.

That did it. Sydney pulled over to the side of the road, put the car in park, and turned around in her seat to take his hand and look him in the eye. "Listen to me very carefully. There is nothing wrong with you. If you have some physical or hormonal defect that makes sex impossible for you, that's not because you are an inferior human being. It's just the way things are. Maybe it can be fixed. Maybe it can't. It's not the end of the world. It will not change how I value you. And Lucy doesn't care. Who else matters?"

He let out a shaky sigh and nodded. Lucy licked his shoulder encouragingly.

"Now, both Lucy and I are depending on you, so I need you to promise to never attempt suicide again. Ok?"

"Ok," he murmured.

"I want to hear you say the words," she insisted.

"I promise...never to attempt suicide again," he repeated dutifully.

"Good. Are you going to be ok for now?" she asked. He nodded again. "Double good. Time for lunch!"

She pulled into traffic again and in a few minutes they were back at her house. She pulled into the garage and turned off the engine.

"One more question before we go inside," she cautioned. She turned to look at him. "And I need a truthful answer."

He waited patiently, one hand absently stroking Lucy's back.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but I know that if I don't it will be worse. I mean, I'm trying not to be a nymphomaniac, but it's just..." She sighed and collected herself. Then finally asked, "Will it bother you if Zaide and Talon and I are having sex on a regular basis?"

Brandt blushed and looked away for a moment. "No," he finally said. "I...I can handle that, so long as I'm not expected to join in...and so long as no one tries to...arouse me."

"I will definitely explain to them that you are off limits," she assured him. "But are you sure it's going to be ok?"

He gave her a brave, lopsided smile that looked just like Lucy's. "Sex isn't going to drop off the face of the earth just because I'm uncomfortable," he stated. "So I may as well get used to the idea, even if I never participate."

Sydney gave him her biggest smile. She was so proud of him—and not just because she had official clearance to get sticky with the other two men in her house. He had come so far in just one day. It was almost too good to be true, but she hoped that Lucy would keep things moving forward. "Fabulous. Now, let's get all this stuff inside and see what Zaide has made us for lunch!"

Brandt wasn't much help getting the purchases inside since he was occupied with holding Lucy, but Talon and Zaide were more than happy to help move things inside. Lucy didn't lunge at the two men the way she had enthusiastically charged everything else. She regarded them with her one good eye, as if they were peculiarities. Then she started sniffing around the house.

"You might want to take her for a walk outside," Sydney warned him. "She probably has to go to the bathroom—take a poop bag with you! I don't want to step in any unfortunate presents!"

Brandt nodded and escorted Lucy to the back lawn.

"That dog is a beast," Talon commented not unkindly.

"Maybe, but she has a heart of gold. And they bonded almost instantly," Sydney replied.

"He seems...happy," Zaide observed.

"I like to think so. Anyway, you guys should know that he's off limits. Don't harass him or tell him dirty jokes or even touch him—I mean, if it's a life or death situation, that's one thing, but please, for the most part, just leave him alone. He's already been through so much," she begged, her hazel eyes shining up at them so that they had no hope of resisting her request even if they wanted to.

Zaide shrugged. "I don't care one way or another, but if it's important to you, I'll be as gentle as a lamb," he said. But, he added silently to himself, if Brandt ever hurt Miss Sydney again...

"I won't interfere," Talon promised, but he caught the hard glint in Zaide's eye as he looked away from Miss Sydney. As long as Brandt behaved, he had nothing to fear.

"Thanks, both of you," she beamed. "Now, I'm starving. Please tell me you made something yummy for lunch?" she asked Zaide, batting her eyelashes.

"Vegetarian soft tacos sound yummy enough?" he asked.

"De-lish," she cried. She ran out back to call Brandt in for lunch. As soon as she was gone, Talon and Zaide exchanged a knowing look and a mutual nod before going to the kitchen to set the table.

Sydney was excited—this was their first meal together as a family. She hadn't been a part of family-style meals in years. They had been common place when her mother was still alive, but her father had not been the breaking-bread-together type, so she'd only ever felt like a family when she was with her best friend Brenna and her parents. After Brenna had moved to Colorado to get married, Sydney had made do with microwave dinners and takeout in between awkward dates.

Brandt was quiet during the meal, but that was expected. Lucy sat at his feet, waiting for scraps to fall. Talon and Zaide doted on Sydney, passing her the tortillas, re-fried beans, tomatoes, cheese and everything else she could possibly want in a taco.

"Miss Sydney," Talon interjected as soon as everyone was served. "I took the liberty of investigating your basement while you were out."

"Find any skeletons or boogie monsters?" she teased.

"No, but I did find killer dust bunnies," he teased back with an easy smile. She laughed. He felt a unique flush of satisfaction that she'd liked his joke. He continued, "I did as much as I could, but there was one door I could not open."

"Oh, that," she sighed. "That would be the door to my father's private study. I have no idea what's in there, but the key should be in my office somewhere."

"Would it be alright if I cleaned it up someday?" he wanted to know.

"I don't see why not. It's probably got a bunch of old books and papers squirreled away in there. It's probably a fire hazard," she guessed.

"There are a few other things down there I'd like to show you," he said.

"Like what?" she asked as she took a gigantic bite of her soft taco.

As Talon watched her eat, he remembered the way she had deep-throated him. Did she know that the way she her mouth moved was so sexy? He gave himself a mental shake and replied, "Like an electric keyboard, for starters."

"That's right, you know how to play piano. You could totally play some moody jazz while we shoot pool. It'd be like a mini-club in my basement," she giggled.

"You could sing along," Talon suggested.

"I'm no good at singing," she protested.

"You sounded fine in the car," he argued.

"You could barely hear me over the volume of the real music," she reminded him.

"I'm entitled to my opinions," he stubbornly persisted.

She just grinned and bit off more taco. After lunch was over, Brandt took Lucy outside to try to construct her dog house. Sydney was glad he had something to do.

She leaned out the back door to call after him, "When you're done with that, I'd like you to straighten up your room—Heliotrope hyenas! Did that actually come out of my mouth?"

Brandt made a noise that was almost a giggle.

"Just put your clothes and stuff where you can find it," she amended.

He nodded. "I will."

Sydney went back inside. She looked around her familiar home. Something was different. Even though it was as clean as ever—maybe even cleaner—it felt totally different. She had assumed that solitude was preferable to male company, but that might be because so many men had deserted her in her life. Now that she had three (well, maybe two and a half) men who in fact depended on her and would not leave her (at least for a while), they sort of filled up the house.

"Miss Sydney," Talon called from the stairs. "Would you like to see the rec room now?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "A round of pool sounds great for a Saturday afternoon."

She followed him downstairs. The rec room had been completely transformed. She hadn't visited this part of her house in months. The last time she was here, sheets had covered all the furniture to protect them from dust. Talon had removed them, dusted and polished every surface until everything glistened like new.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I think it's amazing," she replied. "I have a TV down here? And a stereo system?"

"And a real bar," Talon pointed out. "I threw out the alcohol, because the fumes alone would have pealed your paint, but the glassware is in good condition."

"Now if I only had enough friends to have at a party," she sighed wistfully.

"Surely you have plenty of friends," Talon protested.

"Not really," she shrugged. "I mean, there's Brenna, but she's in Colorado. She's been my best friend since forever. I have lots of acquaintances and fair-weather-fiends, but most of them are business contacts or they want the social status of knowing Jacob Tobin's Daughter. Or both. My ex-boyfriends had friends, but I didn't get along with most of them."